Why did God hate Esau?
- Thread starter unobtrusive
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Ya really! Rabekah engineered the plan. Is there anything in the Bible that says she was right in doing that? I know there was prophecy given before the birth of the two, but how would she know who was to serve the other??
Ya, and Joseph's younger son, Ephraim, received the birthright from Jacob, instead of Manasseh the elder. It happened over and over. What do you all think the reason for this is? There has to be a spiritual message.
Last edited:
Would it have to do with Israel serving as the nation to bring forth the Messiah, through Whom salvation is then offered to gentiles via faith in Jesus' propitiatory sacrifice upon the cross at Golgotha, where He shed His righteous blood on our behalf, due to His great everlasting love for us, that we may be reconciled to God, and attain to life ever after?
And the Gospel was given to the Jews before the Gentiles. OK, back to Esau.
Hebrews 11:17-20
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
Genesis 27:38-40
38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and wept.
39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him, “Behold, of the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, And of the dew of heaven from above.
40 “By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But it shall come about when you become restless, that you will tear off his yoke from your neck.”
Does anybody have a thought about what verse 40 is saying? Has this prophecy been fulfilled, or is it something still to happen in the future?
"And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me with that same red pottage
for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.”
“Edom” means, literally,“red soup,”and is so translated.
remember the fact that “Edom” now refers to Esau.
When Esau returned and found how Jacob had supplanted him, he was very bitter.
He pleaded for a blessing, too. But Isaac could not retract the blessing given to Jacob.
So he passed on to Esau the following prophecy:
“Behold, thy dwelling shall be [correct translation: away from] the fatness of the earth,
and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve
thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt
break his yoke from off thy neck. And Esau hated Jacob?…” (verses 39-41).
In verse 39, the Hebrew preposition min should be translated “from” or “away from,”
not “of.” Actually, the prophesied lot of Esau was more of a curse than a blessing.
The Revised Standard Version translates it: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth
shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high.” Moffatt renders it:
“Far from rich soil on earth shall you live, far from the dew of heaven on high.” Actually,
the Hebrew words convey the dual meaning, and both have happened to Esau’s descendants.
A Prophecy for Turkey
The sparse records of history, with other proofs, show that many of the descendants of
Esau became known as Turks. Therefore we must remember that prophecies pertaining
to the latter days referring to Edom, or Esau, refer generally to the Turkish nation.
In Isaac’s dying prophecy, he foretold that Esau’s descendants would come to a time
when they should have dominion, and then break the yoke of the Israelites from off
their necks. That has happened. The children of Israel, through sin, were driven out of
the Promised Land that belonged with the birthright.
The Turks came to power and dominion and for many centuries possessed that land.
Those descendants, the Turkish people, occupied Palestine 400 years before Britain
took it in 1917. Esau’s descendants always have lusted for that land, central promise
of the birthright!
The Turks have truly lived by the sword!
Jacob was not the only one guilty of deceit; in fact, it was the entire family.
Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob all use one of the broad categories of deception.
Isaac, was old, feeble, blind and preparing for death. Under a veil of secrecy,
the patriarch called for Esau, his favorite son (see Genesis 25:28).
Isaac informed Esau that he planned to confer upon him the birthright blessing,
undoubtedly a spectacular inheritance. As part of their private celebration he
desired that Esau both hunt and prepare his favorite venison meat dish. Esau
quickly complied with his father’s wishes and rushed off into the wilds Genesis 27:5
Isaac offered his firstborn an inheritance he could not rightly give him. Before Esau’s
birth, God informed Rebekah by a prophecy that her younger son would rule over his
elder brother. Isaac would have known this meant that Jacob was to receive the
birthright blessing (Genesis 25:23).
Isaac did not include Rebekah in his plans for Esau. He knew she would disagree.
Also realize that Esau never valued his birthright and had sold it to his brother for
a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:31). He neglected to tell his father he had done so. His lust
for wealth motivated him to conceal the fact that Jacob already possessed the blessing.
Isaac’s plan would have been carried out flawlessly, it would seem, had not his wife
listened in on her husband’s conversation. Rebekah—believing the prophecy yet not
having the faith to confront Isaac or let God work it out—concocted a complex scheme
to mislead Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau.
Jacob was wary of the plan because of his radically different physical appearance from
his brother—Esau was very hairy; he was not. Jacob feared getting caught and cursed
for lying to Isaac (verse 12). Notice, however, that Jacob did not stop the plan.
Like his mother, he lacked the faith to let God work it out. What a shame: He actually
was doubly entitled to the birthright. God had assigned it to him through prophecy, and
he had purchased it.
Rebekah’s darkest deceit is revealed in her discussion with Jacob, the cooking of the
goat meat and the design of Jacob’s disguise. She even used some of Esau’s own clothes,
The meat of two goats was necessary to conceal the meat dish was not actually venison .
Like a deceitful spy, Jacob went to his father. Using the knowledge from his mother,
he perfectly played the part of his brother. He said, I am Esau—a bald-faced lie.
