Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Genesis Chapter 25
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 25:1-6
25:1And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. 25:2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 25:4And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 25:5And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 25:6But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts. And he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 25:7-11
25:7And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years. 25:8And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 25:9And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre. 25:10The field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. There was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. 25:11And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi.
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 25:12-18
25:12Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham. 25:13And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 25:14and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 25:15Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments. Twelve princes according to their nations. 25:17And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years. And he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people. 25:18And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria. He abode over against all his brethren.
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 25:19-28
25:19And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begat Isaac. 25:20And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. 25:21And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren. And Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 25:22And the children struggled together within her. And she said, If it be so, wherefore do I live? And she went to inquire of Jehovah. 25:23And Jehovah said unto her,
Two nations are in thy womb,
And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels.
And the one people shall be stronger than the other people.
And the elder shall serve the younger.25:24And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25:25And the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment. And they called his name Esau. 25:26And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. And his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
25:27And the boys grew. And Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field. And Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 25:28Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison. And Rebekah loved Jacob.
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 25:29-34
25:29And Jacob boiled pottage. And Esau came in from the field, and he was faint. 25:30And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage. For I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom. 25:31And Jacob said, Sell me first thy birthright. 25:32And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die. And what profit shall the birthright do to me? 25:33And Jacob said, Swear to me first. And he sware unto him. And he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 25:34And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils. And he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
July 13, 1930: Genesis 25:29-34
What relationship did Esau and Jacob bear to each other? Esau and Jacob were twin brothers. However, under the Hebrew law, Esau had the rights of an eldest son, since he had been born first.
What do Esau and Jacob symbolize in individual consciousness? Esau symbolizes the physical man, and Jacob symbolizes the mental man.
What is Esau's birthright? Esau's birthright is the inheritance of potential mental powers which, rightly applied, will lift the physical man out of the fleshly consciousness into the consciousness of the allness of mind.
What is represented by Esau's selling his birthright to Jacob? Under the natural law of evolution the physical man (Esau), who is brought forth first, has precedence over the intellectual man (Jacob). However, in this allegory the physical nature is overwhelmed by creature comforts (bread, pottage) and does not value sufficiently the mind power that has been given to man. The mental man is on a higher plane than the physical, and naturally draws to himself the finer forces of being. In consequence, Jacob (the intellect) naturally acquires precedence over Esau (the body consciousness).
May 8, 1932: Genesis 25:27-34
What does Jacob represent? Jacob represents the higher phase of man's mind that is open to the things of Spirit: “a quiet man,” a man of meditation and constructive thought.
What does Esau represent? Esau represents the mind of the flesh: “a skilful hunter, a man of the field.”
Why did Isaac love Esau? Isaac means “laughter,” happiness, which loves the animal freedom of life, the “venison.”
Why did Rebekah love Jacob? Rebekah represents subjective love of the ideal, and it is only through Jacob, who symbolizes the upper reaches of the mind, that ideals can be realized.
What is the birthright of Esau? Esau's birthright is the body, and the all-round development to which it is entitled.
How did Jacob supplant Esau? The ambitious ideas of the intellect forged ahead of the growth of the body and gave it an intellectual idea of life (“boiled pottage”), instead of supplying it with its natural substance.
What is the result of the supplanting by the intellect of the body's birthright? A temporary separation in consciousness takes place between mind and body. Esau “went his way,” and Jacob became a man rich in the goods of this world; but under the divine law Jacob and Esau met and were reconciled at the ford of the Jabbok.
Is it wise to allow the intellect to rob the body? No. The man who drives his body to the breaking point in order to make it carry out the behests of his ambition is not only robbing himself of physical health and reserve power, he is surrendering his claim to the precious gift of God, the uplifting of the body to the consciousness of its divine heritage of eternal life. “So Esau despised his birthright.” So does every man despise his birthright who fails to avail himself of opportunity to demonstrate, through the complete unification of his power in divine love, eternal life here and now.
May 23, 1937: Genesis 25:27-34
What do the names Esau and Jacob mean, and what do they represent respectively? Esau (“rough,” “hairy”) represents the body, physical vigor. Jacob (“supplanter”) represents the mental consciousness. Esau was a man of action, Jacob a thinker and a dreamer.
In what respect is the selling of the birthright by Esau to Jacob instructive to us? It shows that, although in the beginning of our earth life the claims of the body take first place, eventually the mind asserts its dominion and the body becomes subordinate to it.
Define man's birthright. Man's ideal relationship to God as a son to his father, as a perfect idea in Divine Mind, is his birthright.
Of what good is the birthright to him who is submerged in sense, physically weak, or about to die? As a spiritual gift man's birthright is an enduring possession, and cannot be lost through death or any weakness of the body. However it does him good only in the measure in which he acknowledges it in thought and action.
Which work have we to do in the body consciousness? We are to lift up the body through the Christ power, transmuting low impulses into higher ones, until the body becomes glorified, a fit temple of the Spirit that dwells in man.
Does imagination enter into or form part of man's birthright? All the mental faculties enter into man’s birthright, imagination to a greater extent than some others. Through the exercise of his imagination man conceives original ideas and puts them to practical use.
How can one attain “a sound mind in a sound body,” and what does such a state show? To do this a person must have within himself a conscious center of peace and quiet to which he can withdraw for rest and refreshment. In such a state of poise he willingly forgoes all conflict, whether with others or within his own mind.
“Isaac [joy] loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison.” Interpret this statement metaphysically. The joy that is an index of high animal spirits only is a passing phase of man’s experience. The delights of thinking have in them more satisfaction than any mere physical stimulus can arouse.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 12-26-2013
