Religious Meaning Of The Birthright Story
Genesis Ch 25:27-34
As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man who lived in the
open; whereas Jacob was a simple man, who kept to his tents. Isaac preferred
Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah preferred Jacob. Once, when
Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished. He said to
Jacob, "Let me gulp down some of that red stuff; I'm starving." (That is why he
was called Edom.) But Jacob replied, "First give me your birthright in exchange
for it." "Look," Esau said, "I'm on the point of dying, what good will any
birthright do me?" But Jacob insisted, "Swear to me first!" So he sold Jacob
his birthright under oath. Jacob then gave him some ...
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we can hopefully derive some
deeper meaning which God working through the author intends.
On the surface, we see a story of rivalry that is typical even in modern
times, yet we can also look to some valuable truths that are revealed about how
God sees our personal motives and actions through the characters of Jacob and
Esau. Gaining an understanding of the characters, their motives and the overall
big picture of God's plan, we can better find some spiritual lessons of our own
life.
Jacob was the third link in God's plan of the patriarchs. In Gn 25:23, the
Lord tells Jacob's mother, Rebekah, that she has twins. The Lord tells her that
the younger one will overtake the second. The favoritism of the children shows
weakness on the part of the parents that can contribute in a large part to the
discord between Jacob and Esau. It is no surprise that when parents are in
conflict, the entire peace of the family is in jeopardy.
Jacob's name means "Grabber." ...
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to grab for himself something which would
secure his own future. Here we see the significance of his name.
Jacob accomplished many great things in his life. He was the father of the
twelve tribes of Israel, the third patriarch, hard-working, and died very
wealthy. Unfortunately, Jacob relied on his own instincts when trouble came his
way, rather than going to God. He also had a large attachment to material
possessions as evidenced by the amount of property he owned and gave to his sons.
Jacob married Leah and Rachel. Soon after growing up, he went to live with
his Uncle Laban. He immediately fell in love with Laban's daughter, Rachel. He
worked seven years to have her. ...
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"Religious Meaning Of The Birthright Story." Essayworld.com. July 9, 2008. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Religious-Meaning-Of-The-Birthright-Story/86505.
"Religious Meaning Of The Birthright Story." Essayworld.com. July 9, 2008. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Religious-Meaning-Of-The-Birthright-Story/86505.
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