He presented his father with the false meat dish his mother had made as “my venison”
—another calculated deception. When questioned about how he had returned from hunting
so quickly, Jacob lied by saying that God had blessed him. How insidious to bring God into
this dark picture! Jacob allowed his father to feel his hair-cloaked hands and smell Esau’s
robe that he wore—real depravity. Yet, the lie worked. Jacob received the blessing.
But did Jacob get away with the outright lying and theatrical deceits? Not at all!
Look at the damage done by his deceit. Isaac was emotionally crushed by Jacob’s actions.
Esau became so bitterly angry that he planned to assassinate Jacob after Isaac died.
Jacob had to flee for his life. He never saw his mother again; she died before he returned
to Canaan. Essentially, Rebekah was cursed because of all the lying (verse 13).
Genesis 29-50 Jacob’s pain did not end there. His uncle Laban deceived him into marrying
Leah instead of Rachel. The woman he loved (Rachel) was barren. Laban, even after he
became his father-in-law, took advantage of Jacob, practically enslaving him for 14 years.
God forced Jacob to wrestle with Him all night to eventually receive the blessing (Gen 32).
Jacob’s daughter Dinah was raped. His beloved second wife, Rachel, died in childbirth.
To teach Jacob the deep evil of lying, God allowed him to be deceived by his own family.
His sons misled him to believe that his favorite son, Joseph, was dead. When moving to
Egypt to be with Joseph, Jacob confessed to Pharaoh that his life had been very hard—
the few years he lived were filled with evil (Genesis 47:9).
Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob all use one of the broad categories of deception.
Isaac, was old, feeble, blind and preparing for death. Under a veil of secrecy,
the patriarch called for Esau, his favorite son (see Genesis 25:28).
Isaac informed Esau that he planned to confer upon him the birthright blessing,
undoubtedly a spectacular inheritance. As part of their private celebration he
desired that Esau both hunt and prepare his favorite venison meat dish. Esau
quickly complied with his father’s wishes and rushed off into the wilds Genesis 27:5
Isaac offered his firstborn an inheritance he could not rightly give him. Before Esau’s
birth, God informed Rebekah by a prophecy that her younger son would rule over his
elder brother. Isaac would have known this meant that Jacob was to receive the
birthright blessing (Genesis 25:23).
Isaac did not include Rebekah in his plans for Esau. He knew she would disagree.
Also realize that Esau never valued his birthright and had sold it to his brother for
a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:31). He neglected to tell his father he had done so. His lust
for wealth motivated him to conceal the fact that Jacob already possessed the blessing.
Isaac’s plan would have been carried out flawlessly, it would seem, had not his wife
listened in on her husband’s conversation. Rebekah—believing the prophecy yet not
having the faith to confront Isaac or let God work it out—concocted a complex scheme
to mislead Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau.
Jacob was wary of the plan because of his radically different physical appearance from
his brother—Esau was very hairy; he was not. Jacob feared getting caught and cursed
for lying to Isaac (verse 12). Notice, however, that Jacob did not stop the plan.
Like his mother, he lacked the faith to let God work it out. What a shame: He actually
was doubly entitled to the birthright. God had assigned it to him through prophecy, and
he had purchased it.
Rebekah’s darkest deceit is revealed in her discussion with Jacob, the cooking of the
goat meat and the design of Jacob’s disguise. She even used some of Esau’s own clothes,
The meat of two goats was necessary to conceal the meat dish was not actually venison .
Like a deceitful spy, Jacob went to his father. Using the knowledge from his mother,
he perfectly played the part of his brother. He said, I am Esau—a bald-faced lie.
He presented his father with the false meat dish his mother had made as “my venison”
—another calculated deception. When questioned about how he had returned from hunting
so quickly, Jacob lied by saying that God had blessed him. How insidious to bring God into
this dark picture! Jacob allowed his father to feel his hair-cloaked hands and smell Esau’s
robe that he wore—real depravity. Yet, the lie worked. Jacob received the blessing.
But did Jacob get away with the outright lying and theatrical deceits? Not at all!
Look at the damage done by his deceit. Isaac was emotionally crushed by Jacob’s actions.
Esau became so bitterly angry that he planned to assassinate Jacob after Isaac died.
Jacob had to flee for his life. He never saw his mother again; she died before he returned
to Canaan. Essentially, Rebekah was cursed because of all the lying (verse 13).
Genesis 29-50 Jacob’s pain did not end there. His uncle Laban deceived him into marrying
Leah instead of Rachel. The woman he loved (Rachel) was barren. Laban, even after he
became his father-in-law, took advantage of Jacob, practically enslaving him for 14 years.
God forced Jacob to wrestle with Him all night to eventually receive the blessing (Gen 32).
Jacob’s daughter Dinah was raped. His beloved second wife, Rachel, died in childbirth.
To teach Jacob the deep evil of lying, God allowed him to be deceived by his own family.
His sons misled him to believe that his favorite son, Joseph, was dead. When moving to
Egypt to be with Joseph, Jacob confessed to Pharaoh that his life had been very hard—
the few years he lived were filled with evil (Genesis 47:9).
The better question is why did God love Jacob.
And God does hate ppl as Psalm 5:5 an Proverbs 6:16-19 clearly state.
