Jacob and Esau

Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated (Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:13), so proclaims God in the Bible. But who was Esau? Esau was not a wicked man. He was a good hunter and liked the outdoors, the eldest son of the Patriarch Isaac. His father loved him because he could cook tasty dishes from the wild animals he hunted. From the worldly point of view, he was a successful man. He had hoped to inherit his father's wealth, but was cheated of his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34) and blessings (Genesis 27:1-41) by his brother Jacob. But he went to and became a successful man himself. When he was to meet his brother Jacob again, he had 400 men with him (Genesis 33:1). He magnanimously forgave his brother (Genesis 33:1-16) and built his own inheritance at Edom (Genesis 36:6) and never fought with Jacob for Isaac's inheritance after the latter died.

As a country, Edom progress faster than Israel. While Israel were still slaves in Egypt, kings ruled in Edom (Genesis 36:31). If you were an observer at this time, you would think that Esau the ancestor and Edom the country is doing very well indeed.

But God hated Esau. He considered Esau as a fornicator, or profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright (Hebrews 12:6). Like the world, Esau despise God, and use his own strength to build his legacy. God is ignored. Edom may build, but God will tear down (Malachi 1:4). All that the world built without God will be torn down.

Who was Jacob? His name meant "heel catcher, that is, supplanter". He was the Plain Man (Genesis 25:27), unlike his brother Esau, who was an outdoor man and a hunter. He took advantage of his brother's hunger and bought his birthright. He stole his brother's blessings from their father by pretending to be him. Yet this is the man that God chose to be the ancestor of the Chosen People, the ancestor of Jesus Christ. Jacob's only saving grace is that he desired the things of God, and he tried to get them by all means. In the end, it was God's perseverance with Jacob that finally change him from one who trust his own scheming to one who trust God.

God chose Jacob, the horribly imperfect man and changed him. This gives us hope, for we are also sinners like Jacob and we need God to transform us.

We can all say with Jacob, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands (Genesis 32:10)."