Genesis Chp. 25 Don’t Be an Esau

After Sarah’s death, Abraham married Keturah. She bore him several more children whom he sent to live in the east, away from Isaac. Though he gave gifts to these children while still living, Isaac was the one to whom he left everything. Abraham lived to the ripe old age of 175 years, satisfied with his life. When he died, Isaac and Ishmael buried him with Sarah. It was after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac as He had promised. 

Ishmael (Abraham’s son by Hagar) had twelve sons, each having their own village named after them — 12 princes according to their tribes. They settled east of Egypt, in defiance of their relatives. Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. 

Isaac (Abraham’s son by Sarah) married Rebekah who had troubled conceiving. Isaac went to the Lord in prayer and she became pregnant with twins who struggled within her. God told Rebekah that two nations were in her womb — that two peoples would come from within her. One people would be stronger than the other, and the older would serve the younger. When Isaac was sixty years old, Rebekah gave birth to this set of twins. The first baby born was Esau, who was “red all over like a hairy garment.” Then his brother was born holding onto the heel of Esau, so they named him Jacob. 

Esau grew up to be a skillful hunter, but Jacob was a peaceful man. Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (This probably didn’t help their relationship.) One day, when Esau came in from the field famished, he found Jacob cooking stew. Jacob offered Esau a deal: that he would give Esau a bowl of stew in trade for his birthright. As the oldest brother, Esau was to receive the birthright, not Jacob, but he easily gave it all up for some food. Remember God had promised Abraham that Isaac would be blessed. Esau should have inherited that blessing but he easily gave it up. 

Who was wrong in this scenario? Was Jacob wrong? Did he trick Esau? Or was Esau so unimpressed with God’s blessing that he flippantly dismissed it? Verse 34 tells us that Esau despised his birthright. Malachi 1:2-3 states that God loved Jacob and loathed Esau. Jacob and his descendants (the Israelites) become God’s chosen people, while Esau’s descendants, known as the Edomites (Genesis 36:43), have had much conflict with them. 

Like Esau, people flippantly reject God. Because of that, they cannot receive His blessings. I don’t know about you, but I will take all the blessings God is willing to bestow on me, especially the blessing of going to Heaven someday.