Jacob and Esau
Text: Genesis 25:19-34
Core Idea: God’s promises do not rest on human strength, wisdom, or worthiness, but on His grace alone. When our faith feels weak, we can rest in this truth: God is still faithful, and He will finish what He has promised. So, let’s trust, pray, and receive His grace with humility as we step into the days ahead.
INTRODUCTION
We’re continuing our journey through the Book of Genesis – tracing how God’s plan of salvation began. And last week, we saw Abraham’s story come to an end – but God’s purposes did not. The God who called him, sustained him, and proved faithful through decades of waiting continued His work by carrying His promises into the next generation. But as we turn to our passage today, we’ll discover that living under God’s promises doesn’t mean life suddenly becomes easy or predictable. God’s people were still marked by weakness and limitation. And they still faced seasons that were confusing and discouraging. Yet, none of it ever placed God’s purposes in danger. While God’s people felt uncertain, God never was. This is an important truth we need as we step into a new year – because many of us, I’m sure, are carrying with us unresolved prayers, unmet desires, and expectations that haven’t unfolded the way we imagined. Now, some are stepping forward with hope – trusting in His providence. But others are moving forward with fear – being unsure of how to trust God in a season that already feels complicated. If this is you, our passage will speak into that tension – not by offering quick answers, but by anchoring us in the character of a God who is steady and faithful. So, with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Genesis 25:19-34 – and let me invite Chloe up so she can read the passage for us.
19 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 The LORD said to her, “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.” 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. 27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
Thank you, Chloe, for reading the passage for us. And children, I hope you enjoyed that video – a great summary of the story, even beyond the parts we read today. Then, with that in mind, let me share three things from this passage:
· GOD’S SOVEREIGN PURPOSE
· PRAYERFUL DEPENDENCE
· GRACIOUS PROMISE
1) GOD’S SOVEREIGN PURPOSE
Our passage begins by reminding us of the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah –made possible through God’s sweet providence to carry His covenant promise forward. So, it would’ve been natural for them to assume the next chapter would unfold smoothly – that doors would open, and the promise would progress without delay. But verse 21 confronts us with a painful reality: Rebekah was barren. This stands out to us as readers because we’ve seen this before – in that, Sarah was barren, too. And when Sarah was barren, it wasn’t only personal sorrow – it felt like the promise itself was threatened. And once again, the covenant line was confronted, not by persecution or famine, but by human limitation – something that no amount of effort or planning can fix. And for Rebekah, the weight would’ve felt even heavier because the continuation of God’s promise seemed to rest on her. So, it’s not hard to imagine the questions that may have surfaced in Rebekah’s heart: “If God has blessed us, why does this feel so painful? Did I do something wrong? Is there something I’m not doing right?” In fact, she must have felt all kinds of emotions – sorrow, guilt, and confusion. But here’s what we need to see: Rebekah’s barrenness wasn’t an accident, nor an obstacle God had to work around – it was part of God’s sovereign purpose. In Genesis, God repeatedly brought life out of barrenness – not because He delights in suffering, but because it stripped away the illusion of control and taught His people that life cannot be manufactured. It must be received. God was teaching this to Abraham and Sarah – and we saw how their impatience in Genesis 16 led them to force the promise through Hagar, bringing lasting pain. Now, God was teaching the next generation the same lesson, but Isaac responded differently. Isaac could’ve tried to solve it through human effort or simply questioned God’s providence by saying, “Was marrying Rebekah a mistake? Would things have been different if I had married someone else?” But he didn’t. Verse 21: “Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife.” That phrase “on behalf of” carries the sense of being “in front of” – which means that Isaac didn’t just pray for Rebekah privately. He prayed with her. He brought their shared pain before God together. I’ll be honest – this convicted me. As I reflected on Isaac praying with Rebekah, I realized I haven’t done this as consistently as I should with Alicia. So, I told her, “One of my goals this year is to pray for you in front of you more regularly.” Of course, I don’t want to do this out of obligation, but out of joy because it’s a privilege. In fact, I want to encourage all the husbands here to do the same. Brothers, praying with your wife is one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to love her. You don’t need long or eloquent prayers – just a willing heart. No other man has that responsibility – God has given it to you. If this is not part of your rhythm, I’m not here to shame you because I’m also guilty of it. I’m just saying: It’s not too late to begin. So, wives, if your husband asks to pray with you this week, please don’t say no. Don’t make it awkward for him. And if he doesn’t initiate, just gently remind him by saying, “Hey, remember what Woohyun said last Sunday?”
