Esau Meeting Jacob by George F. Watts
What happens when the elected people of God despise their birthright? What is a birthright? This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Toldot, interpreted as meaning "Generations." The portion begins: "This is the genealogy (toldot/yalad - descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies, history, account of men and their descendants, origins/beget, to be born, delivered of child, birth, bring forth, to cause or to help to bring forth like a midwife) of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Isaac." (Gen. 25:19). In this meaning of toldot, we can see that a man is not separated from the countless descendants within him. In fact, this idea includes not just the future generations within a man, but, as we see in the Hebrew root word yalad above, there is the idea of acting as a spiritual midwife in bringing these descendants to the birth.
We are told that Isaac was forty years old when he took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Rebekah as his wife. (v. 20). Then we see yalad (see above) spring into action: "Now Isaac pleaded ('atar/'eter/'atar - intreat, pray, plead, intercede, to burn incense in worship/abundant, plenty/to be abundant, to multiply) with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah, his wife conceived." (v. 21). Isaac acted as a midwife (see yalad above) in prayer to the LORD, bringing forth his future generations as he prayed for his wife's conception, and she indeed conceived. This kind of prayer or intercession is also the same as the burning of incense to God as we see in the meaning of 'atar above.
We see another example of this in the New Testament as Zacharias the priest was praying at the altar of incense in the temple when an angel appeared to him with the prophecy of a son to be born to Zacharias and his barren wife, Elizabeth. That son was John the Baptist. (Luke 1:5-13). Regarding our prayers as incense, David wrote: "May my prayer be set before You (LORD) as incense." (Ps. 141:2). The Book of Revelation refers to the prayers of all the saints that come up before the Lord as incense. (Rev. 5:8 and Rev. 8:3-4). Each one of us has spiritual toldot generations within us, and the Holy Spirit compels us to pray. As we pray, we act as spiritual midwives who aid in bringing forth a birth of something in the earth, and the holy incense fragrance of those blessed prayers before God is unmistakable.
As Rebekah noticed the struggle within her womb, the LORD revealed that the struggle was between two nations, with two separate callings: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated (parad - separate, divided, severed, scatter abroad, be out of joint, break in pieces, break forth) from your body; One people shall be stronger ('ames - courageous, strong, established, prevail, steadfastly minded) than the other, and the older (rab/rabab - great, many, multitude, mighty, strong, abundant, numerous/multiplied, ten thousands, multiply by the myriad) shall serve the younger (sa'ir/sa'ar - least, little one, small, younger, insignificant, little in number, few, ignoble value, least in dignity/grow small, grow insignificant, to be small, brought low, despicable, revile)." (Gen. 25:23). Sure enough, Rebekah gave birth to twins, Esau the first born and Jacob the second born. They were of different appearances and of different interests. Esau was a skillful hunter (sayid/sud- venison, provision, food, prey, taken in hunting/hunt eagerly, lie in wait, to lay snares, to furnish oneself with food) and Jacob was a mild (tam - perfect, upright, complete, morally innocent) man, dwelling in tents ('ohel/'ahal - tabernacle, tent, covering, sacred tent of God/to be clear, shine, shining and vibrating appearance). The parents were split in their love towards the two children. Isaac loved (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Esau because he ate Esau's hunted game, and Rebekah loved (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Jacob. (v. 24-28).
We should look at the Hebrew meanings connected to the Word of the LORD that was given to Rebekah. According to the Hebrew meanings above, the emphasis, while including age, as most of our translations indicate, is really upon the stronger and larger in number versus the smaller in number. The greater and stronger in number shall serve ('abad - serve, do, worshipper, serve another, serve as subjects) the lesser in number, the lesser and reviled. We know that in the story of Jacob, God blessed Jacob even while he humbled himself or made himself small, and served his dishonest father-in-law, Laban. As Jacob returned home years later with his wives, children and flocks, and met Esau, Jacob divided his household into groups and spread them in distance from one another in order to make his household appear larger and more numerous to the greater household of Esau, who had brought four hundred men with him. (Gen. 33:1-7).
In the New Testament, Paul wrote in Romans 9:12: "It was said to her (meaning Rebekah), 'The older shall serve the younger." However, the meaning of older (meizon/megas) and younger (elachistos) in the Greek language has the same emphasis as in the Hebrew. It is more about the greater, greatest, more, larger, great in number, greater in age, greater in power and authority, contrasted with the smallest, least in size and amount, least in importance and rank, less in age. It includes age, but the emphasis is upon the greater in every way serving the least in every way. We will see Jesus speak of the same thing later.
We will come back to the Hebrew meanings of the words in the above verse, but at this point, we should also note that both children when born, were connected to the *aleph-tav (see *note below) in the written but untranslated Hebrew. Both children, who were the grandchildren of Abraham, and the sons of the son of promise Isaac, had been designated by God to belong to the Messiah/Christ, who has always existed as eternal, but at that point in time had not yet been physically manifested in the flesh on earth. We can see this in Jacob as he is described as "mild" and dwelling in "tents" (see the Hebrew above). The Messiah/Christ, who is "perfect, upright, complete and morally innocent," (see mild/tam above) will indeed be born as one of Jacob's toldot descendants rather than as one of Esau's.
