Jacob and Esau

In this article, we will devote a little time to the consideration of the charac­ters of Jacob and Esau, following their typical relations through the Scriptures. In the 25th Chapter of Genesis, we have the birth and character of the twin boys recorded. The nature of these twins was so opposed that the mother was alarmed and perplexed by their struggle within her, and went to the Revealer of all sec­rets, whereupon she was told (verse 23) :

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.”

Now it is important to consider that these children were born of one flesh, there being no possible closer relation­ship than twins. Yet God told Rebecca that two nations and two manner of people would be born of her. Esau became the father of many nations, and the greatest enemy of Israel. The Amalekites had their descent from Esau. “Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek . . . ” (Gen­esis 36:12). Many are the records of God’s judgments upon these uncircumcized people, who, in the aggregate, con­stitute the Gentile nations or children of the flesh, as distinct from the children of the spirit. This truth is borne out, and shows how far reaching these types go (see Malachi 1:2-5; Obadiah 17-21). ‘We see from these Scriptures that Esau’s descendants persecuted the descendants of Jacob to such an extent that God says that He will utterly destroy the house of Esau, and that it shall never be rebuilt.

Now let us return to the 25th chapter of Genesis and consider these two people regarding whom God has said: “Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.” “And when her days (Rebecca’s days) “to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy gar­ment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob . . . ” (Genesis 25:24-26). It is significant that the name “Jacob” means “supplanter”.

Now we have another record of the birth of twins, the children of Tamar, one of which is in the genealogy of Christ. Now in the birth of Tamar’s twins, the firstborn drew back, and the younger, as it were, was born before the elder. The midwife bound a thread upon the finger of the protruding hand of the first, so that the birthright might be his, as the custom was that no mistake should be made as to who was the proper heir. But here we see the firstborn drawing back, and recall the Scripture that says: “The soul that draweth back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”. As we couple this incident with that of Jacob (the supplant­er), the type clearly teaches that the last shall be first and the first last, an expres­sion often used by Jesus, implying that “the first man is of the earth, earthy: and the second man is the Lord from heaven” (1st Corinthians 15:47). The man of the spirit is to supplant the man of the flesh. Taking hold of the First­born, he overcomes the flesh, but the firstborn of the flesh draws back from his rightful heritage. We may consider the choice the Spirit makes in the call of Joseph, Ephraim and David, all young­er sons.

The character of Jacob and Esau is soon seen in their behavior. Jacob is spo­ken of as a “plain man dwelling in tents” (a sojourner), which implies one of no outward appeal, no form or comeliness that we should desire him (like the Lord Jesus), and having no certain dwel­ling place. But Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and no doubt popular and well liked by the princes of the land, in whose association we find him later in the record. He was cunning (skillful), which made him a favorite, but all this appeal was outward, in the flesh, while Jacob was humble, domestic, we might say, a mother’s boy. We read that “Rebecca loved Jacob.” “And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: . . . And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birth­right be to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 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” (Genesis 25: 29­-34).

Now the record does not give us any details relating to Esau’s faintness, other than he had just returned from hunting. But it would appear that he was in sore need of food, faint, and at the point of death. He may even have lost his way and been without food and water for some days. And we are mindful of the saying that hunger can break through walls. Our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness was to turn stones into bread, and Israel’s temptation in the wilderness was their great need of daily sustenance. We also recall the bitter waters of Marah and the quails around the camp. So let us not at this point judge Esau too readily, as the trials of our faith are often very real and severe, and there may be occa­sions when we do not overcome them. The mess of pottage, or as Paul expres­ses it, “one morsel of meat” is symbolic of all the desires of the flesh that tempt us, and are as short-lived and as corrupt as the pottage, and as detrimental to our eternal birthright. Let us heed Paul’s ex­hortation to all the faithful: “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed . . . Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane per­son, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” (Hebrews 12: 12­-16). And Peter’s exhortation: “Where­fore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves ac­cording to the former lusts in your ig­norance” (1st Peter 1:13,14).

Here the type is brought home to us, and applied as a warning to the house­hold of faith. We must be careful that we do not cast aside our birthright for anything that the world has to offer. Ja­cob’s descendants were the beloved of the Father, and He entered into covenant relationship with them; yet they were not all Israel that were of Israel. It is writ­ten, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” So the promise is by faith. But, as with Israel, so it is quite possible for us to turn aside after the things of the flesh, counting them, as did Esau, as of more importance than our eternal inheritance. We read that the mount of Esau shall be judged (note Obadiah 17-21). The sav­iors will be the faithful out of all nations who reign with Christ in all the earth and throw down that which Esau has built (note Malachi 1:2-5). Shall we be among the faithful ?

We pass over the biography of these two boys, briefly remarking that bitter­ness and envy stirred in Esau’s heart when he found that he had lost his bless­ing, and much weeping found no repent­ance. At this point, had Esau realized that the loss had been caused by his own lack of perception and put aside the bit­terness and envy, he would have been forgiven and no doubt lived a useful and rewarding life. But he allowed his envy to grow into such hatred that he lost not only his fleshly birthright, but his eternal birthright as well. In this is a warning to God’s children.

Now, let us turn our attention to Ja­cob. He is sent away from his home hated and despised by his brother who had even threatened his life. It was necessary for him to take a long journey in order to escape from Esau. This journey was beset with dangers and fears, not know­ing when, if ever, he would return. How­ever, he had one abiding comfort. He was sent away by Isaac and Rebecca with a repetition of the promises and blessings that had been given to Abraham and then to Isaac. He was also warned, as are we, not to take a wife from the Canaanites. We are also told not to be un­equally yoked to unbelievers. Let the Scripture speak for us. “Arise, go to Pa­danaram, to the house of Bethuel, thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a mul­titude of people; And give thee the bless­ing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham (Gene­sis 28:2-4). Isaac must at last have real­ized that day that Rebecca’s choice of the younger son was right, for Esau had grieved them much with his choice of a wife from the Canaanites.

The sad parting had been brightened for Jacob with his father’s blessing. So, as he lay down to sleep that night under the starry canopy of heaven, with only a pillow of stones on which to rest his head, his meditations must have dwelt upon the stories told him by Isaac and Rebecca of the angel’s visit to Abraham, and the covenants and promises that he should be the heir of the world! As he fell asleep he dreamed, and “behold a lad­der set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abra­ham, thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy seed; . . . And be­hold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of (Genesis 28:12-15).

What an inspiring thought it is that these same promises are made to us in Christ Jesus, and we have the same lov­ing care and protection. “Let your con­versation” (or manner of life) “be with­out covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5,6). As Paul says to the Hebrew children: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (He­brews 1:14) ?

“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16,17). What a profound thought it is when we realize that we are the temple of the living God, and that our covenant and relationship with the Father abridges heaven and earth. He has said, ” . . I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2nd Corinthians 6:16).

May we ask in conclusion the important question: Shall we allow the temp­tations of the flesh or bitterness of our spirit at some real or fancied wrong to lead us away from God until we lose our heritage as did Esau? Or shall we be faithful as was Jacob, receive God’s bless­ings and look forward with delight to the eternal inheritance and fellowship with Jesus and the saints that shall be ours?