A Pot of lentil stew

Jacob and Esau were twins, but they were very different. Esau was a good hunter and he liked to be out in the open. Jacob liked to stay home. Isaac loved venison, and Esau was his favourite son. Jacob, the quiet one, was his mother’s favourite.

Because Esau was the older of the two, he was Isaac’s heir. He would become the leader of the family after Isaac, and he would inherit most of his father’s possessions. His father would also give him a special blessing. Jacob did not like this one bit. Esau was only a few minutes older than him. He was jealous of his brother.

One day Jacob was cooking some lentil stew. When Esau came back from his hunt, he was hungry. He told Jacob, “Give me some of your red stew. You have no idea how hungry I am!” Jacob wanted to tease his brother. He also saw a chance to cheat him.

“I’ll give you stew,” he said, “but only if you give me all your rights as the oldest son!”

Esau did not even think about Jacob’s words. “Look, I don’t care!” he said. “I’ll give you whatever you ask. I am dying of hunger!” Jacob said, “You have to promise!” And Esau said, “All right, I promise! Now give me food!” Then Jacob gave his brother some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the food and left his brother. He did not think about what he had done. He did not care that he had given Jacob all the rights that belonged to the oldest son. But Jacob cared about those rights. Later he and his mother tricked his father into giving him the special blessing for the oldest son. Then Esau was very angry. He was so angry that he wanted to kill his brother and Jacob had to run away from his home. Genesis 25