The Ongoing Conflict of Jacob and Esau

Esau and Jacob as Rivals

By; Dan'el Fraley

       A study between the two brothers born of Isaac and Rebekah could take a lifetime to study in depth. This conflict that started in Rebekah's womb is still going on, and will continue until the Messiah comes back. Every day in the news we see this on going struggle for the birth right and promises G-d gave to Abraham. The descendents of Ishmael and Esau have a different interpretation of the promises given by Father Yah/G-d.

       Rebekah, was barren so Isaac went to the Lord in prayer and ask the Father to bless her with a child. Contrasting this with Sarah being barren, Abraham and she felt they could help G-d out by searing a child through Sarah's hand maiden Hagar. This act is the foundation laid for the conflict of birth rights between brothers, Arabs and Jews. Isaac did the right thing, going to G-d in prayer, yet our Lord adds a variable to the equation.  The matriarchs Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel were all barren, but G-d takes miracles like using the weak in the world to shame the strong.     

       "Why am I thus," in verse 22 of Genesis 25, Rebekah,  was feeling the conflict of her twin boys in her womb and wandered if living through this pain was worth it. Why didn't she go to Isaac or Abraham to inquire of G-d? If we look in writings of the old Sages (Softah 12a), righteous women were not subject to the decree given Eve (she would bear pain in child birth) So Rebekah kept her pain to herself and thought that maybe her pain was due to sin in her life. Isaac may think she was unworthy as a wife and seek another. What ever the reason, she felt the conflict starting in her womb that is still bringing pain to the world to this day.

       Rebekah's first born came out red and hairy, so they called him Esau. Esaw in Hebrew means hairy. After the episode of selling the birth right, he was called "Edom". Edhom in Hebrew means red. The little that is said about him is enough to see the type of person he was. He was a man's man and lived for the moment. Liked to hunt but there was no need for wild meat when they were herdsman. He did not help out much around the home place, that fell to Jacob who "dwelt in tents". Jacob the second born had the brains and wanted the birth right promised to the first born. Esau had no interest in the responsibly of the birth right, he just wanted to live for the moment and he would have squandered the wealth of the family (Hebrews 12:16).  G-d knew their hearts before they were born and prophesied to Rebekah that the "older would serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23).

       Jacob is described as "a plain man" The Hebrew word for plain is tam, a word which really means "complete, finished, sound, or whole." This tells us Jacob was mature and looked to the future. Jacob was not a model person, but G-d used him to carry the seed of the Messiah through the promise given to Abraham.

       Abraham was also told by G-d he would be the father of many nations, and if we list all the children he had we can see this plainly. Ishmael his first born has 12 sons, Isaac his second has the two sons I have just mentioned. Now what is over looked is that Abraham remarries and has 4 more sons(Gen. 25:1). He marries Keturah, meaning "faithful", who the Jewish Sages say is Hager. This makes sense because Ishmael comes back into the picture. Abraham changes her name to Faithful/Keturah, because she kept herself pure for him. All of these offspring form what we know as the Arab nations. If you closely follow their trail through the scriptures, you will see the descendents of Jacob have many confrontations with the other sons of Abraham.

It is late I'll finish this up as soon as possible.....