IT WILL BE remembered that Esau I had married two women who were Hittites — strangers of God, who “were a grief of mind unto Isaac and Rebekah.” Now that Rebekah wished to send Jacob away from his brother’s wrath she used the trial of Esau’s marriages to win the support of Isaac in approving Jacob’s departure to Haran. “And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?” v. 46. Isaac readily agreed to the journey. “And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.” Chap. 28:1,2. With his father’s further pronouncements of blessing, Jacob took his leave for that distant land.
It must not be forgotten that Job was always the man for whom God had ultimate blessing in view. He himself, however, was the greatest obstacle to receiving the blessings because of his scheming and self-will. Had he been submissive he would have been spared many trials and testings, but his insistence to “make his own way” only delayed the disclosing of God’s purposes.
Esau, aware of his father’s expressions to Jacob, appears to have attempted to gain some of the same favor. “And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael...” v. 8,9. But if it was his purpose to please his father with such a choice he was certain to be disappointed, for a union with the house of Ishmael was entirely foreign to all that God had decreed to Isaac and his descendants. It will be recalled that when Isaac was born into Abraham’s house as the heir of God’s promises, there was a serious conflict between himself and Ishmael, who was Abram’s son through Hagar, the bond-maid. Sarah said at that time: “The son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” God told Abraham to hearken to his wife and expel Ishmael, who spoke in type of the flesh and the law, so that there might be no hindrance to the blessings of Isaac, a type of faith and grace.
Esau’s marriage with a daughter of Ishmael was not suited to the calling of the household of Isaac and presents another example of the unsuitability of God’s children seeking to merge with the world. Those who profess faith in God, through the work of Christ, are not to put themselves again under the law and try to please God by fleshly activity. These things are contrary to faith and grace — the way in which God now deals with His people.
ML-08/21/1966