Ja'cob's desire for the birthright was probably caused by what his mother had told him about the place he was to hold according to God's promise, and one cannot blame him for such a desire. He did wrong, however, in trying to gain the birthright before the LORD was ready to give it to him, and in the cruel bargain which he forced upon E'sau when his brother was too weak to protect his own interests. His deed showed that he did not trust in the LORD to carry out the promise as He thought best. The use of unworthy means to gain an honorable end cannot be justified in the sight of God.
The conduct of E'sau was also disgraceful. When he heard the shrewd offer of Ja'cob, he agreed to it without argument, and even spoke slightingly of his birthright. If he had been honorable enough to deserve the birthright, he would have preferred a crust of bread and a cup of water to the more satisfying food for which he was willing to give so much. He acted without any regard for his spiritual welfare, giving up all prospects of a great future inheritance for the sake of one good meal while he was hungry. The blessings promised to the descendants of A'bra-ham, the honor of being the head of God's chosen people, and all the property and wealth that would come to the one who held the birthright were exchanged for a mess of pottage.
Ja'cob afterwards suffered much because of his wrong-doing on this occasion, and E'sau lost forever all that he had sold so cheaply. Of these consequences we shall learn in future chapters.
