The narrative of older and younger sibling's frictional relationship is a typical theme in the context of Old Testament. In the case of Esau and Jacob, the dispute between the twin is a matter of who inherits the birth-right from their Father, Isaac. In accordance with the tradition of Israelite, it is the eldest son who inherits the birth-right. However, this custom is constantly challenged by using youngest sibling as an agent. Through this paper, I will put forth my argument that it wasn't Jacob's mental faculty that outperforms Esau's innate talent, it was Esau's passion and skill that backfired him; and through the Lord's work, Rebekah out maneuvered Esau and governs the direction of their fate.
When Jacob and Esau were in their
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mother's womb Rebekah went to the Lord and inquire about the status of her pregnancy. Although it doesn't state explicitly in the Old Testament, I can infer that like any mother she was happy to bore a child and didn't have a preference for the one over the other. It was there then Lord said to Rebekah "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger." (Bible Odyssey). The Lord's prophecy shaped Rebekah’s perception before they were even born, and it had a far-reaching implication that played a vital role in favoring Jacob over Esau. Both brothers were gifted with an equal level of skills and Talent. Esau was an adroit hunter who loves to partake in an adventurous activity which requires a tremendous degree of mental alertness and sharpness, whereas Jacob, on the other hand, is smart and shrewd who prefers staying within the boundary of his tent. One day, when Esau came back hungry and exhausted from his hunting trip, he requested Jacob for a food that he was preparing. It was then that Jacob tries to seize the opportunity to outwit his brother. Esau willingly and without being cognizant of the plot renounced his rights so he could satisfy his appetite. However, Esau knew that it still has to be approved by Isaac. Having a passion and knack for hunting, Esau hunts and prepares a catch for his Father.
Hunting is risky and doesn't guarantee a prize. On one of his unlucky day, he returned hungrily and verbally gave up his birthright without considering the repercussions. Now when the time has reached to bequeath the birthright, Isaac ordered him "take your weapon, your quiver, and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me." (Bible Odyssey). Esau oblivious to the fact of what was to unfold, he religiously obeys his father's order. Rebekah, with the Lords' work behind the scene took advantage of Esau while he went hunting. Rather than bearing any fruition from his skill it was rather a detriment to his …show more content…
status. Ecstatic and excited of which he was to receive the birthright, Esau embarked on his hunting trip to please his father’s appetite. Rebekah clinches the perfect moment and calls Jacob and said "I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; so that he may bless you before he dies.” (Bible Odyssey). Jacob was reluctant to falsely identify as Esau but with his mother's insistent he followed her instruction, thus received the birthright. Without the conniving effort by Rebekah, Jacob’s role was insufficient in transferring the birthright. Jacob's only contribution in winning the birthright over Esau is; he simply followed his mother's guide. He didn't play any notable part in this whole ordeal. With the fate predetermine by Lord, Rebekah knew beforehand that the elder will be subservient to the younger but didn't have prior understanding that the birthright will play a significant role in fracturing the relationship. And suddenly was uniformed that the birthright will not be the determining force in younger serving the elder. It was based on her knowledge of what birthright entails that she presumes it could use as a vehicle to fulfill God’s order. Ultimately God’s prophecy materializes at the end, it was Rebekah through her scheme that she directed the route of the final outcome. Jacob and Esau were comparable to any other brothers who has a tendency to banter over little things in life.
When Esau begged for food, Jacob could have jokingly prompted Esau to give up his birthright. It was just an exchange of words without any serious tone except Jacob made Esau swear on him. They both had their advantageous (Esau was loved by Isaac and Jacob was loved by Rebekah) but there were no any conspicuous signs of rivalry before the incident of Isaac blessing Jacob in lieu of Esau which was a deceptive work by Rebekah. If it wasn't the case of Lord's predetermine destiny of the two brothers, Rebekah's diligence to contrivance and Esau embarkation on his hunting trip to fetch a delicious meal to Isaac right before the bestowment of birthright, the primogeniture would be conferred in accordance with the tradition of Israelite. Perhaps we may witness a robust and unified
nation.
Growing up with siblings a sense of competition was always dealt with. Who was better or who got the better present for example. Sibling rivalry was definitely an occurrence that is seen throughout the novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Specifically how the author embraces the good and the evil in the personalities of his characters. The brothers from the book Charles and Adam were resembling the more Biblical brothers known as Cain and Abel. As scenes unfolded in the novel, we glimpse at the rivalry that goes on between the two. Even when the generation carries on to the new brothers, Cal and Aron, there’s still a connection being made to the legend. “Symbol story of the human soul” as Lee, a character, relates it to the same idea. In the secence of
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives; and perhaps more importantly, understand the significance Ruth’s life has had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapters “Shul” and “School” next to each other. Here, both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is, “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassment Ruth and James feel for their circumstances. In “The Ne...
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives and to understand the significance Rachel's life had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapter titled “Shul” and “School” next to each other with each giving a view of the problems they faced in school. Here both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassm...
The struggle of sibling rivalry over ability and temperament has taken East of Eden in a whole new perspective. Steinbeck’s portrait on sibling rivalry shows the good vs. evil of each character in the story. The nature of good vs. evil as natural selection is also seen in siblings, as a compete for something physical, mental, or something emotional. The sibling rivalry from the biblical characters embraced Steinbeck’s characters throughout every concept in the novel, the good vs. evil confines the characters personality in every idea of Steinbeck’s novel. From the biblical story of Cain and Abel to Adam and Charles to Cal and Aaron the story continues through out every generation.
