Siblings pt 2

For our regular bible study time on Sunday (8/12/07) we studied the next siblings the Bible focuses on- Jacob and Esau. This sibling story can be found in Genesis 25:19-28:9.

Talk about another story of siblings gone wrong! Jacob and Esau were always at odds with each other, even before birth. Verse 22 says "the babies jostled each other within her." Apparently they couldn't wait. So the twin boys grow up. Esau became a hunter. Jacob stayed among the tents. Surely they had their own little fights and arguments growing up. But the Scriptures skip to this very important incident where Jacob gets Esau, who is famished one day, to give up his birthright to him in exchange for food (25:27-34). The birthright was huge! It consisted of two things that the son inherited: material possession and leadership of the family. Esau gave that up on impulse because he was starving. And the result was that he despised his birthright (25:34).

Later on we find Jacob being deceiving again to benefit over Esau (27:1-29). Isaac tells Esau to hunt some game and prepare a feast for him, so that Isaac may give his final blessing to Esau before he dies. With his mother's help, he prepares food from the flock and disguises himself as Esau. Remember from 25:28 that Isaac loved Esau, but Rebecca loved Jacob. Isaac is confused but gives the blessing to Jacob anyways. Soon after, Esau returns with the good to his father, but the blessing has already been given (27:30-40). Esau instead receives a very unfavorable blessing that includes him serving his brother, amongst other things (27:39-40).

These events do not occur without consequences. Jacob's greediness and deceitfulness to get Isaac's blessing that was intended for Esau tore the family apart. He never saw his mother, Rebecca again. He was exiled from the family and lived with his Uncle Laban. Esau wanted to kill him and that continued beyond their lives as Esau's descendents became an enemy nation.

Were Jacob's motives good? Clearly not. He did not allow God to work in His timing at all. That is something to think about. In getting what you want, are you allowing God to work in His timing? Are your motives pure? My prayer for all of us is to follow God's will and timing, at the expense of our own.