The Birth of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25)

"The Lord said to her, 'two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger'."
-Genesis 25:23
     Yesterday at the Genesis Bible Academy we studied Genesis chapter 25. The chapter covers the death of Abraham, Ishmael's family, and the birth of Jacob and Esau. While there are things that can definitely be learned from the first two topics, today I just want to focus on the birth of Jacob and Esau. When I first read the passage that we were going to study, I honestly questioned how much we could really learn from it. However, after attending the Bible study I realized there is actually quite a few good things that can be learned in this passage.
     Last time we learned that Isaac marries Rebekah. In this passage we learn that they have a familiar problem; they cannot have children. I say that this is a familiar problem because it is similar to the problem that Abraham had when he was with Sarah. We have learned in previous passages that Abraham and Sarah tried to solve their childlessness by their own means, leading to the birth of Ishmael. Isaac is different than Abraham; instead of trying to solve the problem on his own, he prays continuously to the Lord until Rebekah conceives. Isaac's prayers were not answered until twenty years later, so we see his patience and complete trust in the Lord.
     When Rebekah becomes pregnant, she notices that the babies within her are jostling with each other. Rebekah also consults the Lord to find an explanation for her babies restlessness. God tells Rebekah that two nations are in her womb, and that the older will serve the younger. What does this mean? It means that the nation of the younger son will rule over the older son. I'm not really sure why God wanted things to be this way, but one thing we know for sure is that God's plans always prevail. He is sovereign, and He is in control over everything. Human wisdom would say that the older son should rule over the younger, but God says otherwise. If you have read Genesis, you know that God's covenant with Abraham is continued through Jacob, and not Esau.
     Jacob and Esau are born, and they are very different from each other. As they get older, we learn that Esau liked to go outside to hunt, and probably lived a more wild life. Jacob on the other hand liked to stay indoors and live a quiet life. One day, Esau comes home after being away and is very hungry. He asks Jacob to give him some food that Jacob had prepared. Jacob, realizing that Esau is desperate, asks Esau to give him the birthright. Esau agrees, and allows Jacob to receive the birthright that is reserved for the older son. After giving Jacob the birthright, Esau despises the birthright. It is unclear why this is, but it may be that Esau never really wanted it in the first place.
     So what can we learn from this exchange between Jacob and Esau? To be clear, I do not think that Jacob stealing the birthright was a good thing. He stole something that did not belong to him. That being said, one thing we can learn is that God is sovereign. I said this earlier, but now it is evident that Jacob is starting to fulfill God's prophecy. Jacob took the first step to becoming a nation that would continue the covenant promise to Abraham. Although God's plan unfolds in an unpredictable way, it certainly is evident that it is being fulfilled.
     The second thing we can learn is that we should value our "birthright". Esau clearly did not value his birthright as he should, since he gave it to Jacob for some stew. Esau got used to living a self-pleasing life and probably didn't want the responsibility of the birthright. He even despises the birthright after giving it Jacob. Unlike Esau, Jacob understood the value of the birthright. Although he took it in a malicious way, he knew that it was valuable. We too have been given a "birthright". I believe that our "birthright" is our identity in Christ. Jesus died and gave us the right to be called God's children. Esau did nothing to earn his birthright, and perhaps that played a part in why he didn't learn to value it. We also did nothing to earn our sonship in Christ, but we must be careful not to believe that it is unimportant. We must protect our identity in Christ and continually live out our calling as sons and daughters of God.
-Smart