Genesis 26:12–35 focuses on Isaac’s Heaven-granted prosperity and the resulting envy from the Philistines, leading to disputes over water wells. Parallel passage Isaiah 65:23–66:8 prophesies a future of divine blessings and the birth of a renewed Zion. Another parallel, Romans 9:6–18, discusses God’s sovereign election of Isaac over Esau, emphasizing that true descendants of Abraham are identified through faith, not merely by lineage. These passages collectively highlight themes of divine promise, conflict and God’s selective favor, which culminate in the New Testament revelation of Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) as the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
Starting after Sukkot 2024, Hallel Fellowship switched to a three-year cycle of Torah and parallel Bible readings (2024–2027), outlined by TorahResource. While there’s ancient evidence for a triennial cycle, a major benefit is to provide more time to mine more of Scripture for lessons.
These passages share common themes of divine election, blessing, conflict, and God’s sovereign plan.
Genesis 26:12–35
Isaac prospers abundantly, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham. However, his success breeds envy and conflict with the Philistines, leading to disputes over wells. Eventually, God grants peace and affirms His covenant with Isaac.
Isaac, as the child of promise, prefigures Yeshua, who is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant. Just as Isaac faced opposition and ultimately found peace, Yeshua also faced rejection but brought true reconciliation between God and humanity.
Isaiah 65–66 prophesies restoration and new creation, ultimately fulfilled in Messiah.
Romans 9 clarifies that God’s promises are realized through faith in Yeshua, not mere ancestry.
Key Hebrew terms
צָלַח tsalakh — prosper, succeed
Used in Genesis 26:13, “The man became rich and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy.” Indicates divine blessing and success given by God.
מָקוֹם maqom — place
In Genesis 26:22, Rehoboth means “broad places,” signifying God making room for Isaac.
Found also in Genesis 28:16–17, referring to God’s presence.
Theological lessons
Divine provision: God blesses Isaac despite opposition, showing His faithfulness to His covenant.
Conflict and reconciliation: Isaac’s peaceful approach (moving away instead of retaliating) illustrates trusting God for justice.
Messianic insights
Isaac’s blessings foreshadow the spiritual inheritance through Yeshua (Galatians 3:29).
Water wells symbolize the living water that Yeshua gives (John 4:10-14).
The covenant reaffirmation to Isaac mirrors how God confirms His covenant through Yeshua.
Isaiah 65:23–66:8
This passage describes God’s future restoration, where His chosen people will enjoy divine blessings and peace. It contrasts the fate of the faithful with those who reject God, emphasizing His sovereignty in choosing and blessing His people.
Key Hebrew terms
בָּרָא bara — create
Found in Isaiah 65:17 (“I create new heavens and a new earth”).
This word is used in Genesis 1:1, showing God’s power to bring renewal.
רֶחֶם rechem — womb, mercy
Isaiah 66:7-8 speaks of Zion giving birth suddenly, signifying divine intervention.
Also used in Psalm 103:13, linking God’s compassion to a mother’s care.
Theological lessons
Restoration and new creation: God’s future renewal extends beyond Israel to all who trust in Him.
Judgment and reward: The wicked face destruction, while the righteous enjoy peace in God’s kingdom.
Messianic insights
“New heavens and new earth” (Isaiah 65:17) is echoed in Revelation 21:1, fulfilled in Yeshua.
The sudden birth of Zion (Isaiah 66:7-8) represents the rapid expansion of God’s kingdom through Yeshua’s resurrection and the birth of the Church (Acts 2).
Romans 9:6–18
Paul explains that God’s promises are not based on human lineage but on His sovereign choice. He uses Isaac and Jacob as examples of God’s election, emphasizing that salvation and blessing come from God’s mercy rather than human effort.
The themes of election and mercy in Isaiah and Romans highlight that God’s kingdom is not about human effort but His divine calling, fulfilled through faith in Yeshua.
These passages together reveal God’s sovereign plan to bless His people and extend His mercy to all through Yeshua.
Key Greek terms
ἐκλογή eklogē — election, choosing
Used in Romans 9:11 to explain how God’s choice is not based on human effort.
Also found in Ephesians 1:4, referring to believers being chosen in Christ.
Ἔλεος eleos — mercy
Romans 9:15 quotes Exodus 33:19, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.”
Used in Titus 3:5, emphasizing salvation by God’s mercy.
Theological lessons
God’s sovereign choice: Just as Isaac was chosen over Ishmael, and Jacob over Esau, salvation is through God’s grace, not human effort.
Faith over lineage: Being a descendant of Abraham physically does not guarantee inclusion in God’s family — faith in Yeshua does.
Messianic insights
Romans 9:6-8 teaches that true children of Abraham are those in Messiah (Galatians 3:7, 16).
God’s election of Isaac and Jacob foreshadows Yeshua as the ultimate Chosen One.
Pharaoh’s hardening (Romans 9:17) points to the greater spiritual battle where hardened hearts reject Messiah, but God uses even opposition to fulfill His purpose.
In this study of Genesis 25–26, 2Samuel 5–6, and Hebrews 12, we explore God’s enduring covenant of faithfulness. From Esau’s rash birthright trade to David’s seeking divine guidance, these passages reveal our human frailty and God’s unwavering commitment. The Messiah emerges as the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant between Heaven and Abraham, bridging generations and offering hope. Through the anointing of Yeshua (Jesus), we’re called to reverence, obedience and trust of Heaven’s leading, recognizing that our legacy is defined not by our beginnings, but by our response to God’s gracious promise.
