November – 4 – Siblings’ Rivalry

By Spally TaylorOctober 30, 2018

Sunday School Lesson

November 4

Siblings’ Rivalry

 Recommended Reading 

Crossing the Read Sea

Chewing the Cud

Chabad.org

Devotional Reading: Matthew 16:13–20

Background Scripture: Genesis 25:19–34

Genesis 25:19–34

19. And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac:
20. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21. And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.
23. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
24. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
27. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
28. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33. And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Key Verse

The Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

—Genesis 25:23

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Summarize the account of Rebekah’s pregnancy, the birth of her twin boys, and the account of how Jacob obtained the birthright from Esau.

2. Explain what contributed to the sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau and which influences today create such rivalries.

3. Take the first step to resolve a family rivalry.

HOW TO SAY IT

Introduction

1. Lucy and Jacob

The classic Peanuts comic strip often featured a theme centered around a promise that Charlie Brown’s nemesis, Lucy, makes to hold a football on the ground so he can kick it. Charlie is wary; he knows that Lucy will pull the ball away. Lucy pleads for another chance, claiming that she has changed. She gives Charlie her “bonded word” that she will not pull the ball away. So Charlie backs up, runs toward the ball, and (of course) Lucy yanks it away. Charlie is seen flipping into the air with his predictable exclamation of “Aaugh!” Then he lands on his back with a Wump!

Lucy’s clever, deceptive behavior is similar to that of Jacob, the focus of our next four lessons. In today’s Scripture passage we see him taking advantage of his brother Esau’s hunger in order to pull away from him something much more significant than a football: the family’s birthright. But this was no cartoon; it was a series of events with tragic consequences for Jacob and his family.

1. Lesson Context

Today’s lesson begins a new unit of lessons that continues our studies from Genesis this quarter. The unit’s theme of “God Blesses and Re-creates Regardless” highlights God’s ability to work through the life of one flawed man in particular: Jacob.

Initially, Jacob had very little regard for anyone except himself. He was a man who lived by his wits, by his ability to outwit and outmaneuver anyone who crossed his path. Eventually he learned to acknowledge God, not himself, as the one in control, though the consequences of his deceitful tactics dogged him through much of his life.

“Siblings’ Rivalry,” the title of this lesson, could serve as a subtitle for the book of Genesis as a whole. Before we read of Jacob and Esau’s tension, we read of Cain and Abel and of Ishmael and Isaac (Jacob’s father). Later in Genesis, we see the friction between the two sisters Leah and Rachel. Then there is that of Jacob’s sons. Thus today’s account doesn’t lack for company!

1. Distressed Mother

(Genesis 25:19–23)

1. Big Picture (vv. 19, 20)
2. And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac.

The book of Genesis is arranged by the use of the phrase the generations of (compare Genesis 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1, 9; 37:2). The verses just prior to this one record “the generations of Ishmael,” Abraham’s son through Hagar. But that account lasts only through verse 18. By contrast, the record of the generations of Isaac that begins here continues through Genesis 35:29—more than 10 chapters! That speaks to the relative significance of these half brothers.

20. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

Genesis 24 records the arranged marriage of Isaac to Rebekah (last week’s lesson). Bethuel is the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor. Her brother Laban eventually becomes father-in-law of Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, through Jacob’s marriages to Leah and Rachel, Laban’s daughters.

The term Syrian is a geographical designation rather than an ethnic one. The term Padanaram means “plain of Aram” (another name for Syria). It is a part of Mesopotamia, to which Abraham had sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:10).

1. Barrenness (v. 21)
2. And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Barrenness is a characteristic of three prominent women in the book of Genesis: Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. This condition, viewed as shameful in biblical times (Genesis 30:23; Luke 1:25), becomes the backdrop for God to show His power to reverse such circumstances. But God does not grant this request simply to relieve heartache. He is committed to let nothing—not even a seemingly irreversible condition like barrenness‌—prevent Him from keeping His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:2).

Isaac, distraught over his wife’s condition, turns to the Lord in prayer. Thus did his father Abraham express to the Lord his own concern over Sarah (Genesis 15:2, 3). In each case the barren woman is empowered to conceive.

1. Battle (vv. 22, 23)

22a. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus?

An expectant mother can often feel the baby inside kick. Rebekah, however, seems to be experiencing an unusual amount of such activity. She does not yet know that she is carrying twins; she is only questioning why the movement within her is so intense. Perhaps she suspects that there is more than one child responsible for this. In truth, though, the sibling rivalry has begun!

22b. And she went to enquire of the Lord.