Okay, back to the passage. Isaac’s prayer wasn’t casual or brief. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah and 60 when their sons were born – which means that he must have prayed for nearly 20 years before seeing an answer. Think about that for a moment. That’s 20 years of bringing the same longing to the Lord again and again instead of trying to take control. This is the kind of faith Scripture wants us to see and imitate because God is not only interested in what He gives, but in who we become as we wait – which means that waiting is not wasted time in God’s economy. It’s one of the main tools God uses to deepen dependence and reshape our desire. And yet, if we’re honest, most of us are far more comfortable with action than waiting. When something we desire is delayed, whether it’d be healing, clarity, reconciliation, a job, a spouse, or a child, we’re often tempted to assume God is withholding something good or that we need to take matters into our own hands. In fact, waiting can feel like failure. It can feel like being stuck. It can feel like God is absent. But the Bible teaches us to see waiting differently. Waiting is often the space where God is most actively at work – even when we can’t see it. So, what feels like barrenness may actually be preparation, and what feels like silence may be an invitation to deeper trust. That’s what Isaac modeled. He didn’t force the promise or manipulate circumstances. He simply prayed and entrusted the future to God. Eventually, God answered – and Rebekah became pregnant. Now, what’s important is not necessarily that God answered but why the answer came. It didn’t come because Isaac waited long enough, or because he prayed well enough, as if prayer were a technique that earns results. The answer came because God was faithful to His promise. The delay wasn’t a test Isaac had to pass to earn a blessing. It was part of God’s sovereign plan to show them, and to show us, that the covenant rests entirely on grace. Brothers and sisters, this is what we need to remember as we enter this new year. When God delays, it doesn’t mean that He has forgotten you. When God allows you to face limitations, it doesn’t mean He’s absent. Rather, it means that He’s doing something greater than we could ever imagine, for He is good. Then, let me ask you: Where in your life are you experiencing a kind of barrenness right now – a place where you feel stuck, limited, or helpless? Are you tempted to take control? Or are you learning to bring that longing before the Lord? My prayer for you is that this passage will freshly renew your passion to pray this year as you remember that God’s sovereign purpose is never in danger. The same God who opened Sarah’s womb opened Rebekah’s womb. And that same God is at work in our lives today. So, pray for yourself, your family, and your friends. But can I also encourage you to pray for our church? The truth is that we all long to see spiritual life flourish here. We desire to be a true Lighthouse – shining the light of Christ into a city that desperately needs Him. But here, we’re reminded that life can only come from God. We cannot manufacture it. Then, like Isaac, we’re simply called to wait as we pray – trusting that in His time, God will do what only He can do. So, let’s earnestly and diligently pray that life will flourish not only in your lives but also in the church – and let’s wait for Him because His timing is always right.
2) PRAYERFUL DEPENDENCE
Verse 21: “The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” At this point in the story, we might assume everything would finally fall into place. After all, this is what Isaac and Rebekah had been praying and waiting for – probably for many years. Surely, now that God had answered, the pain would ease, the tension would lift, and the promise would begin to unfold smoothly. But that’s not what we see. Verse 22: “The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me?’” In other words, the answer to prayer introduced a new kind of suffering. The longing for a child had been met, but the struggle continued – just in a different form. This is a crucial moment because it confronts one of our deepest assumptions about prayer: that if God answers, then the pain should stop – that once God gives us what we’ve been asking for, life should become easier, clearer, and more settled. But the Bible doesn’t support that assumption. Instead, it shows us that God’s answers often lead us into deeper dependence – not immediate relief. In fact, answered prayer often becomes the very context in which our faith is tested, refined, and reshaped. Even though this is what she had been longing for, Rebekah’s pregnancy was physically painful and emotionally unsettling. It was confusing because she knew this pregnancy came from God – and yet, the blessing felt like a burden. But look how she responds. Verse 22: “She went to inquire of the LORD.” She didn’t assume she was being punished. She didn’t blame herself or others. She brought her confusion to God because she recognized that what was happening within her was beyond her understanding and control. So, she went to the only One who truly knew what was going on. And God, in His kindness, responded – verse 23: “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.” God didn’t remove her pain. He simply revealed His plan: two nations, two peoples, conflict, and a surprising reversal – “The older will serve the younger.” In her culture, this was unthinkable. The older son always received the birthright. The older always ruled. Yet God declared that His purposes would move forward in a way that overturns human custom and expectation. We’ll come back to this in our final point. But for now, here’s what I want you to see: when Rebekah prayed, God revealed His plan – but He didn’t promise ease.
