We have recorded in Gen 25:26 that Esau was born first and the Jacob came out second and that Jacob took hold of Esau’s heel. So they just named him Jacob, which in Hebrew means heel-catcher (i.e. surplanter). Although the Dictionary does not seem to recognize either of those words, we have been taught that Jacob was a shyster, deceitful and maybe dishonest. We have heard things like, “You would not want to buy a used car from Jacob.”
Let’s test our self here! What off color actions by Jacob do we recall from the scriptures?
Sometimes we will hold our teachers and preachers in such high esteem and admiration that we listen to them and take what ever they say to be the gospel truth without any examination by our self to see if these things be so. The scriptures command us to study! So let’s do that now.
Did Jacob really steal the birthright from Esau? Let’s examine the scriptures concerning how Jacob got the birthright from Esau.
Gen 25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he (Esau) sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Anyone who can read with the simplest of skills should come away from these scriptures with the understanding that we have just witnessed a fair and square deal made between two grown men. Esau sold his birthright unto Jacob!!! Contrary to our churchology teaching Jacob did not steal the birthright from Esau.
Let’s take this even a step further by taking a step back to the conception of Rebekah and see what the Lord said to her concerning the twins.
Gen 25:21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
That which the LORD said to Rebekah was opposite to that which was normal in the family linage at that time. Normally the elder son received the double portion sometimes called the double blessing. The elder son also received the lordship or headship of the family affairs.
The younger sons were normally servant to the elder son. The LORD instructed Rebekah that He was reversing the normal “family structure” at this time with her twins. The LORD said unto her the elder shall serve the younger.
So according to the LORD, who did the family birthright and the family blessing belong to? The younger!!! Again, we have scriptural account of the birth of the twins just so nobody would ever be confused about who the LORD said was to receive the family blessing.
Gen 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob.
There is no chance here to mistake, as to which son is the elder and which son is the younger. We know what the LORD said to Rebekah! The elder shall serve the younger. We know that Rebekah would have told Isaac the instructions, which the LORD had given to her concerning the twins. So how did confusion get into the mix here? There was no confusion here only disobedience by daddy Isaac. We can actually see what happened to Isaac in the flesh realm as the sons grew into manhood.
Gen 25:27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau excelled in everything that a father wants his son to excel in. Esau was a man’s man and became a great hunter even before high-powered rifles. Not only that, Esau could cook his kill to the point that would make a man’s mouth water. Jacob on the other hand was a mommies’ boy. Jacob hung around the house with his mother and that did not impress Isaac.
With just a bit of meditating on the scriptures here we can see that Isaac was so impressed with his son Esau as a man’s man and especially when comparing him to Jacob. By the time that Isaac had become aged, he had made the decision that the LORD had chosen the wrong son to give the family blessing to. Isaac was planning to give the blessing to the elder son, which the LORD said should be given to the younger son. Isaac’s flesh emotions won out in his decision-making over that which the LORD had commanded.
Most church teachings have labeled Rebekah as an accomplice to this so-called theft by helping Jacob steal the blessing from Isaac. In reality Rebekah is an unsung heroine. Rebekah actually tricked Isaac in his old age into doing what the LORD had commanded them to do so many years ago while she was pregnant with the twins.
It would seen that Isaac had never told Esau that which the LORD had commanded Rebekah, while she was pregnant before him and his brother was born. The scriptures indicate that Esau thought the blessing belonged to him. However the scripture indicate that Esau had become forgetful about the fair and square deal he had made with Jacob concerning the birthright.
Gen 27:30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
35 And he (Isaac) said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
36 And he (Esau) said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; (no Esau, you sold it for a bowl of pottage) and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing (no Esau, the LORD said it belonged to the younger). And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants (like the LORD commanded); and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
Consider all the scriptures we have showing that the birthright exchange was a legal deal with no dishonesty by either party. Also consider the scriptures where the LORD stated that the blessing belonged to the younger Jacob, how is it that in the Christian arenas, we hear all the statements of scriptural error about Jacob stealing the birthright from Esau?
The New Testament places emphasis on this very subject of Jacob and Esau.
Rom 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
God looks on the heart but man looks on the outward appearance. The LORD saw a flaw in the heart of Esau in the womb and knew that he would not yearn after godliness and lead the future nation after God. Isaac looked on the outward appearance and thought Esau was wonderful and would be a much better candidate than Jacob.
Blessings of Truth.
Compiled by Jerry Thomas 1/12/18.
All scripture references are (KJV) unless otherwise denoted.
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