Primary Bible Passages: Genesis 25:20-34 and 27:1-46

Key Verse: Genesis 27:12

Memory Verse: Romans 9:13

Preparatory Daily Bible Readings:

• Monday: Genesis 25:20-34; Genesis 27
• Tuesday: Romans 9:10-13; Malachi 1:1-3
• Wednesday: Deuteronomy 21:17; Hebrews 12:16-17
• Thursday: Hebrews 11:9&21; Job 1:1 & 8; Hosea 12:3
• Friday: Romans 5:12-21
• Saturday: John 1:1-7; Ephesians 1:3
• Sunday: Revelation 1:8; John 3:36; II Thessalonians 1:6-9

I. JACOB AND ESAU, CONTRASTS IN CHARACTER.

A. Jacob, along with his twin brother, Esau, was born to Isaac and Rebekah when Isaac was 60 years old. (Genesis 25:21-26)

1. While still in Rebekah’s womb, "the children struggled together within her." (Genesis 25:22) As time verified, Jacob and Esau were of utterly different and antagonistic temperaments. The nations which they would establish would inherit these tendencies. The struggle which had begun in Rebekah’s womb would continue throughout their lives and throughout the histories of their respective nations.

Rebekah became so perplexed about the struggle occurring within her womb that she went to the Lord for an explanation. God explained that two nations were in her, that they would oppose each other, (a truth amply verified by history) and that the younger of the two sons would prevail over the older. (Genesis 25:22-23)

A profound spiritual message is embodied in the prevalence of the younger son over the older. The first-born, Esau, is a type of the first man, Adam, who was of the flesh. The second-born, Jacob, is a type of the second man, Christ, who was of the Spirit. The hope of sinners is not in the first man, Adam, but in the second man, Jesus Christ. It is not by the flesh that men prevail over sin and its eternal consequences; but rather by a spiritual relationship to the second man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:12-21)

2. Jacob and Esau differed greatly in physical appearance. From birth, Esau seemed as an animal covered with excessive hair. He was of a reddish complexion "all over like an hairy garment." (Genesis 25:25) Jacob was "a smooth man." (Genesis 27:11) Their great contrast in appearance was a striking symbol of the extreme differences in them in every regard, especially in character and in values.

3. Jacob means "heel-catcher" and connotes the idea of seizing by the heel as to circumvent, as if tripping by the heels. In the Hebrew, the word Jacob thus came to imply "supplanter." At birth, Jacob came out second with one of his hands grasping the heel of Esau, whom he ultimately supplanted. Hosea the prophet partially explained this strange name by saying, "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God." (Hosea 12:3) For much of his life, Jacob was known for his deceitful lifestyle, as both the propagator and object of deceit.

Esau means "rough." His appearance obviously dictated his name. Esau later sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal of red pottage (Genesis 25:30) from which he received the name Edom which means "red."

B. One would be hard-pressed to find two people more substantially at opposite ends of the character spectrum.

1. The real proof of life is in personal character, and the character of Esau was bad. The word "profane" applied to Esau in Hebrews 12:16 sums up his character. The Greek word is bebelos (beb’-ay-los) meaning "a threshold." James Strong explained that it carries the idea of "accessibility as by crossing the door-way," and that by implication of Jewish notions, it refers to a heathenistic, wicked, profane person.5 W.H. Griffith Thomas, D.D., explained that this word "profane" came from pro-fanum meaning "outside the temple," and refers to that plot of ground just in front of the fane which was common to everyone, as being outside the sacred enclosure. Gradually the word came to mean that which was purely earthly and common as opposed to that which was sacred, consecrated, and dedicated to God.

Esau was the epitome of the handsome, dashing, charismatic,  warm-hearted, fun-loving, outdoorsman of captivating personality. He was intelligent, ("cunning," Genesis 25:27) macho, sensuous, and a lover of this world’s pleasures. His intentions were centered on self-gratification. He was passionate, a "fornicator." (Hebrews 12:16) He was impulsive, impatient and given to ungoverned feelings. His attitude toward his birthright is testimonial that he cared only for current pleasures. Eternal concerns meant nothing to him. The statement that he "despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:34) identifies his values well. Had Esau lived in modern times, he would no doubt have been the ideal "party animal."

It should be noted that no one becomes base all at once. Esau’s attitude of disregard for the value of the birthright as well as Jacob’s attitude of appreciation for it were "plants of longer growth."

2. It seems that Jacob is scorned more than he deserves. He cannot be justified in his deception and in how he went about achieving his ends, but it should be objectively noted that Jacob’s sin was not greed or blackmail, but rather one of lack of faith.

It should be noted that the Genesis 25:27 description of Jacob as a "plain" man is a divine compliment to him. It is translated from the Hebrew word tam (tawm) meaning "complete." This is the word God used in describing Job as "perfect" in Job 1:1,8.

