My dad had rules about fraternal trading. Remember his grandfather was a mule trader and his father owned a second-hand store. Dad knew how to make a deal. Once my uncle and my cousin were complaining about their cars on a family trip. They swapped them on the spot, unloading and reloading the luggage and kids. True story. Dad reserved the right to rescind any trade he thought was unfair to the younger trading partner (usually me). If my brothers and I had to share a piece of cake, one would cut the cake and the other would choose their piece first.
Perhaps Isaac should have been watching the day Jacob traded some stew for Esau’s birthright. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to Rebekah that the younger son would eclipse the elder. Jacob, who loved to cook, was making red lentil stew. Esau returned from his hunt, starving with hunger. He asked for stew and Jacob (who had apparently given this some thought), asked for the birthright in exchange. Without question, Esau was foolish. But Jacob was responsible also. He saw his brother’s hunger as an opportunity for self-aggrandizement. (It is a particular kind of evil to see another person’s misfortune as an opportunity to get what one has always wanted.) Esau made an oath, despising his birthright as the first born.
Abraham’s family story tells us that we can trust God to protect us at the proper time. Sarah created problems by giving Hagar to Abraham instead of waiting on the Lord’s promise. Likewise, God could easily have established Jacob without this treacherous deal. Where in scripture do we see a person trust God’s promises? When David refused to harm Saul even though he had already been anointed as God’s choice to be king. We do not have to take matters in our own hands to accomplish God’s greater purposes. Of course we will never know, unless and until we choose to trust God.