Just what this action consists of is difficult to determine. It appears that she goes to a specific place as opposed to simply praying, which is what Isaac has done. Perhaps it is a place that has come to be associated with the presence of the Lord for some reason, much as is the case later with Bethel (Genesis 28:16–19). What is most important is that Rebekah is going to the right source with her question.

23a. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people.

In some clear and unmistakable manner, the Lord speaks to Rebekah and answers her inquiry, just as He has answered Isaac’s prayer for a child. Rebekah is carrying twins, but they are described as two nations. The nations are not specifically named; all that Rebekah is told involves the future of each.

23b. And the elder shall serve the younger.

The prophecy then focuses on the children themselves. The promise here is not the norm in the Old Testament world. Typically, the older sibling is to be given greater prominence within the family. The Law of Moses later stipulates that the firstborn son be given a “double portion” of the family’s wealth (Deuteronomy 21:15–17). But in Genesis, the younger sibling is generally more favored. In addition to Jacob, this is true with Abel, Isaac, Rachel, and Joseph.

This illustrates what the Lord will later say through the prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). One may also see the preference for the younger sibling as illustrating the principle of grace at work: the individual who does not deserve prominence or blessing (the younger) receives it nonetheless.

1. Distinctive Boys

(Genesis 25:24–28)

1. Esau’s Birth (vv. 24, 25)

24, 25. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

A child’s name in the Bible often reflects some detail in the circumstances of the birth itself (Genesis 38:27–30; 1 Samuel 4:19–22) or includes a statement of hope or vindication (Genesis 30:8, 20). In this case the unusually hairy appearance of the firstborn son yields the name Esau, from the Hebrew for “hairy.”

Also quite striking is the redness of his skin. Both details will play an important role in the sibling rivalry that will characterize these boys: the color red (of Jacob’s stew) will figure in Jacob’s act of cunning in obtaining Esau’s birthright, and the hairy appearance will enter into the deception of Isaac in Genesis 27.

1. Jacob’s Birth (v. 26)

26a. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob.

The second of Rebekah’s twins is marked not by his appearance but by a rather curious action for a newborn: his hand seizes Esau’s heel. From this he is given the name Jacob, from the Hebrew word for “heel.” At this point, no one can anticipate what kind of “heel-grabbing” this infant will eventually engage in. Nor can anyone anticipate how the characteristics of Esau will play themselves out in his life someday. Whoever names these twins (probably their parents) may be chuckling as they do so. But deceit and heartbreak await this family, not laughter.

Jacob’s heel-grabbing will come to have a much more sinister connotation to it: grabbing the heel as if to pull a rival back and impede his progress so that the heel-grabber can move ahead of him. This is what Jacob will become known for doing—especially and tragically to his own brother and father.

26b. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Isaac married when he was 40 (Genesis 25:20, above), and now he is age 60. Thus he has had to wait 20 years for his sons’ births.

When Siblings Struggle

For years, twins Alexandria and Anastasia Duval shared the ups and downs of life, experiencing together business enterprises, bankruptcies, and moves to various places. On May 29, 2016, the sisters were seen in a parked vehicle on a cliff 200 feet above the ocean in Hawaii. Alexandria was in the driver’s seat. Witnesses saw a fight break out between them, with Anastasia pulling Alexandria’s hair. Then, according to witnesses, the vehicle accelerated and made a sharp left turn over the cliff. Alexandria was injured, and Anastasia was killed in the crash at the bottom of the cliff.

Shortly thereafter, police charged Alexandria with second-degree murder, alleging that she intentionally drove off the road. But a judge said there was not sufficient evidence for the charge. Four months later, however, a grand jury accepted the murder charge, and Alexandria was arrested in New York and held for extradition to Hawaii.

The Bible also includes tragic tales of siblings who struggled against each other. We know about the later struggles of Jacob and Esau, but today’s passage tells us the problem began early—before birth! Many of us wonder how we can work with God to overcome family strife. Let us pray we do better at it than Jacob and Esau did. Perhaps God gave us their story to encourage us to strive not to be like them!

—C. R. B.

1. Boys’ Preferences (v. 27)
2. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

The account now moves forward in time, though no specific number of years is given. The text simply reads that the boys grew. Of more importance is how different the boys become, though they are twins: Esau becomes an outdoorsman, a cunning hunter and a man of the field. Jacob is more of a homebody. The Hebrew word rendered plain describes someone who is orderly and methodical, more of a quiet and private person. Jacob is certainly not the rugged, robust individual his brother is.

