Esau birthright and blessing

You can say what you want but Jacob did not get one thing from Isaac or Esau but empty words. Jacob had to flee for his life and Esau wound up with all of Isaac's material things . Jacob then worked 14 years for his beloved wife and tended the sheep of his father in law. Had 12 sons and died an old man in Egypt having fled a famine. Esau's sons became princes and kings. Jacobs sons became slaves.
The only tangible blessing that Jacob had is that the Savior would come from his lineage. For which Jacob was a very blessed man as it goes to show that if we trust God, He will be faithful to fulfill His promises to us. Even if it seems that our blessings are not helping us at the moment.

 

We aren't told of Jacob receiving anything from this inheritance or blessing when he returned, or even what would have been his after Isaac's death, are we?

 

How was Esau tricked out of his birthright? He gave it up willfully for a pot of stew... He didn't value it... Jacob didn't trick him... Jacob told him what it would cost... Esau just didn't care...

Jacob was shrewed.. but Laban got him back.
Jacob also paid by picking favorites with Joseph...
Rebecca was deceiving, but it cost her the favorite son... she never saw him again.
Esau didn't care about the birthright, so he lived in hate.
Isaac died. (had to fit him in somewhere lol)

 

Never thought of it that way, your right.

 

Gave it up willingly for a pot of stew? Hmmm...Esau may have been starving, and his brother could have generously offered to give him a meal with no strings attatched if that was the case. Jacob was better looking than Esau, obviously because he wasn't grossly hairy.

Imo, the main tricksters were Jacob and Rebecca who were in cahoots to steal Esau's blessing and birthright. Rebecca set her son Jacob up to pretend to be Esau. He wore some kind of furry animal skin? if I remember correctly and served a meal to their father who fell for the act. (Gen.26)

 

Sorry.....you asked correctly

From what I understand, birthright and inheritance are the same.The birthright is the right of the first born to inherit the families estate.

Imo, God's blessing offers favorable treatment, extra protection somehow for his heirs. Not sure exactly.

 

I think that Joe is on the right track with his second response to this thread.

To reiterate my first post indicates that there is a clear difference in the two and the Holy Spirit goes into great detail in explaining the difference.
Let's assume that the birthright is the pardoning and forgiveness of sin and inheritance is gaining the world. Notice that Jacobs life is given in greater detail than that of Isaac's and even rival's that of Abraham's story. God always goes into detail when a sinner confesses and repents. He shows us that He will faithfully receive sinners unto repentance.
Jacob did not deceive his brother and his brother saw his immediate need as life or death. Esau thought about what he was about to do and considered his birthright as a useless item if he starved to death. His immediate need was greater and he chose the "soup".
Now think on Jacob for a moment. He did not have Esau's confession on a legal document. He had only the word of his brother that the birthright would be his. No doubt he told his mother everything that had happened between him and Esau. Now as I imagine what had happened is this, Rebekah overheard the following conservation of Isaac and Esau.

Genesis 27:1-5
1And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.
2And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
3Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
4And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
5And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

In these time it would be customary for the whole family to be present for this blessing. So there is deception upon deception going on here. (Joe touched on something that plays into this double deception, Jacob could have freely gave Esau the "soup". After all he is Esau's brother and as brothers they should share and share alike. Eventually Jacob will see that this is what he should have done.) Esau, as close as he was to his daddy, would surely have told Isaac of his encounter with Jacob and Isaac would see that Esau gets the blessing. Rebekah hears the underhanded plot and plots to make sure that Jacob gets what has been sold to him.

When the deceptions are over Esau declares that he will kill his brother and Rebekah sends Jacob away with nothing but the clothes on his back for fear that Esau would make good on his threat.