This teaches us something vital about prayer. When we pray, we assume the goal is for God to change our circumstances. But often, God’s answer is not immediate resolution – it’s revelation. In prayer, God helps us see that what we’re experiencing fits into a purpose larger than our comfort. In other words, prayer doesn’t always remove the burden – it anchors us to the source of life while we carry it. Let me give you some examples. Someone may pray for marriage, believing it’ll remove loneliness – only to discover that marriage brings new challenges, new sacrifices, and new ways of depending on God. Someone who has prayed for a job may finally receive one – only to realize that the workplace is difficult and demanding. A couple may pray for children – only to discover that parenting introduces a new depth of responsibility and fear they never anticipated. A student may pray to be accepted into a particular school, believing that success lies in getting into that school – only to find that the academic pressure and competition are crushing their soul. Someone may pray for retirement, believing it will finally bring rest – only to discover that rest can expose unexpected fears and a loss of identity, revealing how much we had tied our sense of worth to productivity. Someone may pray for spiritual maturity, longing to grow deeper in faith – only to find that God often answers that prayer by allowing us to experience trials that will refine, stretch, and expose our idols. In each case, God’s answer doesn’t remove our need for Him – it reveals it more clearly. And when that happens, we’re faced with a choice: Will we interpret difficulty as God’s absence – or as His invitation to deeper dependence? When answered prayer introduces new problems, will we retreat into frustration – or will we inquire of the Lord? This is why prayer should never be seen as a transaction, but as a reorientation of your heart posture. J.I. Packer said, “Prayer is not a way of getting God to do what we want; it is a way of getting ourselves in line with what God wants.” The truth is that many of us are entering this year with prayers already in mind – things we want God to fix, change, or provide. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The Bible repeatedly invites us to bring our requests to God. But this passage invites us to go further – to see prayer not only as a way of asking, but as entrusting. Maybe this is how you need to pray this year: “God, I don’t fully understand what You’re doing – but I trust that You do.” Or “God, if You’re not going to give me relief, give me faith to persevere.” These prayers are not easy because surrender is harder than asking. Letting go of control is harder than presenting requests. But there is deep peace that comes when we learn to entrust ourselves to a sovereign and faithful God. Then, this year, let’s be a praying church: praying not only to get answers to our problems, but to get God Himself.
3) GRACIOUS PROMISE
It didn’t take years for the rivalry to develop – the conflict began at birth. I did a bit of research and learned that, on average, the time between the birth of the first and second twin is about 15 to 30 minutes. But that’s not what happened here. These two boys came out in rapid succession – as if they were racing one another. Esau came out first – red and hairy. But before anyone could even process that, Jacob followed immediately – his hand gripping Esau’s heel as if he was trying to take over his brother’s place. All that to say, these brothers from birth were locked in tension – just as God said. And as these two boys grew, the tension only intensified. Verse 27 tells us that Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open field – while Jacob was content to stay among the tents. This is important to point out because it shaped family dynamics. Verse 28: “Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” I have no doubt that Isaac and Rebekah loved both of their sons – but their favoritism deepened division. Now, you might be thinking, “Didn’t God say they were going to be in conflict with each other? Then maybe, there was nothing they could’ve done to change that.” But they could’ve done something to help them. They could’ve prepared Esau to humbly serve – knowing that blessing doesn’t always come through position. And they could’ve prepared Jacob to lead with humility – knowing that God’s choice was an act of mercy, not superiority. Instead, their partiality added fuel to an already fragile situation. Parents, this is a sober reminder that while we cannot control outcomes, we do shape environments. Our children learn what is worth loving by watching what we love. Even when God’s purposes are secure, our faithfulness still matters. So, let’s be intentional in raising our children so that we won’t push them away from God but lead them closer to God.
