†. Gen 27:39-40 . . And his father Isaac answered, saying to him: See, your abode shall be
[away from] the fat of the earth and [from] the dew of heaven above. Yet by your sword
you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restive, you shall break
his yoke from your neck.
The words in the brackets don't actually appear in the English text. But according to a foot note
in the 1985 JPS Tanakh; the meaning of the Hebrew is just what you see. Jacob's side of the
family was granted the best water, fertile soils, and abundant yields. In contrast, Esau's side of
the family would live in regions plagued with geological shortages of water, arable land, and
natural pastures.
Isaac's prediction was fulfilled by the very nature of the rugged region that came to be known as
the land of Edom. The Edomites, in general, lived in violence and subjection to Israel; remaining
essentially independent until David's time, but then were subjugated permanently after that in
spite of frequent rebellions and temporary partial freedom. Finally, Edom disappeared as a
nation.
Esau's life of indifference to spiritual matters-- in spite of being born to one of the most
privileged heritages possible --had finally caught up with him and it was too late even for regrets.
†. Gen 27:41 . . Now Esau harbored a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing which
his father had given him, and Esau said to himself: Let but the mourning period of my
father come, and I will kill my brother Jacob.
Well, he had a long wait ahead of him. Isaac lived another 45 years.
But isn't it odd how the human spirit desires to kill-- not just desire for harm and misfortune; but
to the gravest extreme?
A few years ago, out here on a highway in Oregon, traffic was slowed. So a man tried to get
ahead of it by driving on the shoulder to pass everyone up. As he went by a pick-up truck with
some men in it, one of them threw a paper cup at him. He dropped back and fired a gun into the
pick-up, killing one of the passengers.
That is so typical of the feelings that overwhelm human beings when they're angry. They want
blood, and no other form of revenge will satisfy. Is it possible that there is anybody out there
who has never wished that somebody would die?
Esau's personality changed dramatically. He went from an indifferent, carefree outdoor
sportsman to a bitter, vindictive neurotic. The thought of his sissy brother ruling over him-- the
superior son who was always admired and idolized for his strength and prowess --was just too
much for Esau to bear.
†. Gen 27:42a . . When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebecca,
You know, if criminals would just keep their mouths shut they might get away with a whole lot
more crimes. But no, they just have to tell somebody about it. Esau must have vented his
bitterness to others who, in turn, leaked it to Rebecca.
†. Gen 27:42b-43a . . she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him: Your brother
Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. Now, my son, listen to me.
Again showing herself to be a woman of quick decision, Rebecca called Jacob and told him
exactly what to do. Not wishing for a war between her sons, she thought it best to send Jacob
away for a while.
†. Gen 27:43b-45 . . Flee at once to Haran, to my brother Laban. Stay with him a while,
until your brother's fury subsides-- until your brother's anger against you subsides --and
he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will fetch you from there. Let me not lose you
both in one day!
The word for "fury" is from chemah (khay-maw') and/or chema' (khay-maw') which means: heat.
The word for "anger" is from 'aph (af) which means: the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and
occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire.
(chuckle) Ol' Esau was indeed a passionate man. But his was not the lingering passion of a
scented candle, or of a Yule log, which burn slowly for a long time. His rage burned more like a
tumbleweed; a flashing, momentary flame that would soon pass. Esau might hold a grudge, but
he wouldn't go on red faced and breathing heavy about it for very long.
Moody, introspective people, often stay upset for long periods of time; which really exasperates
the Esau types who usually get over things quickly. The Esau types are happy to let personal
conflicts blow over and then move on. But the moody types are always simmering, and wanting
to dredge up unresolved hurts and argue about them again and again for the Nth time until
someone finally listens.
Some lawsuits, like the one between President Clinton and Paula Jones, often cannot be settled
out of court because personalities like hers want an admission of guilt and an apology. Money is
out of the question, and an insult to boot, because people like Paula Jones are never satisfied with
anything less than a public hanging.
Knowing Esau's nature, Rebecca figured his rage would pass away quickly and he would soon
return to his typical carefree ways. Unfortunately, it was past twenty years before Jacob came
back home, and there is no record that he ever saw his mom again. Rebecca's stratagem was
indeed costly, but it could have gone much worse if Jacob had stayed home. Surely any attempt
by Esau to kill Jacob would have resulted in Esau's death; the Lord protecting Jacob for future
use. But I think Rebecca feared Esau might succeed and then become permanently alienated
from the family like Cain was after killing his brother Abel. So she would, in effect, lose both
boys in one day just as grandma Eve did.
Rebecca-- the bright, discreet lass that she was --no doubt had counted all the costs of her
scheme; and believed the issue was vital enough to require her to do what she did. As a matter of
fact, later events proved that she was correct. Esau did soon get over his rage, and he prospered
quite adequately in a material sense. Jacob never did really lord it over him, which was probably
all Esau really cared about anyway. Both boys survived this calamitous event: hubby Isaac too.
And Jacob went on to spawn the people of Israel, thus making a line to Messiah; by whom the
Serpent's head would be crushed, and the entire world blessed beyond measure.
They say all's well that ends well. Maybe. Rebecca's family was fractured, and she lost the
companionship of a really good son. Hers was a sacrifice of the heart. I would really like to see
Rebecca compensated for that some day.
