The red lentil soup tasted pretty good, until it turned really bitter. Would you kill for a bowl of soup?
The Bible describes Rebekah’s delivery: “When her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He [had] like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau” (Gen 25:24-25). Wouldn’t that be a shocker! I was born with red hair, although with little to show for it. But red hair like a fur coat? No wonder he spent most of his life out-of-doors, becoming “a skillful hunter, a man of the field” (v 27). The domesticated life of Jacob, “a mild man, dwelling in tents,” was not for him. Esau might be translated “rough,” and the name fit the man. But later, Esau’s name was changed to Edom, meaning “red” (v 30). And that’s the point of this story. We’re let in on an unfortunate family secret. As the boys grew, the parents picked favorites. We’re told “Rebekah loved Jacob.” Worse than that, Isaac favored Esau for a superficial reason: “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game” (v 28). Playing favorites never turns out well. In this case, it almost ended in murder! So how did Esau get the nickname “Red”? Jacob had just cooked up some lentil stew when Esau returned from hunting, exhausted and ravenous. He asked for a bowlful, and Jacob offered to trade it—for Esau’s birthright. This included: being particularly consecrated to God (Ex 22:29); receiving a double portion of the father’s goods (Deut 21:17); governing the family (2 Chron 21:3); and, most importantly, having the honor of conducting the service of God with the family (Num 8:14-18). Melodramatically, Esau says, “I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” (Gen 25:32). The trade was made. “Thus Esau despised his birthright” (v 34). Red Alert! It’s a terrible thing to despise God’s gracious favor. Do we?