Birthright Bible

Birthright Bible Study

Esau and Jacob Birthright

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our Israel Birthright Bible study taking an in depth look into the Esau and Jacob Birthright story and how it affects your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

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Esau and Jacob Birthright Story

Great to have you back! You've probably been wondering through the last chapter, how exactly does a younger son actually obtain his older brother's birthright ... You're about to find out.

Before we go into the story, there are a few things that may help you to understand it from different perspectives. Think for a moment about what the Lord said to Rebekah when she was expecting. We may want to ask first, why was she the one God told about Isaac's sons being two nations instead of telling Isaac? Well, let's think back further. Does God have favorites? Heavens no, you say, clearing your throat with certainty. If you were asked, who do you think God favored, Cain or Abel, would you say God felt the same about each of them? What about Ishmael and Isaac?

To help you understand even better, think of someone who has two children. They are born from the same parents, however they are completely different. From their personality to their appearance to their ambition to - you name it, they're like night and day. Do you have a favorite? Instantly we say, nope, because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or our pride wouldn't want anyone to think badly of us for it. But in truth, there are many reasons why we have favorites. It may be because they're the youngest, oldest, smartest, whatever...est. Well, we are made in God's image. We all know we have favorites, just as God did, does, and will. And God admits it outright. Noah was certainly one of God's favorites Genesis 6:8. He refers to Jacob as the "apple of His eye" Deuteronomy 32:10. And the Israelites are His chosen people, are they not? Deuteronomy 14:2.

Now, we're not saying that God trusted Rebekah over Isaac or anything of that sort, but remember Isaac favored Esau. After all, Esau was the firstborn. Esau was the picture of strength, being an outdoors-man and hunter. And Isaac, although he was Abraham's son and the one that God chose to carry his promise through, he didn't have the magnitude of faith that Abraham had. Abraham loved Ishmael, but he had no qualms about banishing him to the wilderness to make the path that God planned for Isaac free of obstacles. What we're saying is that God knew Isaac was blinded by his favoritism for Esau and He used Rebekah as a tool to be sure that the birthright, the inheritance, the blessing, followed the branch of Isaac's bloodline that He intended. There are many ways to look at things, and many people would prefer to call the manner in which Jacob received the blessing and birthright a deception. But from Rebekah's view, it was a means to an end that God had confided to her.

Esau and Jacob Birthright Lesson With Esau and Jacob Birthright Explanation

Let's get back to our story now and find out how it all unfolded.

It just so happened that when Isaac grew old, he became blind. He told Esau that he thought he was going to die soon. He told Esau to go hunt some venison so that he could eat it and bless him before he died.

Rebekah overheard what Isaac told Esau and when he left to hunt, she told Jacob that Esau was about to receive his father's blessing. She told Jacob to go and get two baby goats and she would make them taste like Esau's venison. Then Jacob would take it to Isaac and he would bless Jacob instead.

But Esau is covered with hair and I'm not, Jacob said. If my father touches me and thinks I'm deceiving him, I'll get a curse, not a blessing. Rebekah told Jacob that if Isaac cursed him, the curse would fall on her, and to obey what she said. She cooked the meat, gave Jacob Esau's good clothes and made coverings for his hands and his neck with the skins of the goats.

When everything was ready, and before Esau returned, Rebekah sent Jacob in to Isaac with the food. Jacob said, It's me, Esau. I have the venison for you to eat so your soul can bless me.

Isaac said, How did you find it so fast? And Jacob answered, The Lord brought it to me. Isaac said, Come close to me so I can touch you and see if you're Esau. Jacob went to his father and Isaac touched his hands. He said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

Isaac blessed Jacob, ate the meat and drank wine. He told him to come near and kiss him. When Jacob kissed Isaac, he smelled the scent of Esau's clothes and blessed him saying, my son smells like a field that the Lord has blessed. For that reason, God give you of the dew of heaven, and the richness of the earth. Let people serve you and nations bow down to you. Be ruler over your brothers and let them bow down to you. Let anyone that curses you be cursed and let anyone that blesses you be blessed.