Cont.
/
[away from] the fat of the earth and [from] the dew of heaven above. Yet by your sword
you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restive, you shall break
his yoke from your neck.
The words in the brackets don't actually appear in the English text. But according to a foot note
in the 1985 JPS Tanakh; the meaning of the Hebrew is just what you see. Jacob's side of the
family was granted the best water, fertile soils, and abundant yields. In contrast, Esau's side of
the family would live in regions plagued with geological shortages of water, arable land, and
natural pastures.
Isaac's prediction was fulfilled by the very nature of the rugged region that came to be known as
the land of Edom. The Edomites, in general, lived in violence and subjection to Israel; remaining
essentially independent until David's time, but then were subjugated permanently after that in
spite of frequent rebellions and temporary partial freedom. Finally, Edom disappeared as a
nation.
Esau's life of indifference to spiritual matters-- in spite of being born to one of the most
privileged heritages possible --had finally caught up with him and it was too late even for regrets.
†. Gen 27:41 . . Now Esau harbored a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing which
his father had given him, and Esau said to himself: Let but the mourning period of my
father come, and I will kill my brother Jacob.
Well, he had a long wait ahead of him. Isaac lived another 45 years.
But isn't it odd how the human spirit desires to kill-- not just desire for harm and misfortune; but
to the gravest extreme?
A few years ago, out here on a highway in Oregon, traffic was slowed. So a man tried to get
ahead of it by driving on the shoulder to pass everyone up. As he went by a pick-up truck with
some men in it, one of them threw a paper cup at him. He dropped back and fired a gun into the
pick-up, killing one of the passengers.
That is so typical of the feelings that overwhelm human beings when they're angry. They want
blood, and no other form of revenge will satisfy. Is it possible that there is anybody out there
who has never wished that somebody would die?
Esau's personality changed dramatically. He went from an indifferent, carefree outdoor
sportsman to a bitter, vindictive neurotic. The thought of his sissy brother ruling over him-- the
superior son who was always admired and idolized for his strength and prowess --was just too
much for Esau to bear.
†. Gen 27:42a . . When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebecca,
You know, if criminals would just keep their mouths shut they might get away with a whole lot
more crimes. But no, they just have to tell somebody about it. Esau must have vented his
bitterness to others who, in turn, leaked it to Rebecca.
†. Gen 27:42b-43a . . she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him: Your brother
Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. Now, my son, listen to me.
Again showing herself to be a woman of quick decision, Rebecca called Jacob and told him
exactly what to do. Not wishing for a war between her sons, she thought it best to send Jacob
away for a while.
†. Gen 27:43b-45 . . Flee at once to Haran, to my brother Laban. Stay with him a while,
until your brother's fury subsides-- until your brother's anger against you subsides --and
he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will fetch you from there. Let me not lose you
both in one day!
The word for "fury" is from chemah (khay-maw') and/or chema' (khay-maw') which means: heat.
The word for "anger" is from 'aph (af) which means: the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and
occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire.
(chuckle) Ol' Esau was indeed a passionate man. But his was not the lingering passion of a
scented candle, or of a Yule log, which burn slowly for a long time. His rage burned more like a
tumbleweed; a flashing, momentary flame that would soon pass. Esau might hold a grudge, but
he wouldn't go on red faced and breathing heavy about it for very long.
Moody, introspective people, often stay upset for long periods of time; which really exasperates
the Esau types who usually get over things quickly. The Esau types are happy to let personal
conflicts blow over and then move on. But the moody types are always simmering, and wanting
to dredge up unresolved hurts and argue about them again and again for the Nth time until
someone finally listens.
Some lawsuits, like the one between President Clinton and Paula Jones, often cannot be settled
out of court because personalities like hers want an admission of guilt and an apology. Money is
out of the question, and an insult to boot, because people like Paula Jones are never satisfied with
anything less than a public hanging.
Knowing Esau's nature, Rebecca figured his rage would pass away quickly and he would soon
return to his typical carefree ways. Unfortunately, it was past twenty years before Jacob came
back home, and there is no record that he ever saw his mom again. Rebecca's stratagem was
indeed costly, but it could have gone much worse if Jacob had stayed home. Surely any attempt
by Esau to kill Jacob would have resulted in Esau's death; the Lord protecting Jacob for future
use. But I think Rebecca feared Esau might succeed and then become permanently alienated
from the family like Cain was after killing his brother Abel. So she would, in effect, lose both
boys in one day just as grandma Eve did.
Rebecca-- the bright, discreet lass that she was --no doubt had counted all the costs of her
scheme; and believed the issue was vital enough to require her to do what she did. As a matter of
fact, later events proved that she was correct. Esau did soon get over his rage, and he prospered
quite adequately in a material sense. Jacob never did really lord it over him, which was probably
all Esau really cared about anyway. Both boys survived this calamitous event: hubby Isaac too.
And Jacob went on to spawn the people of Israel, thus making a line to Messiah; by whom the
Serpent's head would be crushed, and the entire world blessed beyond measure.
They say all's well that ends well. Maybe. Rebecca's family was fractured, and she lost the
companionship of a really good son. Hers was a sacrifice of the heart. I would really like to see
Rebecca compensated for that some day.
Cont.
/
