Genesis 25: where is the birthright?

The story of flesh vs. spirit comes around again.

Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as we discover new insights and new perspectives from a very old book.

In Genesis 16, both the YLT and NRSV say that Abraham took Hagar “as a wife.” In 25:1 Abraham took Keturah as a “wife.” But 25:6 implies they were “concubines.” Maybe they were in some sense “wives” of Abraham, but Abraham was married to Sarah, who came from the same family, culture, and religion.

That culture and religion was what Isaac inherited, whereas Abraham said to his other sons, “Here’s your gift. Good luck!”

This favoritism is unseemly for a supposedly righteous person. As either history or as fiction, Abraham rarely comes across as a particularly good man.

But if Abraham’s life story is an allegory of one’s consciousness, it’s about letting go and learning from mistakes to come back to what has been promised to you. So Abraham leaves his father and homeland. He separates from his beloved nephew and partner Lot. He cuts off his beloved son Ishmael, and sends off his other sons. As Abraham grew in faithfulness, he was even willing to sacrifice Isaac.