Genesis 25: Jacob and Esau

In Genesis 25 we learn the story of Jacob and Esau. Abraham’s son Isaac married Rebekah when he was 40 years old. Rebekah could not get pregnant, so Isaac prayed for her, and when he was 60 years old God answered the prayer and she became pregnant with twins. They seemed to fight within her, and God explained that:

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”

When she gave birth, the first boy to come out was red, with a body covered in hair. He was named Esau. Next came Jacob, whose hand was holding Esau’s heel. Esau became a hunter and the favorite of Isaac, and Jacob became a home body and a mama’s boy – the favorite of Rebekah.

Jacob takes Esau’s birthright

Genesis 29-34 tells the famous story of how Esau lost his birthright:

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

So… Esau reached home, but no one was around except Jacob so that he was going to die? Really? And if so, Jacob was so selfish that he only gave his starving brother soup if he gave up his birthright? And this worked? And he wasn’t reprimanded? Struck down by God? Nothing? Really?