Esau and Jacob
Genesis 25, 26 and 27
The Bible gives us stories of the lives of men and women of God in history. We can learn from their successes and failures and model our lives in a fashion that is pleasing to God. One such story is about two brothers, Esau and Jacob.The Lord spoke to Rebecca during her pregnancy and in Genesis 25:23 it says he told her that she was carrying two nations in her womb; one will be stronger than the other and the elder will serve the younger. She was carrying twins. Esau entered the world before Jacob so he was the eldest. His brother caught his heel as he was exiting his mother’s womb and was given the name Jacob which meant supplanter or cheater. They were born to Isaac, the son that God promised Abraham, and to Rebecca, daughter of Laban. Isaac was a devout man of God, following in the footsteps of his father, Abraham, to whom God had made a covenant. The boys grew up and Esau was a cunning hunter, an outdoors man. He must have been his dad’s kind of man. When he would come in from the outdoors, he would smell of the field that the Lord had blessed. He was his father’s favorite. His brother Jacob was an indoors man. He was an upright and morale man, and was his mother’s favorite.
One day Jacob was cooking sod pottage, when his brother, Esau, came in from the field, the Bible says that he was faint. Sod pottage was a stew or soup made up of lentils (beans, peas). He smelled the pottage that Jacob was cooking and he said, “Feed me some of your red pottage before I faint,” and Jacob said to him, “Sell me your birthright, today. Esau said, “What good is a birthright to me when I’m about to die?” Jacob said, “Swear to me this day that I can have it,” and Esau swore to Jacob that he could have his birthright. Jacob fed Esau bread and the pottage. He ate and drank to his heart’s desire, and got up and went on his way. “Thus,” the Bible says, “Esau despised his birthright.”
Years went by, the brothers grew older and at the age of forty, Esau decided to marry. Genesis 26:34 says that he married Judith and Bashemath, who were both Hittites. The Bible says they were a grief to Isaac and Rebecca. Other historical records (the Targums) say that they quarreled with Isaac and Rebecca and rebelled against their religious instructions. When he married the Hittite women, he violated one of God’s commands to
As time went on and Isaac had gotten old and frail, his eyesight was poor and he thought that he was near death. It was a custom to pass the birthright on to the eldest son, so he instructed Esau, the eldest, to take his weapons and go out into the field and find some venison. He said, “Make a savory stew and bring it to me so that my soul can bless you before I die.” His wife, Rebecca, overheard him and called Jacob to her and told him what his father was about to do. Now remember that Jacob was her favorite. She knew what the Lord had told her when they were born, so it appears she decided to take matters into her own hands. In Genesis 27:8-13, she devised a scheme that would trick Isaac into blessing Jacob instead of Esau.
She told Jacob to follow her instructions. “Go and get two kid goats and bring them to me so that I can make a savory meat that your father loves. When I’m finish, you will take it into your father as if you are Esau.” But Jacob said, “Esau, my brother is a hairy man and I’m not, so how are we going to pull this off? If my father should feel me, he will know that I’m not Esau and instead of me being blessed, I’ll be cursed.” Rebecca said to him, “Upon me be the curse, my son: obey me and do what I told you to do.”
While Esau was out looking for a deer to kill, Jacob went out into the yard and brought the kid goats his mother had asked for and she made the savory meat that Isaac loved. She took some of Esau’s clothing and put them on Jacob, the youngest of the twins and put some of the skins of the goats on his hands and neck to make him feel hairy to Isaac should he feel him. She then gave him the savory meat dish and bread she prepared to take in to his father.
When Jacob went in and called to his father. His father said, “Here I am, which one of my sons are you?” And Jacob lied and said, “I’m Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you have instructed me. Sit up now and eat the venison I have prepared for you, and let your soul bless me.” His father said, “Come closer so that I can feel you and see if you are Esau or not.” Jacob went closer and he felt him and said, “Your voice is that of Jacob, but your hands are the hands of Esau.” So, he fooled his father with the hairy disguise. Isaac still probably not convinced that he was Esau gave him a partial blessing and again asked him, “Are you my son Esau?” And Jacob again lied, “I am.” Isaac said, “Bring me the venison that my soul may bless you.” Jacob brought him the venison and along with it wine and he ate and drank. He then told his son to come to him and give him a kiss and Jacob did. When he leaned into his father, he could smell the smell of the field from the clothing he wore which belonged to his brother, Esau, and Isaac gave the blessing of God to Jacob. In Genesis 27:28-29 he says, “God’s blessing of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve you, and nations bow down to you: be lord over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to thee. Cursed be every one that curses you, and blessed be everyone that blesses you.”
As time progressed and Jacob had stolen the blessing and he’d left the presence of his father, Esau came in from his hunting. He prepared the savory meat and brought it to his father and Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” and he said, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.” Isaac trembled uncontrollably because he realized he had already given the blessing to someone. He asked, “Who? Where is he that has already brought me venison and I have blessed?” Esau knew then that he had been tricked again by his younger brother. The Bible says in Genesis 27:34 that he cried uncontrollably and begged his father to bless him. Isaac said, “Your brother came and skillfully took the blessing intended for you. Esau cried, “You gave him the right name, Jacob, the cheater, He has twice taken away from me, first my birthright and now my blessing. Father, don’t you have one more blessing, just one more blessing for me?” His father said to him, “Your dwelling will be the fatness of the earth and the dew of heaven from above; and you will live by your sword, but you will serve your brother. It will come to pass that you will one day be strong enough to break free from him.” Genesis 27:41 says, “And Esau hated Jacob because he stole the blessing from his father that was meant for him. Esau said in his heart, “My father is old and haven’t much longer to live. After I have mourned his death, I kill my brother Jacob.” When Rebecca heard about it, she sent Jacob away to live with her brother Laban in
First we have Rebecca, whom the Lord had spoke to and revealed that the eldest brother would serve the younger. It is evident that she groomed Jacob well, however, it appeared that the revelation that the Lord made to her was slipping away. Do you think that the Lord revealed this to her so that she would take matters into her own hands? I would say not. The Lord is quite capable of orchestrating his own plans and does not need schemes, lies, or any forms of deceptions to fulfill His plans. Rebecca paid a dear price for the scheme and I would say that the curse did rest upon her. She caused her whole family to be divided. Even though Jacob was her favorite, I’m sure she loved Esau, but because she deceived him, she probably lost his trust and perhaps respect for her. She thought that once Esau’s anger had passed, Jacob could come back home and all would be well, but she didn’t count on her son being separated from her for 20 years. As a matter of fact she did not live to see her son again.
Isaac was blinded by tradition. It had been a custom for years to pass the birthright on to the eldest. Unfortunately, he did not discern Esau’s heart. Even though Esau wanted the birthright and blessings, he wanted them on his own terms. He showed just how much his birthright meant to him when he gave it away for bowl of soup. When he married the Hittite women, he showed little respect to God and the covenant He made with
Jacob, the supplanter, would be hated by his brother and be separated from his family for twenty years.
Lesson Learned
Did you realize that just as God gives you a discernment or word of knowledge that He will also give you the wisdom of how to use it? If you’re not sure, all you have to do is take the time and ask Him and He will show you. He does not lead by schemes, lies, and deceit. He is God, the almighty and does not need our help to orchestrate his plans for them to be fulfilled.
