Day 27 – Rivalry and Redemption
Chosen Before Birth, Loved Through Conflict
However you can engage today, we’re here. Read, listen or both.
The written portion gives an overview, with verses broken down into smaller bites, and journaling/prayer prompts for reflection. In the podcast, Steve Traylor reflects on today’s passage with Scripture reading, a deeper pastoral teaching, and prayer (about 15 minutes). Perfect for morning coffee, commutes, or when your eyes need a rest.
Genesis 25:1–18
If you are able, please read these verses in your own Bible today. They matter. For the sake of space, we are not providing the verses, just a summary.
Before we turn to the focus of today’s study—Isaac’s family—we pause to honor Abraham’s passing.
After Sarah’s death, Abraham married Keturah and had six more sons. He gave gifts to these sons and sent them eastward, but Isaac remained the heir of God’s covenant promise.
Abraham lived 175 years. He “gave up his spirit, and died at a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:8).
Isaac and Ishmael—once divided—came together to bury their father in the cave of Machpelah beside Sarah.
This is grace: Even estranged sons can unite in grief. Even broken families can come together to honor what was good.
Abraham’s story ends with blessing: “After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac, his son” (Genesis 25:11).
The promise continues. The covenant faithfulness of God does not die with one man.
Now we turn to Isaac’s family—and see that struggle, favoritism, and dysfunction did not end with Abraham’s generation.
Genesis 25:19–34
Step into today with honest expectation.
The family line continues. Isaac and Rebekah marry. But their story is not simple. Barrenness. Prayer. Struggle. Rivalry.
Today we meet twins who will fight before they’re even born—and a family marked by favoritism, manipulation, and competing desires.
If you’ve ever felt overlooked, less favored, or caught in a dysfunctional family system, you’ll see yourself here.
But you’ll also see something else: God’s purposes are not derailed by human brokenness.
He works through conflict, not despite it. He chooses the unlikely, not the obvious. And His grace operates even when families fail spectacularly.
1. Barrenness and Blessing
Genesis 25:19–23
19 This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. 21 Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is like this, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh. 23 Yahweh said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb.
Two peoples will be separated from your body.
The one people will be stronger than the other people.
The elder will serve the younger.”
The pattern repeats.
Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren—until God intervened. Now Isaac’s wife Rebekah is barren—until Isaac prays.
God listens. Rebekah conceives.
But this pregnancy is not peaceful.
The twins struggle violently within her womb—so much so that she cries out: “If it is like this, why do I live?”
This is not just physical discomfort. This is a woman overwhelmed by the conflict inside her own body, wondering if she can survive what’s happening.
So she goes to the LORD.
And God speaks: “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.”
This is prophecy.
God is revealing His purposes before either child has done anything to earn or forfeit His favor.
The apostle Paul will later point to this moment in Romans 9 to show that God’s purposes are not based on human effort or performance, but on His sovereign choice and gracious call.
This means Jacob’s eventual blessing is not because he deserves it. And Esau’s position is not because God is arbitrary or cruel.
God is working out His plan of redemption—and He chooses to work through Jacob’s line, flawed as it is.
This can be difficult to understand. Why Jacob and not Esau? Why does God choose at all?
Here’s what we can affirm with confidence:
God’s purposes are always righteous, even when we don’t understand them
God’s grace is always undeserved—that’s what makes it grace
God’s plan of redemption moves forward through unlikely people
And here’s what this means for us: If God chooses based on grace and not merit, then none of us can boast. We’re all recipients of undeserved favor.
No one is too flawed to be used by God. No one is too broken to be part of His plan.
Journaling/Prayer: Have you ever felt overlooked or passed over—like someone else was chosen and you weren’t? Does it sometimes seem like God favors others more than you?
If you’re wrestling with feeling “less chosen,” bring it honestly to God.
Tell Him: “I don’t understand why they seem blessed and I’m not. I feel like You chose them over me.”
God can handle your honesty.
But also hear this truth: if you are in Christ, you are chosen—not because you earned it, but because God is gracious.
And if you’re not yet in Christ—if you’re reading this wondering whether God would choose you—the gospel is clear:
“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
If you are drawn to Christ, come. Believe. Trust Him.
He will not turn you away.
2. Struggle and Strife
Genesis 25:24–26
24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. 26 After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
The twins are born.
Esau comes first—red and hairy. Jacob comes second—gripping Esau’s heel.
Even at birth, the struggle continues.
Esau’s name means “hairy.” Jacob’s name means “heel-grabber” or “supplanter”—one who trips up or takes the place of another.
Names in Scripture often foreshadow character or destiny. And these names tell us something important: conflict is woven into the fabric of this family from the very beginning.
Jacob will spend much of his life grasping—for birthright, for blessing, for control. Esau will be impulsive, driven by immediate desires rather than long-term vision.
Neither is a hero. Both are deeply flawed.
And yet God will work through both.
This is the pattern of Scripture: God does not wait for perfect families before He acts. He works through dysfunction, rivalry, and sin.
Not because He approves of it. But because His purposes are greater than our brokenness.
Journaling/Prayer: Where do you see rivalry, competition, or strife in your family? Have you been the one grasping—trying to take what isn’t yours? Or have you been the one overlooked—watching someone else take what you thought was yours?
If family dynamics have wounded you deeply, tell God that.
Say: “This family has hurt me. I don’t know how You can work through this mess.”
And then ask: “But if You can, will You? Will You redeem even this?”
He can. And He will. Not by erasing the past. But by weaving even the broken threads into something redemptive.
3. Favoritism and Failure
Genesis 25:27–28
27 The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.
Here is where family dysfunction takes root.
