CHAPTER V

ISAAC, JACOB AND ESAU

FOR a long time Isaac and Rebekah had no children, and when at last children were born, they were twins. Before their birth God told Rebekah “Two nations are in thy womb, . . . and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” The elder was Esau, the younger was Jacob. They were very different from each other, and as they grew up the difference became more marked. Esau loved the wild life of the chase, and cared little for the higher things of life. Jacob was a “plain” man, gentle and quiet, and liked to be at home, but was very calculating where his interests were concerned. Isaac loved Esau for he liked the good things provided by his hunting, Rebekah loved Jacob.

When the lads grew to man’s estate an incident took place which indicated their respective charac­ters. Esau had been hunting, and came home hungry and faint. Jacob had prepared a dish of pottage and the smell of it filled Esau with a desire for food; he exclaimed “Feed me with that red, red pottage.” Jacob saw his opportunity. “Sell me this day thy birthright,” he said.

“I am at the point of death; and what profit shall the birthright do to me?” Esau replied.
Jacob made him swear, and Esau had his meal, rose up, and went his way.

What had Esau sold? what did the birthright in­volve? Remember the promises; the land, the bless-ine of Abraham’s seed, the blessing of all nations, the conqueror sitting in the gate of his enemies. All this Esau despised, and bartered it for a mess of pottage. That was why God had said “The elder shall serve the younger.”

A time of famine came in Canaan, and Isaac thought of going down into Egypt as Abraham had done. But God told him not to go; Canaan was his place even though he did not own any of it except a burying-place. “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee,” said God, “for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these lands; and I will estab­lish the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father . . . and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Thus the promise made to Abraham was repeated to Isaac.

The Blessing

The peaceful character of Isaac was shown in his dealings with the men of Gerar, who, on several occasions, took possession of wells which his servants had digged. In a country like the Negeb a well was a priceless possession, but Isaac submitted. Later he removed to Beersheba where Abraham had dwelt. While he was living there Isaac was very ill, and thought he was about to die. He desired to bless Esau before his death, and sent him to hunt so that he might bring some venison, and receive his blessing. Rebekah heard what was said and determined that the blessing should be given to Jacob, whom she persuaded to impersonate Esau for the occasion.

She took two kids from the home flocks, and by the use of flavourings, such as were usual in the country. made savoury meat for Isaac. She clothed Jacob in Esau’s garments, and covered his hands and the smooth of the neck with the skins of the kids. Thus arrayed Jacob went to his father, saying “My father.”

“Here am I; who art thou, my son?” asked Isaac.

“I am Esau, thy firstborn,” said Jacob, “sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.”

Isaac was surprised. “How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?” he asked.

Jacob was ready with an answer. “Because the Lord thy God sent me good speed,” he said.

Still not satisfied, Isaac said, “Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.”

The smell of the clothes and the roughness of the skin deceived the ailing man. “The voice is Jacob’s voice,” he said, “but the hands are the hands of Esau.” He made one more attempt. “Art thou my very son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” was the reply. Then Isaac ate the meat and blessed Jacob. He gave him a blessing in all temporal things, said that he should rule over his brethren, and finished up with an expression that was included in the Abrahamic promise, “Cursed be everyone that curseth thee, and blessed be every one that blesseth thee,” but of the inheritance of the land and the blessing of the nations he said nothing. He knew that Esau had sold his birthright.

Scarcely had he finished when Esau returned. He too had prepared meat such as his father loved, and going in, said, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s venison that thy soul may bless me.”

“Who art thou?” asked the startled old man.

“I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau.”

Isaac trembled very exceedingly. Did he realise that he had tried to prevent the fulfilment of the prophecy that had been made before the birth of his two sons and in so doing had tried to alter the declared purpose of God? In his agitation he said, “Who then is he that hath taken venison-and I have blessed him.” Then, probably remembering the promise and the sale of the birthright, he added, “Yea, and he shall be blessed.”

Esau realised it all now. He cried out “Bless me, even me, also, O my father.”

It was too late, he could not recover the birth­right he had despised. Yet he continued, “Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father.”

