Let’s begin by reading a few verses about Esau.

  • Genesis 25:24-28, “And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And ISAAC LOVED ESAU, because he did eat of his venison: but REBEKAH LOVED JACOB.”

What a sad familial environment.  Jacob and Esau’s parents had their favorites!  That is never good and can never produce good results.  THIS IS NOT WHY GOD HATED ESAU!

  • Genesis 25:32-34, “And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.”

We read about this incident in Hebrews 12:16, “Lest there be any fornicator, or PROFANE PERSON, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”  THIS IS NOT WHY GOD HATED ESAU!

  • Genesis 27:1-40 tells of when it came time for Isaac to give his blessings to his oldest son, Esau, Rebekah developed an elaborate plan to get him to bless Jacob instead.  

The result of this deception is that Isaac did bless Jacob (an irreversible action). We then read in verse 41, “And ESAU HATED JACOB because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.”  THIS IS NOT WHY GOD HATED ESAU!

Let’s read Romans 9:9-13, “For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”  This portion refers us back to Malachi 1:2-3 which says, “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I LOVED JACOB, And I HATED ESAU, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” 

In God’s sovereignty, He declared that “the elder shall serve the younger.”  Esau was the eldest of the twins and Jacob was the younger. (Genesis 25:25-26).  The Lord determined that Esau would serve Jacob.  He also stated that He loved Jacob but hated Esau.  To get a clear understanding of this, we need to read the words of the Lord Jesus in Luke 14:26, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”  Does the Lord want every follower of His to hate their parents and all their families?  Not at all.  He wants us to love everyone!  However, the Lord wants us to love Him so greatly (see Matthew 22:37), that our love to others would seem like hate in comparison with our love to Him.  Our love for our Lord should far outweigh our love for others.  I believe this is the thought behind the Lord’s hatred for Esau.  The Lord chose Jacob to rule over his brother.  He truly loved Jacob, but He loved Esau far less because of His purposes for Jacob.

Why?  The answer is found back in Romans 9:14-16, “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I WILL HAVE MERCY, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”  God is NOT unrighteous.  However, He has the sovereign right to show mercy and compassion on whom He chooses.  In this case, He chose to bless and elevate Jacob over his brother, Esau.

There is also another great thought concerning God’s love for Jacob and His hatred for Esau.  These two men gave birth to two different nations…Israel and Edom.  God chose Israel for blessings and chose Edom for divine judgment because of their ill treatment of God’s people.  We read in Ezekiel 25:12-13, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.”  (CC)  (572.2)