Esau
After Isaac's wife had been barren for many years, she became the mother of twin sons. There was a conflict between the infants during birth and it was foretold that the younger would serve the elder. The first to be born was Esau. He was covered with red hair. Jacob followed Esau holding on to his heel. Esau grew to be a skilled hunter, but Jacob became a farmer. One day Esau came home from a hunting trip tired and hungry. He begged his brother for food and Jacob gave him a meal in return for the birthright blessing of the first-born. Esau took three wives from the Hittite people. This was a great grief to his parents. When his father was old and nearly blind, Jacob and his mother tricked Isaac into giving the blessing of becoming the head of the family to Jacob instead of Esau. Esau threatened to kill Jacob, so Jacob fled to Mesopotamia. Twenty years later Jacob returned and Esau accepted him with open arms. Esau is also called Edom in the Bible, and was regarded as the forefather of the Edomites, the people living in the semi-desert region below the Dead Sea.
Lessons from the life of Esau:
- We should not react to the need of the moment. We might be giving up more than we realize.
- Marrying in opposition to your parent's wishes can cause trouble.
- Marrying someone who does not share your religious beliefs and faith causes heartache.
- We are still responsible for our actions even if God uses our bad choices for His overall purpose.
- God can help us overcome great anger against those who have wronged us.
Esau's story is told in Genesis 25 through 36. He is also mentioned in Malachi 1:2-3; Romans 9:13; Hebrews 12:16-17.
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