Isaac did what he could. He told Esau that he should live by the sword, and that in the end he should break the yoke of his brother. But of the blessing of Abraham, and of the promises, he said nothing.

The incident is a painful one, and reflects no credit on any of the four parties. Isaac intended to give his blessing to the son who so lightly esteemed the blessings of the Covenant with Abraham that he sold his right for a mess of pottage. Rebekah had contrived the deception practised on her husband, and Jacob had shared in it and lied to his father. Esau was angry because he had failed to gain that which he had despised and sold.

Isaac did not die then, he lived for many years, but the memory of the scenes in his tent must have been a bitter one. Rebekah lost the company of the son she loved. Esau was separated from the line of the covenant development. Jacob had to flee, for Esau threatened to take his life.

Jacob flees

In view of Esau’s threat Rebekah took steps to save Jacob’s life. At her suggestion he was sent to Padan-aram that he might find a wife of her kindred. In sending him away Isaac gave him another bless­ing; this time it was the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant. “God Almighty bless thee,” he said, “and make thee fruitful; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham,” For the last time a separation was made in the family, and the promise was finally fixed in the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Leaving Beersheba, Jacob went to Bethel. Weary, he lay down to rest on the open ground. As he slept he dreamed that there was a ladder, or staircase, reaching from earth to heaven, on which angels were passing up and down. At the top he saw God who spoke to him, repeating once again the promise made to Abraham. “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; . . . and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Something more was added, “I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”

It was a far reaching promise. Jacob was only a man and must die. The land was to be given to him as well as to his seed. He never received it, for “he died in faith not having received the promise,” vet God assured him that He would not leave him until all was fulfilled. There is only one explanation, Jacob with Abraham and Isaac, must be raised from the dead to receive the fulfilment of the promise. When Jacob awoke he worshipped God, and named the place Bethel, which means the house of God.

Encouraged by the vision Jacob continued his journey till he came near Haran, where he enquired for his mother’s brother Laban. While he was talking with the men of the place, Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter, came to water her father’s sheep. The men told him who she was, and Jacob kissed her, telling her that he was Rebekah’s son. The news quickly spread, and Laban came and welcomed him to his house.

Working for Laban

At the end of a month Laban suggested that Jacob should enter into his service, and asked what wages he would accept. Rachel was very beautiful, and Jacob had fallen in love with her. He answered Laban, “I will serve thee seven years for Rachel.” Laban regarded this as a good bargain and imme­diately agreed. After the seven years, arrangements were made for the marriage. In those days customs were different from what they are to-day. At night Jacob was led to the tent where he supposed Rachel was, but when the morning came, he found that he had been deceived and had married Leah, the elder daughter. He loudly protested at the deception, but Laban told him that it was not usual to marry a younger daughter before the elder, and promised that if Jacob would agree to work for another seven years he should be given Rachel also. Thus the man who had deceived his father was himself deceived.

Leah had a number of children, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, but Rachel had none. She was envious of her sister, and as she seemed incapable of bearing children, she gave her handmaid to Jacob. She bore him two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Leah also gave her handmaid to Jacob, and she had two sons, Gad and Asher. Later Leah had two more sons and a daughter, Issachar, Zebulon, and Dinah. Then at last Rachel had a son whom she named Joseph.

By this time Jacob was anxious to return to Canaan, and told Laban so. Laban did not want to lose him, for while Jacob had been in his service his flocks and herds had greatly increased. As before, he threw the onus on Jacob, saying “Appoint me thy wages and I will give it.” So a fresh bargain was made. All the cattle, sheep, and goats, of a certain description were to be Jacob’s, the rest were to remain the property of Laban. Under this arrange­ment Jacob’s flocks continually increased, and how­ever often Laban changed the terms of the contract the arrangement worked in Jacob’s favour.