1. Parents’ Preferences (v. 28)
2. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Not only are these boys different, but their differences affect the attitudes of their parents toward them. Isaac is drawn toward Esau, while Rebekah favors Jacob. With Isaac a reason is given for his preference: he likes the kind of food Esau prepares from what he captures when he hunts. Although venison refers to deer meat in modern English, the Hebrew word can designate any kind of game obtained by hunting.

No reason is given for why Rebekah becomes especially fond of Jacob, but this is likely because he spends so much time among the tents where Rebekah presumably spends most of her days. If there is already any degree of sibling rivalry between Esau and Jacob, the fact that the parents play favorites can only exacerbate the problem.

What Makes Children Different?

I was born 4 years before my first brother, 8 years before the second, and 12 years before our sister. We differ in many ways, but others see us as very much alike, especially in our sense of humor. At family reunions, our spouses make a game out of simultaneously cringing at our puns and time-worn stories.

Some psychologists call sibling differences a matter of divergence: when one child excels in an area, the others seek to excel in divergent ways. A second way to explain sibling differences comes from the fact that they experience the family environment differently. If their parents divorce, siblings of varying ages will react differently. A third explanation comes from exaggerated comparisons. Though two siblings might both be friendly, the extremely outgoing child will be labeled the family’s extrovert while the other is seen as the introvert.

Esau and Jacob differed in appearance from birth, and soon their personality differences became apparent. Their differences were likely exaggerated by the dysfunctional way their parents responded to them. Many of the difficulties the two brothers experienced later in life might have been mitigated if they had received wiser parenting. Rearing children is difficult, but we can make it less stressful if we use godly wisdom in doing so.

—C. R. B.

III. Despised Birthright

(Genesis 25:29–34)

1. Offer Given (vv. 29–31)
2. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint.

The word sod is an old past tense of the verb seethe, which originally meant “to boil.” We still speak of someone seething with rage as “boiling mad.” The usage here describes Jacob as boiling or cooking pottage, or stew. As Esau comes from the field, the text does not say whether he has been working or hunting. But he is faint, or weak. Apparently it has been some time since his last meal.

30. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

The red coloring of the food may come from the lentils (Genesis 25:34) in the stew. Esau’s craving for this food leads to another name for him: Edom, meaning “red.” (Remember that verse 25 tells us that Esau came out of the womb “red.”) Esau’s second name, Edom, is eventually used to identify his descendants: Edomites.

31. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

To this point, the idea of a birthright has not been mentioned in the book of Genesis. The Hebrew word behind this translation appears a total of 10 times in the Old Testament in reference to humans, and 5 of them are in the account of Jacob and Esau. The other 5 occur in Genesis 43:33; Deuteronomy 21:17 (discussed earlier); and 1 Chronicles 5:1, 2.

Obviously, Jacob is well aware of the birthright’s importance. Esau may have returned from a hunting expedition, but Jacob is now the hunter who sees his prey, and his “heel-grabbing” skills go into action. He sees in his brother’s appetite an opportunity to offer a deal and thus take the lead within the family hierarchy.

1. Offer Accepted (vv. 32–34)
2. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

Esau exaggerates his condition, claiming to be at the point of death, and thereby reasons that a birthright is worthless to a dead man. In his mind, if the birthright cannot keep him from starving to death, then what good is it?

33. And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

Abraham’s servant had sworn an oath that he would carry out Abraham’s desire that he find a wife for Isaac from Abraham’s relatives in Haran. The oath was accompanied by a specified gesture (Genesis 24:1–9). With Esau and Jacob, the two may exchange a verbal agreement accompanied by a gesture (something similar to a handshake). The deal is finalized: the birthright has been sold.

34. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

The word lentiles refers to a member of the pea family, whose seeds are often used even today in making soups or stews. But the contents of the stew are not nearly as noteworthy as the contents of its eater’s heart. Esau has no qualms whatsoever about what he has just agreed to. He has despised his birthright, something that involves far more than mere material possessions or wealth.

This birthright is linked to a spiritual legacy that Esau should have viewed as a sacred trust. Instead he has bargained it away for a bowl of stew. He may walk away with a full stomach, but his heart is pitifully empty.

Conclusion

1. The Real Rivalry

While “Siblings’ Rivalry” is the title for today’s study, that is not the only rivalry on display. In fact, it is not really the main rivalry. Both Esau and Jacob fought another battle even more intense than the one that developed between them. This battle was within each man.

The Scriptures place special emphasis on Esau’s treatment of the family birthright. Both Old and New Testaments are equally grim in their evaluation of his actions. Our text says that Esau “despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34). One can see why the writer of Hebrews uses the word profane to describe Esau (Hebrews 12:16). He is not using profanity in his language, but his interests and actions are linked solely to what gratifies his desires.