What does Jacob have? Nothing but the word of a dying father that did not favor him in the first place. I can imagine Jacob as he went off to sleep resting his head upon that rock at bethel. The thought that must have been upon his heart. Who could he trust anymore? His mother was a deceiver, his brother was a lier and his daddy did not love him. I can even imagine that he did not like himself very well either. He was selfish, in that he would not share with his brother, and a deceiver as he capitulated to the deceptions of his mother.

It was at this time just as he had fallen fast asleep he saw the "ladder" that the angels used to go and come between Heaven and Earth. Then Jacob said this,
Genesis 28:16-22
16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
17And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

His statement is that of an attitude of cynicism. However, there is this character of Jacob that no one ever mentions, he is true to his own word and when he commits to a goal he goes after it by any means possible. Later when he returns to this place he does just what he said he would do. He gets to Laban's and works 14 hard years for the woman he loves and is committed to her until the day he dies. In the meantime God is blessing his hard work and is increasing his blessings daily. By the time Jacob leaves Laban he leaves a very wealthy man.

He approaches Esau in great fear that Esau still harbors a grudge. Jacob offers a great portion of his wealth to Esau. He has finally learned to share. Esau is not angry and they hug each other while weeping. Esau's wealth is enormous and he thinks that he has not suffered any loss.

Jacob goes on to have two sons by his favored wife Rachel. Dying in childbirth to Benjamin, Jacob is understandably partial to these two sons. However he must learn another lesson. He should be mindful of each and every son.

The jealous nature of the 10 sons towards Joseph's favored status drives them to the brink of murder. Judah steps in and advocates selling him to Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. Jacob is devestated upon hearing the news of their connived story.

Thirty years pass and the land is ravished by a prolonged drought that has reduced Jacob's family to going to Egypt to buy food. Finally Joseph is found and all is brought right between Joseph and his brothers.

While on his death bed in Egypt Jacob does something very different than all of his fathers. He blesses all of his sons and his two grandsons. He divides his blessing freely. Jacob has learned Grace.

Working hard got him no where. Grace caused him to pass in peace. He died in Egypt totally dependent on his sons. His sons end up as slaves but they have the blessings of Grace.

Our birthright is not what is worked for but what is freely given. God is faithful to do what is needed to be done and make it free to all that will trust Him to do it.

Esau got that what is worked for and was hated by God for it, though Esau and his sons dwelt in splendor they were lost to the blessings of God.
Grace is our birthright. Only the grace of God is going to give the new birth of eternal life. John Chapter 3 explains that in detail. However I will leave you with this.

Ephesians 2:4-9
4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Grace is indeed the birthright. Inheritance is the accumulated wealth of the previous generation's hard work.

 

Interesting, I never realized this. Thanks for the tidbit.

The name Jacob means deceit

I agree. With only his brothers word to hang on to, that must have frustrated Jacob. Can't picture Esau speaking with Mother about what happened between them, she didn't favor him.
As you stated, Esau had no regard for his birthright. I beleive this is why God hated him.

God called his decision to relinquish it "Immoral and a Godless Decision" Heb.12:16

Seems like the ultimate rejection to our Lord imo.

.......

 

You made some great posts, Palatka.

However, I don't think you have made all of the comparison you should have.
Jacob was told to leave Chaldea because he was becoming more prosperous than Laban.
Jacob lived and died in ultimate luxury in Egypt (though after having paid the price of his decietful years)
Esau's sons lived on the side of a mountain and were subject to Joseph and the rest of Israel through the control of Egypt. Only afterward did Isreal become enslaved; but if you wish to discuss posterity, Jacob still wins in the end.

"Jacob" means supplanter, not deciever. There is a big difference, and a supplanter is not necessarily bad. Supplanting is what people like our US spies do every day in their fields, etc.

 

To my knowledge, it means both deceiver and supplanter.

 

I'm sorry, I could be wrong. I should have checked that before I posted; I don't know about it being both. In fact, I'm not exactly sure where to look... I know it at least mans 'supplanter' (ie. 'puller at the heel' is a loose definition).

