Genesis 25:19-28

¹⁹ These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. ²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. ²² The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?”^[c] So she went to inquire of the Lord. ²³ And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other;
the elder shall serve the younger.”

²⁴ When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle, so they named him Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob.^[d] Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

²⁷ When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. ²⁸ Isaac loved Esau because he was fond of game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Prayer

God of all peoples and nations, as I live my life in this world, I am aware of conflict. I see how people from different countries and cultures tend to compete. When I look at families, school, work, and other clusters of humans, I perceive that life is not always fair. And while this bothers me, I admit that I too might tend to play favorites. Help me to realize that people will be people. Help me to notice not only the mistreatment that goes on around me, but that which might also bubble up from within me. Turn my grumbling about your creatures toward a gratitude for the care that comes in community. Make me more understanding today, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.