Genesis 25-35: Sibling Rivalry

Another sibling rivalry was presented, perhaps similar to Cain and Abel’s when Isaac and Rebekah have Jacob and Esau. The difference this time is that Rebekah has a preference for Jacob and Isaac prefers Esau. But really these two characters can be very much compared to Cain and Abel. I dislike the way in how Jacob asked Esau to sell his birthright. I didn’t really understand the importance Jacob gave to birthright or why Esau claimed to hate his birthright so much. “And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25 Verse 33-34) Later I realized that the birthright meant absolutely everything at the time of Isaac’s death. Esau selling his birthright later meant nothing. Having the birthright or being the first-born son meant that one could have Isaac’s blessing. And this blessing was so important because it came from Abraham and before from God. It was the destiny of your heirs. In this I blame Rebekah. If it weren’t for her strong preference for Jacob, Esau maybe would’ve been able to receive his blessing from Isaac, as was due.

We are then told of Jacob’s story and how he had to work for the woman he loved. To me, this was an act of love and I couldn’t understand how when he was cheated on by Rachel’s father, he worked for another seven years. They make seven years seem like such a short time, to me that seems like so much. They also make bearing 6 children as little, when it must be a lot and very painful, indeed. Then when Jacob agrees to marry Leah as well as Rachel; God makes Rachel barren. This must be such bad luck since Isaac first had to marry a woman he didn’t love and then when he got to marry the one he truly loved, she could bear no children. This is really annoying, I just can’t find another word for it. Isaac must be feeling like, “It’s like I have killed myself for fourteen years working for her, and then she can bear me no children!? So basically, if I want to continue my father’s line I have to have children with the woman I don’t really love?” And Rachel wasn’t going to let her sister win, just because she was barren. She let her husband sleep with her maid, except the maid was only the means to achieve an end. She named the children and treated them as her own. So it was like she did have children with Jacob.

Giving birth sounds so casual in the bible. Of course, it is normal to “be fruitful and multiply” in the modern world as well. But it is not a competition to see who has more children. It’s not like we keep a tally or something. In fact, having more children does not help over-population, poverty, and global warming. So “the more the merrier” cannot be applied. I realize why the oldest is always given the most importance and the “birthright”. It’s because there are so many children it’s just easier to pick the first-born.

Rachel and Leah’s father was a greedy man. He left the husband of his daughters completely broke and searching for another land to live in, after 14 years or more of hard work. Unbelievable. But then I remind myself that this must be Jacob’s punishment for stealing Esau’s birthright. “And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?” (Genesis 27 Verse 36)