Two Loves

Isaac loved Esau, for he was fond of game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.  Genesis 25:28

Loved – The Bible is rich when we know how to mine the ore.  But sometimes our English shovels just can’t get at the gold between the lines.  That is the case in this simple verse.  Both verbs come from the root ahav (to love), but they don’t say the same thing.

Isaac loved Esau.  The verb is in a form that suggests a pattern of discrete, repeated action.  The idea is digital – an on-off pattern that repeats itself over and over.  This imagery is enhanced by the addition of the phrase, “for he was fond of game.”  Isaac loved Esau each and every time Esau performed his role as the hunter.  Of course, Isaac may have loved Esau all the time, but the text deliberately describes this love of finite acts repeated over time.

Rebekah loved Jacob.  Now the same verb is in the participial form.  The act is not a series of finite, repeated acts but rather a continuous, present action.  In bad English (but good Hebrew), we would say, “but Rebekah loving Jacob.” 

What a world of difference there is between the two!  The father loves the son when the son does what pleases the father.  Today, it’s scoring a touchdown, getting the best grades, winning the race, accomplishing the task.  It’s love – conditioned by performance.

But the mother loving the son has nothing to do with the moment’s performance.  It is continuous benevolence poured out on another simply because this is her son, and for no other reason. 

Is there someone special in your world?  Are your actions repetitive or continuous?  Performance conditioned or just there, no matter what?  Hebrew does not distinguish between these two with different words.  Both are love (ahav), but the author writes something very special into the text that has to be mined to be appreciated.  So, appreciate it.  It is rich, deep and beautiful.

Then ask yourself, “How does God love me?”  The Old Testament says God’s love is ahav love.  Now what does that mean?