†. Gen 25:27c . . who stayed in camp.
Does that mean Jacob never ventured outdoors? No. After all, his family was
pastoral; they lived in tents and spent their whole lives working outdoors.
Staying in camp only means Jacob would rather come on home when the
day was over, take a hot shower, eat dinner with his family, brush his teeth,
and sleep between clean sheets rather than needing a bath out under the
stars on the ground with creepy-crawlies.
Esau wasn't dependable; and probably off away from home on one safari
after another. But Jacob was always nearby, ready to lend a hand with the
chores, shear the sheep, mend the fences, and help his mom get in a load of
wood and water. He was like the ranchers in the movie Shane-- hard
working and dependable --very unlike his wild and wooly brother who very
likely scorned animal husbandry and thought of it as a life for losers.
Jacob was a lot like his mom Rebecca. Although she too came from a family
with servants, it wasn't below her to bring in the evening water when it was
time. Jacob could have kicked back and lived the life of a spoiled rich kid and
never lifted a finger to help out around the ranch, leaving it all up to the
servants. But he didn't do that. No. Jacob was a working rancher: he pitched
in wherever he could because it was his nature to make himself useful and
productive.
†. Gen 25:28a . . Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for
game;
The Hebrew word for "favored" is from 'ahab (aw-hab') or possibly 'aheb
(aw-habe') which mean: to have affection for.
Family counselors will tell you that favoritism is harmful: and who from a
large family doesn't already know that. But nevertheless it's just about near
impossible to prevent favoritism. People are only human after all.
Up to this point, Esau seems an okay kind of guy. No really serious faults are
readily apparent. And he seems affable enough. On the pages of Old
Testament Scripture, he isn't said to be a friendless loner, or an angry
sociopath; nor into bad habits like drinking, gambling, murder, robbery, lies,
laziness, fighting, disrespect for his parents, blasphemy, selfishness, foul
language, or anything else like that. The only apparent difference between
Esau and Jacob-- up to this point --is Esau's preference for roaming the
great outdoors instead of putting in a day's work around the ranch. Jewish
folklore lays some pretty heavy sins upon Esau. but none of them are listed
here in chapter 25.
For now, neither Isaac nor Rebecca have voiced any gripes against either
one of their boys. Isaac does favor Esau more, but only because of the
venison that he prepared for his dad on occasion-- which of course would
appeal to Isaac because it was wild game rather than the meat of domestic
animals. Guys sometimes feel more manly when they eat meat taken in
hunting rather than from a local super market. Isaac is one of those men for
whom this proverb rings true: The way to a man's heart is through this
stomach.
†. Gen 25:28b . . but Rebecca favored Jacob.
Well, that's understandable. Jacob was religious, temperate, conscientious,
and helpful: attributes Rebecca would certainly value; whereas Esau was
secular, out hunting, and saw no value in his dad's religion whatsoever (Heb
12:15-17). And Jacob was very likely home a whole lot more than Esau; and
made good company too. Guys like Esau tend to be center-of-attention
addicts; and eclipse everyone else in the room to the point where you get
the feeling they believe themselves the only ones in the whole wide world
that count and the only justification for your existence is to be their
audience.
Rebecca was a no-nonsense kind of girl. I think she was very impressed by
Abraham's chief steward because he was serious about his business and got
right to it with no fooling around; plus he was a man of prayer too. I think all
of that had a great deal of influence on Rebecca's decision to leave home
with him.
I suspect Rebecca saw that very same kind of character in Jacob; and it had
more appeal to her than the swash buckling, great white hunter attitude that
compelled Esau to go off on safari so often. Not that an adventurer's nature
is bad or anything like that. But Rebecca preferred the company of
disciplined, level headed, temperate men who take care of their families and
put them first. The kind who take their responsibilities seriously and don't
shirk.
†. Gen 25:29 . . Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in
from the open, famished.
I guess Esau never heard of the Boy Scouts' motto: Be prepared. Well . .
next time, maybe he'll be a little more careful to fill his ALICE pack with
some LRRP rations before going out in the boonies.
The word for "stew" is from naziyd (naw-zeed') which means: something
boiled, e.g. soup.
But it doesn't necessarily mean that Jacob was actually making what we
think of as a soup. He may very well have been simmering a sauce; kind of
like a spaghetti sauce (the Sopranos call it gravy). And not just a small
portion for that day's lunch; but a kettle of it for the whole week. Once all
made up; then the family could take what they wanted with their meals and
pour it on their meat dishes and pastas and dip bread in it too whenever
they felt like it.
