We have been talking for some time about the twins, Esau and Jacob. In last week’s lesson, Rebecca helped her son Jacob fool her husband into bestowing Esau’s birthright onto Jacob. When Esau discovers he has been robbed of his birthright, he wants to kill Jacob. Esau is very upset, angry, and confused. Rebecca sends Jacob away and Isaac finally does give Esau a blessing; however, the blessing is more like a banishment. Isaac says Esau will move far away and will serve his brother. Everyone in this story must have felt overwhelmed. It is easy to get overwhelmed when life gets hard.

When there is chaos all around us, we sometimes lose our ability to think clearly; and we don’t always respond in helpful ways. This story shows us what to not do. But this story allows us to act differently. We can proceed by asking God to be with us and strengthen our faith, to be able to be healthy and whole. See you in church on Sunday. Blessings.