Premise from Bethel.  God created us in a 4 part harmony. Sinning or turning from God, breaks the harmony. This harmony or relationship is with God, with Nature, with Self, and with Others.

Jacob's life is a study in this disharmony.
The father and mother chose different sons to favor.
He and his brother had little in common.
His uncle deceived him.
His wives are adversaries.
His neighbor's son raped his daughter.
And his children. Oh my.
Genesis 25 : 21-23
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. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. 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."
It was 20 years between the marriage of Issac and Rebekah and the birth of the twins.
Praying for our children is on going. We pray to receive them and we pray for their protection and we pray for their future. We pray for their safety, health, spiritual life, spouses, children, friends and careers. Oh Lord I need help for my kids.

This concern for them also fills us with hopes and great expectations that are quite impossible for them to live up to. Issac and Rebekah had additional expectations that need to be considered as they knew the promises of God were directly given to them and their family. That they would be blessed and they would be a blessing. Both to give and receive blessing. The directed invocation of divinely managed care, delight, and happiness. Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "


I would imagine the hopes and dreams of Issac and Rebekah would be quite lofty. But as it turns out, through our disharmony in the sinful condition, Issac's dreams and Rebekah's were different. It was not the blessings the boys would receive and the greatness they could achieve, but which boy would receive and achieve. Indeed the line to the savior would need to be from only one of the boys.
One was chosen by God from birth. Was Issac unaware of the Genesis 25:23 prophecy that the younger was chosen. The prophecy was given to Rebekah after all. Did Issac fail to remember that the first born of Abraham was Ishmael. Yet, Issac was the child born of the promise.
Abraham loved both boys but even Abraham did not command Ishmael to be silent but for the command of Sarah. (Genesis 21:9) Abraham then responded.
Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."
This idea of the primacy of the first born is a long standing protocol. The culture dictated the the first born was the holder of the birth right. That is two thirds or the fathers goods went to the first born. But as God does consistently in his word, there is the worldly view and the spiritual view.
As we understand now, the blessing of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob is Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate blessing to Jacob and to the world. (John 3:16-17)
Only one of the two boys could be in the line of Jesus.

Tangent warning.  A Search for the word "firstborn" in the NIV returns 109 results.
Exodus 11:5
And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
Numbers 3:13
Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

firstborn = prototokos
Luke 2:7
Luke 2:7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Colossians 1:15-18
The Supremacy of Christ
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Hebrews 1:6
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."
[ 1:6 Deut. 32:43 (see Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint)]
Back to Jacob..
Genesis 25:24-26
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 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.
Esau may mean hairy ; he was also called Edom, which means red.
Jacob means he grasps the heel (figuratively, he deceives ).
You see from birth that Issac had made a choice between the boys in the name each boy received.

Genesis 25:27-28
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. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
We easily identify that with men, one son can be preferred to another for many reasons. In this family it was from the birth. Before either had done good or evil. But it is God can see down the road to the attitudes of the heart.
Malachi 1:2-3
"I have loved you," says the LORD . "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?' "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals."
Why would God say that. Many have a problem with this verse. But as before, God knows the heart.
Romans 9:13-15
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

What was the cause. This statement was in the face of trifling sacred things. For Esau, it was the birthright, the very promise of the Lord. In the Exodus it was the worship of other idols during the giving of the law.
The individual Esau despised the physical birth right.
Genesis 25:29-34
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. Esau despised his birthright.
Rights are bestowed but with these blessing responsibilities are required. There was no danger for Esau here. He was not about to die from starvation. Yet his first interest was his flesh. Jacob realized the importance of the birthright. He wanted it.
Satan saw the effect of this temptation and decided to try it himself. But he was up against the Lord of Glory.
Matthew 4:1-4
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Jesus was in harmony but we are in disharmony.
James 4:1-8
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
In the choosing of our spouse. We are in the will of the Lord or our own will.
Both Abraham and Issac were wed to through the family. The Lord required this for the refinement of his chosen people into a specific group.
Did they fail to communicate this to their son Esau? The information was available to him but he choose his own way. The Lord says, Be ye separate. Esau did not care to be choosy. He went his own way. He took rather than waiting on the Lord.
Genesis 26:34-35
And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
results:
Genesis 27:46
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
So Esau tried again: Genesis 28:6-9
When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padan-aram; And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
Genesis 28:1-7
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.
II Corinthians 6:14 the principal
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Why is it hard to wait? We seem to want to take things into our own hands. This is tragic. Not only were these two about to try to deceive Issac. They thought the word of Issac was even needed. The word of the Lord came to Rebekah at the birth saying, "The older will serve the younger". Much is made of the blessing of Issac. But the blessing is not for Issac to give; It is of the Lord.
I Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, and Mosaic covenants are all in the same character. Conditional on Conduct.
But there is a major problem. With me in particular.
Hebrews 8:6-8
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

Next: The deception of Issac by Jacob is returned to him through Laban. Jacob and Laban
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