Our last lesson was quite a soap opera, wasn’t it? Take a few moments to review the first 40 verses of Genesis 27 and recall what happened. Twice now, Jacob has maneuvered situations to take what rightfully belonged to Esau. He even duped his own father in the process. Can you imagine what Esau is feeling at this point?
The first verse of today’s reading (verse 41) tells us that Esau hated (KJV) his brother Jacob. The NIV translates it as ‘held a grudge’. I’d say these feelings were pretty normal and natural considering what had happened. How many times have we, also, been angry beyond words and found it difficult to get over whatever caused those feelings? This is a hard place for most of us, but for Esau it went a little further than that. He decided to seek vengeance and kill his brother. And since, as we will see in a minute, his mother tried to warn his brother, he obviously did not keep this decision to kill to himself. He has chosen to commit pre-meditated murder and is not ashamed to share that decision with others.
What does the Bible tell us about vengeance (Rom 12:19-20, Psalm 94:1)? It is not our place to avenge the wrongs that are done to us; it is God’s. What does God ask us to do in its place (Eph 4:32)? Forgiveness can be very difficult, especially when we are this angry, but God calls us to do it. In this instance, it is the second time Jacob has taken from Esau. We don’t know whether Esau has forgiven Jacob for manipulating him out of his birthright, but now he has taken his blessing also. How does God expect us to react when the same person keeps sinning against us repeatedly (Matt 18:21-22)? Jesus’ words, here in Matthew, tell us that God wants us to continue forgiving, even if the other person continues to repeat their transgressions. It is God’s responsibility to bring vengeance and correction onto the other person. And yes, this is very, very hard to do.
While Esau’s anger seems natural and normal to us in this situation, we can also see that harboring these feelings, rather than finding forgiveness, causes those feelings to grow. As Esau stewed in his anger, his feelings against his brother, Jacob, became stronger and stronger until they became homicidal. This is the danger of holding on to anger and hate. When Esau allowed his emotions to escalate unchecked, he began to take comfort in the idea of his brother’s death. Psychiatrists call this abnormal behavior ‘psychopathic’. Healthy people do not take comfort in the death of others. This is why forgiveness is so important.
Is this a risk for us? I believe that fantasizing about sin usually leads to committing that sin (Mark 7:21-23). We need to guard our thoughts and find healthy ways to work through our feelings. Yes, this is difficult, but God would not instruct us to do it if it were not possible. For help in working through these matters, turn to the following scriptures: Psalm 61:2, Eccl 11:10, Eph 4:26-27. At times, this can be something we are only able to accomplish through much prayer.
There is an interesting word used here in Gen 27:41. The Hebrew word ‘stm’ which has been translated here as ‘hated’ or ‘held a grudge’ has the same root stem as two other words in Hebrew: ‘stn’ which means ‘to accuse’ or ‘to slander’ and the word ‘stn’ which is a noun meaning ‘adversary’. We see that these first two words, verbs or action words, are closely related to the third word, a noun, which is usually translated as ‘Satan’ in our Bibles. Satan is often referred to, in the Bible, as our accuser. This word stem relationship gives us some understanding of the depth of the feelings Esau was having toward his brother.
What does the Bible teach us about our adversary and accuser, the devil (John 8:34-41, 44)? God is our Heavenly Father, but Satan wants to fill that role in His place. He is the master of manipulation and wants to be our Father so that we will want to please Him instead of God. In our last lesson, we talked about faithful believers being children of Abraham, but here in John, Jesus says that if we were sons of Abraham we would do what Abraham did. What do you think He is trying to teach us by saying this? Ask yourself now, and be honest in your heart, who is your father? What father do you think Esau is obeying?
God knows what is in our heart and He could see what was in Esau’s heart. Hebrews 12:14-17 tells us some truths about Esau. He was godless. What does Jesus tell us about godless men (Matt 12:30)? Do these truths give you any insight for understanding what God says in Mal 1:2-3 and Romans 9:13?
Read verses 42-45. Rebekah has learned of Esau’s plan to kill his brother. She now gives him instructions on what to do to avoid trouble and sends him to stay with her brother, Laban, until things cool down. Notice her justification, “Why should I lose both of you in one day?” This is the consequence of her sin that we studied in our last lesson. She has lost her first son, Esau, due to his anger with her. Now, she must send her other son, her favorite son, away for his own safety. Fellowship with her sons has been lost to her. We also see, here, the consequences for Jacob. He must go into exile. But God isn’t finished dealing with Jacob yet.
Responding to God: In your heart, worship God for His Almighty righteousness. Praise Him for His justice. Thank Him for His mercy. Ask Him to show you any areas in your life where you have not reached forgiveness, or where you are harboring ill feelings, and ask Him to help you find true forgiveness. Ask Him to show you areas where you have been vengeful and seek His help in rectifying those relationships. Seek His help in removing sinful fantasies from your life.
Further Research: Using a Bible and a concordance, search for God’s teachings concerning ‘anger’ and ‘murder’.
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