Genesis 25:22-26
22 But the children struggled with one another inside her, and she said, “If it’s like this, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of Elohim. 23 Elohim said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from your body
will be separated.
One people will be stronger
than the other people,
but the older will serve the younger.”
24 When her time came to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came out reddish, all of him was like a fur coat, and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding onto Esau’s heel—so he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when he fathered them.
These five verses in scripture are quite fascinating.
These brief statements convey so much meaning in just a few words.
This is the story of the children of Isaac and Rebekah, Esau and Jacob. The two boys were twins, and we see that they fought one another, even from within the womb. Verse 22 says they ‘struggled’ with one another in the womb.
Let’s check out the Hebrew on this…
H7533 ratsats; ~rä·tsats’
to crush, get crushed, be crushed, oppress, to be crushed, be broken, to crush in pieces, to grievously oppress
Strong’s Definition: a primitive root; to crack in pieces, literally or figuratively:—break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together.
Ok, the Hebrew paints a very different picture for us. We are not talking about ‘rough-housing’ boys. We are not talking about simple sibling rivalry.
We are talking about crushing and breaking and oppressing.
These are very strong words.
Do these words sound familiar?
Check out Genesis 3:15, where the consequences of the fall of man are given by Yahuah:
I will put animosity
between you and the woman—
between your seed and her seed.
He will crush your head,
and you will crush his heel.
Again, we see the idea of crushing, bruising, breaking ~ depending on which translation you are using. This bit of scripture is often taught as though it only pertains to haSatan and Yeshua Messiah.
But that is not the case…
“between your seed and her seed”
It is not just between haSatan and Messiah, but between genetic lines, people groups, his seed and her seed.
Scripture tells us that when born, Esau emerged first, and Jacob came second, but Jacob was holding the heel of Esau.
Imagine this… We know they “struggled,” which we know means to crush or break. If someone tries to crush your skull/head by kicking, what might you do? Grab ahold of their foot to prevent the kicks?
Is it possible that Jacob was holding Esau’s heel in self-defense?
Is it possible that haSatan tried to reverse the curse in Genesis 3:15?
We know that Messiah will crush haSatan’s head, and that haSatan will crush Messiah’s heel…
In studying the lives and the descendants of Esau and Jacob, we see that Esau despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Esau wanted nothing to do with the spiritual nature of the promises made to Abraham.
Jacob received the spiritual blessings of the nation of Israel, the promises made to Abraham. His descendants became the tribes of Israel.
Esau continued in life to create a race of people whom Yahuah hates!
Malachi 1:2-3
“Yet I loved Jacob 3 and Esau I hated.”
Obadiah 1:18
The house of Jacob will be a fire,
and the house of Joseph flame,
while the house of Esau will be straw—
they will set them on fire and consume them.
So there will be no survivors of the house of Esau.”
—for Elohim has spoken.
Are Esau and Jacob the beginning of “his seed” and “her seed”?
Is this why they “struggled” with one another in the womb, and also afterwards in life?
This blog post is not so much to say what’s what, but more to ponder the significance of these words and the ideas behind them…