Genesis 27: Favorites

“Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game his son brought home. But Rebekah loved Jacob” (25:28). A parent who has multiple kids will likely have one who is more like him and other who might be different. The Esau-Jacob narrative surfaces the disastrous consequences that occur when a parent favors once child over another. When Rebekah conspired with Jacob to steal Esau’s blessing through orchestrated deceit, they gave birth conflict, hatred, and distance, instead of unity, love, and closeness. “From that time on, Esau hated Jacob” (v. 40) and began scheming to kill him once his father died. Jacob had to flee from his family for 20 years. That’s tragic. It’s so important for parents to love our children for who they are and as equally as possible. If we do that, we have a chance of creating a family of unity, love, and closeness.