And God does hate ppl as Psalm 5:5 an Proverbs 6:16-19 clearly state.
God hated Esau's actions....he sold his birthright for a bowl of "beans" and in so doing devalued that which had great value.....imv
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
Not because he was good, or because he deserved it,
And be careful with psalms 5:5. Jacob was no choir boy, he committed lots of iniquity, so according from psalms, he would hate him also,
And prob 6 could speak of us all.
Rebekah's brother Laban was full of trickery also, as well as his daughters, who went along with their father's conspiracy to have Jacob marry Leah, after he had worked seven years in order to wed Rachel.
M
MrChris
Guest
Esau sold his tremendence birthright unto Jacob, what did the birthright intail?
recap of God’s Promises to Abrahams seed, or physical descendants
¦Genesis 12:1-2 | God promises Abraham that his descendants will become a great nation.
¦Genesis 17:1-6 | God promises Abraham will be a father of many nations, not just one.
¦Genesis 22:16-18 | God promises that the birthright nations among Abraham’s descendants
will possess the gates (access points) of their enemies.
¦Genesis 26:3-5 | God promises the birthright nations will multiply as the stars of heaven.
¦Genesis 27:26-29 | God promises the birthright nations will become wealthy, rule over other nations.
¦Genesis 28:13-14 | God promises that the birthright nations will spread worldwide.
¦Genesis 35:11 | God promises that the birthright nations will become “a nation and
a company of nations.”
recap of God’s Promises to Abrahams seed, or physical descendants
¦Genesis 12:1-2 | God promises Abraham that his descendants will become a great nation.
¦Genesis 17:1-6 | God promises Abraham will be a father of many nations, not just one.
¦Genesis 22:16-18 | God promises that the birthright nations among Abraham’s descendants
will possess the gates (access points) of their enemies.
¦Genesis 26:3-5 | God promises the birthright nations will multiply as the stars of heaven.
¦Genesis 27:26-29 | God promises the birthright nations will become wealthy, rule over other nations.
¦Genesis 28:13-14 | God promises that the birthright nations will spread worldwide.
¦Genesis 35:11 | God promises that the birthright nations will become “a nation and
a company of nations.”
That's another thing in respect of God choosing the second over the first. Good one sis!
After Joseph's youngest son Ephraim received the birthright from Jacob, was it ever passed on to anyone else? Judah certainly didn't get it. I haven't noticed any Biblical record that it went any further than Ephraim. Maybe someone knows.
Hebrews 12:14-17 CJB
14 Keep pursuing shalom with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one misses out on God’s grace, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble and thus contaminates many,
16 and that no one is sexually immoral, or godless like Esav, (Esau) who in exchange for a single meal gave up his rights as the firstborn.
17 For you know that afterwards, when he wanted to obtain his father’s blessing, he was rejected; indeed, even though he sought it with tears, his change of heart was to no avail.
My summary...
The outset of fleshly desires, becoming adversarial to the will of God, escalating to the point that complements the adversary Satan by resisting righteousness, then evil totally and finally taking control of ones life under demonic control, even though they may not be demon possessed.
So I think the hate is against false doctrines that come directly from the underworld spirit of Satan.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
(Ephesians 6:12)
14 Keep pursuing shalom with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one misses out on God’s grace, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble and thus contaminates many,
16 and that no one is sexually immoral, or godless like Esav, (Esau) who in exchange for a single meal gave up his rights as the firstborn.
17 For you know that afterwards, when he wanted to obtain his father’s blessing, he was rejected; indeed, even though he sought it with tears, his change of heart was to no avail.
My summary...
The outset of fleshly desires, becoming adversarial to the will of God, escalating to the point that complements the adversary Satan by resisting righteousness, then evil totally and finally taking control of ones life under demonic control, even though they may not be demon possessed.
So I think the hate is against false doctrines that come directly from the underworld spirit of Satan.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
(Ephesians 6:12)
D
Depleted
Guest
Personally, I would have preferred Esau as a friend, rather than Jacob. Esau was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, and very forgiving of his bro for doing a really stinky trick. Jacob was a conniving wuss. He put his family in danger, rather than face his brother himself.
As for God's hatred of Esau? Enough that he totally destroyed Edom -- all of Esau's decedents were completely wiped out. Archaeologists found the city and there was absolutely no evidence that invaders came. They couldn't come. Impenetrable. Three sides up on a straight cliff that went down into the sea, and the fourth side could only be attacked by going through something like a cattle chute, made of a cannon. There was no seeable reason those people were gone, but they were. So God hates in mighty ways. Taking it down to his descendants.
But God has said it over and over again -- and shown it -- he takes the weak, the useless, the fools. And he does that to turn them into his princes and princesses for his glory.
I feel bad for Esau, but so very glad he chose me.
The birthright involved spiritual Leadership of the family. The fact that Esau had little interest in relationship with God probably contributed to God's attitude toward him.
In Gen 27:20, When Jacob was trying to impersonate Esau, he referred to God as the Lord thy God. We know that Jacob had a personal relationship with God; so this must reflect Esau's attitude.
God foreknew what Edom (Esau) would do when Israel sought to cross his land.
Esau chose pagan wives.