Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

TOPIC: The History of Antisemitism and Muslim Teachings

{1 of 7} Genesis 25: Hebrew Meanings
{2 of 7} Genesis 25: Timeline
{3 of 7} Genesis 25: Jewish Birthright and Salvation
{4 of 7} Genesis 25: Jacob Replaces Esau
{5 of 7} Genesis 25: Genealogy
{6 of 7} Genesis 25: Patterns, Shadows, and Symbolism
{7 of 7} Genesis 25: History

What should we learn from this chapter?

• The ancient hatred of antisemitism, the longest lasting hatred in history, begins in Genesis. The history of antisemitism can be traced from ancient times to the present day.
  
• Antisemitism is generally understood as the hatred of the descendants of Ishmael and Esau toward the descendants of Jacob, from whom the lineage of the Hebrews aka “Jews” are derived.
  • The Jews are called the chosen people through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Acts 7:32
    • Note: Esau was excluded.
      
• Antisemitism is a demonic spirit that is invasive and spreads through people and existence. It continually looks for personalities and opportunities that fit its agenda. In scripture, one prophecy can fit many instances in which this evil spirit raises its head. It builds throughout history ending in an explosion of hatred at Armageddon.
  
  
• Fighting antisemitism is the process of recognizing that one is fighting the evil powers and principalities of the air.
• Why Jews?
  • Succinctly, through the Jews the Son of God comes to destroy Satan and his fallen angels.
• Antisemitism grows with the rejection of the Jewish Messiah, the Son of God.

Genesis 25

Abraham and Keturah

Genesis 25:¹ Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

 Genesis 25:² And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

Genesis 25:³ Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.

Genesis 25:⁴ And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

Genesis 25:⁵ And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.

• In Jewish thought: Isaac, the second born, swallowed up the firstborn, Ishmael.

Genesis 25:⁶ But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

Abraham’s Death and Burial

Genesis 25:⁷ This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years.

Genesis 25:⁸ Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 25:⁹ And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite,

Genesis 25:¹⁰ the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.

Genesis 25:¹¹ And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God (‘ĕlōhîm) blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

The Families of Ishmael and Isaac

Genesis 25:¹² Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.

Genesis 25:¹³ And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

Genesis 25:¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

Genesis 25:¹⁵ Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

Genesis 25:¹⁶ These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations.

Genesis 25:¹⁷ These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 25:¹⁸ (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.

Genesis 25:¹⁹ This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac.

Genesis 25:²⁰ Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

Genesis 25:²¹ Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Genesis 25:²² But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).

Genesis 25:²³ And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to her:

“Two nations (the Arabs and the Jews) are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older (Esau, the Arabs) shall serve the younger (Jacob, the Jews).”

Genesis 25:²⁴ So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb.

Genesis 25:²⁵ And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau.

Genesis 25:²⁶ Afterward his brother (Jacob) came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob (supplanter). Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Genesis 25:²⁷ So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

Genesis 25:²⁸ And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

Genesis 25:²⁹ Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field (hunting), and he was weary.

Genesis 25:³⁰ And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom (literally, red).

Genesis 25:³¹ But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

Genesis 25:³² And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

Genesis 25:³³ Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Genesis 25:³⁴ And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of (red) lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way (he didn’t give it a second thought). Thus Esau despised his birthright.

• Esau became the father of the Arabs and Jacob became the father of the Jews. An ancient hatred continues to present day.
• Esau descendants took on the religion of Moslem while Jacobs descendants became Hebrew “Jews”.

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Antisemitism in History: See TOPIC: Antisemitism

• TRUE STORIES:
  
  Louis Brandeis, Jewish, graduated from the Harvard Law School at age 20 with the highest grade point average in that school’s history and, after other academic triumphs, was appointed U.S. Supreme Court justice. When Brandeis was studying law at Harvard, an anti-Semitic professor by the name of Peters always displayed animosity towards him. One day Prof. Peters was having lunch at the University dining room when Brandeis came along with his tray and sat next to him. The professor said, “Mr. Brandeis you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat.” Brandeis looked at him and calmly replied, “Don’t worry, professor. I’ll fly away,” and he went and sat at another table.
  
  Peters, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Brandeis responded brilliantly to all questions. Unhappy and frustrated, Peters asked him the following question: “Mr Brandeis, if you were walking down the street and found a package, a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?” Without hesitating, Brandeis responded, “The one with the money, of course.” Peters, smiling sarcastically, said, “Just like a Jew. Unlike you I would have taken the wisdom.” Brandeis shrugged indifferently and responded, “Each one takes what he doesn’t have.”
  
  Prof. Peters hatred for the Jewish student came to a finale when he scribbled on his student’s final exam the word “idiot” and handed it back to him. A few minutes later, Louis Brandeis got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, “Prof. Peters, you autographed the exam sheet, but you did not give me a grade…”
  
• ARABIC HATRED TOWARD THE JEWS WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION May 15, 1948:
  
  • The Muslim opposition to an independent Jewish State in the biblical Land of Israel (aka Palestine) is rooted in the religious teachings of Islam. Since the 7^th century, as Arabs conquered vast lands in their expansion from Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, to the whole Middle East and the Mediterranean countries in Northern Africa, a doctrine was developed whose basic tenet was, and still is: lands conquered by Muslims belong to the Umma (the Islamic Community) and cannot be surrendered. Never. Non-Muslim residents in these lands can, at best, achieve the status of “dhimmi” – if they are “People of the Book” (Jews and Christians). Members of other religions were less fortunate: for them the options were conversion, expulsion or death.
  • The “dhimmi” status was formally bought by paying a special tax (“jizya”) that granted personal security (protection from the mob) and basic religious autonomy in return for constant submission. Submission was expressed in a variety of ways. Dhimmis could not testify against a Muslim in a court of law. Murderers of dhimmis were rarely punished, as they could justify their acts by accusing the victims of blasphemy against Islam. The case of a Pakistani Christian woman, Aasiya Noreen, is well known: In 2010 she was convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court and sentenced to death by hanging. Public degradation and humiliation of dhimmis was commonplace. At times and places, dhimmis were required to wear special badges (yellow for Jews) and were barred from riding horses, considered too noble for dhimmis, and restricted to using donkeys. The threat of violence, individual or collective, against “dhimmis” was always present, and oftentimes actually implemented as a reminder of their inferior status. Just to indicate a few modern events prior to the establishment of the State of Israel: In June 1-2 1941, a pogrom in Baghdad, Iraq, ended with over 180 Jews killed and around thousand Jewish homes destroyed. In November 5-7 1945, a pogrom started in Tripoli, Libya, and quickly spread to neighboring cities: at least 130 Jews were killed and hundreds of Jewish homes were pillaged or destroyed, including nine synagogues. In December 1947, in Aleppo, Syria, anti-Jewish riots resulted in some 75 Jews murdered and several hundred wounded. Ten synagogues were destroyed.

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