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"Thus says the Lord"

Text: Obadiah 1b

THE PARENTS OF ESAU AND JACOB

Esau and Jacob were the sons of Isaac. They were the grandsons of the patriarch Abraham. They had a good father in Isaac and a wonderful mother in Rebekah. These were the words of blessing pronounced on Rebekah when she decided that she would marry Isaac and live in Canaan.

“And they blessed Rebekah and said to her:
‘Our sister, may you become
The mother of thousands of ten thousands;
And may your descendants possess
The gates of those who hate them.'”
Genesis 24:60

1. These words valid good wishes.

2. This blessing was fulfilled in some ways:

a) Esau and Jacob would have descendants by the thousands.

b) Their descendants would become powerful and they would conquer their enemies.

THE DEGENERATION OF ESAU

Esau and Jacob began to grow apart from a very young age. Both of them did not grow up as godly children. They went their separate ways and both were badly in need of regeneration.

1. Jacob

a) He lacked physical strength.

b) He became cunning and wily.

c) He schemed to take away two things from his elder twin-brother.

i) The right of the first-born (Genesis 25:29-34).

ii) The blessing of the first-born (Genesis 27).

2. Esau

a) He was physically stronger and he became a skillful hunter (Genesis 25:27).

b) He despised his birth-right.

i) He sold his birth-right for bread and some lentils-stew (Genesis 25:34)

ii) He had thought poorly of the significance of his birth-right (Genesis 25:34)

c) He was so enraged against his twin brother, he swore he would kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41).

d) His marriage

i) He got married at forty.

ii) He took two wives who were of Hittite origin.

iii) This act grieved both his father and his mother deeply (Genesis 26:34-35).