Sibling Strife (Genesis 27:30-45)

There are some stories in the Bible that need a little context before we can understand them. Today’s passage of Scripture is one of them. We read about Isaac’s blessing of Jacob and Esau and think, “Aww, what a nice prayer to pray for your children.” Those of us who have multiple kids and pray for all of them wonder why Isaac cannot simply pray the same blessing over Esau that he did over Jacob.

This is where we need some background information. A “blessing” during the time of the Patriarchs was a legal declaration by the head of household. It was declared poetically as coming from God, and included hopeful descriptions of what the father hoped the child might become, but it was not a prophesy or a prayer as much as it was a legal declaration of what the child should expect to receive after the father’s passing, similar to our modern “last will and testament.” However, unlike our modern wills, once a blessing was given, it could not be changed. Jacob tricked Isaac so that Isaac has blessed Jacob with his livestock, fields, vineyards, servants, soldiers in his house, and by passing on the head of household status to him. Even though Isaac was deceived into blessing the wrong child, the blessing would forever stand. Let’s see how Esau reacts to this legal declaration.

Please read Genesis 27:30-38.

What’s amazing to me is Esau’s question to his father: “have you but one blessing, my father?” This indicates just how biased Isaac was! Jacob would later bless all twelve of his sons with individual blessings. Isaac had only two sons, but he was willing to give all that he had to the firstborn. When he realized that Jacob tricked him, he gave Esau what he was originally intending to give Jacob: nothing of any value.

Now, please read Genesis 27:39-40.

This sure doesn’t sound like much of a blessing! Esau will receive: no crops, no fruit of the field, no security, slavery under and contention with his brother. Ouch! No wonder Esau reacts the way he does.

Please finish the passage by reading Genesis 27:41-45

Now, at last, we see the fruit of Rebekah and Jacob’s deceit. It may have looked like their trickery had a positive outcome, but look at what it’s done to the family: Esau now hates his brother, so much that he is planning on murdering him; Jacob is forced to flee the country for safety; Rebekah is forced to again lie to her husband in order to ensure that one of her sons doesn’t kill the other. Nothing good comes out of lying to your family!

And, perhaps more importantly, nothing good comes out of treating one child better than the other. Had Isaac planned on blessing both of his children from the outset, then both of his sons would still have an inheritance, no matter what Jacob did. While each of our children deserve to be treated individually, and we will have to treat them differently based on their personality and other factors, we still must treat them all equally, and with love. Thank God that He loves all of His children, that He sent His Son to die for all of His children, that He blesses all of His children, and that He showers us all with an abundance of gifts! He truly is our Good, Good Father.