#64 Jacob and Esau Genesis 25

These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) they settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen. These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, "if it is thus, why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, "two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger." When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau, Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Genesis 25: 12-28 ESV

By custom and tradition, the elder would receive the birth right, but God has made it clear to Rebekah that this is not His choice. Esau's children will not carry the blood line for the continuation of the covenant He made with Abraham. God has chosen, outside and above man's tradition, to keep His covenant with the younger, Jacob. Isaac has chosen Esau, he relates to the eldest and enjoys the game he brings home. He is a man's man, a hunter and he is the oldest. God has chosen Jacob, he is a mama's boy and later a calculating deceiver. He is the favorite of his mother, and she probably feels justified in this since God has said that the older shall serve the younger. There was never a need for favoritism, but only trust in God's will. Man's intervention will in no way thwart God's plan nor will it ever be a necessity to His work, but the choices we make with our children can have long lasting ramifications. Here, it works to be divisive, between not only brothers but also between husband and wife.

There is a Messianic theme in here along with the doctrines of grace that Paul will later reference in his defense of election. Before we dive so deep, I would like to touch on some other points often overlooked in favor of the debate. There is in this the matter of preference both in respect of person, and in the handling of God's word.

Abraham was given God's covenant and told that Sarah would have a son, but in view of the natural he opted for plan B, and had a son by his wife's handmade. God's plan had not changed and he did not ask for this intervention, and when they speak again, Abraham, who loves Ishmael and has grown attached to him, tries to slip him in to the conversation as the heir. This does not change God's mind, and God does not settle for less than what He sets out to do. It is in doubt because he is old and his wife is passed the time of children. It is also an easy way out. I have done this outside of Your will, now if You could just change Your will, and make Ishmael the heir, we could just sweep the whole thing under the rug and no hard feelings. I have spent much time there and the wounds, they do run deep.

So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, "surely the Lord's anointed is before Him!" But the Lord said to Samuel, "do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as a man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1Samuel 16: 6&7 NKJV

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form nor comeliness; And when wee see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. Isaiah 53:2 NKJV

Quite honestly, I would have chosen Esau too. I like to hunt and fish, and he represented the manly ideal that would have been a natural choice later for a robust and strong Messiah. While Jacob does not represent Jesus in character, he shares in the representation of God's will and the glory of His volition. Jesus came as a servant, washing people's feet, and not seeking the acceptance of the religious rulers. He came to seek and to save the lost, and not bearing a sword, he instead commends a Roman centurion of his faith. He is not the preferred Messiah then or now, and it is only through faith that men come to see, that He is the only choice and the rightful heir to share in God's glory. The Jews wanted a Messiah that would destroy Rome, they did want a Messiah to point out their sin nor a lamb to fulfill the word of God that had been spoken and revealed since the beginning of time. It is the same today; we want miracle Jesus, we want to share in the power of God, we want closure from the world and it's suffering, but we do not want to wash feet or forgive. We love debate, and though we should not shrink from defending the gospel, we should do so in love.

The world still seeks it's own Messiah and we are told that he will come promising peace and instead bring destruction. Many false Messiah's have come, and they preach to men's pride. They are politicians, they are personalities, television stars, and those who try to appeal to the whims of man rather than the will of God. Men blame God for their disbelief, or some say that God does not exist, and that the Bible is not the inspired by God. They claim to seek truth, but I contest, for all I see is men seeking to prove true that which they already believe. They sacrifice the truth to turn to their own way.