Families that have more than one child know all about sibling rivalry, but rarely does it rise to the level of the rivalry between Jacob and Esau. Younger brothers are notorious for trying to trick older brothers out of something they want, but it doesn’t usually alter the course of history.

Opposites Repel

Esau and Jacob had completely different personalities and their Dad and Mom each had a favorite. Isaac loved his manly hunter son Esau; Rebekah loved her stay-at-home boy Jacob. What was unusual was how Rebekah and Jacob schemed together against Isaac and Esau.

It started with Jacob who used Esau’s impetuous nature to get his birthright as the first-born son. Esau traded his status as the eldest son for a bowl of stew and some fresh-baked bread.

An Elaborate Deception

Did Esau really lose his birthright in that transaction? If Isaac knew what happened between the brothers, it didn’t change his mind about who he planned to bless. He was ready to give Esau the inheritance of the first-born and he invited his son to prepare a feast and receive his blessing. But Jacob and Rebekah pulled off an elaborate feat of deception that destroyed Isaac’s plan and stole Esau’s inheritance.

What Did God Think?

Where was God in all of this? The Apostle Paul gave this some thought in Romans 9:7, 8, 10-16.

^“Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children . . . In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring . . .

Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand . . . she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,

‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”

God is so high above us that we cannot pretend to know what guided his decisions, but we see that he did choose Jacob over Esau. He used Rebekah and Jacob’s schemes to accomplish his sovereign will for the world. He didn’t condone their treachery, but he turned it toward his purposes in the end.

There are few hints in the story about the character of these two men that might help us understand why God chose Jacob over Esau.

Two Different Characters

Esau was a reckless man, driven by his appetites, and unwilling to listen to his parents unless it suited him. He made their lives miserable by bringing home foreign wives who aggravated them. His headstrong, impetuous temperament made him an unsuitable leader for his clan.

Jacob was deceptive and self-serving, but he had a more malleable character than Esau. Jacob followed directions from his parents and in the coming days we will see him also yield to God’s discipline. Jacob eventually became the head of the clan through intense suffering and hardship as God refined him. in the end Jacob became God’s man.

Isaac Meets Abimelek

During all of this family drama a famine came upon the land and Isaac had to move his household to find water and pasture for his animals. When Abraham faced a famine in Genesis 12:10-20, he went down to Egypt until it passed. This time God tells Isaac to do something different.

“The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land a while, and I will be with you and I will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.’ “ Genesis 26:2-3

As far as we know, this was the first time God appeared personally to Isaac and Isaac immediately got on board by following God’s instructions. He moved to Gerar in the land of the Philistines, where his father Abraham had gone before and dug wells for his livestock. There Isaac encountered his own Abimelek.

“Abimelek” means “Father King,” and it was a title assigned to Philistine kings, so this Abimelek is probably not the same one Abraham dealt with. The Philistines remembered Abraham very well, however, so this Abimelek recognized an old deception when he saw it.

Isaac asked his wife Rebekah to say she was his sister in case anyone wanted to marry her. He was afraid someone would try to eliminate him in order to claim her. When Abraham told this lie, it was a half-truth because Sarah was his half-sister, but Rebekah was Isaac’s cousin and saying she was his sister was a complete lie.

Abimelek wasn’t interested in having Rebekah for himself, but he was concerned someone else might want her. So when he learned she was actually Isaac’s wife he issued an edict that no one should harm Isaac or Rebekah on pain of death.

Dealing With Disputes

This edict didn’t prevent the Philistines from harassing Isaac in other ways, however. When Isaac visited his father’s old wells, he found they had been plugged up. When he dug new ones, the Philistines disputed with him over rights to the water. He kept moving and digging wells until they finally left him alone. When at last he was able to settle down he named the new well “Rehoboth”, or “room”, because God had given him room to flourish in the land.

Good News for Us

Reading the Bible shows us that almost no one God used for his purposes was perfect. Except for Jesus, no one God blessed was completely righteous, but they demonstrated a willingness to obey. Esau went off the rails, but Isaac and Jacob kept getting back on track.

This is good news for us! God doesn’t ask for perfection, but he does look for people who want to keep growing after they make mistakes. God can build his kingdom on earth through those people.