The Sons of Isaac(57)

He pulled away and stood struggling to control a whirl of emotions. He could not endure her knowing how much he cared. It was better she think he was a brash and careless fellow who didn’t value the birthright or the blessing, who didn’t notice his father’s rejection. He winced, expecting the usual lecture but instead he only heard her sobs—angry, frustrated sobs. He lunged for the tent door and fled out into the moonlight.

* * *

It was several days later that Jacob collected some garlic, onions, and lentils, borrowed his mother’s fire pot, and proceeded to make a succulent stew. He was never impatient but took the time to let the flavors blend and mingle, the steam rise with the familiar, inviting odor. He enjoyed the whole activity. He could do some of his best thinking waiting for a pot to boil.

Now he squatted beside the pot and idly stirred the stew with a wooden stick he had specially carved for this purpose. As usual he let his mind wander. Esau was out hunting. If he brought down an antelope, there would be a big celebration with plenty to eat when the animal had been cleaned and set to roast over the fire. Jacob frowned, remembering many such feasts. He much preferred the delicately flavored stew to the torn flesh, soured milk, and bread of such meals.

These days his thoughts were often on his bitter feelings toward his brother. He knew that among some people twins were viewed as bad luck. They never let both of them live. He would have been the one left to die. Esau was strong from the start and the firstborn. However, in some places it was the firstborn who was sacrificed. He thought about that for a while. He mulled over the possibility that his father might sacrifice Esau as Abraham had set out to sacrifice him. But Abraham had decreed that their God did not want humans sacrificed. Abraham had made this plain in all of his teaching.

This was one of the astonishing things about his grandfather. Abraham really wanted to please Elohim. He didn’t depend on custom or what people expected; he spent his whole life doing only what Elohim wanted. It was like this strange, unseen God was really his friend; he depended on Him like a brother.

Just as his grandfather wasn’t like other grandfathers, so, also, his mother wasn’t like most women. She insisted it was his father’s prayer that had moved God to give them the twins, but it was her prayer that had brought the strange answer, “The younger will rule the elder.” She believed this. She couldn’t understand why no one would listen to her. Isaac had told her to go question Elohim, and when she did and came back with the answer, he obviously didn’t take it seriously.

Being twins maybe they should split the blessing and the birthright between them. Jacob had long ago resolved that if given the chance, he would snatch at least one of them away from Esau. He thought about it. Esau could have the birthright; it was the blessing he wanted. Or if Esau got the blessing, then he could have the birthright.

As he lay back against the base of the large projection of rock, he was about to doze off when he heard a low whistle. Looking up he saw Esau, hot and dusty, about to dip into his stew.

“No, no, no,” he shouted, jumping up and snatching the piece of bread from Esau. It was dripping with stew and Esau had just missed popping it into his mouth. “You have your birthright and your big feasts; you’ll not take my stew without paying some price.”

Esau laughed. “A price for stew?”

Jacob stood his ground. “Why not?”

“It’s so easy to make a stew and besides I’m hungry. There’ll be no big feast. I didn’t find any game.”

“You can’t have everything just because you’re the firstborn.” He said this with a sneer as he positioned himself between Esau and the coveted stew.

“I hope you’re not going to go on about the birthright again,” he shouted. “I’m starving. I won’t live to inherit anything if I don’t get something to eat.”

“You’ve just been gone two days …”

“Two days with nothing to eat. There’s a famine brewing out there. What good is it to be firstborn if one dies of starvation?” He pushed Jacob aside, squatted beside the pot, picked up the bread, and was about to dip it in the stew.

With all his strength Jacob pushed his brother into a small clump of thyme. “Exactly; what good will the birthright do you if you starve?”

Now Esau was frantic with hunger. He could smell the stew and this drove him to even more desperate measures. “What do you want? I’ll give you anything, my throwing stick, my knife, even my sling, just let me have the stew.”

Jacob laughed a hard mocking laugh as he looked down at his brother groveling before him. “There’s only one thing I want and you’ll never part with it, so you won’t get the stew if I have to dump it out on the ground.”