The ritual of the sotah from the book of Numbers is a fascinating passage to read in the Hebrew Bible. For one thing, this ritual deals with the idea of a man being able to bring his wife to trial, even if he has no evidence against her. While such an instance might be seen as negative treatment of women, others might explain it as the Israelites’ constant concern over the idea of impurity. Another interesting aspect of the sotah rite is that it is the only example of an ordeal similar to those practiced in other cultures of the Ancient Near East. While other ordeals are told mostly in story form, Num. 5:11-31 is the only instance in which the actual process of an ordeal is laid out point by point. Finally, the ritual merits attention due to its continued practice even after the Temple was destroyed, as is depicted in the Talmud. These reasons and more are evidence as to why this small 20 verse passage has been subject to such scrutiny and study over the course of the years.
These stories are given to the reader secondhand, as the labors of a man Kierkegaard knows or imagines. It is important for the reader to know the man’s reasons for producing these alternative possibilities of Abraham’s trial, and what this man seeks to gain from examining each. This man is presented paradoxically as “no thinker, [who] felt no need to go further than faith.” At the same time, he is no perfect example, let alone a knight, of faith. Even though he is not a thinker, he is nonetheless using his worldly, rational powers to produce and analyze these stories. It is the “shudder of thought” that drives his obsession w...
Joseph is an awful, unjust father to David due to his physical and verbal abuse towards David. David feels uncomfortable when in his father’s presence, whereas he welcomes Uncle Axel’s company. Contrary to Joseph, Axel shows his care for David through actions and words. David and his uncle are a lot closer to each other compared to David and his father, whose admonishments are his only words spoken to David. A son should love his father, rather than fearing him. Every child should have the right to have a healthy relationship with their parents.
One's knowledge and beliefs in religion can affect who you really are and your destiny. The main character, Sara Louise Bradshaw, feels like she is unloved by her family members and friends or at the very least, loved less compared to her twin sister, Caroline. [Sara] Louise's strong belief in the Roman Catholic bible has affected her mind on a fixed impression and has changed her inner outer-appearance. For as it says, " "Romans nine thirteen, "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." " (Paterson 178) This quote refers to the Christian bible story of Abraham, and the rivalry of his two sons, Jacob and Esau. Religion teaches one their general morals, however when one cannot rely on religious beliefs to control their life and their soul in universal concept.
Most children experience agony and hope as they face the struggles of sibling rivalry throughout their childhood. This situation has been experienced by children, of whom may or may not have siblings, for hundreds of years. Several stories represent this crisis, including the Biblical story of Abel and Cain which was written over 3000 years ago. Abel of whom was forced to be Cain’s ash-brother. Cain had developed an intense feeling of jealousy of Abel when his offering to the Lord was rejected while Abel’s was accepted. This caused him great agony, but he wasn’t the only one. The fairytale “Cinderella” encompasses the ideas of sibling rivalry as well as the agonies and hopes that correspond with it.
Many people have misconceptions about hunting. One such misconception is that hunting is easy and any person can go sit in the woods and wait for an animal to cross the hunter’s path. However, people who believe this are sorely mistaken. Hunting is not just sitting in the woods with a rifle; there are many other aspects that must be considered. An individual must have all preparations complete, purchase or gather the equipment needed, and know what to listen for while in the woods.
First, hunting can be a source of relaxation. Sitting in the woods with nobody else around, far from the routine life, can be very therapeutic. One’s life is hectic with all the demands of everyday living. Running away from them, and having a time for oneself can be very healthy.” Even If you don’t makea kill , you will benefit from the peace and quiet sounds of nature“(National Geographic News ,March,2007). Moreover, hunting is a good method to rid oneself of pent up anger. Emotions may build up, and anger might fill the mind; hun...
Hunters often reveal that being in nature provides time to clear the mind. In the woods, there is no rush, no schedule, and no deadlines; nature moves at its own pace. This interaction provides a deep spiritual connection with the land, the wildlife, and our planet. Hunting has been around since the beginning of time and has been in many people 's lives for generations, these are some reasons why people all across America continue to hunt. Hunting has many benefits such as reducing deer related car accidents, controlling deer densities in heavily human populated areas, creates jobs, and feeding and supporting families. Thus, deer hunting is necessary for several reasons.
A birthright is given to the firstborn child, which in this case would be Esau. One day Esau is very hungry and demands food from Jacob. Being deceptive, Jacob says to Esau that he will give him food if Esau sells him his birthright. To this proposal, Esau asks “of what use is a birthright to me?” (Genesis 25:32). Esau is a man of nature and does not see the importance of a birthright. As a result, Esau sells his birthright. God sees this and believes that Esau “despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34). This leads God to favor Jacob, despite his deceptive ways against his brother.
Jacob first appears in the Bible in the book of Genesis. The Bible says that Esau was the firstborn of the twins. “Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.” (Genesis 25:26). The boys grew up, and Esau was described as a skillful hunter, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Once when Jacob was cooking a stew in his tent, Esau came in from the from hunting in the fields and was famished. Jacob told Esau he would share with him his stew on the condition that Esau renounce his birthright to him. Esau accepted. Later, as their father, Isaac sat on his deathbed, he blessed Jacob, who was dressed in fur clothing to imitate Esau who had more body hair than Jacob. Isaac thought it was Esau he was blessing (Meeks 41). After this, Jacob’s mother advised him to go live with his Uncle Labon in Padan-Aram – afraid that Esau would become vengeful and kill Jacob after he tricked their father into giving him his blessing of the first born.
From the very beginning of the book, Fee and Stuart seek to explain the importance of proper biblical interpretation. The authors provide hermeneutical approaches for the study of the different ...