Choosing Wisely. Genesis 28:6-9

May the mumbling commence!

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.  But sometimes it amounts to too little too late.  That’s the case with Esau and his life choices.  Read from Peterson’s The Message:

Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan Aram to get a wife there, and while blessing him commanded, “Don’t marry a Canaanite woman,” and that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan Aram.  When Esau realized how deeply his father Isaac disliked the Canaanite women, he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.  This was in addition to the wives he already had.  (Genesis 28:6-9)

Now read the same passage from the NIV translation:

Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, "Do not marry a Canaanite woman," and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram.  Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.  (Genesis 28:6-9)

There is very little red in this passage.  And even when there are some slight differences, they do not make any significant change in the heart and soul of this passage.  Let’s spend some time digging into this passage.

Esau noted not only Isaac’s command to Jacob but also Jacob’s obedience.  It makes me wonder whether or not Isaac and Rebekah had tried in vain to prohibit Esau’s marriages to his Canaanite wives.  Maybe those words… those commands fell on deaf ears.

How open are we to listen to our spiritual mothers and fathers?  Will we listen to their counsels?  Or do we already have our mind set on the way we want to go?  Esau is not alone in desiring to live in the moment.  It’s a part of the human condition.

And how does Esau respond to this new discovery?  He doesn’t break off his marriages to the Canaanite women.  He doesn’t follow his brother to Paddan Aram with the intent of marrying a close relative.  Esau adds another wife – the daughter of Ishmael.

Esau still does not obey his parents’ wishes.  Esau marries into Ishmael’s family, who would have no part in the covenant from God.  Esau continues to reject, in his actions, God’s covenant with his family. 

In essence, he does very little to allay his parent’s distress.  In fact, he unknowingly adds to the distress.

Esau and Jacob are twins, but they are very different.  Which will we choose to follow?  Will we be like Jacob and be strong in faith?  Or will we be like Esau and be weak in faith?

Let us choose wisely!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out