One of the things I love about the Bible is that it makes you ask questions about everything. Sometimes we read Scripture and move on quickly because we already know how the story ends. In this story for example, we know Jacob becomes the one through whom God’s covenant continues. We know Israel comes from him. We know the promises given to Abraham and Isaac continue through his line.
But then I stop and think about Esau and to be honest, It feels a little unfair.
God knew from the beginning that He was going to choose Jacob. He knew the older would serve the younger and He knew the covenant line would not continue through Esau.
So why was Esau born? Why didn’t Jacob just come alone? Why did he have to be a twin?
Why create someone who was never going to carry the promise but was born together with the favored one? Was Esau just a stepping stone for Jacob’s story?
Sometimes we look around and it seems like certain people are chosen for greatness, while others are simply there to help someone else reach their destiny. Some people are the ones on the stage, while others are the ones building the stage. Some names are remembered, while others quietly disappear into the background.
And if we are being completely honest, that can be frustrating because nobody wants to feel like they are just a supporting character in someone else’s story.
Esau had his own story
After my initial frustration died down, I was able to see the importance of Esau’s existence. Although Esau was not the one chosen to carry the covenant promise, God did not abandon him. He became the father of the Edomites, a nation with its own history and identity. God still cared about Esau’s descendants and even commanded Israel not to despise them because they were family (Deuteronomy 23:7).
Esau’s life had purpose, even if his purpose looked different from Jacob’s. I think maybe I was measuring purpose by importance. We sometimes think the person with the bigger platform has the bigger calling, the person with the bigger title has the bigger impact or that the person whose name is remembered must have mattered more. But God’s Kingdom does not work like that.
God’s plan is bigger than our role
The story of Jacob and Esau teaches us that God’s plans are bigger than any one person.
Yes, God chose Jacob but that does not mean Esau was worthless. God’s choice of Jacob was not a rejection of Esau’s humanity. Esau still had choices, responsibilities and a life to live.
The Bible even shows us moments where Esau displays humility and forgiveness. When Jacob returns after years apart, Esau runs to meet him, embraces him, and forgives him (Genesis 33).
Esau was more than the person who sold his birthright, he was more than “the one who wasn’t chosen.” He was a person created by God and who am I to determine his worth based on his accomplishments or fame. This is why they say comparison is the thief of joy.
I think sometimes we struggle with God’s plans because we want every person to have the same kind of significance. We want everyone to have the same level of recognition and influence. But God’s Kingdom is not about everyone having the same role. The most important thing is that we fulfill our God given role.
The question is not: “Am I the main character?”
The question is: “Am I faithful with what God has placed in my hands?”
So what was the point of Esau?
Maybe Esau’s purpose was not simply to make Jacob’s story possible. Maybe his life was also a reminder that God’s plans are not limited to the people we think are important. Because at the end of the day, Esau was not created for Jacob’s story.
He was created by God and that alone gave his life meaning.
God’s plans are bigger than we can imagine. Sometimes we will not understand why He places certain people in certain roles, why some people seem to rise while others remain unseen, or why our own path looks different from someone else’s.
But the God who wrote Jacob’s story also knew Esau’s story and He cared about both of them.
Stay Blessed x
