We continue with Jacob’s story after leaving off with the dispute over a birthright with his older brother, Esau (first born son of...

As we begin Genesis 25, we meet Esau and his brother Jacob, sons of Isaac (son of Abraham) and Rebekah. Esau and Jacob were twins with Esau the first born and Jacob following right after. As they grew, they had very different interests. Esau was a skilled hunter and farmer and Jacob “was a mild man, dwelling in tents” (Genesis 25:27). While it’s typically not common for parents to have favorites among their children, this was not the case for Esau and Jacob.

It sometimes horrifies us to think how God could require human sacrifice. Yet, the point of this story is to show God testing Abraham’s faith and loyalty; nothing more.

On this Mother's Day, we honor the mothers who have brought us into the world, nurtured us in love, and pointed us—sometimes gently, sometimes firmly—toward Jesus. We remember the quiet strength of Mary, whose faith opened the door to Christ’s first miracle. We thank God for mothers who see what others miss, who believe even when others doubt, and who teach us to listen to the voice of Jesus.

Abram surely knew that God, The Almighty God (El Shaddai), was the creator of the universe and therefore had no limitations to power or strength. In Genesis 17: 1, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God;” (NKJV).

One of the major characters in the Bible that many would call a patriarch is Abram, better known as Abraham. Like many Bible characters who lived before the time of King David (before 1040 BC), it is hard to know much about these patriarchs. We not only lack what is referred to as reliable historical information but there also isn’t any archaeological evidence that proves the existence of Abraham.