Did Jacob actually get Esau's blessing / birth rite?

[JohnD]

He tried to swindle Esau out of both but left empty handed.

20 years of being swindled by his Uncle, he ended up with

Laban's wealth (only by the hand of God).

The wealth Esau had was from Abraham and Isaac.

[Alex2165]

People judge this event differently, because of how Rebekah and Jacob deceived almost blind Isaac. At first it seems unfair that they both done to him and to Esau, but do not forget about GOD, because it was also His wish for Jacob to be blessed and to be the father of a great nation.

 

So Isaac has his plan for Esau, his first-born son, to bless him with the blessing of the first-born, because he loves him more than Jacob, and this proceed despite the fact that Esau already sold his birthright to Jacob. If Isaac really knew about this deal, he would certainly forgives this to his son Esau, and will determine to bless him anyway with blessings of the first-born, which Esau does not deserve.

 

It was recorded fact that Esau despised his birthright, but on the other hand he truly believing in goodness of his father's blessings, ignoring the fact that both of these, his birthright and blessing are goes together as one part of his well being, meaning, that if you gave away or sold your birthright as a first-born, then you cannot have the blessings of the first-born.

 

But even if Esau would not sell his birthright to Jacob, still, he would not be blessed and inherited the great spiritual promises of GOD to Abraham and Isaac which should pass to him as his inheritance, because he wasn't the right person from all points of view to have such most valuable and important blessing.

 

As we know, GOD look on the heart of the person and not on his appearance or status, and by looking on the character of the soul of a person, GOD makes His decisions concerning such individual.

 

For example: Leah, first wife of Jacob, bore him Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. But only Levi and Judah, 3rd and 4th sons received the most and the best of the blessings of GOD.

 

Third-born Levi will come as a tribe of the priests who served the Lord. From Levi will come Aaron and Moses, and generations of the priests.

 

Fourth-born Judah will become as a tribe from which kings of Judah will rule the kingdom of Judah and eventually and kingdom of Israel.

 

David and Solomon are the sons of the genealogy of Judah, and subsequently our Lord Jesus Christ. And as we know, David is the 8th son of his father Jesse, and his son Solomon from Bathsheba is a second.

And this trend will continue with other men of GOD, so, not only the first-born will receive his blessings, but also those who truly deserve it, even if they are not first-born.

 

As a matter of fact, Esau was rejected by GOD, and not even on the basis that he has sold his birthright, but on the basis of his character and personality, which wasn't fit in the plans of the Lord, and definitely not a candidate from whom a great nation shall of the servants of the Lord shall come from.

 

 

In the end, Rebekah sends her son Jacob to her brother Laban to Haran, in order to save Jacob from the fury of his brother Esau, who planned to kill him. As recorded in verse 41, Esau "said to himself," which means he said it in his mind, but somehow, the words of his mind were reported to Rebekah! Who and how done such thing and warned Rebekah about thoughts of Esau, Bible does not specifies, but apparently it was necessary to prevent much more serious conflict between Esau and Jacob.

 

Rebekah told Jacob that he will going out to Haran just for a few days, meaning, just for a short time, until fury of Esau will subside, but it will turn out to be for a 20 long years, which will have very positive effect on Jacob, giving him during this period of time family, children, and wealth.

 

The point is that the first-born as a rule receives only material physical inheritance, but spiritual inheritance (BLESSINGS AND ALL THE GOODNESS OF GOD) given only to those who have right soul with GOD, who fear Him, who follow Him, and who love loves Him, no matter if he first, second , or the last born in the family.

 

Romans 9.13

13.As it is written, "I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau." (Malachi 1.2-3)

 

So GOD JUDGES according to the first-born heart (SOUL) and not according to the first-born flesh.

[frienduff thaylorde]

10 hours ago, JohnD said:

He tried to swindle Esau out of both but left empty handed.

20 years of being swindled by his Uncle, he ended up with

Laban's wealth (only by the hand of God).

The wealth Esau had was from Abraham and Isaac.

And that is the difference between the love of money .    The inheritance was the birth right of the eldest ,

And Jacob also got the blessing .   It was not Essau that was named ISRAEL .   Essau fell hard from grace .  

The entire lineage  and PROMISE was now with Jacob.    from when sprang the twelve tribes , from whence sprang HE who came OF the tribe of juda

WHO is the savoir , who is blessed over all.   Sure essau had money , but its all he had.     Many preachers today are just like that

they sold the birthright FOUND ONLY IN JESUS for a pot of beans , aka  MONEY MONEY MONEY .

[Jayne]

And remember, too, that a birthright was a responsibility.  Yes, you became the leader of the family, but that meant taking care of so many things.  I think that's  why Esau "despised" it.  The birthright included blessings such as inheritances, but it also included heavy responsibilities.

[Joulre2abba]

10 hours ago, JohnD said:

He tried to swindle Esau out of both but left empty handed.

20 years of being swindled by his Uncle, he ended up with

Laban's wealth (only by the hand of God).

The wealth Esau had was from Abraham and Isaac.

Jacob was in a difficult position because Esau had been born first so the blessing fell to him, however Esau didn't want it bad enough to keep it.. he preferred to eat one bowl of food instead. Jacob didn't leave empty handed. The blessing of God was upon him, but persecutions arise because of it. Laban took the effect of the blessings upon Jacob but didn't bless him in return. But God gave Jacob a way to be blessed in spite of Laban who gave Jacob the unwanted low marketable animals to raise. In our vernacular- God helped Jacob to make lemonade out of lemons.

Esau still had provision but it came by his own ingenuity. Jacob became the blessed grandson of which God calls himself. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

[john1]

14 hours ago, JohnD said:

He tried to swindle Esau out of both but left empty handed.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 16

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

 

Genesis chapter 27 verse 41, 42

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob."
 

When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, "Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you.
 

[Melissa7]

Honestly, I used to have a problem with what happened with Esau and Jacob. I didn't understand how God could allow such a deception to happen. It felt like He was being deceitful Himself. But this couldn't be true, because it doesn't fit the character of God.

I've come to let it rest in the knowledge that God knows all and knows what He's doing. 

I agree with what the other members have posted about Esau: that he didn't want the birthright, that he willingly sold it to Jacob for a bowl of stew (of all things!), and he just didn't seem as faithful to God as his brother was. Also, I think the plan hatched between Rebekah and Jacob were of their own doing...I don't believe that God would put deceit into their minds. Being human, and desiring something greatly, those two thought of the idea to trick Isaac on their own.

For people new to the bible, at first glance, this story seems very unfair indeed...especially viewing it through a "worldly lens". Yet, the more you read the story, the more it makes sense. Especially, the part about Esau giving his birthright to Jacob so easily; simply because he was hungry. If he truly cared about it, he wouldn't have done that. As others have said, God looks at a person's heart, and Esau's heart wasn't with Him.

So in the end, we should simply trust in God and His decisions! He can see past, present, and future all at once, so only He knows how things should be.

Edited March 28, 2018 by Melissa7
fix grammar errors