Last week we focused on Esau and Jacob, twin brothers, and how each valued the birthright of the first born male. Esau was born first with Jacob hanging on to his heel when he was born. As an adult, Jacob was willing to take advantage of his brother’s weaknesses for his own benefit and Esau put more value on satisfying his fleshly appetite over his birthright. By his actions and in the spur of the moment decision, Esau despised his birthright when he sold it to his brother for a meal of lentil stew. In the Jewish culture the birthright determined who would become the family leader and receive a double portion of the family inheritance.
Isaac, the father of Esau and Jacob was getting old, could not see very well, and he wanted to pass on the blessing of the oldest son before his death. He asked Esau to go hunting for game and then make him his favorite dish so he could enjoy it and then bless him as the oldest son. Rebekah, Esau’s mother heard isaac speak to Esau and had a better idea. Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob and Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau. She told Jacob that she would prepare a delicious meal for Isaac her husband and that he should pretend to be Esau and go and get the blessing instead of Esau.
Rebekah prepared a great meal from goats meat for her husband and Jacob took it in for him to eat. Now Esau was a hairy man and Jacob had smooth skin. Jacob was worried that he might get caught and be cursed instead. Rebekah had more tricks up her sleeve. She had Jacob take animal skin and put it on his hands and on his neck, she clothed him with Esau’s clothes, so he would smell like him and sent him in. Isaac was a little suspicious because he said how did you get this game animal so quickly. Jacob lied and said that God had blessed him and he was able to get the animal very quickly. Jacob said you sound like Jacob and he started to feel his arms and said, but you feel like my son Esau. Since he couldn’t see properly, he asked Jacob if he really was Esau and Jacob lied and said yes.
Isaac blessed Jacob with the birthright blessing of the oldest son. He pronounced blessings and prosperity over him and gave him the blessing of ruling over their family. He blessed Jacob with the blessings of Abraham which would be passed down from generation to generation. Jacob deceived his father and pleased his mother. As soon as Jacob left his father, Esau came in with his savory meal prepared for his father. When he found out that Jacob had already been there and received his blessing, he started sobbing and asked his father if he had a blessing left for him. Isaac was very upset for he knew that he had been deceived but he could not take back the blessing. He did give Esau a blessing, but it was not the birthright blessing. From that day on Esau hated Jacob and wanted to kill him because he had taken advantage of him with the birthright sale for stew and now the first born blessing was stolen from him.
Rebekah heard that Esau had murder in his heart towards Jacob so she instructed Jacob to leave and go to her brother’s place for safety and find a wife there. She would let him know when it would be safe for him to return. Little did she know that she would never see her favorite son Jacob again. He was gone for many years and Rebekah died before his return.
Isaac and Rebekah played favorites with their sons and it only caused more trouble and heartache. Although it was prophesied that Jacob would become the leader of the family, Rebekah’s plans for her son’s blessings would later cause him heartache and he would be greatly deceived by Laban, Rebekah’s brother.
Read the rest at https://litwithprayer.substack.com/p/the-birthright?sd=pf