Jacob replied: first sell me your birthright. The counter-offer is calculated and self-serving: I have what you want; give me what I want. The birthright — the double portion of inheritance and the covenant blessing — is being offered in exchange for lunch. The bargain is morally troubling from Jacob's side: exploiting a brother's immediate need for long-term advantage. Proverbs 11:1 declares that dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD. The application: Jacob's exploitation of Esau's hunger is not commended — it is recorded. The covenant does not come to Jacob because of his virtue but despite his scheming.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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