Jacob had his own battle, as demonstrated by his actions in today’s lesson. He could have simply given Esau what he wanted—a bowl of stew. But Jacob, the schemer and “heel-grabber,” saw an opportunity to further his own standing; and he took full advantage of it. Just like Esau, he too was looking out for number one (himself).

Eventually Jacob’s craftiness yielded a bitter harvest of additional deception and heartache. The remainder of Genesis tells us of the conflicts that the practice of deception produced within his wives and his sons. While there was certainly sibling rivalry between Esau and Jacob, each man was his own worst rival. Each gave in to the temptation to make himself and his desires of supreme importance.

Esau and Jacob are not the only competitors in this battle. Paul knew this struggle as well. He describes its intensity in Romans 7:7–25. He desires to do what is good and right before God, but he is constantly at war with “the law of sin which is in my members” (7:23). However, he also knows the key to victory in this battle: “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (7:24, 25). That is the key for us as well.

1. Prayer

Father, our world today encourages us to be very Esau-like and Jacob-like in our thoughts, words, and actions: to live for the moment and to make the achievement of our personal desires and wishes more important than anyone else’s. Deliver us from such a self-centered point of view. Keep our minds on higher, holier pursuits. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

1. Thought to Remember

Live for the Master, not for the moment.

Kid’s Corner

The Messiah Must Come Through Jacob

November 4, 2018

Genesis 25:19-34

Genesis 25:19-34

(Genesis 25:19) Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac;

Abraham’s servant brought Rebekah from Haran to be Isaac’s wife. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. After Isaac was married, Abraham lived thirty-five more years: he died at the age of 175 years old. Twenty years after Isaac was married, Rebekah gave birth to Esau and Jacob. Therefore, during the formative years of Esau and Jacob’s lives, they had the opportunity to know both their father and grandfather and receive spiritual guidance from them. They could have heard firsthand from Abraham all the events that were so crucial to his and Sarah’s life, all the details of the LORD’s visits with Abraham, the miraculous birth of Isaac in Abraham and Sarah’s old age, and about Lot before and after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Most especially, they learned about the promises that the LORD had made to Abraham and Isaac’s descendants. They could also learn firsthand from Rebekah about her family in Haran and their history.

(Genesis 25:20) and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.

Bethuel was a nephew of Abraham, and the father of Rebekah and Laban. Paddan Aram or Padanaram means “Plain of Aram,” which was the region that included the city of Haran (located in Syria), where Rebekah’s family lived. Arameans spoke the ancient language known as Aramaic.

(Genesis 25:21) Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Perhaps remembering the experience of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of Rebekah and the LORD answered his prayer. The Bible does not tell us how long he prayed or how many times he offered his prayer. He could pray to the LORD based on God’s promises to Abraham and to him; God had promised to give him children. After giving them promises of descendants, God tried both the faith and patience of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah, which reminds us to always pray for our children and patiently wait for God to achieve His plans for them and us.

(Genesis 25:22) But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.

Rebekah did not know why her babies seemed to be fighting within her, so she prayed to the LORD for an answer. Both Isaac and Rebekah were godly parents, and Rebekah went to the LORD alone when she was concerned about her children, and the LORD told her why her children were difficult.

(Genesis 25:23) The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.”

With more than one wife (see Genesis 28:6-9), Esau had two sons, Eliphaz and Reuel, and from Esau the Edomites became a nation (see Genesis 36:1-43). His descendants became many people groups and after many generations became nations that did not accept the faith of the Israelites. The two nations that the LORD spoke of were the two separate large groups of people that would come from Esau and Jacob. Eventually, of course, Israel would divide into a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom, but the LORD had no purpose in foretelling everything we know now to Rebekah. One nation would be spiritually and in every other way stronger than the other nation. From a worldly perspective, Esau never personally served Jacob; however, Jacob was stronger intellectually than Esau when he convinced Esau to sell him his birthright, and by doing so Esau became culturally and legally a servant of Jacob. As punishment for their sins, Obadiah prophesied of Esau’s descendants as a nation, “But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!” (Obadiah 1:6).

(Genesis 25:24) When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

These twin boys were different and became more different as they grew into manhood. Their descendants were also different spiritually.

(Genesis 25:25) Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.

These boys were not identical twins. The meaning of Esau’s name is “hairy” or “rough.”

(Genesis 25:26) Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

The fact that Jacob grasped Esau’s heel verified from their birth what the LORD had told Rebekah. The name Jacob means “holder of the heel” or “supplanter;” or “deceiver,” which Jacob became: his action of deceiving Esau  may gave given the name “Jacob” that additional meaning. Jacob would deprive Esau of the benefits of being a firstborn son. Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born, and Isaac was 60 when his twins were born.

