Jacob and Esau - Part 1

Genesis 25:21-27

Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, "To 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." when the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. the first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's hell; so he was names Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. the boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, wihle Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

The first thing to note about the story of Jacob and Esau, twin brothers born to Isaac and Rebekah, is that they were the grandsons of Abraham, Isaac's father; Abraham was the man with whom God established His first covenant with humanity. The story of the Jewish people, of the nation of Israel, in Old Testament times is a story where God calls out one man, Abraham, and commands him to leave the land where he has settled and go to a new land God will show him so that God can create for Himself a separate nation from among all people. It is God's plan to use Abraham to start this nation so that Israel, the descendants of Abraham, will be separate and holy through laws, customs, and commandments given to them by God. It is with Jacob's and Esau's grandfather that God established a bloodline extending nearly 2,000 years through which Jesus Christ is eventually born and a new covenant is established with humanity. The old covenant with Abraham (also called the Old Testament) will be fulfilled through a new covenant with Jesus Christ (also called the New Testament) whereby all humanity, not just the nation of Israel, will be given the opportunity to enjoy a relationship with the Lord. The death and resurrection of God's sinless, perfect, and holy Son Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, opened a new door in human history. It all started with Jacob's and Esau's grandfather -- Abraham.

Abraham's son Isaac is married to a woman named Rebekah. After 20 years of barrenness, she becomes pregnant with Abraham's grandsons. She felt them "jostling" each other within her, and this feeling must have been more than mere discomfort as it is physically disturbing enough to alarm Rebekah and cause her to question "Why is this happening to me?"

I have been pregnant twice. Both times I miscarried. I can tell you after the first miscarriage, the second time I was pregnant I was overly cautious of everything; I watched what I ate, I exercised but made sure not to overexert myself, and I religiously took the vitamins prescribed to me. I followed the doctor's orders without deviation. If there was any type of physical discomfort at all, any little twinge of pain or sudden weird feeling, I was calling my doctor, my mother, my friends, and then Googling anything I could think of just to receive reassurance that everything was ok. And yes, prayer was a constant during those times. In the end, I miscarried and everything wasn't ok.

Now take the feelings of anxiety and eagerness over every little thing I felt, and multiply them times 100 for Rebekah. She was barren for 20 years. She lived in a culture where there was no occupation for her to take up. The only purpose she was seen to have was that of wife and mother. In her culture of the Old Testament, her main duty was to give her husband offspring to carry on his name and bloodline. Being the wife of Isaac, the son of Abraham whom the God of the universe established a covenant with, I'm sure Rebekah felt more than enough pressure to perform her duty.

I'd do the same thing Rebekah did if I felt "jostling" going on in my womb. I'd go to God and inquire about it. I, too, would be wondering why I am experiencing trouble with a pregnancy that is so important to God's covenant and for which I have waited so long to fulfill my role. God is right there to answer Rebekah. I believe her critical part in the history of the nation of Israel, and her sincere desire to know why she might fail through no fault of her own, made God tender enough to her question of "why" for Him to reveal to her the prophecy of the two nations that will descend through her sons.

God explained to Rebekah that the jostling happening in her womb is due to the position these two brothers are fighting for. Only one can emerge first from the womb and claim the birthright owed him. Rebekah, now privy to the future, knows the younger child will be the greater leader. The two nations to be established through her sons are the Jewish nation of Israel (through Jacob) and the mountain stronghold nation of Edom (through Esau). God later changes Jacob's name to Israel, and his 12 sons become the founders of the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel (Genesis 32:28). The Edomites plague the nation of Israel for centuries until they are finally destroyed.

Well that's a lot to be happening inside a woman's womb.

That brings us to the second important thing to note abotu the story of Jacob and Esau. It's a dangerous thing to know the end at the beginning and not be given the route in between. Rebekah knows what is coming, she just doesn't know how it will be accomplished. That's where our trust in God must step in. We are promised things in scripture, but we don't always know how God will accomplish the things He promises. It is extremely interesting the way the favoritism splits for each son between the two parents. Isaac favored the eldest son Esau, Rebekah favored Jacob. We know that Rebekah is aware that Jacob, her youngest son, will rule over Esau. No doubt the prophecy Rebekah was given in order to comfort her in her time of need was twisted by her as soon as the babies were born. Right from the start, knowing their futures, I'm sure Rebekah favored Jacob for that very reason.

It's no secret that in most families each parent has a favorite child. Parents everywhere are probably shaking their heads right now and saying to themselves, "No, I love my kids equally the same." Well I'm sure you do, but I was born and grew up in a family just like everyone else, and I know from firsthand experience my mother favored my older brother. I have no doubt that at an early age, because I knew my mother had chose my brother as her favorite, I turned to my father for comfort and this, in turn, is most likely what compelled him to favor me. (Not to mention the protective instinct a father has when his daughter is crying out for help because her older brother has her in a headlock!) I'm certain that when Rebekah began to favor Jacob it caused Isaac to favor Esau. Each choice consequently brought about characteristics in their sons that may not have existed otherwise.

Isaac loved the taste of wild game. Because he favored Esau, he most likely pushed his son to excel in the things he loved. Wild game means hunting, becoming knowledgeable of the outdoors, being skilled as a "man of the open country" -- exactly as Esau is described. Jacob most likely was raised by Rebekah to usurp the power his older brother should rightly have been given by their father when he died simply because, in their culture, birth order dictated Esau (as the eldest) be given these rights. Again, Rebekah knows that Jacob is destined to be the greater leader served by his older brother Esau, but God did not reveal to her His plan to make this prophecy come true. So Rebekah keeps Jacob close to her and he is described as a "quiet man, staying close to the tents." I have no doubt that Jacob was told by his mother, especially the older he became, that he would be the leader of a great nation and his older brother would be his servant.

We will discuss the reasons why I believe Rebekah revealed the prophecy she was given to Jacob in "Jacob and Esau - Part 2."