Jacob was a man of faith, who "sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles." (Hebrews 11:9) God’s plans and promises meant far more to him than did physical pleasures. He was a mature person, not an immature "playboy" like Esau. The birthright carried with it both temporal and spiritual blessings. With it came a double-portion of the family inheritance. (Deuteronomy 21:17) With the patriarchs, it also embraced the chieftainship, the rule over the brethren and the entire family in both temporal and spiritual matters. (Genesis 27:29) With it also came the title to the future possession of Canaan and of covenant fellowship with Jehovah. (Genesis 28:4) Jacob realized the spiritual as well as the temporal nature of the birthright, and whereas Esau despised it, Jacob appreciated and desired it. His method of attaining the birthright left much to be desired, but his objective was good.

II. THE BIRTHRIGHT AND THE BLESSING.

A. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for one meal of red pottage. (Genesis 25:30-34)

1. Esau manifested his disregard for his birthright along with its spiritual connotations by blithely agreeing, in a moment of hunger, to sell it to Jacob for one meal of pottage, and Jacob manifested where his values were by seeking to buy it.

2. Esau’s participation in this absurd transaction is one of the most infamous business deals in the history of mankind. In the minds of rational-thinking people ever since, he has truly stood in infamy.

B. Genesis 27:1-40 records the fact that the blessing of the family went to the one with the birthright.

1. The time came for Isaac to bestow the family blessing, which he thought to give to Esau. (Genesis 27:1-4)

2. Isaac was very old and almost blind. In a daring act of deception, Jacob, in conspiracy with his mother, Rebekah, covered himself in goat skins and impersonated Esau before Isaac. (Genesis 27:5-29) Jacob received the family blessing. His falsehood and deception in obtaining the blessing was a great sin before God, which brought him much grief. He should have waited on the providence of God to bring him the blessing, for his receiving it was indeed of God. Like so many of God’s people, Jacob didn’t wait upon the Lord, and even in a good cause, found himself the object of God’s judgment. Among other things, Esau vowed to kill him, (Genesis 27:41) and he was forced to flee for his life. (Genesis 27:42-43)

C. Like so many throughout the ages, to his own ruin, Esau rejected the fact that all true, spiritual blessings of God are inseparable from the birthright.

1. It is Hebrews 12:16-17 which records God’s divine commentary regarding Esau’s sale of his birthright and later loss of blessings. "Afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected." He couldn’t have the blessings without the birthright.

2. Every person should fully absorb the truth and point of this true story. The connection between Esau’s birthright and the blessings of his family reveals the truth of the bond between being "born again" (John 3:1-7) and the spiritual blessings of God. Ephesians 1:3 affirms that "all spiritual blessings" are "in Christ." The new birth is the exclusive means to a spiritual birthright; and apart from that spiritual birthright, no person can have the blessing of eternal life, nor the daily sustaining and comforting power of God in his earthly life.

III. GOD’S LOVE FOR JACOB AND HATRED FOR ESAU.

A. The scriptures clearly state that even before they were born God loved Jacob and hated Esau. Consider Romans 9:10-13 and Malachi 1:1-3.

B. Such affirmations should not be confusing.

1. God knows all things, including the future. (Revelation 1:8) God’s granting of moral choice to man in no sense precludes God from knowing which choice every man will make.

2. God has already decided, before the foundation of the world, to save and bless every man who makes the moral choice by faith of Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. (Ephesians 1:3-7) God has also already decided to curse and damn forever every man who makes the moral choice to reject Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. (John 3:36; II Thessalonians 1:6-9)

3. That God loves those who come to Him and hates those who reject Him, as illustrated in the cases of Jacob and Esau, should not be thought a strange thing. His attitude in either case is not based on some predetermination of His by which He gave a person no choice. His attitude is based on His foreknowledge of the choice He knows will be made. His predetermination is to love the ones who make the right choice and to hate the ones who make the wrong choice. He does not make these moral choices for anyone. The choice as to what to do with Christ is up to each individual in time, but the consequences of that choice (already known to God) are beyond full human comprehension.

4. It should be noted also that Jacob’s standing of favor with God was not based on a holy and wholesome lifestyle by Jacob for his life was marred by repeated failures. As in the case of all of the redeemed, his relationship to God was based on faith, not faithfulness. See Hebrews 11:9,21.

2. Strong, James, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, New York: Abingdon Press, 1958, references 3290 and 6117.

3. Ibid., reference 6215.

4. Ibid., reference 123.

5. Strong, James, Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, New York: Abingdon Press, 1958, reference 952.

6. Thomas, W.H. Griffith, D.D., Genesis, A Devotional Commentary, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdsmans Publishing Co., 1953, pages 231-232.

7. Ibid., pages 231, 233.

8. Morris, pages 415-418.

9. Strong, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, reference 8535.

10. Keil, C.F. and Delitzsch, F., Commentary on the Old Testament, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1973, Vol.1, pages 268-269.