 

One very important point that I have not seen discussed (may have missed it) .

Before these guys were born, Rebekah questions God about her coming offspring:

In reality Rebekah & Jacob were trying to acheive what God had already promised would be.

Just like Abraham & Sarah when Isaac was still just a promise; Sarah just had to "help" God along by having her "impossible " child thru Hagar:

In each case the folks involved either did not believe God could deliver on His promise, OR they tho't God needed a little help along the way.


In both cases God's will was accomplished, but much personal misery could have been avoided by letting God do His thing, in His way, in His time.

We all should heed this lesson.

 

How, in Rebekah and Jacob's case did they get ahead of God's game plan?

In Abraham's and Sarah's situation they clearly stepped out of God's plan.

In Jacob's case as he fled, God then reaffirmed His plan for Jacob at Bethel. Thus giving Jacob hope for his future.

In Abraham's case an illegitimate child was born and was cast out from any promise what so ever. And to this day Ishmael wrangles with Israel. God did not affirm to Abraham that Ismael was the son of promise. God stuck to His original plan that Sarah would bare the child.

In Jacob's case there was no alternate route but for Jacob to reach out there and get it. This was clear for him and his mother as he had reached out and grabbed his brothers ankle.

Where does God tell Jacob that this is the wrong path?

God clearly told Abraham that Ishmael was not the son of promise.

 

By trying t achieve, by their devious method, what God had already ordained anyway.

 

Who's to say that it wasn't God's way?
There is no clear cut retribution, condemnation from God. Nor was another method offered that superseded what Rebekah and Jacob connived. In every instance God reaffirms His promise to Jacob.

 

True.

Also true.
I feel that it is better to err on the side of passiveness than proactivity when it comes do God's will. It will come to pass if we wait, like Moses in Midian; it will come to pass if we throw caution to the wind, like Peter. But the word of God still reads, 'Wait on the Lord.' You will not miss God's best by being too cautious (though you will by being to timid), but you may by taking matters into your own hands.

I like Gideon; he moved with caution, but in faithful obedience.

Ishmael did have a promise (actually to Hagar) that he would be a great and mighty nation, which he is.

 

If I sit down at a table that has a fine meal prepared for me and there to the right and left of the plate are all the utensils needed for me to take that meal. I say my blessing and set there without raising a finger to feed myself I will starve. God has given me hands with an opposible thumb for grasping the tools needed for my survival. I am going to use them. I want the blessing of that meal. If I wait for God to raise a fork, dip it into my plate, and then guide it to my mouth I will be waiting a very long time.

Now, if Jacob waits, Esau gets the blessing as he has the birthright. Jacob goes after it and trades for it. It is Isaac and Esau that renig on what has been sold. Regardless of how Jacob got the blessing God never condemned him for it.

Seeing the end of Jacob gives us some insight into his behavior. The culture of his time had the first born son get all of the blessing. As a young man he apparently did not think that this was a just distribution of the inheritance. So at his death he calls all of his sons in to his death bead and blesses every one of them even his grandsons. To this day we consider all of our children for our wills, at least I know I will. There is much wisdom in what Jacob did here and we would do well to follow him, to pursue the blessings of grace.

Noting that the culture gave all to the first born son we must also realize that God told Abraham that Isaac would be his heir. Abraham's choice was Ishmael but thanks be to Abraham he heeded to God's word and not to his dogmatic hold to tradition or culture and did what God told him.

Now Isaac was a different story. He was going to follow tradition regardless of the Word of God that Jacob would be the heir.

Here is the only alternative to this story, Isaac should come to his senses and give the blessing to Jacob. Wait a minute ------------- Isaac did come to his senses.

Genesis 28
1And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2Arise, 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.
3And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4And 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.

It took the deceptions of his wife and son to make him see and hear God's Word.

In conclusion I've determined that it was Isaac that was out of God's will not Rebekah or Jacob.