Now, the tension between Jacob and Esau is on full display in what appears to be an ordinary moment. Verse 29: “Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, ‘Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!’” At first glance, it seems trivial – just two brothers arguing over food. Anyone who grew up with siblings can relate. But the weight of this moment becomes clear when Jacob demanded that Esau sell his birthright. The birthright wasn’t merely about inheritance. It represented leadership in the family and participation in God’s covenant promises. And yet Esau was so quick to give it away. Why? Because he was hungry. Now, we all know he was exaggerating because if you’re a parent, you probably heard that from your child – “Mom, I’m so hungry I’m going to die.” But they just haven’t eaten for two hours. Esau said this because he cared more about his immediate needs than anything else. In fact, listen to verse 34: “Esau despised his birthright.” In other words, Esau didn’t misunderstand the birthright. He didn’t lose it accidentally. He treated it as worthless because his appetite mattered more than God’s covenant. Of course, Jacob wasn’t innocent either. He could’ve responded with kindness and generosity – but he saw his brother’s weakness and exploited it. Rather than trusting God to fulfill His promise in His time, Jacob tried to secure it through control. All that to say, neither brother deserved the promise. Esau despised it – and Jacob manipulated it. One lived for the moment – and the other schemed for the future. And yet, God’s promise moved forward. Think back to what God said in verse 23: “The older shall serve the younger.” That declaration came before either had done anything good or bad – which means that God’s choice wasn’t based on merit, effort, or moral superiority. It was grounded in grace. Brothers and sisters, this is important to point out because we learn that God’s election is not a reward for good behavior – it’s mercy toward undeserving sinners. Think about it. If salvation depended on desire alone, Esau would fail. If it depended on moral integrity, Jacob would fail. But God’s promise stood – not because of human faithfulness, but because of divine grace. In fact, this passage also helps us address a common misunderstanding about God’s sovereignty. Some worry that the election means God could reject people who genuinely want Him. But that’s not what we see here. Esau wasn’t someone longing for God’s blessing and being turned away. He freely despised it. He chose what was immediate over what was eternal. All that to say, God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are not in conflict – they always move together.
Now, when we step back, we begin to see how this story prepares us for something greater because the failures of Jacob and Esau create a longing for a better Son – one who would neither despise the promise nor obtain it deceitfully but trust the Father completely. It points to Jesus. Unlike Esau, Jesus didn’t despise His inheritance – He willingly humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. And unlike Jacob, Jesus didn’t manipulate to secure what was already His – He didn’t consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. Where Esau traded eternal blessing for a meal, Jesus fasted and obeyed. Where Jacob schemed to gain the blessing, Jesus surrendered Himself to secure it. And through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the promise once and for all – not for the deserving, but for sinners. That is the gospel. God’s promise moves forward not because of human goodness, but in spite of human failure. It moves forward because God is gracious. So, what does this mean for us? It means that our hope doesn’t rest in how strong our faith feels, how pure our motives are, or how consistent our obedience has been. Our hope rests in a God who keeps His promises – even when His people stumble. Charles Spurgeon once said, “I believe in the doctrine of election because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love.” So, as we step into a new year, let’s not despise what God offers, nor attempt to control what He has promised. Let’s receive His grace with humility and trust – knowing that He looks upon us with special love.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, God’s promises do not rest on human strength, wisdom, or worthiness, but on His grace alone. When our faith feels weak, we can rest in this truth: God is still faithful, and He will finish what He has promised. So, let’s trust, pray, and receive His grace with humility as we step into the days ahead.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) As you enter a new year, what’s one area of your life that feels hopeful and one area where it feels uncertain?
2) Isaac and Rebekah were clearly part of God’s plan – and yet they still faced barrenness. When God delays, what do you tend to believe in your heart: “God has forgotten me,” “God is withholding something good,” “God is shaping me,” or something else?
3) Isaac prayed “on behalf of” Rebekah – as in with her. What gets in the way of couples praying together? What would be one simple, realistic step toward making that part of the rhythm of their lives?
4) Rebekah finally became pregnant but said, “Why is this happening to me?” Then, think of a time when you got something you prayed for, but it brought new challenges (new responsibility, new struggles, new dependence). What did God teach you through that?
5) Compare the two dangers. Indifference (Esau): treating spiritual things as small. Control/Anxiety (Jacob): trying to secure God’s promises by your own effort. Which danger do you relate to more, and why? How does the gospel address both?
