Esau and Jacob

I had a chat with my colleague the other day about the bible, specifically about the stories in the Old Testament. I was hooked by the manner in which she told these stories. It felt like she was talking about a story book that was read to me during my early childhood days.



Tessa Skerbinek (The story teller )and I (The listener)



 

Well, the conversation started when she asked me how Esau was pronounced, looking at a picture of someone with that name. Trying to come up with different pronunciations, she then asked me if I knew who Esau was in the bible. I thought hard and I had no idea who he was but she started telling the story anyway. She is such an appetizer, I couldn’t wait to get home and read it myself. I just learned that I didn’t know much about the bible and its stories. So, I read it that exact night.

 

Here’s what I know in a nutshell: Esau was a twin brother of Jacob. When their mother Rebekah was pregnant, God told her that the sons in her womb will become two nations. “From the beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other, and your older son will serve your younger son.”

Jacob grasping Esau's heel

When the twins were born, Esau was very red and hairy. His twin, Jacob was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. Isaac their father loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob. As time went by, Isaac became an old man and was turning blind. He called Esau and asked him to go hunting and then

prepare him his favourite meal. He wanted to give him blessings and Rebekah overheard the conversation.

 

Jacob and Esau

 

 

 

Rebekah then told Jacob what she had heard. So, she prepared Isaac’s favourite meal while Esau went hunting. She then gave Jacob Esau’s favourite clothes to wear. She covered his arms and neck with a skin of young goats. Jacob then took the food to his father. Isaac asked who it was and Jacob said he was Esau, but Isaac was a bit sceptical. He then asked him to come closer to feel him. Isaac said, “The voice is Jacob’s but the hands are Esau’s,” he continued to ask, “Are you really my son Esau?” Jacob replied, “Yes, I am.” As his last resort, Isaac asked his son to kiss him and Jacob did. He smelled like Esau and his father described the smell as “the smell of the outdoors.” He was finally convinced and blessed him.              

The story goes on and I can’t write everything I read. So, this is an opportunity for you to read it yourself, who knows, you might like it. I know I did...

A story is nice when it is told by someone else. Tessa had me appetized and I kind of enjoyed reading the story to myself. I remember telling her that kids would love bible stories if they were told as she did. From what I have read, I realised that stories in the Old Testament are very nice. We can relate to them as they were real life stories. I’m going to read another one tonightJ.