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graveyard where his wife Sarah had been buried. After the death of Abraham, God
blessed his son Isaac. Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi with his wife Rebekah.

The place of Isaac in Abraham’s walk with God
The fulfillment of t h e Abrahamic Covenant with God involved his descendants.
Isaac also walked with God like his father Abraham. God established the Abrahamic
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Covenant succeeding his generation, beginning with Isaac. Isaac also accepted God’s
promises by faith. For the first twenty years, Isaac and Rebekah had no children.
Isaac earnestly prayed to God for his wife. The answer of prayer shows that Isaac
walked with God as his father. The fulfillment of the covenant is God’s gracious
action in response to prayer and trust in Him. Isaac walked with God to continue
receiving the covenant blessings.

The life history of Jacob

Rebekah was barren, but Isaac prayed and the Lord granted his prayer and his wife
Rebekah conceived. The child struggled together within her womb and she said, “If
it is thus, why should I live?” So the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb
and two peoples born of you shall be divided, the one shall be stronger than the other;
the elder shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). Esau was the first twin to be born.
And so, he had the first birth- right. Esau was red, all his body like a hairy mantle
so they called him Esau. Moreover, his brother was called Jacob because during his
birth his hand was taking hold of Esau’s heel.
Both Jacob and Esau had different talents, Esau became a skillful hunter and a man of
the field. However, Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he
was fond of venison (meat from a deer) which Esau used to give him. Rebekah loved
Jacob because Esau had not always made right choices. Rebekah knew by inspiration
that Jacob should receive the birth right blessing. Another name for Esau was Edom
and for Jacob was Israel. The struggle of the children in their mother’s womb was
an indicator of the sibling’s rivalry between two related peoples, the Edomites and
the Israelites.

Esau gives up his first-born right
One day when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came back from the field very hungry
and he said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew for I am exhausted” (Genesis
25:29-30). Jacob promised to give food if Esau sold his first-born right to him; and
thereafter, Esau agreed and was given food made out of lentils. Esau ate and drank,
and rose and went his way. Figure 4.8 portrays Esau selling his birth right.

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