The story of Jacob and Esau
1. The story of Jacob and Esau
The story of Jacob and Esau begins with the birth of twins. Their father was Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. Their mother was Rebekah.
When the twins were born, the firstborn was named Esau and the second born was named Jacob.
The difference between them was that Esau was very hairy and red, while Jacob was not.
As the firstborn, Esau had a birthright, which meant that he would receive a double portion of his father’s inheritance.
However, when Isaac grew old and his eyesight started to fail, he wanted to give his blessing to his firstborn son before he died.
Rebekah overheard this conversation and she had a plan to make sure that her younger son Jacob would receive the blessing instead of Esau.
2. The birth of Jacob and Esau
Isaac and Rebekah’s twins were born some time around 1920 BCE in the land of Canaan.
The firstborn was named Esau and the second born was named Jacob.
The difference between them was that Esau was very hairy and red, while Jacob was not.
This is how they got their names:
Esau means “hairy” in Hebrew, while Jacob means “supplanter” or “one who takes by the heel”.
Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
3. The father’s blessing
As the firstborn, Esau had a birthright, which meant that he would receive a double portion of his father’s inheritance.
However, when Isaac grew old and his eyesight started to fail, he wanted to give his blessing to his firstborn son before he died.
The blessing was very important because it was a way of transmitting the father’s authority to the son.
Rebekah overheard this conversation and she had a plan to make sure that her younger son Jacob would receive the blessing instead of Esau.
4. The mother’s plan
Rebekah’s plan was to have Jacob pretend to be Esau in order to receive the blessing.
She instructed Jacob to kill a deer and bring it to her so she could cook it the way Isaac liked it.
She also gave Jacob Esau’s clothes to wear, so that he would smell like him.
When Jacob went into Isaac’s tent, Isaac thought he was Esau and blessed him accordingly.
“May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.” (Genesis 27:29)
5. Jacob becomes the servant
Afterwards, when Esau found out what had happened, he demanded his father’s blessing from Jacob.
However, Isaac told him that the blessing had already been given and that there was nothing left for him.
Esau was so angry that he threatened to kill Jacob after their father died.
In order to save his life, Jacob fled from his home and went to live with his uncle Laban in Haran.
6. Esau’s anger Because Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of stew, he felt that he had been cheated out of what was rightfully his. He was also very angry that Jacob had tricked their father and stolen his blessing. As a result, Esau hated Jacob and vowed to kill him after their father died. (Genesis 27:41) 7. Esau’s plan In order to get back at Jacob, Esau decided to marry one of the daughters of Ishmael, who was Abraham’s son by his Egyptian slave Hagar. By doing this, he would have children who were not part of the covenant between God and Abraham. (Genesis 28:6-9) 8. The reconciliation of Jacob and Esau AfterJacob had been away from home for many years, he decided it was time to return home. He was afraid that Esau might still try to hurt him, so he sent messengers ahead of him to tell Esau that he was coming home and that he wanted to make peace with him. (Genesis 32:3-5) When they met, Esau ran towards Jacob and embraced him, kissed him, and weeped tears of joy. (Genesis 33:4) They both forgave each other for what had happened in the past and they parted ways as friends.
In conclusion, the story of Jacob and Esau is a story about twins who were born different from each other. Esau was the firstborn and he had a birthright, but Jacob tricked their father and stole his blessing. This led to a lot of anger and resentment between the brothers. However, in the end, they forgave each other and they parted ways as friends.