What We Lose When We Try to Win- Genesis 25:27-34

Bible Study Lesson for January 20

Throughout the next few stories in Genesis, God continues to make choices that surprise us. In last week reading, we saw a surprising choice in the story of Esau & Jacob: God choose Jacob, the younger son, over Esau, the older son. Even before Esau and Jacob were born, God chose Jacob as the one who would bear the Promise. As we explore Jacob’s story in the coming weeks, we will see that God’s choice of Jacob isn’t because of any blamelessness or particular righteousness on Jacob’s part. Jacob’s story is messy from beginning to end. This man who was born grasping his brother’s heel will strive and compete and connive his whole life, eventually wrestling birthright and blessing away from his brother, prosperity away from his uncle, and finally wrestling with an agent of the very God his father and grandfather worshiped. 

What can we discover from Jacob in this story? What will we learn from his brother, his uncle, and his parents? Jacob’s story, and the stories of his sons that will conclude the book of Genesis, take on a more vivid life than many of the stories that came before. These are characters that spring from the page and into our imaginations. We should watch their actions with a critical eye, remembering that these are sometimes spectacularly fallen people. We can, however, learn something of what a humanity that strives for God’s blessing looks like. We can find inspiration in their faith, even when we rightly should promise not to walk where they have walked.

The struggling twins emerge into the story with rivalry. Esau is characterized as an outdoors-man, while Jacob is seen as someone who stays a little closer to home. Like God, their parents show a certain partiality. Isaac loves his firstborn who brings him tasty meats he has hunted. Rebekah is partial to the younger son, the one God has chosen. This will come into play more in chapter 27, but it also helps us to understand the dysfunction in this household that will result in conflict between sons.

Starting in verse 29, we have a well-known story about Esau and Jacob. In summary, Esau comes in from the field hungry and he asks for a stew that Jacob is making. Jacob makes his brother swear to give him his birthright before he will give him anything. Esau pretty quickly agrees and the story ends, “Thus Esau despised his birthright.”

Esau is presented in this story as impulsive. He chooses instant gratification over future prosperity. He seems to be ruled by his appetite. Walter Brueggemann sees in the dialogue between Jacob and Esau a lack of faith on Esau’s part. He does not trust that his needs will be met and so he promises away his birthright for a bowl of stew. In the Hebrew, there is a connection between the “pottage” and the birthright. Esau sells his birthright and Jacob hands over the stew. The stew in Hebrew is called “edom edom” or “red stuff” or “red red.” Esau’s children will become the nation of Edom, who occupy a unique place among Israel’s neighbors. Throughout the Old Testament, Edom is a rival of Israel, but often the prophets judge Edom for failing to support their brother kingdom (see the book of Obadiah, or Ezekiel 35). One can presume that Jacob is also hungry; after all he is making dinner for himself when Esau finds him. But Jacob puts aside his immediate needs in order to secure his own prosperity in the future.

It is important to note that these brothers are presented as adults in the story. The type of oath that Jacob extracts from Esau would have been considered binding. The birthright of the oldest brother would be the majority of the father’s material wealth. 

We see in Jacob a certain opportunism that is not how the people of God should act. As the story will show, Jacob is willing to go to great lengths to get an advantage, and often that results in damage to relationships. We will see this in Jacob’s relationship with his brother, father, and uncle. It would be better for Jacob to trust the providence of God to accomplish what God has promised, but Jacob instead takes advantage of his brother’s impulsiveness. Later, Jacob will come to fear this impulsiveness and it will drive him away from his family.

So we are left with a double caution. If we are like Esau, we must take control over our appetites. We cannot allow our momentary needs or desires to overwhelm our long-term interests. If we take the longest view of all, this will remind us to value Kingdom concerns over anything else. If we find ourselves more in the position of Jacob, we need to be aware of the relational cost of self-seeking and taking advantage of people. Jacob also fails to take the long view in his own way, valuing material prosperity over his relationships. Viewing life as a struggle results in many casualties along the way.

As we go forward, we will see the consequences of Jacob’s self-seeking spelled out for us again and again. My dad always compared these stories to a soap opera: if you pay attention you will see how decisions connect to each other and the cycles of pain carry forward, sometimes for generations. Jacob’s self-seeking is his greatest flaw. It’s almost like he can’t help himself.

In the New Testament, Jesus lays out for us a better vision for life. When someone asks him which is the greatest commandment, he says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” The second greatest command, he says, is similar: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:38-39). Building on this foundation, Paul urges the church at Galatia to follow the law of Christ instead of the Old Testament Law. Paul writes, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Jacob and Esau in their own ways fail to live up to these commands. Esau shows a lack of patience and self control. Jacob fails to be loving or kind. Their failures result in a general lack of peace and gentleness in their relationship. Their actions in this story begin a lifetime of bad habits and selfishness that almost destroys their relationship. It’s not just a bowl of soup. It’s not even just an inheritance. It’s an attitude of choosing yourself over others. It’s a posture of not caring about your neighbors. It’s a decision to ignore your neighbors needs in service of your own desires. And that is not the way Jesus taught us.

What should these brothers have done differently? What would I counsel them if they came to me for advice? Jacob, just give your brother some food. Esau, you really aren’t that hungry, and if you were, your parents are in the next tent so you can probably just ask them for food. Ultimately, our self-seeking and shortsightedness result in hurting our neighbors. Sometimes we even hurt our own families. All over a bowl of soup.