We read above that Esau was a skilled hunter. He was connected to the ground as a provider of food. However, spiritually speaking, against whom or what was he supposed to use his gift knowledge of hunting? For whom was he supposed to lay snares? Certainly not his brother, Jacob! His *aleph-tav calling was to serve. To serve is not necessarily appealing in the understanding of the world. According to the thinking of the world, it is almost demeaning to be a server/servant, and it is more to be desired to be the ones being served. In the Kingdom of God, this is not the case. Jesus, the Son of God who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, spoke of being a servant when two of His disciples, who also were brothers, were arguing over their positions and importance. Jesus said: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mt. 20:25-28). Jesus was an obedient bondservant to His Father in heaven, even to the death of the cross. In doing so, He was also, while being a servant, laying a snare in which the spiritual enemy of mankind would be trapped. The enemy viewed Jesus as a meek Lamb for the slaughter, and so He was, but Jesus was also the Lion of the tribe of Judah who would defeat all of His and our enemies, even death. Paul wrote that this same mind should also be in each of us. There is an enemy to snare which is food or bread to us (see Num. 14:8-9) from the position of our calling to servanthood to the will of our Father in heaven. (Phil. 2:5-11, 1 Cor. 2:7-9). To be a servant is not weakness, but it is to be a vessel for the miraculous power and authority of God to manifest, as was the case with Jesus.
Scripture tells us that Esau despised (baza - to hold in contempt, disdain, scorn, consider vile and worthless, to raise the head loftily and disdainfully) his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-birthright. (Gen. 25:33-34). Let us look at the meaning of the Hebrew word and roots of "birthright": bekora/bekor/bakar - firstborn/chief, first of its kind, first son of a father/to bear early, new fruit, to burst the womb, first child, first to do anything, to rise early, in the morning, a virgin who has her first child. I cannot help but see Jesus in the Hebrew meanings connected to "birthright," especially as it is connected in this verse to the *aleph-tav in the written Hebrew. Jesus IS the first-born of all creation and the first-born from the dead. (Col. 1:15-18).
The LORD makes an emphatic statement in some of the other scriptures from this Toldot, "Generations" Sabbath reading portion. The LORD says to Israel: "I have loved you,' says the LORD. 'Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' says the LORD. 'Yet (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Jacob I have loved; but (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Esau have I hated, and laid waste (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-his-mountains and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-his-heritage for the jackals/dragons (tn/tan/tannin - jackals, dragon, sea monster, habitations/elongated monster or hideous animal/venomous serpent, dragon, sea or river monster, whale) of the wilderness." (Mal. 1:1-3). Even after this judgment of the LORD, Esau, or his toldot descendants, the nation of Edom, just vowed to re-build itself from the devastation.
The LORD said that even though He had loved the descendants of Jacob, they had the same attitude as Esau - they despised their birthright (see meaning above) by offering defiled food upon the LORD's altar and by saying that the table of the LORD is contemptible... "Is it not evil?...I have no pleasure in you,' says the LORD of hosts, 'Nor will I accept an offering from your hands." (v. 7-8).
From the priests down to the people, the birthright of Jacob/Israel had become a scorned burden to them. The offering made upon the LORD's altar was defiled and the table of the LORD was held in contempt. Both of these things are images of Messiah/Christ. The LORD was calling them back to their pure worship of Him through His prophet Malachi, saying: "Beseech God." (v. 9).
From another reading from this Toldot, or "Generations" Sabbath, the prophet Obadiah, whose name means "Servant of Jah (the LORD)" also pronounced the judgment of the LORD against the nation of Edom, who were the toldot descendants of Esau. These descendants, who were deceived by the pride of their hearts (Obad. v. 3), committed violence against the toldot descendants of Jacob/Israel, taking advantage of Israel's vulnerability as they came under attack from the King of Babylon. The LORD said, "For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever." (v. 10). The nation of Edom used the skillful knowledge of hunting to lie in wait (see sayid/sud above) at the crossroads out of Jerusalem "to cut off (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-those-among-them-who-escaped...in the day of distress" (v. 14). The LORD promises to do to them as they did to the toldot generations of Jacob/Israel: "The men at peace with you shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap (see sayid/sud above) for you. No one is aware of it." (v. 7). The LORD prophesies: "...the house of Esau shall be a stubble...and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau." (v. 18).
Does this mean that the LORD condemns nations by who their forefathers were? Edom was judged because they chose to continue in the same error of pride of their forefather, Esau, in despising the birthright. Instead of being the servant of the fewer in number, Edom, like Esau, harbored a violent hatred of Jacob/Israel, its brother.
The toldot generations have the choice to accept the birthright, which is the image of Messiah/Christ (see bekora/bekor/bakar above), given to them by God, or to reject and despise it. If any of His *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega people have despised their birthright, God invites us to beseech Him for His graciousness and our return to our pure service and love for Him.
The story of Jacob and Esau is important for all of us to know.
We can pray concerning these things: "Dear Father, You have chosen those who are in Christ, both Jew and Gentile and from every nation and race, from before the foundation of the world. We are the toldot generations of Messiah/Christ by Your grace and sovereign election. Because of this, You have given us a birthright promise in Jesus, the First-born of creation. Forgive me, Lord, when I have not understood the greatness of our birthright in Christ. Help me to understand the power, privilege and greatness of being a servant in the Kingdom of God. What the world considers and seeks as being "great" is not of importance in Your Kingdom, but we are called, instead, to dwell in the tabernacle of the Lord. My accomplishment is not in my own greatness but in Yours, Lord. Spirit of God, help me to become a servant in the true sense of the word. Your Word says: "...I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory...". I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."
*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.