No sooner did Jacob leave his father's presence with Esau's blessing, than Esau arrived himself with his venison prepared and asking for Isaac to bless him. Isaac asked, Who are you? I'm Esau, he answered.

Isaac was very troubled. Then who was it that brought me meat and I just blessed him? He will be blessed. When Esau heard what his father said, he cried desperately and asked Isaac to bless him too.

Your brother came and cleverly took away your blessing, Isaac told him. Esau tried again saying, But isn't he still Jacob? He has taken my place twice now. He took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing. Don't you still have a blessing for me? And Isaac answered Esau, I've made him ruler over you and have blessed him with corn and wine.

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Esau and Jacob Birthright Blessing

Why couldn't Isaac just go ahead and bless Esau too, you may wonder. Don't forget, God's covenant wasn't meant to be split in half, or for that matter, divided in any way. Even though God used Rebekah to execute the means by which Jacob received God's promise to Abraham, the spirit of the promise still abided in Isaac, and once the covenant was passed on by way of blessing and birthright to Jacob, Isaac didn't have the power or the authority to provide a portion of it to Esau. Isaac may have also remembered that he received the promise instead of Ishmael, who was his father's oldest son and that Abraham protected his possession of it.

However, Esau persisted, Please, just one blessing father, he cried sincerely. Isaac answered, You will live from what the earth provides and from the rain of heaven above, and by your sword will you live and serve your brother. And someday when the opportunity arises, you will forgive him.

Esau hated Jacob with perfect hatred because of the blessing that he received. Esau said to himself, My father will die soon, then I will kill my brother Jacob. Esau told Rebekah what he thought and she told Jacob what Esau was planning to do. She sent Jacob away to her stay with her brother Laban in Haran until Esau's anger had diminished.

And that's how Jacob took Esau's blessing. It was meant to be from the start, when God told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger. Jacob having hold on Esau's heel when he was born was another indication that perhaps the baby was trying to pull his twin brother back so he could be born first because he was rightly the true heir in God's plan.

When you know the history of something, it makes things much easier to understand. The terrorism crisis that the world experiences daily in our modern world stems from this hatred that began in the days of Ishmael and Isaac, and of Esau and Jacob.

Why don't they just get over it, you ask. For goodness sake, it's been four thousand years. The answer to that folks is one word ... Beliefs. You see, Islam (the Muslims, or descendants of Ishmael and/or Esau) believe that the promise was with Ishmael which was passed down to the Arabs instead of to the Jews through Isaac.

Birthright Bible Study Debate
Esau and Jacob Birthright Caused Division Felt Today

Just what is this "Islam" and who are the "Muslims?" You have never seen either word in the Bible because they didn't exist in Biblical times, but what follows is a short version of who they are.

The descendants of Ishmael were so mad at God for making the promise to Isaac that they believed in a number of other gods. They were an uncivilized people who believed in vengeance and violence much as God described Ishmael's character and destiny before he was even born. It wasn't until the 7th century A.D. that Islam was created. The followers of Islam are called Muslims. For many Muslims, their purpose is to join together to wage "holy war" against the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They believe that one of its earliest prophets, Mohamed, whom you may have heard of before, was carried by Allah (their god) to Jerusalem and he ascended into heaven on his bicycle - or whatever - where the Dome of the Rock now stands.

At any rate, what started out as sibling rivalry has over thousands of years progressed into religious conflict that threatens the world even today. Islam believes in a continuing struggle (a never ending war) to kill or convert everyone who isn't Muslim. You must agree this is consistent with what the Bible says: The fight over the promised land will never be settled peaceably (Zechariah 12:2-3).

In our next story you'll find out what Jacob's ladder is and what happens to him when he travels to Haran in refuge of his loathing brother Esau. Don't miss it in our next Daily Bread.

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