Jacob and Esau: The Birthright

Isaac, Abraham’s son, was forty years old when he married Rebekah. She was from Paddan Aram, the daughter of Bethuel and the sister of Laban. Rebekah could not have children at first, so Isaac prayed to the Lord for her, and the Lord answered him.

When Rebekah became pregnant, the children struggled inside her. She went to ask the Lord about it. The Lord told her that two nations were in her womb and that two peoples would come from her. One would be stronger than the other, and the older would serve the younger.

When the time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins. The first baby came out red all over, like a hairy garment, and they named him Esau. His brother came out holding Esau’s heel, and he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

As the boys grew up, Esau became a skilful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was quiet and lived in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he liked the game Esau brought him, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

One day Jacob was cooking stew when Esau came in from the field exhausted and hungry. Esau asked for some of the red stew, and for this reason he was also called Edom. Jacob replied that Esau must first sell his birthright. Esau said he was about to die anyway, so what good was the birthright to him? Then he swore an oath and sold it to Jacob.

Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. Esau ate and drank, got up, and went away. The passage ends with a sober summary: Esau despised his birthright. His hunger was real, but he still treated something important as if it had little value. What does this story show about careless choices?