11. Thomas, page 232.

Esau was a party animal. He loved fun and games and he lived for right now. He was macho, charismatic, dashing, and a complete sportsman. He worked hard and was good at what he did. He was sensuous and loved beautiful women. There was not a lazy or coward’s bone in him. He lived in a land full of lions and other wild beasts, and as a contemporary of Job, it is quite likely that he encountered some of the dinosaurs which remained at that time, maybe the giant behemoth or leviathan. Doubtless, he had plenty of hair-raising stories and could charm people with his exploits.

Jacob was the exact opposite. He was the book-worm type, a mama’s boy, one who stayed mostly indoors and with the livestock. Most people would have regarded him as self-serving. He was somewhat of a master of deceit. Even his name means supplanter.

In the womb of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau struggled, a prophetic revelation of the adversarial nature and approach toward each other which would characterize them and their offspring throughout the ages. In a special revelation, God explained to Rebekah that division would mark the lives of her twins, but that Jacob would ultimately prevail over Esau.

Jacob did prevail over Esau in many ways and ultimately Jacob’s offspring will rule the world from the throne of David in a glorious reign, but that is not the main spiritual lesson in the victory of Jacob over Esau. The point of Esau and Jacob is the superiority of the second man over the first man. Esau the first-born, symbolizes Adam, the first man and the fleshly, first birth of each of his descendants. Jacob, the second-born, symbolizes Jesus Christ and the spiritual, new (second) birth which comes exclusively through Him. The second (spiritual) birth is far less glamorous to most than the flesh and the short-lived, temporal pleasures which it has to offer; but the fact is that the second birth is far more important than the first birth.

Jacob is probably scorned more than he deserves. He was hasty and deceitful. The headship and blessing of the family was his; God would have seen to that in time, but Jacob took matters into his own hands and, like so many of us, attempted to make it happen on his time-table; yet Jacob valued the things of God, whereas Esau did not. Jacob was a "plain" man and "plain" is used in a good sense to communicate the fact that Jacob was a complete, well-rounded person, both physically and spiritually.

God loves people who love Him and what He loves. He takes a dim view of those who disregard Him and who place no real value on the things he values. He does not arbitrarily hate one and love another for no reason. God knows the future. He knows who will make the personal choice of Him as Savior and those who will reject Him. He knows who will humbly serve Him and who will rebel against Him. No lost or rebellious person can legitimately blame God for his state. God’s stance toward him is based on his choice toward God.

One of the greatest lessons in the life of Jacob and Esau is the truth that the blessing is inseparable from the birthright. Esau "despised his birthright." He came in from a hunting trip weary and hungry. In spite of the fact that the birthright carried with it the future headship and control of the family, both materially and spiritually, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for one meal of red pottage. It was a spur of the moment deal, but it mirrored the heart of Esau as well as that of Jacob. To Esau, the birthright meant nothing; to Jacob it was great prize. To Esau, the responsibilities associated with the birthright would cramp his style, tie him down. Jacob welcomed the privilege to buckle down and serve. Most people do not like separation, holy living, responsible conduct, and the Lordship of Christ over their lives; a few consider it a great honor and privilege to serve the King of kings.

Like Esau, many would like the blessings of life. They’d like to have lasting joy, abiding contentment, a wholesome heart and testimony, real respect, integrity, and true happiness and fulfillment. Most of all, they’d like to know that they have eternal life and all that heaven offers. Like Esau, they think they can have these things without the family birthright, but they can’t. All spiritual blessings are in Christ. Without the new birth which establishes the family birthright, there can be no eternal life, no real peace, no true fulfillment in life, and no legitimate hope beyond the grave. Those who would have the eternal blessings of God must be born again. They must identify with the second man, Christ, and experience the second birth. A fleshly, Adamic birth is not enough.

2. Discuss the spiritual message of Jacob as the second-born prevailing over Esau, the first-born.

3. Discuss the prophetic connotations of Jacob being born with one hand clinging to Esau’s heel.

4. Describe the contrasting physical appearances of Jacob and Esau.

5. How did Esau become known as Edom and what is the meaning of Edom?

6. Paint a character profile of Esau.

7. Paint a character profile of Jacob.

8. Discuss the word "profane" as used to describe Esau.

9. Discuss time and the development of character.

10. Discuss the word "plain" used to describe Jacob.

11. What was the main sin of Jacob in getting the birthright?

12. Discuss the righteousness of Jacob’s objectives.

13. Name the benefits which accompanied the patriarchical birthright.

14. Discuss the infamous business deal between Jacob and Esau.

15. What does the business deal say about the values of each man?

16. Discuss the deception of Jacob in getting the family blessing.

17. Why should Jacob have waited on God?

18. Explain the inseparableness of the birthright and the blessing from a spiritual standpoint.

19. Why did God love Jacob and hate Esau?