†. Gen 25:30a . . And Esau said to Jacob: Give me some of that red
stuff to gulp down, for I am famished
The word for "red" (stuff) is from 'adom (aw-dome') which means: rosy.
†. Gen 25:30b . . which is why he was named Edom.
Edom is from 'Edom (ed-ome') or possibly 'Edowm (ed-ome') which mean:
red. 'Edom and 'Edowm are derived from 'adom; the word for rosy.
I actually knew a man when I was a kid whose nick-name was Rose; and
who hasn't heard of the pro footballer Rosey Grier?
†. Gen 25:31 . . Jacob said: First sell me your birthright.
The birthright consists of two distinct components. One is material, and the
other is spiritual. If Moses' covenanted law can be used as a guideline in this
instance, then the holder of the birthright (which is transferable) is entitled
to twice the amount of material inheritance given to his siblings. (Deut
21:15-17)
But Jacob isn't asking for Esau's material birthright; it's the spiritual one
that he's after. Jacob wanted very much to be the family's next patriarch;
and no doubt Rebecca wanted him too.
The position of patriarch carries heavy responsibilities. If Esau was to rule
over the family, then he would be responsible to provide for them both
materially and spiritually. Abraham was a very successful patriarch in both
respects, but most especially in the spiritual.
It was the patriarch's duty to build, and officiate at, the family's altar; just
as Abraham had done all those years (cf. Job 1:5). It was also the
patriarch's duty to dispense the knowledge God and make sure it was
carried forward in the family so as to prevent its loss to future generations
(cf. Gen 18:19). I think what Jacob was really after was the inspiration that
came with being the spiritual patriarch. (cf. Gen 20:7)
As far as Esau was concerned, the material aspect of his birthright was all
that mattered. He was totally secular and cared nothing at all for his spiritual
birthright. On the other hand, Jacob dearly longed for the spiritual aspect--
the material part being only incidental. No doubt the two brothers had
discussed these very things over the years so that Jacob already knew
exactly how Esau felt about it. So that, half in jest, and probably half in
disgust, he proposed that Esau barter his spiritual birthright for food. Being
a secular man entirely dominated by carnal appetites: Esau accepted.
Cont.
/
Does that mean Jacob never ventured outdoors? No. After all, his family was
pastoral; they lived in tents and spent their whole lives working outdoors.
Staying in camp only means Jacob would rather come on home when the
day was over, take a hot shower, eat dinner with his family, brush his teeth,
and sleep between clean sheets rather than needing a bath out under the
stars on the ground with creepy-crawlies.
Esau wasn't dependable; and probably off away from home on one safari
after another. But Jacob was always nearby, ready to lend a hand with the
chores, shear the sheep, mend the fences, and help his mom get in a load of
wood and water. He was like the ranchers in the movie Shane-- hard
working and dependable --very unlike his wild and wooly brother who very
likely scorned animal husbandry and thought of it as a life for losers.
Jacob was a lot like his mom Rebecca. Although she too came from a family
with servants, it wasn't below her to bring in the evening water when it was
time. Jacob could have kicked back and lived the life of a spoiled rich kid and
never lifted a finger to help out around the ranch, leaving it all up to the
servants. But he didn't do that. No. Jacob was a working rancher: he pitched
in wherever he could because it was his nature to make himself useful and
productive.
†. Gen 25:28a . . Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for
game;
The Hebrew word for "favored" is from 'ahab (aw-hab') or possibly 'aheb
(aw-habe') which mean: to have affection for.
Family counselors will tell you that favoritism is harmful: and who from a
large family doesn't already know that. But nevertheless it's just about near
impossible to prevent favoritism. People are only human after all.
Up to this point, Esau seems an okay kind of guy. No really serious faults are
readily apparent. And he seems affable enough. On the pages of Old
Testament Scripture, he isn't said to be a friendless loner, or an angry
sociopath; nor into bad habits like drinking, gambling, murder, robbery, lies,
laziness, fighting, disrespect for his parents, blasphemy, selfishness, foul
language, or anything else like that. The only apparent difference between
Esau and Jacob-- up to this point --is Esau's preference for roaming the
great outdoors instead of putting in a day's work around the ranch. Jewish
folklore lays some pretty heavy sins upon Esau. but none of them are listed
here in chapter 25.
