It is tempting to judge between Esau and Jacob as to which one of the brothers was the more deserving of the birthright. Esau valued it little enough to hand it over for a bowl of stew. Perhaps he is the least deserving brother. On the other hand, Jacob obtained the birthright by deception (as we shall see later). So perhaps he is not as deserving as he appears?

In fact, God gives out his blessing where he chooses. He had already decided before the twins were born that the older brother would serve the younger one. This was part of his divine purpose. Rebekah knew it because God revealed it to her, and it was possible that everyone else in the family knew it too.

Like Sarah, Rebekah waited many years for her children. She was childless for two decades before her sons were born, and there was no doubt that these children were just as miraculous as Isaac had been. By the custom of the time, Esau should have been the heir. But God did not allow Abraham and Isaac’s heir to be chosen by custom. Instead, he decided for himself which of Isaac’s children would be blessed with the birthright, even before they were born.

Maybe Esau knew what God had said to Rebekah. Maybe he knew that he would lose the birthright one day. Whether he did or he didn’t, he obviously did not value it. Jacob did value it, but it was to be his anyway. He did not need to plot to get it from Esau. He was so quick to trap Esau into giving up his birthright that it appears as though he had just been waiting for his opportunity – waiting for the chance to grasp for himself what God had already said would be his anyway.

Esau may well have been undeserving of the birthright, but God did not choose Jacob because Jacob deserved it more. God chose Jacob because it suited him, and then gave Jacob the character and grace to value his blessing in a way that Esau could not. We are not blessed by God because we deserve it, but because he is gracious. Let us thank him for his grace towards us.

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH