QT 10/24/2025 Gen 28:1–9, Pain in family relationships

Genesis 28:1–9 (ESV) —

1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4 May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” 5 Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, 9 Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.

 

NOTE: You can feel the pain in the relationships in the family. Only now does Esau recognize his fault in choosing to marry a Canaanite woman. In fact, he married two. His choice to marry a third time and into Ishmael's family is not much better. He is looking for acceptance from his father. The good news for Esau is that for the next twenty years, he will get to spend time with his father (and mother) alone. I think the relationship heals during that time, although Jacob is unaware, because when the meet again, they will meet in an embrace.

 

There is pain enough in life without have to continue in relational pain. If there is a family member you are estranged from, it is worth it, to try again to restore the relationship. Recently, I tried to restore a relationship with one of my brothers (I have three, one died many years ago). I also have two sisters as well. None of us are very close. We live far away. I have reached out at times with some success. We can't force a positive response, we can only do what is right. It is then between them and God.

 

PONDER:

1. Is there a family relationship you need to restore?
2. What can I do to bring healing in my family?

 

PRAYER: Father, give us wisdom to bring healing to our extended families. It may not change overnight, but every small step forward is actually huge.