Rebecca’s
role in deceiving Isaac and Esau and what she says to Jacob afterwards really
show, to me at least, that she knew what she was doing was wrong. Blatantly
favoring one son over the other could only end badly, for her and for her sons,
even though eventually their relationship is repaired. Jacob and Esau being
twins is shown, from the beginning, as them being in contention with each other,
fighting to be first or the best or to get recognition. Because they’re so
close, there is even more competition, and Jacob eventually wins—which could
make Esau hate him even more than if he was just another acquaintance. Esau
being older, and not having as much of his mother’s love, he has to work harder
to get noticed or rewarded, and his own father wouldn’t bless him until he
begged. Jacob didn’t have to work for his mother’s love, and she gave no reason
for loving him: “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game,
but Rebekah loved Jacob”. Esau had more to lose.
Jacob may very well have wrestled
with God physically, but at the same time Jacob is also trying to figure out if
what he is doing is the right thing, if his brother will forgive him, or if he
is still planning on killing him. Jacob is obviously worried and feels a little
guilty about what he did and is trying to make it right; who wouldn’t be wrestling
with their past decisions that led to this point?
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