Do You Help or Exploit? Genesis 25:1 thru 27:46

Overview

Our lesson this week springboards off the relationship of two brothers - Esau and Jacob. Abraham has died (175 years of age). Before he dies Abraham honors the wishes of his beloved Sarah and gives all he has to Isaac. He provides gifts to all his other sons (born to wives after Sarah's death) and sends them away leaving Isaac the sole heir of all his possessions and the family patriarch. Isaac is married to Rebekah but she is barren and Isaac has no children. Isaac prays to God and Rebekah conceives. It is a troubled pregnancy and Rebekah asks God "why?" God reveals to her "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger." (Gen. 25;23). Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah, are born. Isaac is sixty years old at their birth. Esau was robust, hairy, reddish in complexion, a skilled hunter and the favorite of his father. Jacob had a fair complexion, was a shepard and the favorite of his mother.


Genesis 25: 29-34...the loss of a birthright!! Esau returns from an unsuccessful hunt and is exhausted. Jacob is preparing a stew and the aroma is more than Esau can bear. We have no reason to conclude that Jacob premeditated this event. However it is clear he seized the opportunity to leverage Esau's weakness. Jacob has something Esau wants, the stew, and Esau has something Jacob wants, the birthright. A request is made.."let me eat some of that red stuff, because I am exhausted." A price is required..."First sell me your birthright." A rationalization is made..."I'm about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?' The deal is consumated..."Swear to me first." Esau enters into an agreement and sells his birthright.

Do you think Jacob acted properly? What was the birthright and why was it important? What lessons can we learn from this and how can we apply them to life today?

I look forward to the dialog. Until next time............

Danny