Brothers Divided

GOLDEN TEXT: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” —I John 4:20

GENESIS 27:30-38, 41

JACOB and Esau were twins, the sons of Isaac, Rebekah being their mother. Esau was the firstborn and, according to the custom of the time, the chief family inheritance—called the birthright—belonged to him. The confirmation of this arrangement was by a special “blessing” bestowed by the Father.

But early in life Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a mess of “pottage.” We are told that “Esau despised his birthright.” (Gen. 25:29-34) In the New Testament he is called a “profane person.” (Heb. 12:16) In Romans 9:13 we read, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” (Mal. 1:2,3) Prof. Strong suggests “detested” or by extension, “to love less,” as a proper translation of the Greek word translated “hated’’ in this text. Understand it as we will, the thought is clear that the Lord loved and appreciated Jacob, thus favored him above Esau.

Esau’s sale of his birthright was bona fide. He even sealed the arrangement with his oath. (Gen. 25:33) In later years, when it came time for the father to bestow the blessing of the birthright, Esau should have explained this situation and seen to it that Jacob be given the blessing. But he did not. Only by clever maneuvering on the part of their mother did Jacob receive that which properly belonged to him.

According to Christian standards, the misrepresentation practiced by Rebekah and Jacob was wrong. The ethical code of that day apparently was different from what it is now. So far as the record goes the Lord did not condemn them for it, and we will let the judgment rest with him. The entire scriptural testimony on the subject is that the Lord wanted Jacob to have the birthright.

Concerning Esau, Hebrews 12:17 reads, “Ye know how afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” The margin says, “Or way to change his mind.” From this many have wondered if it is possible for a sinner to desire repentance, and yet not be able to repent.

However, turning to the record in Genesis we find nothing to indicate that Esau was at all repentant. The “tears” were shed in an effort to get Isaac to change his mind about the blessing and give it to him even though he had already bestowed it upon Jacob. It should be noted that Hebrews 12:17 does not say that Esau sought a change of mind on his own part; whereas the Genesis record reveals clearly that it was Isaac’s mind he endeavored to change.

This occurred during the patriarchal age in the divine plan, when the Lord was dealing with these individual patriarchs, so the blessing of the birthright had to be exclusively to Jacob. The valuable part of this birthright was the inheritance of the promise made to Abraham concerning his seed being the channel of blessing to all the families of the earth. So far as earthly riches were concerned, Isaac did say to Esau, “Thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.”—Gen. 27:39

Jacob was the last of the individual patriarchs. At his death, the plan of God moved forward into another phase. The Jewish age began, during which God dealt with a nation instead of with individuals. This change was portended by Jacob when the time came for him to pass on his parental blessing. Isaac could not divide his blessing even between Jacob and Esau, but Jacob called his whole family of sons to his bedside and pronounced a blessing upon each of them. (Genesis, chapter 49) These sons of Jacob constituted the nucleus of the nation of Israel.

Our Golden Text refers, primarily, not to natural brothers such as Jacob and Esau, but to brethren in the Lord—those who have become children of God by the begetting of his Holy Spirit. It was to such that Jesus gave the “new commandment” “that ye love one another; as I have loved you.” And Jesus added, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”—John 13:34,35

This is a high standard. “As I have loved you,” Jesus said. This was not a mere sentimental feeling toward his disciples. It was a love which led him to sacrifice his life on their behalf, and John expected the same evidence of love on our part toward one another—“We ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren.”—I John 3:16

This is indeed a severe test of Christian discipleship. Are we actually willing to lay down our lives for our brethren in Christ Jesus? And let us remember that sacrifice is not the use of that for which we have no need, but that which we could very well use for ourselves—a real test of love.

QUESTIONS

Who were Jacob and Esau?

To which of these did the family birthright belong?

Did Esau do right in seeking his father’s blessing after selling his birthright?

What was the important aspect of this birthright?

To whom does the Golden Text apply?

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