There is in Genesis 25 the interesting story of Jacob and Esau, Esau being born first and Jacob closely following that. However, towards the end of that chapter in v. 27 through v. 34 is what I want to discuss, where Esau comes inside from a long day of hunting while Jacob has been inside all day making stew or soup if you prefer. Esau is apparently starving and asks Jacob to give him some of the stew, Jacob will do so but only if Esau promises him Esau’s birthright. Esau thinks that’s nothing in comparison to his hunger and easily gives up his birthright to Jacob just like that. Now Esau being the first born gives him all the rights to the family’s fortune as it were and so one could see why Jacob might want that, at least in the sense of having the prestige probably rather than the actual physical inheritance, because let’s face it Isaac and Rebekah (Jacob’s and Esau’s parents) were most likely not wealthy people. Even unto this day, admittedly less so now than then, the Jewish people still hold the first born as of great importance at least that is what I know from my family. More than anything we are not rich so it is the prestige of the title of being the first born male that matters to us; essentially as that you are the man of the house so to speak and get all of the rights and privileges that go along with that. This is what Esau was . . . the first born. And wow, what a monumental disastrous choice that was to throw it away so easily. You’ll notice that when God is speaking to Moses later on in Exodus that he says his name is “I am” and he goes on to say that he is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. You will clearly notice that God does not say that he is the “God of Jacob and Esau” and I think that is because God recognized how freely and easily Esau gave something so important away for next to nothing. We would all like to think of ourselves as Jacob in this matter, but I have to say that we as a society are far more like Esau more often than not. Looking around it is sad to see how much we will give up for so very little, simply because like Esau we have to have things right now and because of that incessant need of “right now” we believe that whatever we want is more important than what we already have regardless of what it might be. We note a little after this incident that Jacob and Rebekah together deceitfully trick Esau’s blessing away from him, but here there is no trickery involved. Jacob merely asks if Esau will give up his birthright and Esau concedes to do so, having also the easy choice of saying no at the same time. That fact makes this story sadder and as stated it is something we do every day ourselves. Of course, one could land on the side of the Starvation argument. And many who do not know starvation can easily say they would not give up something of such great importance, but when you are starving hungry you are willing to give up a lot of things including what is most important to you. I do not believe Esau was starving, I just think he was really hungry, because starving negates not eating anything for a very very very long time almost to the point of death and I do not believe that was the case for Esau, especially since he was a supposed skilled hunter. Regardless he did choose the stew and gave what was possibly most important to Jacob. So then I wonder if we will possibly learn one day for ourselves that the stew is just not worth it, despite that we might be hungry for something further and have the means to get it. Can you be happy with the greatness you do have or do you still want more, is your hunger still not satisfied? Just remember it’s only stew . . . .
Kalos Eplis
Kelly M. Doolittle
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