Esau and Jacob, the profane and the righteous

Sunday February 20, 2022

Esau and Jacob, the profane and the righteous

Esau conceived hatred against Jacob, because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him ; and Esau said in his heart : The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and I will kill my brother Jacob. Genesis 27:41

Esau and Jacob are twin brothers, but what a difference between the two ! One was unbelieving, the other believed God. In his foreknowledge, God, even before their birth, knew what their choice would be ; that is why he said : the greater will serve the lesser (Romans 9:12). Their respective lives show which lineage they belong to. God was gracious to Jacob, because to him God's inheritance and blessing were important.

Esau is called profane because he despised his birthright and its attendant blessing. He traded it for lentil soup. Why is it so serious ? Because it is to despise the gift of God and, therefore, to despise God himself. It is Jacob who inherits the divine blessing disdained by the eldest ; Esau then takes a hatred for his brother, a hatred that drives him to seek to kill Jacob. How important it is to judge every bad feeling in yourself, for anyone who hates his brother is a murderer (1 John 3:10-15) ! The thoughts and works of Esau show to what family he belongs.

Jacob is of the family of faith, even though God alone discerns the reality of his faith. Indeed, he tricks or even cheats to get what he wants. He negotiates a bowl of lentil soup with his starving brother ; he uses trickery and lies towards his father ; he also deceives his uncle Laban. He seeks to obtain by his own means the blessing that God has reserved for him.

He struggles for a long time before recognizing that his methods lead to an impasse. The fear of meeting his brother Esau and his troop of 400 men must bring him to his knees before God at the Jabbok torrent : he fights with the Angel of the Eternal, but he recognizes that it is God alone who blesses (Genesis 32:24-32). He is called Israel, Prince of God, blessed of God and found righteous.

As Christians, we are part of the lineage of faith. Let us therefore value very highly the promises of God. Despite our weakness or our inconsistencies, let us realize by faith that we are truly blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)