Rebekah in Genesis 24 is an ultra-competent, confident young woman, ready to accept marriage to Isaac. God had promised Abraham and Sarah land, their own child, and blessings to the whole world through their descendants. Twenty years of not getting pregnant would have taken its toll on Rebekah’s confidence. I don’t know what they were doing prayer wise for those 20 years but it says that Isaac prayed, and God answered. Rebekah became pregnant, and it was a very difficult pregnancy. So she prays her distress, and gets the word from God, “You are carrying twins. They’ll become two nations. They’ll fight. The older will serve the younger.” The twins are born. The first, Esau, is red all over. The second is born grabbing Esau’s heel and not letting go, so he gets called Jacob (Heel grabber).
The two boys and completely different. Esau loves being outdoor and hunting. He is Isaac’s favourite. Jacob loves being around the home tents. He is Rebekah’s favourite. Esau is totally out there, and you know exactly what he is thinking and feeling. Jacob is more restrained, more of a long term planner.
When Esau comes in from a day’s hunting, totally exhausted, and he smells the yummy red lentil stew Jacob is cooking, he is so unreal. ‘Quick, give me some of that. I’m dying.’
‘Sure’ Jacob replies. ‘I’ll give it to you, if you give me your birthright as the first born.’
‘What good is having two thirds of everything later when Dad dies, if I am dying right now. Done!’
The scripture simply comments that Esau did not value his birthright.
So, two sons, two very different characters, both loved by God. Being challenged as a parent is nothing new. Raising children who are very different – nothing new. Trusting that God redeems both our mistakes and our best intentions – nothing new. Discovering that God is with us in our difficult ‘pregnancies‘ (the new God things coming to life in and through us) – nothing new. Grace is grace, back then, and now. Forgiveness is still vital today.
