January 12 Genesis 26:34-28:22

"When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah." Genesis 26:34,35 NIV

Are there and parents out there who have lived or are living this?
"Then Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth (these wives of Esau)!" Genesis 27:46 AMP

"Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had." Genesis 28:9 NIV

Esau was certainly rebellious. He would find out what displeased his parents and do exactly that.

"When Isaac had become an old man and was nearly blind, he called his eldest son, Esau, and said, “My son.”

“Yes, Father?”

^2-4 “I’m an old man,” he said; “I might die any day now. Do me a favor: Get your quiver of arrows and your bow and go out in the country and hunt me some game. Then fix me a hearty meal, the kind that you know I like, and bring it to me to eat so that I can give you my personal blessing before I die.”

^5-7 Rebekah was eavesdropping as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. As soon as Esau had gone off to the country to hunt game for his father, Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob. “I just overheard your father talking with your brother, Esau. He said, ‘Bring me some game and fix me a hearty meal so that I can eat and bless you with God’s blessing before I die.’

^8-10 “Now, my son, listen to me. Do what I tell you. Go to the flock and get me two young goats. Pick the best; I’ll prepare them into a hearty meal, the kind that your father loves. Then you’ll take it to your father, he’ll eat and bless you before he dies.”

^11-12 “But Mother,” Jacob said, “my brother Esau is a hairy man and I have smooth skin. What happens if my father touches me? He’ll think I’m playing games with him. I’ll bring down a curse on myself instead of a blessing.”

¹³ “If it comes to that,” said his mother, “I’ll take the curse on myself. Now, just do what I say. Go and get the goats.”

¹⁴ So he went and got them and brought them to his mother and she cooked a hearty meal, the kind his father loved so much.

^15-17 Rebekah took the dress-up clothes of her older son Esau and put them on her younger son Jacob. She took the goatskins and covered his hands and the smooth nape of his neck. Then she placed the hearty meal she had fixed and fresh bread she’d baked into the hands of her son Jacob.

¹⁸ He went to his father and said, “My father!”

“Yes?” he said. “Which son are you?”

¹⁹ Jacob answered his father, “I’m your firstborn son Esau. I did what you told me. Come now; sit up and eat of my game so you can give me your personal blessing.”

²⁰ Isaac said, “So soon? How did you get it so quickly?”

“Because your God cleared the way for me.”

²¹ Isaac said, “Come close, son; let me touch you—are you really my son Esau?”

^22-23 So Jacob moved close to his father Isaac. Isaac felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice but the hands are the hands of Esau.” He didn’t recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s.

^23-24 But as he was about to bless him he pressed him, “You’re sure? You are my son Esau?”

“Yes. I am.”

²⁵ Isaac said, “Bring the food so I can eat of my son’s game and give you my personal blessing.” Jacob brought it to him and he ate. He also brought him wine and he drank.

²⁶ Then Isaac said, “Come close, son, and kiss me.”

^27-29 He came close and kissed him and Isaac smelled the smell of his clothes. Finally, he blessed him,

Ahhh. The smell of my son
    is like the smell of the open country
    blessed by God.
May God give you
    of Heaven’s dew
    and Earth’s bounty of grain and wine.
May peoples serve you
    and nations honor you.
You will master your brothers,
    and your mother’s sons will honor you.
Those who curse you will be cursed,
    those who bless you will be blessed.

^30-31 And then right after Isaac had blessed Jacob and Jacob had left, Esau showed up from the hunt. He also had prepared a hearty meal. He came to his father and said, “Let my father get up and eat of his son’s game, that he may give me his personal blessing.”

³² His father Isaac said, “And who are you?”

“I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

³³ Isaac started to tremble, shaking violently. He said, “Then who hunted game and brought it to me? I finished the meal just now, before you walked in. And I blessed him—he’s blessed for good!”

³⁴ Esau, hearing his father’s words, sobbed violently and most bitterly, and cried to his father, “My father! Can’t you also bless me?”

³⁵ “Your brother,” he said, “came here falsely and took your blessing.”

³⁶ Esau said, “Not for nothing was he named Jacob, the Heel. Twice now he’s tricked me: first he took my birthright and now he’s taken my blessing.”

He begged, “Haven’t you kept back any blessing for me?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “I’ve made him your master, and all his brothers his servants, and lavished grain and wine on him. I’ve given it all away. What’s left for you, my son?”

³⁸ “But don’t you have just one blessing for me, Father? Oh, bless me my father! Bless me!” Esau sobbed inconsolably.

^39-40 Isaac said to him,

You’ll live far from Earth’s bounty,
    remote from Heaven’s dew.
You’ll live by your sword, hand-to-mouth,
    and you’ll serve your brother.
But when you can’t take it any more
    you’ll break loose and run free.

⁴¹ Esau seethed in anger against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him; he brooded, “The time for mourning my father’s death is close. And then I’ll kill my brother Jacob.”" Genesis 27:1-41 MSG

^"16 That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ For you understand that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected (disqualified and set aside), for he could find no opportunity to repair by repentance [what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], although he sought for it carefully with [bitter] tears." Hebrews 12:16,17 AMP

Esau reminds me of Cain. He just had a bad attitude all around. This doesn't excuse Jacob's behavior, not at all. Or his mother's behavior. 

But every time Esau faced challenges, he continuously made wrong choices. I've known people who LOOKED for an excuse to ruin their life. Whenever something unfortunate happened to them, the first thing they did was ran out and made wrong choices. 

What??? Why make a bad situation worse???

I've felt I was treated unfairly many times. I've had a terrible attitude many times. I have allowed my emotions to cloud my thinking many times. I have made wrong choices many times.

There have also been times I've responded in the right way to my negative emotions. I've cried out to God. He is such a great Counselor! When I cry to Him, I can be real. I can tell Him everything, and trust Him to clarify my thinking. He always comforts me and points me in the right direction. 

What Rebekah and Jacob did was terrible. But Esau just kept on making the worst decisions possible. He made the choice to be angry and bitter and full of hate. All by himself. 

"Dear Jesus, there have been and will continue to be times when evil things happen to me at the hands of others.  But I must pour everything out to You and cleanse my heart from bitterness, hatred, and anger. You are the perfect Counselor. You are the perfect, sinless example of loving those who despitefully use You. The whole world turned against you and you said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) I want to be like You, Jesus. I want to be like You."