For now, neither Isaac nor Rebecca have voiced any gripes against either
one of their boys. Isaac does favor Esau more, but only because of the
venison that he prepared for his dad on occasion-- which of course would
appeal to Isaac because it was wild game rather than the meat of domestic
animals. Guys sometimes feel more manly when they eat meat taken in
hunting rather than from a local super market. Isaac is one of those men for
whom this proverb rings true: The way to a man's heart is through this
stomach.
†. Gen 25:28b . . but Rebecca favored Jacob.
Well, that's understandable. Jacob was religious, temperate, conscientious,
and helpful: attributes Rebecca would certainly value; whereas Esau was
secular, out hunting, and saw no value in his dad's religion whatsoever (Heb
12:15-17). And Jacob was very likely home a whole lot more than Esau; and
made good company too. Guys like Esau tend to be center-of-attention
addicts; and eclipse everyone else in the room to the point where you get
the feeling they believe themselves the only ones in the whole wide world
that count and the only justification for your existence is to be their
audience.
Rebecca was a no-nonsense kind of girl. I think she was very impressed by
Abraham's chief steward because he was serious about his business and got
right to it with no fooling around; plus he was a man of prayer too. I think all
of that had a great deal of influence on Rebecca's decision to leave home
with him.
I suspect Rebecca saw that very same kind of character in Jacob; and it had
more appeal to her than the swash buckling, great white hunter attitude that
compelled Esau to go off on safari so often. Not that an adventurer's nature
is bad or anything like that. But Rebecca preferred the company of
disciplined, level headed, temperate men who take care of their families and
put them first. The kind who take their responsibilities seriously and don't
shirk.
†. Gen 25:29 . . Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in
from the open, famished.
I guess Esau never heard of the Boy Scouts' motto: Be prepared. Well . .
next time, maybe he'll be a little more careful to fill his ALICE pack with
some LRRP rations before going out in the boonies.
The word for "stew" is from naziyd (naw-zeed') which means: something
boiled, e.g. soup.
But it doesn't necessarily mean that Jacob was actually making what we
think of as a soup. He may very well have been simmering a sauce; kind of
like a spaghetti sauce (the Sopranos call it gravy). And not just a small
portion for that day's lunch; but a kettle of it for the whole week. Once all
made up; then the family could take what they wanted with their meals and
pour it on their meat dishes and pastas and dip bread in it too whenever
they felt like it.
†. Gen 25:30a . . And Esau said to Jacob: Give me some of that red
stuff to gulp down, for I am famished
The word for "red" (stuff) is from 'adom (aw-dome') which means: rosy.
†. Gen 25:30b . . which is why he was named Edom.
Edom is from 'Edom (ed-ome') or possibly 'Edowm (ed-ome') which mean:
red. 'Edom and 'Edowm are derived from 'adom; the word for rosy.
I actually knew a man when I was a kid whose nick-name was Rose; and
who hasn't heard of the pro footballer Rosey Grier?
†. Gen 25:31 . . Jacob said: First sell me your birthright.
The birthright consists of two distinct components. One is material, and the
other is spiritual. If Moses' covenanted law can be used as a guideline in this
instance, then the holder of the birthright (which is transferable) is entitled
to twice the amount of material inheritance given to his siblings. (Deut
21:15-17)
But Jacob isn't asking for Esau's material birthright; it's the spiritual one
that he's after. Jacob wanted very much to be the family's next patriarch;
and no doubt Rebecca wanted him too.
The position of patriarch carries heavy responsibilities. If Esau was to rule
over the family, then he would be responsible to provide for them both
materially and spiritually. Abraham was a very successful patriarch in both
respects, but most especially in the spiritual.
It was the patriarch's duty to build, and officiate at, the family's altar; just
as Abraham had done all those years (cf. Job 1:5). It was also the
patriarch's duty to dispense the knowledge God and make sure it was
carried forward in the family so as to prevent its loss to future generations
(cf. Gen 18:19). I think what Jacob was really after was the inspiration that
came with being the spiritual patriarch. (cf. Gen 20:7)
As far as Esau was concerned, the material aspect of his birthright was all
that mattered. He was totally secular and cared nothing at all for his spiritual
birthright. On the other hand, Jacob dearly longed for the spiritual aspect--
the material part being only incidental. No doubt the two brothers had
discussed these very things over the years so that Jacob already knew
exactly how Esau felt about it. So that, half in jest, and probably half in
disgust, he proposed that Esau barter his spiritual birthright for food. Being
a secular man entirely dominated by carnal appetites: Esau accepted.
Cont.
/
