November 11, 2026
GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:
“The boys grew up together. Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country. Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau. Rebekah loved Jacob.” (Genesis 25.27-28)
REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:
The troublesome question many parents face comes from their children. Each one asks, “Who do you love the best?” The quest for favoritism, priority, identity and power lives in each one of us. How do we answer that question without differentiating one from the other but making each one feel special, important and deeply loved and favored? It isn’t always easy. But I have heard it said, “I love each one of you the most as if you were my only one.” Quite an accomplishment, if it could be done. Isaac and Rebekah obviously couldn’t do it. Isaac loved Esau because “he was a skilled hunter and loved the open country.” Remember where we continually found Isaac? He was in the Negev which was the beginning of a vast expanse of land where over the horizon was a greater future. On the other hand, Rebekah loved Jacob who must have been quite different from his brother. There is no mention of his skin color or condition. He was not ruddy red and hairy. He must have been “fair” complexioned with smooth skin. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that. I resemble, by the looks of it, Esau. However, you cannot tell a book by its cover. And do not think that Esau was actually bad, immoral or unfaithful. He would make bad decisions and later regret them. We will see later in their story the call to reconciliation. What is important is being obedient to God and trusting His directive and direction. This will become a critical point of contention in the story very soon.
For the moment, however, the reflection is about the danger of favoritism. Does God show partiality? Does God favor one person over another or a people over another? To say “Israel, the Hebrews or Jews, are God’s chosen people” was not intended to imply they were better than all others? This was faulty reasoning on their part and sadly continues to be to this day. They are not alone, however, as we see such reasoning within the Body of Christ, the Church, with its factions and denominations. Paul, Peter and John warned against such “party” spirit among the community/communities of faith. By “party” I do not mean a celebration activity like for a birthday or some other special life occasion. I mean division as of opinion and those who hold them. God’s “chosen” people is a title conferred because of a calling and purpose given to them. They did not receive it for any other reason that God made that designation. We see how they often refused it (such as Adam and Eve, for example), at other times lived into it (such as David and the prophets) and at other times they abused it (like the Pharisees and the Chief High Priest in the days of Jesus…and before…and after). The major point is to honor the calling placed upon you and living fully to represent and present the presence of God’s sovereignty and blessing. The danger comes when partisanship (in any venue) becomes the dominant motivation for action in order to prove one’s self, or one group, as better than another. This is where the call to righteousness reminds us of the teaching of Jesus to become a servant to all beginning first with God. We shall see the conflict arise along these lines in the continuing story of Esau and Jacob.
TODAYS’ PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:
Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness endeavor, but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
