After some years, a change took place in Isaac’s home-life. Two children now played about his tent door—two little boys.. They were his sons. One of them, the older, was named Esau. His hair was red and it grew all over his body. Although he was a queer-looking child, yet Esau was loved dearly by his father, Isaac. The younger boy was named Jacob. He was not at all like his brother, and it may have been because of his thoughtful actions that he was loved the better by his mother, Rebekah.
When Esau and Jacob grew older, their playtime hours grew less and they were taught to work. They learned to take care of their father’s cattle and sheep. Esau was fond of hunting, and would often take his bow and arrow and go out to the woods in search of deer. Not only did he know how to kill the deer, but he knew also how to dress and cook the meat that he brought home from his hunting-trips. This pleased Isaac very much, and because he liked to eat the venison that Esau prepared he loved Esau better than he loved Jacob.
There is a custom among the people of those lands to give the eldest son twice as much of the property upon the death of the father as the other children receive. This is called the “birthright.” And Esau, being Isaac’s eldest son, was entitled to the birthright.
But the boy Esau cared little about his birthright. He even despised it. His younger brother, Jacob, thought much about the birthright and wished that it might be given to him instead of to Esau. He knew that he should be glad to receive his father’s blessing and the double portion of all his wealth, and even the tents in which they lived, and the servants who belonged to his father’s household.
One day when Esau came home from his work in the field he saw that Jacob had just prepared a dish of tempting food. And he was very hungry, so he asked Jacob to give him at once some of the food to eat. Jacob answered, “I will give it all to you if you will sell me your birthright today.” Esau grew hungrier than ever when he smelled the good food in Jacob’s dish, and he cared more for his appetite than he did for his birthright. “What can this birthright profit me, any-how,” he questioned, “seeing that I am about to die from hunger?” So he sold his birthright for something to eat. Now, it was very wrong for Esau to despise the good things that Isaac had planned to give to him. And after it was too late to buy back the lost birthright, Esau became very sorry for what he had done.
The years passed by, and Isaac moved into another part of the country. Here he planted fields of grain, and God caused them to yield an abundant harvest. God also blessed him more by increasing his riches until he became so great that his neighbors envied him. They thought he was a mighty prince among them, and they did not care to have him live in their country because he was so much greater than they. Isaac chose rather to go away than to have trouble with his neighbors, so he gathered together all his wealth and all his servants, and moved once more to another part of Canaan. Here he built an altar and worshiped God. Afterward his servants dug a well and found good water. Then Isaac called the name of the place Beersheba. Isaac lived at Beersheba for a long time, and finally his eyes grew dim with age. No longer could he look out upon the good things that God had given him, and he thought that soon he must die. He wished to give the birthright and his blessing to Esau. Perhaps he did not know that Esau had long ago sold the birthright to Jacob, or he may have forgotten about the incident because he was now old and feeble. He called Esau, and said, “My son, take your bow and arrow and go into the woods and hunt one more deer and bring to me the delicious food that you can prepare. After I have eaten of it I shall give you my blessing, for I am soon to die.”
Esau hurried away at his father’s bidding. He was older now and wished that he had not sold his birthright. But he had done other things that were not right, for he had married two wives who were Canaanitish women, and this had grieved Isaac and Rebekah very Rebekah did not think that Esau was worthy to receive his father’s blessing. She wanted her younger son, Jacob, to become heir to God’s promises, and when she heard Isaac’s instructions to Esau she thought of a plan by which she might secure the promised blessing for Jacob. “My husband can not see,” she reasoned, “and I will send Jacob to him instead of Esau. I will cook the tender meat of two young kids, and season the food just as Esau prepares it. Then I will clothe Jacob in Esau’s raiment and thus cause my blind husband to think that Esau has come.”
At first Jacob feared to try to deceive his dear old father lest his deception be found out and he should receive a curse instead of a blessing. But Rebekah urged him to obey her orders. “Let the sin be upon my own head,” she declared, “for you must receive your father’s blessing.” And Jacob obeyed. But, although he secured the blessing, we shall see later how the sin of his deception fell upon his own head, because sin always reacts upon the evil-doer himself and brings trouble and sorrow.
Isaac was surprized when Jacob approached with the dish of food which Rebekah had prepared. He knew that Esau had not been absent long enough to hunt and kill a deer and then prepare the meat so soon. “How is it that you have come so soon?” he asked, and Jacob replied, “Your God helped me to find the deer at once.” Still Isaac wondered how it could be that Esau had returned so much sooner than usual, and because the voice sounded like Jacob’s he said, “Come near to me, that I may know whether you are indeed my very son Esau.” Now Rebekah had fastened the skin of a hairy animal upon Jacob’s hands and neck lest Isaac feel of them and discover the deception, and When the blind old man touched the hairy hands he said, “These are Esau’s hands.” Finally he ate of the delicious meat and then blessed Jacob with the blessing of his grandfather Abraham.
Esau came with his dish after Jacob had gone away. “Rise up, my father, and eat of my venison,” he said, “then give me your blessing.” “Who are you?” exclaimed Isaac in dismay; and when Esau replied, “I am your very son Esau,” the old man trembled with fear. “Some one has come in your stead,” he told Esau, “and to him I have given the blessing.”
Esau knew at once that Jacob had secured the blessing which he craved. “Alas!” cried the poor man, “my brother has taken away both my birthright and my blessing.” And Esau wept bitterly. “Have you not one blessing for me also?” he entreated. Isaac was deeply troubled. “How can I bless you, seeing that I have given the best of everything to your brother?” Still Esau pleaded for a blessing, and finally Isaac blessed him too, with a lesser promise of greatness.
After this time Esau’s heart was filled with hatred toward his brother. “Soon our father will die,” he thought, “and then I shall kill Jacob and take all the possessions and all the power which has been given to him.” And with these wicked thoughts he consoled himself in his disappointment and grief.