(Genesis 25:27) When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.

As a skillful hunter, Esau was physically more active and stronger than his brother Jacob. Jacob knew that in a fight between them, he would lose — one reason he would later flee from his brother. Since Esau spent much time outdoors, and Jacob stayed at home, Jacob would have had the benefit of learning more about the LORD and his family history directly from his family. Jacob developed his intellectual abilities while Esau developed his physical abilities.

(Genesis 25:28) Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Though Esau was often away from home hunting, Isaac loved Esau for the food he could bring the family from his hunting. Rebekah loved Jacob because he spent most of his time with the family. Working and eating together enabled Jacob to learn much from Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob lived at home as the shepherd of the family flock, who also learned how to cook as well as other domestic duties. Later, he would be a successful shepherd for Laban in Haran.

(Genesis 25:29) When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished;

Having described their family situation, Genesis reveals how Esau lost his birthright. Jacob had obviously learned how to cook good food at home from what they raised in their fields. We do not know if Esau’s hunt was successful or not, but he came home starving.

(Genesis 25:30) and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

The name Edom means “red,” the same as the meaning of “Esau.” There are recipes on the Internet for red lentil stew, a member of the pea family.

(Genesis 25:31) But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”

Having spent much time at home and perhaps knowing what the LORD had told Rebekah, Jacob probably knew far better than Esau the value of the birthright, and thought it worth bargaining for, if given the opportunity.

(Genesis 25:32) Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?”

Like many people, Esau followed his emotions at the moment rather than his reason. Without considering all the possible consequences, which often result in poor decisions and even sinning, Esau figured that if he died his birthright was no good to him, so he made a poor trade for a bowl of stew.

(Genesis 25:33) And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Jacob gave Esau the opportunity to reconsider his decision by asking Esau to swear an oath that he was selling his birthright to Jacob. This oath would make the bargain or sale legally binding in that culture. Jacob had the wisdom to make the bargain and make sure that the bargain was legal. This birthright may not have included the father’s blessing (but it was probably assumed that it did). Esau may not have taken the time to think about the value of his birthright or blessing, because when Isaac called Esau to go hunt for him, Esau expected to receive his father’s blessing. The birthright gave the oldest son twice the material inheritance at the death of the father. Financially, for example, if the inheritance were $100.00, Jacob would now get $66.66 at his father’s death and Esau would now get $33.33. Esau would now get half as much as Jacob at Isaac’s death.

(Genesis 25:34) Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Having received Esau’s binding pledge, Jacob fulfilled his part of the bargain and even gave Esau some bread along with his stew. Esau did not seem to regret his bargain, for after eating he simply left. To despise means “to feel contempt for or a deep repugnance for” or “to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful.” Because of his attitude, Esau was not mentally or spiritually qualified to be the head of the family at the death of Isaac. Surely, Esau would have preferred to keep hunting outdoors with enough inheritance to support a comfortable lifestyle rather than show concern for passing on the truths of the LORD to his family and help them grow spiritually and mentally. Esau proved he was unfit to follow in Isaac’s steps.

The Messiah Must Come Through Jacob

November 4, 2018

Genesis 25:19-34

 “The LORD said to Rebekah, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger’” (Genesis 25:23). 

Before they were born, the LORD had good plans for both Esau and Jacob. Each one did what they wanted to do according to their different abilities and interests. Esau loved hunting and the outdoors, and he provided game for the family. Jacob loved staying at home among the tents, where he learned how to cook and care for the family’s sheep. By staying home, Jacob also learned much about the adventures and encounters with God that Abraham and his father Isaac experienced, for he could know his grandfather during his early years. Both twins were loved by their parents. Isaac loved Esau for the fresh game he brought him. Rebekah loved Jacob, perhaps because she knew “the older will serve the younger,” so she looked out for him. For the LORD to fulfill His plan of salvation that had proceeded from Adam through Noah, Abraham, and Isaac, the Messiah that the LORD had promised to send could not descend from both Esau and Jacob. One of them had to be chosen by the LORD. God chose Jacob, and God arranged for Jacob to have the interests and opportunities he would need to carry on the line of faith that would eventually lead to the Messiah. God fulfilled His words to Rebekah: Esau became an ancestor of the Edomites; Jacob became the ancestor of Israel. Both had the opportunity to know and obey the LORD and pass down the knowledge of the LORD to their children and grandchildren. But the Messiah would come through Israel (Jac0b).