This study of the Torah portion תּוֹלְדֹת Toldot (“generations,” Gen. 25:19–28:9) explores the concept of teamwork in prayer through the story of Isaac and Rebecca, who prayed together for 20 years to conceive children. We delve into biblical relationships, highlighting the patience and perseverance demonstrated by the patriarchs and matriarchs. Comparisons between the sons of the Spirit and flesh, represented by Jacob and Esau, shed light on the importance of spiritual and physical completeness.
We also explore the descendants of Jacob, Esau and historical figures, emphasizing the ramifications of short-term thinking versus long-term vision. It draws parallels between biblical narratives…
At first glance, the trustworthiness troubles of Abraham, his son Yitzkhak (Isaac) and grandson Ya’akov (Jacob) can be disturbing, considering they are pillars of faith in the Kingdom of God. How can we forget Ya’akov’s “red, red stuff” deal with his brother, Esau?
Rather than a descent into “truthiness,” their legacy for the commonwealth of Israel is growth from faith-fickle to faithful. In this week’s Torah portion (תּוֹלְדֹת Toldot, “generations,” Gen. 25:19–28:9), we follow Ya’akov’s journey to becoming a “new man,” renamed Israel (“struggles with God” or “rules with God”). That “rebirth,” pictured via Ya’akov’s dream of a ladder between Earth…
Heaven warned the spiritual leaders of ancient Israel through the prophet Malachi that they were showing more respect for human leaders than for the One who created the world and Israel. The priests were despising their legacy for the world, handed down through giants of character, as described in the Torah reading תּוֹלָדוֹת Toledot (Genesis 25:19–28:9).
Likewise, we have this legacy handed down to us from Adam to Noach to Abraham to Yitzkhak to Ya’akov to David to Yeshuah the Messiah (Jesus the Christ). Now we are a part of that legacy, grafted into the olive tree that Heaven planted —…
Why does God let evil things happen? Why do people who supposedly are close to God do evil things? Just as all who profess to be of Abraham aren’t actually truly descendants of him (John 8:39–47), so too, those who claim to be in Messiah (Christ) are not actually in Him (Matt. 7:21–24; Romans 9). These are some of the tough questions tackled in the Torah reading תולדות Toldot/Toledot (“generations,” Gen. 25:19–28:9).
Esau was not the innocent victim of his brother Jacob’s conspiracy we read about in the Torah reading תולדות Toldot (“generations,” Genesis 25:19–28:9). We learn through the companion passage in Malachi 1 that Esau knew that he didn’t value his birthright or his blessing from his father, Isaac, the legacy of faith in God passed down from Abraham. God separated Jacob and Esau for very good reasons. And God will take care of your future — if you follow Him faithfully.
Who we came from doesn’t necessarily define who we are or will become. On the flip side, if we aren’t “born again” (John 3) into the best of the legacy passed to us — the Kingdom of God — we can turn it into an abomination.
The Torah section תולדות Toldot (“generations,” Gen. 25:19–28:9) reminds us that we are called to recognize the good around us and must become wise to the frequent folly of “following your heart.” We should have the desire to be mature and complete in the knowledge of and relationship to God. We should not be dismayed…
One lesson from the life of Esau in Torah reading תּוֹלְדֹת Toldot/Toledot (“generations,” Genesis 25:19–28:9) is who and where we came from doesn’t necessarily define who we are or will become. Another takeaway is to recognize the good around us and become wise to the frequent folly of “following your heart” after what appears to be good. This is why Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) wants us to learn how to be “complete,” not lacking in anything.
It’s difficult for those of us who are naturally rebellious to understand God’s will. But if we have our eyes and hearts open, we can find out what it is. That’s what the Bible accounts of Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob and Esau teach us. In the Torah section Toldot (Genesis 25:19–28:9), we explore the beginning of Isaac’s account in earnest and how the battle over Esau’s birthright and blessing reveals God’s Spirit in us battles our fleshly clinging to our old way of life.
The “big picture” lessons of Parashat Toldot both come to us from the life of Esau. First, we need to understand that who and where we came from doesn’t necessarily define who we are or will become. Second, we need to recognize the good around us and become wise to the frequent folly of “following your heart.”
The eight days of Chanukah (Festival of Dedication, John 10:22–39), historically parallel the eight days of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles). But there is a startling parallel to eight women in the Bible for whom having children would have been miraculous — including the mother of Yeshua (Jesus) — yet these women dedicated themselves to God’s mission to restore the Earth.
Why has the birthright and blessing due Esau but passed to Ya’akov (Jacob) been a persistent factor in world history, even to our day and the future Day of the Lord? Is there a connection between the delusion Ya’akov gave his father, Yitzkhak (Isaac), to gain Esau’s blessing and the “strong delusion” God has planned for the Day of the Lord?
What is the connection between this account of the death of Abraham and the prophecy of warring children in the womb of Rivkah (Rebecca) and the accounts of Creation and of the Flood?
After Sarah’s death Abraham had other children as well and we learn how his estate was divided up between his heirs. We also learn how Yiskhak (Isaac) deals with his status as a wealthy patriarch in a hostile land and how his two sons start fighting over Yiskhak’s estate before they are born and continue fighting over it when they are adults. The fight appears to end with Esau “despising” his birthright. But does this really end the dispute?
Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is called the firstfruits of the resurrection (1st Cor. 15:20), and why are we called firstfruits of creation (James 1:18)? Pentecost originally was a celebration of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest and followed 50 days after the celebration of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. What is God teaching here about Yeshua and us?
