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Jacob and Esau
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glorious heritage God Himself had promised his fathers. His whole
interest was in the present. He was ready to sacrifice heavenly things
for earthly pleasures, to exchange a future good for a momentary
indulgence.
“Thus Esau despised his birthright.” In giving it up he felt a
sense of relief. Now he could do as he liked. For this wild pleasure,
wrongly called freedom, many are still selling their birthright of an
eternal inheritance in the heavens!
Esau took two Hittite wives. They worshiped false gods, and
their idolatry was a bitter grief to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau had
violated one of the conditions of the covenant, which prohibited
intermarriage between the chosen people and the heathen; yet Isaac
was still determined to bestow the birthright on him.
Years passed. Isaac, who was old, blind and soon to die, decided
not to delay any longer in giving the blessing to his older son. But
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knowing the opposition of Rebekah and Jacob, he decided to perform
the solemn ceremony in secret. He instructed Esau, “Go out to the
field and hunt game for me. And make me savory food, ... that my
soul may bless you before I die.”
Rebekah told Jacob what had taken place, urging immediate
action to keep the blessing from going to Esau. She assured her son
that if he would follow her directions, he would obtain the birthright
as God had promised. Jacob did not agree right away—the thought
of deceiving his father caused him great distress. Such a sin would
bring a curse rather than a blessing.
But finally he gave in and proceeded to carry out his mother’s
suggestions. He did not intend to tell an outright lie, but once in the
presence of his father he seemed to have gone too far to retreat, and
he obtained the coveted blessing by fraud.
Consequences of Deception
Jacob and Rebekah succeeded in their plan but gained only trou-
ble and sorrow by deception. God had declared that Jacob was to
receive the birthright, and His word would have been fulfilled if they
had waited in faith for Him to work. Rebekah bitterly regretted the
wrong counsel she had given her son. Jacob was weighed down with
self-condemnation—he had sinned against his father, his brother,