The life of I'saac, who took the place of A'bra-ham in the Covenant promise concerning the land of Ca'naan, the founding of a great nation, and the coming of the Mes-si'ah, was not unlike that of his father in the trial of faith. While the other sons of A'bra-ham had many children, I'saac remained childless, though it had been promised that his descendants should be like the stars of Heaven. His mother Sa'rah was barren for nearly half a century, and now his wife Re-bek'ah had entered the twentieth year of marriage without bearing a child.
Unlike his father, I'saac did not stoop to unworthy means of overcoming the trying situation in his home. Instead, he prayed to the LORD without ceasing, constantly asking that a son and heir should be given to him. Re-bek'ah joined him in such prayers, earnestly asking the LORD to bless them with a son to carry on the line through which all the families of the earth were to be blessed.
After twenty years of prayer and patient waiting their hopes were answered; Re-bek'ah knew that the promise would soon be fulfilled. And yet Re-bek'ah was made uneasy by certain vague, foreboding thoughts. Worried by such a state of mind, she turned to the LORD for guidance, and was told that she would become the mother of twin sons. It was also revealed that two great nations should spring from these twins, one of whom should be stronger than the other, and that the elder son and his descendants should serve the younger. Such strange thoughts in the mind of Re-bek'ah, and the revelations of God in answer to her prayer, had a strong influence upon her, no doubt accounting for her preference of the younger of the two sons after their birth.
When the two sons were born the fears of Re-bek'ah were fully justified. The first of the two was abnormal in appearance, very red and hairy, while his brother was perfectly normal. The elder child was called E'sau, which means "hairy," or "rough," while the younger was called Ja'cob, which means "to trip" or "a supplanter."
As the boys grew older the traits of character which were to divide them and their descendants became very clear. E'sau inherited from his mother a bold, active disposition, but one which lacked her nobility of spirit; from I'saac there came a liking for open spaces, and a fondness for good living. Ja'cob inherited from I'saac a quiet, thoughtful nature, and from Re-bek'ah a talent for sly, sharp dealing. In E'sau there were the elements of manly courage, great energy, and practical genius which tended to make him hasty and hard to manage. In Ja'cob there were the traits of timidity, gentleness, and cunning which led to the dangers of being too crafty for his own good in life.
E'sau became a great hunter, and one who excelled in all of the rough, vigorous sports of the age. He took for granted the position of his father's favorite son, and acted as though he had already inherited the estates of his father. In the meantime Ja'cob gave his time to the gentle occupation of caring for the sheep, and was always ready to help around the home. He was the favorite of his mother, and was under her influence during the formative years of childhood and youth.
