The Birth of Jacob and Esau

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Introduction: This lesson gives several examples, both negative and positive, of waiting on God. Isaac waited on the right bride. He also waits on the promised offspring (as opposed to his father who went in to Hagar). He seeks God’s help through prayer. Rebekah prays for an answer to the dilemma of the struggle in her womb and God gives her special insight into His plan.

On the negative side of waiting on God, we have both Jacob and Esau. We hear most about Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright, but Jacob was not waiting on God either. He uses advantage and bargains for that which God would have eventually given him anyway. Jacob is like Moses in that he has the right goals in mind but he is taking his own path instead of waiting on the Lord (see Acts 7:23-29). In both cases, their hurry to force God’s will created a long detour in their lives.

I.           GODLY MARRIAGE (25:19-20) 

A.   The Generations of Isaac – From Terah’s sons 

1. Haran – Lot

2. Nahor – Bethuel – Laban & Rebekah

3. Abraham – Isaac – Jacob & Esau

4. QUERY: Besides being their mother, what other relation was Rebekah to her children? 

B.   Isaac’s Marriage to Rebekah 

1. He took her to wife

2. When he was forty years old 

II.          ANSWERED PRAYER (25:21-23) 

A.   Isaac’s Prayer For Children (v.21) 

1. Isaac’s intercessory prayer – he “intreated the LORD for his wife”

a.    To intreat means to make an earnest appeal

b.    Done as a subject would approach his king (Proverbs 18:23; 19:6)

2. Isaac’s answer to prayer – his wife conceives

B.   Rebekkah’s Prayer For Understanding (v.22-23; James 1:5) 

1. The cause of her prayer (v.22)

a.    The struggle in her womb

b.    The doubts in her soul

(1)   “If it be so” – If God has answered our prayer in giving us a child

(2)   “Why am I thus?” – Why is God’s blessing causing such a struggle in me?

2. The answer to her prayer (v.23)

a.    She has twins

b.    The twins will head two different nations

c.    The twins represent two different manner of peoples

d.    The “elder shall serve the younger” 

III.         BIRTH OF TWINS (25:24-26) 

A.   The Day of Delivery (v.24) 

B.   The Birth of Esau (v.25) 

1. Born first

2. Red in appearance

3. Hairy all over

4. Named Esau, which means hairy 

C.   The Birth of Jacob (v.26a) 

1. Born second

2. His hand held Esau’s heel

3. Called Jacob, which means heel-catcher or subplanter (Genesis 29:36) 

D.   The Age of Isaac (v.26b) –sixty years old 

IV.        THE BOYS GREW (25:27-28) 

A.   Esau

1. A cunning hunter

2. A man of the field

3. Esau was the strong, silent type who loved manly activities like the hunting. He took what he wanted by force. Compare him with Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-9),

4. Favored by Isaac (because of his venison) 

B.   Jacob 

1. A plain man

2. A dweller in tents

3. Jacob was by no means effeminate. However, he did not stand out among men as did his brother Esau. He was “plain” in that he did not empress with his stature or bearing.

4. Favored by Rebekah (probably because of the prophecy) 

V.         THE BARTERED BIRTHRIGHT (25:29-34) 

A.   Jacob Sod Pottage (v.29) 

1. To sod means to cook by boiling; it is an older form of the word seethe

2. Pottage is a kind of thick soup or stew made of vegetables; sometimes meat and vegetables

3. This pottage was made of lentils (v.34), a vegetable of the pea family

4. The lentils were red (v.30) 

B.   Esau Bargained for the Pottage (v.29-33) 

1. Esau came from the field faint with hunger (v.29)

2. Esau asked Jacob for some of the pottage (v.30)

3. Esau purchased the lentils with his birthright (v.31-33)

a.    Jacob bargained for the birthright (v.31)

b.    Esau held it as of low immediate value (v.32)

c.    Esau swore His birthright over to Jacob (v.33)

d.    NOTE: How often do people sell that which is most valuable to them for some form of immediate gratification? 

C.   Esau is Also Named Edom (v.30) 

1. Edom means red

2. He was born with a red appearance

3. He sold his birthright for red lentils

4. He and his descendents settled in the country of Edom (also called Mount Seir in the Bible). This land is located south of the Dead Sea and is know for its red sandstone cliffs. 

D.   The Importance of the Birthright 

1. Esau came to despise his birthright

2. The birthright was the right of the firstborn (Genesis 43:33)

a.    To lead his family

b.    To receive a double inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17; 1Chronicles 5:1-2)

3. Esau’s lack of foresight in this matter shows his true evil nature (Hebrews 12:16-17) 

Conclusion: What are your priorities in life? Are you willing to give up on the areas of greatest importance so you can experience immediate gratification? Moses was mentioned in the introduction. He rushed things a bit but his heart was right. He chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25). He made this choice because “he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Hebrews 11:26). That means that he thought about the full value of what he was doing.

What is your birthright as a Christian who is born into the family of God? Certainly, we cannot lose the entire birthright. But some Christians seem to be ready to sell their birthright in order to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Name some ways in which Christians sell their birthright. What is the better response?

MEMORY VERSES:

1.         Matthew 6:33

2.         Hebrews 11:25

3.         Hebrews 12:16