Genesis 25:19-34 Click here for Bible Verses
Esau sells his inheritance for a bowl of red bean soup Genesis 25:30
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Genesis 25:19-34. Let’s go!
Genesis 25:19-21 (NIV)
19 This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac,
20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
On verses 19-21: Just as Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife Rebekah, so husbands we should pray on behalf of your wives, believing that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). Praying with and for your wife is one of the best and most important ways you can lead your wife and family spiritually. More generally, for those of you who are not married and not wishing to get married, may this be a reminder that God hears the prayers of His people, so let’s lift one another up in prayer, believing that God hears and God will answer in our time of need.
Genesis 25:22 (NIV)
22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
On verse 22: Isaac was a man of prayer, and Rebekah was a woman of faith. When Rebekah does not understand what is going on inside her, she goes to God and inquires of Him (v22). Likewise, when you don’t understand what is going on in our lives, like Rebekah go to God and seek His counsel. Do that before going to anyone else. Let the Lord be the first person you consult when you don’t understand what you’re going through. Believe that God will speak to you when you look to Him.
Genesis 25:23 (NIV)
23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
On verse 23: Even before the twins in Rebekah’s womb were born, God already speaks to Rebekah about the destiny of her twins. These two twins would become the founding fathers of two nations: the younger one, Jacob, would give rise to the nation of Israel, while the older one, Esau, would give rise to the nation of Edom.
What can we learn from this? Even before you were born, God already had a plan and destiny for your life. As Psalm 139:13, 16 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Another thing to note is that the older twin, as we will see in the verses that follow, would be driven by his earthly appetites whereas the younger twin yearned for more long-term benefits that could not be seen immediately. The fact that both of these twins would be wrestling in Rebekah’s womb reminds me of how in each of us there is a struggle between our sinful fleshly desires and the Spirit who lives within us. As Galatians 5:17 says, there is a war going on inside each of us between the flesh and the Spirit. Just as the older, more flesh-oriented twin would serve the younger, more spiritually inclined twin, so in the struggle between our flesh and our spirit, the flesh was always meant to serve the spirit, not the other way around.
Genesis 25:24-26 (NIV)
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.
26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
On verses 24-26: Rebekah gives birth to the twins. The twins are given interesting names based on the way they came out when they were born. Isaac and Rebekah name their older twin Esau (which means “Hairy”) because he was very hairy. They also nickname him “Edom” (which means “red”) because he came out very red. Since the younger twin came out grasping the older’s heel, Isaac and Rebekah name the younger twin Jacob (which means “he grasps the heel”, or figuratively “he deceives”). Interestingly, the way Jacob and Esau are named, as well as the way Jacob grasped Esau’s heel at birth, would be a prophetic picture describing Jacob and Esau’s relationship later in life.
Genesis 25:27-34 (NIV)
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents.
28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.
30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
On verses 27-34: Esau, hungry for food, gives up his birthright as the firstborn son in exchange for a bowl of soup. The firstborn birthright was a significant benefit. In Esau’s case what exact inheritance rights the birthright included is not entirely clear. According to the law of Moses, the firstborn son’s birthright was to receive a double share of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17), in addition to decision making power in the family. The fact that Esau would so quickly give up his birthright for the sake of a meal is shocking. This impetuous decision would impact Esau for the rest of his life as well as all of his descendants who came after him. Esau’s actions here remind me of Judas selling out Jesus for thirty silver coins (Matthew 27:9); it wouldn’t be worth it. Later in the New Testament, Esau would be called “godless” for selling his inheritance as the oldest son (Hebrews 12:16). It’s as if how godly or godless you are is reflected in how much you treasure the opportunities and benefits you have been given.
What can we learn from this? Don’t take for granted the talents and gifts God has placed in your hand. Be careful not to trade your long-term destiny for the sake of a temporary pleasure. Don’t sacrifice your relationship with God for something worth much less.
Heavenly Father, may I not take for granted the talents You have placed in my hand. May I not trade away my destiny for a short-term pleasure. May I treasure and take good care of the talents and future You have entrusted to me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
