19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac:
This is the promised son, his only begotten son. It was a miracle performed by God.
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.
Once again, both barrenness and God’s intervention play a role in the birth of the next generation in the line of God’s people. Rebekah was barren for twenty years. Isaac prayed to the LORD about the situation and the LORD intervened and Rebekah conceived twins. Isaac was sixty years old when Esau and Jacob were born.
Isaac took action and prayed. He prayed to the Lord for his wife. God was sure to keep his promise that multitudes would come from Abraham, but each birth in the line of God’s chosen people thus far seems to have required special intervention from God Himself to take place. The promise was being fulfilled by God’s intervention.
To note, Rebekah was the sister to Laban. We will find later in this family narrative that Jacob (one of Isaac’s sons) marries two of Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel.
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.
Rebekah prayed to the LORD regarding the struggle that she physically felt within her. The LORD told her that she would have two children which would be to different types of nations; and that one nation would be stronger than the other; and the older would serve the younger. Even before they were born, they were struggling together in the womb of their mother. Their prenatal striving foreshadowed later conflict.
God’s redemptive activity follows the younger which was named Jacob.
Esau was the firstborn who was red skinned and hairy.
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.
Jacob’s life began with a struggle. As a twin in the womb with Esau, he jostled for position and was born grasping his brother’s heel. His name, Jacob, was fitting, which is often interpreted as someone who seize, circumvents, or usurps. As we will see, this was descriptive of Jacob character…at least until God gave him a new name, Israel.
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.
The boys grew up living a nomadic life.
Esau, the hairy red skinned one, was a man of the woods and fields who became a fine hunter. Esau, also known as Edom, became the father of the nation of Edom. The Edomites over time tormented Israelites, of which Jacob was the father of. Instead of acting as a ‘brother’ nation, they acted as an enemy. Even when Israel was fleeing Egypt, Edom persecuted them (Numbers 20:20-21).
Esau’s first two wife’s were Canaanite women, which was a nation Isaac did not want to intermingle with. This testifies to not only Esau’s disobedience, but defines his character.
The worst example of this occurred just before the writing of Obadiah’s prophecy (1:10). When Israel was attacked by Babylon in 587 BC, Edom did not step in to help. At first, they simply sat by and watched. Then, they helped to capture fleeing refugees and participated in the looting of Jerusalem.
Unfortunately, the prophesize end of Edom was ruin when obliterated by the Roman Empire centuries later.
Jacob, the supplanter, was content dwelling at home. Jacob was renamed Israel, and later became for father of that nation.
So, it is not surprise that during Rebekah’s pregnancy, she asked God what was happening in her womb for there was a struggle. God told her that there were two nations within her womb who would become divided. One would be stronger than the other, and the older would serve the younger.
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau, being a hunter, was his father’s favorite as Isaac loved the wild game Esau brought home. On the other hand, Jacob was favored by his mother. This destructive favoritism caused problems within their own home, but would also follow the family into the next generation, most notably with Jacob’s son Joseph. Such was Jacob’s favoritism for Joseph that it caused great resentment among his brothers and nearly cost Joseph his life.
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.
Jacob made a pot of lentils and Esau came in from a day in the field and was famished. Esau asked Jacob for some of his soup. It was at this time when Esau was called Edom, which means was shortsighted, thriftlessness, surrenders to appetite, foolish evaluation of the offerings that life makes.
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?
Esau, as the firstborn twin, was to be the recipient of the birthright blessing from his father Isaac. But Jacob, understanding the value of the birthright more than Esau did, desired the birthright for himself and his descendants. Jacob saw an opportunity to get the birthright blessing from his brother.
Jacob took advantage of the situation and told Esau he would give him something to eat if he would sell his birthright. Now, Esau let him appetite overcome him and reasoned that the birthright would do him no good if he would die from hunger. It is interesting that we have another story involving ‘appetite’ reminiscent’ of Eden.
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.
Jacob made Esau swear and the transaction was done. Jacob gave Esau bread and a mess of lentils. Afterward, Esau despised his birthright. This does not mean that Esau hated his birthright—later we will see that it did have value to him (Genesis 27:38). This means that Esau did not place a high enough value on the birthright. He allowed his momentary hunger to cloud his judgment and did not think past the feeling in his belly to grasp what he was truly giving up and how it would affect his descendants.
Lesson from Hebrews
The book of Hebrews draws a spiritual lesson from Esau’s action. Esau is used as an example of someone who falls from God’s way and becomes bitter and spiritually defiled (Hebrews 12:15). We are warned not to be a “profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright” (verse 16).
The point for Christians today is that we must value our spiritual inheritance as the most precious thing in our lives and not give it up for anything! We are called to inherit the spiritual promises made to Abraham (Galatians 3:29). Our inheritance is eternal life in the Kingdom of God (Romans 8:17; Titus 3:7; James 2:5).
We should not regard anything—neither food nor any care of this life—as more valuable than that inheritance!
The story continues in Genesis 26.