That was not a misspelling, even though my spellchecker asked if I meant, “Harry”. Esau, may mean hairy according to my Bible notes, and he became a prince of sorts later in his life. So, what is it with this guy that makes him the Darth Vader, the evil one, the black hat?
We first hear of Esau as an answer to his dad’s prayer. Rebekah was sterile so Isaac prayed for God's intervention and God responded. Rebekah became pregnant with twins. But it seemed that there was foreboding trouble from the start. It was indicated by a belly ache. There is a tussle in the womb.
Rebekah was so distressed that she asked God what was going on. As far as I can remember this the first time a woman asks God about a coming birth. The news she heard came in mystic, poetic language:
It seems that Esau came disadvantaged even before birth (25.22-23). Did God’s prediction taint Esau’s life in Rebekah's eyes? We know that Jacob was her favorite. And favoritism is always a bad choice by a mother. However, her reaction was not God’s fault.
At birth Esau comes just seconds before his brother. He is a little, very furry, redhead. Does that make him bad? His heel is grabbed by yet unborn Jake. Does that make him bad? The heel grab seems to be a sign of coming subjection and deception. Does that make him bad?
Seeming moments after birth we jump 40 years in one verse (25.26, 27). does that make him bad? Then comes the description of the now 40 year old brothers, Esau the hunter guy and Jacob the "among the tents and in the kitchen" guy. Does hunting make him bad? If he lived in the U.S. today, maybe but back then it didn't. I am not seeing Darth Vader yet.
Darth is born when he rejects the birthright for a bowl of stew. In forty years he had probably heard plenty about God’s promise to Abraham. That promise was: a Land a Seed and a Blessing. He knew that his dad, Isaac, was born supernaturally to his elderly grandmother Sarah. There was no other explanation for such a birth other than the fulfillment of God’s promise.
He had probably also heard a lot about how God had reiterated the same promises to his dad Isaac. He knew that there was tremendous future blessings to be had. However, rather than accepting the birthright, which was the symbol of God’s blessing, he placed the birthright on an equal plain with his grumbling stomach and a bowl of lentil stew.
His rash words reflect his contempt for God’s promise in Genesis 25.32 where, “Esau said, ‘I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?’” It is interesting to note too that Jacob actually gave Esau a second chance to repent of his careless words when he said in verse 33, “‘Swear to me now.’ So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.”
Again, as I mentioned above, THAT is where Darth Vader is born. There would be no turning back for Esau. Everything from then on would be the proverbial “slippery slope” to eventual destruction. The nation he would procreate would become enemies with their brother Israel and would eventually be eliminated from existence.
There are still residuals of Esau’s descendants that you can view today. If you go to Jordan you can visit Petra. It is a very intriguing ghost town. I am sure that you have seen the pictures. The short book of Obadiah also tells how that kingdom would come to ruin.
The destruction of a nation began with a choice between God’s promised blessing and a bowl of vegetable soup. Prince Hairy rejected that blessing because of a hunger pang. Stupid? Of course! Lesson for me and for thee? What pang is gnawing at your gut just now?
We first hear of Esau as an answer to his dad’s prayer. Rebekah was sterile so Isaac prayed for God's intervention and God responded. Rebekah became pregnant with twins. But it seemed that there was foreboding trouble from the start. It was indicated by a belly ache. There is a tussle in the womb.
Rebekah was so distressed that she asked God what was going on. As far as I can remember this the first time a woman asks God about a coming birth. The news she heard came in mystic, poetic language:
"Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger."
It seems that Esau came disadvantaged even before birth (25.22-23). Did God’s prediction taint Esau’s life in Rebekah's eyes? We know that Jacob was her favorite. And favoritism is always a bad choice by a mother. However, her reaction was not God’s fault.
At birth Esau comes just seconds before his brother. He is a little, very furry, redhead. Does that make him bad? His heel is grabbed by yet unborn Jake. Does that make him bad? The heel grab seems to be a sign of coming subjection and deception. Does that make him bad?
Seeming moments after birth we jump 40 years in one verse (25.26, 27). does that make him bad? Then comes the description of the now 40 year old brothers, Esau the hunter guy and Jacob the "among the tents and in the kitchen" guy. Does hunting make him bad? If he lived in the U.S. today, maybe but back then it didn't. I am not seeing Darth Vader yet.
Darth is born when he rejects the birthright for a bowl of stew. In forty years he had probably heard plenty about God’s promise to Abraham. That promise was: a Land a Seed and a Blessing. He knew that his dad, Isaac, was born supernaturally to his elderly grandmother Sarah. There was no other explanation for such a birth other than the fulfillment of God’s promise.
He had probably also heard a lot about how God had reiterated the same promises to his dad Isaac. He knew that there was tremendous future blessings to be had. However, rather than accepting the birthright, which was the symbol of God’s blessing, he placed the birthright on an equal plain with his grumbling stomach and a bowl of lentil stew.
His rash words reflect his contempt for God’s promise in Genesis 25.32 where, “Esau said, ‘I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?’” It is interesting to note too that Jacob actually gave Esau a second chance to repent of his careless words when he said in verse 33, “‘Swear to me now.’ So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.”
Again, as I mentioned above, THAT is where Darth Vader is born. There would be no turning back for Esau. Everything from then on would be the proverbial “slippery slope” to eventual destruction. The nation he would procreate would become enemies with their brother Israel and would eventually be eliminated from existence.
There are still residuals of Esau’s descendants that you can view today. If you go to Jordan you can visit Petra. It is a very intriguing ghost town. I am sure that you have seen the pictures. The short book of Obadiah also tells how that kingdom would come to ruin.
The destruction of a nation began with a choice between God’s promised blessing and a bowl of vegetable soup. Prince Hairy rejected that blessing because of a hunger pang. Stupid? Of course! Lesson for me and for thee? What pang is gnawing at your gut just now?
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