Retelling Tales
Was Jacob Right to Take Esau’s Blessing?
Was God unfair to Esau?
Jacob, the most controversial Patriarch of Judaism, had a life filled with many strange incidents. Like the other Patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac, God blessed Jacob with a lot of material possessions. Unlike the other Patriarchs, he had a very shady start. He deceived his blind father Isaac and stole the blessing of the firstborn son. Esau, his elder brother, was the rightful heir to the firstborn’s blessing. However, as we continue to read Jacob’s story, God was never angry with him for stealing Esau’s blessing. This seemed very bizarre and strange to me. Not only was God blind to Jacob’s evil deed, but God also promised (Jacob) to keep him safe and bless his every step.¹
By itself, the story makes no sense. The moral compass of God is in complete question, as he favors the wicked in this story. However, this story makes sense when we consider the order of events from the creation of Adam and Eve.
God created Adam and Eve and gave them a choice. They were free to choose to live on their own terms and choose what was good and evil, even at the cost of destruction. Or they could choose to live on God’s terms and be extremely fruitful. However, Adam and Eve choose to live on their own terms and decide what is good and evil by themselves…