Jacob flees again

Jacob found that Laban’s sons envied him, and he determined to go away with all his possessions, taking advantage of Laban’s absence for sheep-shearing to get away. One thing marred his going, Rachel stole the images of the household gods of her father. Jacob worshipped the One God of Abraham, El Shaddai, or God Almighty. Rachel had not risen
to so pure a form of worship, she hankered after the gods, the teraphim, to which she had been accus­tomed in her father’s house. Three days later Laban heard of Jacob’s flight and hurried after him. On the way God spoke to him in a dream saying, “Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.” Sobered by the warning, he treated Jacob very differently from what he had intended. He expostulated with him, and then said, “Where­fore hast thou stolen my gods? “Jacob knew nothing of Rachel’s theft, and answered “With whomsoever thou findest thy gods he shall not live.” Laban searched for them but failed to find them; Rachel had hidden them in the camels’ furniture on which she sat.

Disappointed in his search Laban had to return without his gods, after he and Jacob had made a covenant under which neither was to pass the point where they were to hurt the other, and Jacob was not to take any other wives in place of the daughters, of Laban. In making this covenant Laban said, “No man is with us; see, God is witness, betwixt me and thee.” Yes, God sees all things, He is “all-seeing,” none can get out of His sight. Yet Laban did not whole-heartedly believe in the God of Jacob, for he said, “The God of Abraham, and the god of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us.” The word “judge” is in the plural, showing that the god worshipped by Nahor and Terah, was not the One God of Abraham.

Meeting Esau

Safely away from Laban, Jacob had to face an­other trouble. He was returning to Canaan where he would meet the brother who had threatened to kill him. He was encouraged by meeting some angels at a place which he named “Mahanaim.” Messengers whom he had sent on in advance returned to tell him that Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob’s heart misgave him. He could not hope to cope with such a force. However, he did what he could; he divided his people and posses­sions into two bands, and, what was more important, he prayed to God for protection and safety, remind­ing God of His promises. It is not that God needs to be reminded of His promises, but He likes His children to approach Him in prayer, and speak of them.

That night Jacob lodged at Mahanaim. He pre­pared a bountiful present for Esau to appease the anger which he supposed his brother nursed against him. He sent the present and then his family across the River Jabbok, whilst he remained alone, thinking of the dangers of the morrow. Presently he found he was not alone; someone was with him. He prob­ably thought it was an emissary from Esau, for he wrestled with him. Really it was an angel but Jacob struggled, putting forth all his energy in defence of his family. Gradually he realised that he was not struggling with flesh and blood. Towards day-break the angel said, “Let me go.”

“I will not let thee go except thou bless me,” replied Jacob.

“What is thy name?” asked the angel. “Jacob,” he replied.

“Thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel, for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

“Tell me I pray thee, thy name,” begged Jacob. But the angel replied, “Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?” No name was given, hut he blessed Jacob, now named Israel, a striver with God.

In the morning the two brothers met, and Jacob found that his fears were groundless. Esau had prospered and had forgotten the injuries of the past. His father was still alive, and probably had shown his old partiality for Esau while Jacob had been away. Esau fell on Jacob’s neck and kissed him, and it was only when Jacob pressed him that he accepted the present he had prepared. Men like Esau are not long troubled by the loss of spiritual privileges. Success in this life outweighs all such considerations.

The two brothers parted good friends, and Jacob went on his way until he came to Shechem, near the centre of the promised land. There he bought a piece of ground for money; God had not yet given him any portion of the land.

The Promise renewed Soon afterwards trouble arose between Jacob and the people of Shechem, and he went on to Bethel. There he erected an altar to the God of Abraham, and made his people put away the strange gods they had treasured; including those that Rachel had stolen from her father. Here the promise was once more renewed, “I am God Almighty . . . the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.” Thus the promises were emphasised in each generation, for they are the foundation on which the hope of the Kingdom of God is based.

Again Jacob journeyed south. Near Bethlehem one more son was born, but in giving birth to him his beloved Rachel died. She called the child’s name Ben-oni, the “son of my sorrow,” but Jacob called him Benjamin, the “son of the right hand.” Jacob’s family was now complete, twelve sons and one daughter. The sons were the heads of the tribes of Israel through whom the story of the Bible is con­tinued until it reaches its climax.

Isaac died at the age of 180, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah by Jacob and Esau. After this, Esau, like Cain, Ham and Japheth, Nahor, and Ishmael, disappears from the Story. It was the last separation; henceforth the Story has to do with all the descendants of Israel.