A page turns in Genesis 25 as we focus on the next generation of the heirs of the covenant promise. We say good-bye to Abraham, who dies at the age of 175. Meanwhile, Isaac and his wife Rebekah, after 20 years with no children, welcome twin boys into their home: Esau and Jacob.
One thing you learn as parents is how different your children can be from one another. I'm sure that is no less true even when the children in question are twins! Esau, the first-born, was hairy and red. (His name even means "hairy" and he goes on to be the founder of Edom, which means "red.") Jacob came out right on Esau's heels- literally. (That Jacob - always pulling your leg!)
The two boys grow up to be quite different from each other. Esau sounds like a loud and boisterous hunter, a man's man. Jacob was quiet and a mama's boy. In time, they became rivals for their parents' affection and blessing.
Not every example in the Bible is a positive one. You wouldn't want to take relationship advice from Samson, nor would you want to look to the example of Rehoboam for guidance on conflict resolution. Likewise, Isaac and Rebekah make some pretty big parenting mistakes. Picking a favorite, for instance! Isaac loves Esau the outdoorsman, while Rebekah preferred Jacob who was more domestic and lived among the tents.
One early example in the twins' relationship in Genesis 25 demonstrates some of the conflict that was to come. Esau, famished from a day of hunting, comes home and wants a bowl of Jacob's stew. To get it, he trades away his birthright, the status of the firstborn. The Bible takes a dim view of this exchange, faulting Esau for despising his birthright and simply giving it away for a "mess of pottage" because he was momentarily hungry. As we will see over the next several chapters, the brothers' sibling rivalry will continue and deepen.
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