Jacob: Manipulating A Birthright Series

When my wife and I were engaged she took an Old Testament class and they studied this passage. As part of the class project my wife made Jacob’s stew for the class. According to my notes the recipe for the stew was recovered with the dead sea scrolls. So far in my internet search I am not finding a stew recipe from the Dead Sea scrolls. It was a red lentil stew.

What was involved in the birthright? Normally there was financial inheritance attached to the birthright. That was not this issue here. Esau was exceedingly wealthy. Esau despised his birthright. The birthright for Esau was something spiritual. To have this birthright meant to be in the linage of the coming messiah. To be the father of the chosen nation, Israel.

Esau fell to the immediate gratification. He traded something of lasting value. In the mist of this fleshly desire Esau gave up his spiritual inheritance. The stew was before Esau. He was hungry and he could see it, smell it and feel his hunger.

Esau gave up something that could not be seen or smelled or touched. It was something spiritual and it was something for the future. Esau threw away his spiritual inheritance for the moment of fleshly indulgence to satisfy his appetite.

The strong rugged man is weak in the face of temptation. It is like Samson who is strong physically but weak spiritually. Esau traded the eternal for the temporal. The unseen for the seen the spiritual for the physical.

Later Esau would weep over the consequences of his actions. When we are tempted the desire draws us and makes promises to us that are empty and fleeting results.

In Hebrews chapter 11 Esau’s father, grandfather, brother and nephew are listed in the New Testament faith hall of fame. Not Esau. He landed himself in a much different place.

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. (Hebrews 12:16)

The blessing for Jacob (Genesis 27) Esau Isaac loved. Jacob Rebekah loved. A the time of giving the blessing Isaac has become old. His eyes are now dim. His desire is to bless the oldest son he loves, Esau.

Esau’s is ready to receive the blessing that is due him according to custom. Rebekah wanted to see to it that Jacob got the blessing. Jacob went alone with his mother’s plan to get the blessing that was due Esau.

The all seemed to forget the purpose of God that He revealed when Esau and Jacob were jostling in the womb. God intended Jacob to have this blessing. Now Jacob was living up to the figurative meaning of his name, deceiver. This plan included deception, lying and misusing God’s name.

The deception begins with using animal skins and turned into outright lying when his father became suspicious. Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” “The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied. (Genesis 27:20)

The practice of deception would soon come back on Jacob by his crafty uncle Laban. Jacobs deception forced him to live as a fugitive fleeing from his furious brother. Esau cried bitterly over his lost blessing. It was too late for him now. He had despised his birthright. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?