Abraham arranges a marriage for his son Isaac. Rebekah, Isaac's cousin and member of the covenant, is chosen. Rebekah has twins: Esau (first-born, who Isaac favors) and Jacob (who Rebekah favors). While pregnant, Rebekah has a revelation that the elder child shall serve the younger (unusual in ancient times).
My first read-through gave me the impression that Jacob was a jerk and momma's boy. Rebekah and Jacob are deceptive, dishonest and manipulative. Yet, rewarded.
+Esau sells his birthright to Jacob: Genesis 25:20-34
Esau is a "cunning" hunter. Jacob is more of a home-body. Jacob has just made some "pottage" when Esau came in from the field, and he was "faint." Esau politely asked for some food. Jacob doesn't share and instead tells Esau to sell him his birthright first. Esau feels he's at the "point to die," and what good is a birthright if he's dead anyway (that's how I read it the first time around, the quote is "...and what profit shall this birthright do to me?" :32). Jacob made starving-Esau swear away his birthright if he wants any food. Esau gave away his birthright, ate, and went on his way.
I'm trying to keep this in perspective. The brothers are probably younger, and I bet younger brothers then gave each other as much hassle as modern brothers do today and throughout history. Do you think that maybe Jacob was just teasing Esau, and Esau was just exaggerating his hunger? Here's a modern twist to their conversation:
Esau: Oh, Dude! You have food! Man, I'm STARVING! The hunt was a bust, and I'm wiped. Can I have some?
Jacob: (Waving a bowl of food in front of Esau). Ahh, not so fast! What'll you give me for it?
Esau: Bro! Come on, I'm diein' here.
Jacob: Hmmm (with mischievous grin). I'll give you this if you give me your birthright.
Esau: You're wack, Dude!
Jacob: Swear!
Esau: Yeah, yeah, I swear, whatever, just give it to me, Dipweed.
Extortion at its best. Is it really binding? I guess it was. If Esau was patient, he would have been able to hunt something, being the great hunter he was. Would Jacob have had brotherly compassion and have fed Esau even if he didn't give up his birthright? Maybe there are just some sacred things you don't joke about. [The church manual interprets Esau's hunger as temporary.]
+ Rebekah and Jacob deceives Isaac. Gen. 27
Isaac is near blind. He asks Esau to hunt and prepare venison before giving Esau his blessing. Rebekah overhears this and makes a plan to disguise Jacob as Esau, prepare savory lamb, and have Isaac believe Jacob is Esau and inadvertently give Jacob Esau's blessing. Obedient Esau returns with his father's favorite dish only to discover he's been cheated out of his blessing.
(I really have no good spin on this, yet. No silver lining. I feel bad for Esau. I wouldn't blame him for rebelling and forsaking anything his parents teach him).
+ Esau marries outside the covenant Gen. 28:6-9
Oh, look, he does rebel. He overhears Isaac telling Jacob not to marry the daughters of Canaan (outside of covenant). Jilted, deceived, hurt, angry Esau turns around and does just that, marries two Canaan women to displease his parents.
+ Jacob marries Leah and Rachel in the covenant, and through him the Abrahamic covenant continues. - Gen. 29
First, he's in love with Rachel. Laban, Rachel's father, tells Jacob he can marry Rachel if Jacob works for him for 7 years first (29:18). After 7 years, Jacob is ready for his bride, Rachel, but Laban brings Leah, Rachel's older sister, for him to wed (29:21-30). Jacob feels tricked (Haha! How does that feel, Jacob?!). Essentially, the older needs to be wed before the younger. Jacob marries both but has to work another 7 years. Gen. 29:31 says Jacob hated Leah. He must not have hated her too much; they had 6 sons and a daughter together. I feel so sad for Leah's predicament (to not feel loved as other verses say).
The happy ending is that Jacob and Esau are reunited and make up (Gen. 33). That's about as far as I've gotten. I've skimmed ahead for my next lesson and see that Jacob continues his parents' dysfunctional behavior by having a "favorite child," Joseph. Nothing good could come from that.
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