Isaac loved Esau. Rebekah loved Jacob.
Not “Isaac preferred Esau” or “Rebekah was closer to Jacob.” The text is stark: Isaac loved Esau. Rebekah loved Jacob.
This is not healthy parenting. This is favoritism. And it will poison this family for decades.
Isaac loves Esau because of the venison—literally “because venison was in his mouth.” The text doesn’t elaborate, but it suggests a love based on what Esau provided rather than who Esau was. Rebekah loves Jacob for reasons the text doesn’t explicitly state.
But the result is the same: The boys grow up knowing they are not equally loved.
One is favored by father. One is favored by mother.
And this creates an environment where manipulation, rivalry, and resentment flourish.
We see this pattern throughout Scripture:
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery because Jacob loved him most (Genesis 37)
The prodigal son’s brother resented his father’s celebration (Luke 15)
Sibling rivalry produces deep wounds that last for generations
Favoritism breeds insecurity, performance-driven identity, and distrust. It makes children wonder: “Am I enough?” It teaches them that love must be earned through performance.
This family system sets the stage for everything that follows: Jacob’s scheming. Esau’s impulsiveness. Rebekah’s manipulation. Isaac’s blindness—both literal and spiritual.
And yet—God’s purposes are not derailed.
This does not excuse the parents’ failure. But it does remind us: God works through flawed families.
He does not wait for perfect environments before He accomplishes His will.
Journaling/Prayer: Were you the favored child or the overlooked one? How has that shaped your view of yourself, your relationships, or your ability to trust God’s love?
If favoritism wounded you, bring that wound to God today.
Tell Him: “I was not equally loved. I felt less than. And it still hurts.”
God hears you. He does not dismiss that pain.
But He also offers something your family could not: Perfect, unconditional love.
You are not favored over others because of performance. You are loved because God chose to set His love on you.
And that love does not depend on your personality, your productivity, or your ability to meet His needs.
God has no needs. He loves because that is who He is.
4. Impulse and Inheritance
Genesis 25:29–34
29 Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with some of that red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31 Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.”
32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”
33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”
He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
Esau comes in from the field, exhausted and hungry.
Jacob is cooking stew.
And Esau says, “Feed me.”
Not “May I have some?” Not “Would you share?”
“Feed me.”
This is a man driven entirely by immediate appetite.
Jacob sees an opportunity. “First, sell me your birthright.”
The birthright was significant. It meant a double portion of the inheritance. It meant leadership of the family. It meant being the one through whom God’s covenant promises would continue.
And Esau’s response? “I’m about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”
He’s not actually dying. He’s hungry.
But in Esau’s mind, immediate physical need outweighs long-term spiritual blessing.
So he swears an oath. He sells his birthright. For a bowl of stew.
And the text gives the verdict: “Esau despised his birthright.”
The writer of Hebrews will later warn about this moment:
“See to it that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears” (Hebrews 12:16–17).
Esau’s failure was not that he was hungry. It was that he valued the temporary over the eternal.
He traded lasting blessing for momentary satisfaction.
And Jacob? Jacob was manipulative, opportunistic, and grasping.
He saw his brother’s weakness and exploited it.
Neither brother is righteous here.
Esau is impulsive and short-sighted. Jacob is calculating and deceptive.
And yet—God will work through both.
Not because they deserve it. But because God’s purposes are not dependent on human righteousness.
Journaling/Prayer: Where have you traded long-term blessing for short-term relief? What have you “sold” because immediate gratification felt more urgent than future good?
If you’ve made choices you regret—choices driven by impulse, by appetite, by desperation—bring them to God now.
Tell Him: “I traded what mattered for what felt urgent. I despised what You valued.”
And then hear this: God’s grace is greater than your impulsiveness.
Esau’s failure did not end God’s story. Jacob’s manipulation did not derail God’s plan.
And your poor choices—as real and consequential as they are—do not have the final word.
God redeems. God restores. God works through failure.
If you can, confess your regret. Ask God to help you value what He values.
And if you’re tempted today to make another impulsive choice—to trade lasting good for immediate comfort—pause.
Ask God: “Is this moment of relief worth what I’m surrendering?”
He will help you choose wisely. Not because you’re strong. But because He is faithful.
Summary
Today we saw a family marked by struggle from the very beginning.
Twins who fought in the womb. Parents who favored different children. Brothers who manipulated and despised one another.
This is not the family we wish we had. This is the family we recognize.
And yet—God is at work.
His purposes are not thwarted by dysfunction. His sovereignty is not undermined by rivalry. His grace operates even in deeply broken systems.
Jacob will become Israel—the father of twelve tribes, the lineage through whom the Messiah will come. Esau will become Edom—a nation that will both oppose and eventually be reconciled to Israel.
Neither is perfect. Both are deeply flawed.
But God’s redemptive plan moves forward—through them, not despite them.
This is the hope for every broken family: God does not wait for us to get it right before He acts.
He works through the mess. He redeems the rivalry. He uses the unlikely.
And one day, He will bring all things together under Christ—the ultimate fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ephesians 1:10).
Action / Attitude for Today
As you move through your day, consider this:
Where are you stuck in rivalry, favoritism, or impulsive patterns?
If you’re caught in family dysfunction—whether as a parent, a sibling, or a child—ask God to help you see His redemptive purposes even here.
Choose today to do one thing differently:
If you’ve been the “Jacob” (grasping, manipulating, scheming), confess one area where you’ve tried to control outcomes instead of trusting God. Ask Him to help you release your grip.
If you’ve been the “Esau” (impulsive, short-sighted, trading away what matters), identify one area where you’re tempted to choose immediate relief over long-term good. Ask God to help you value what He values.
If you’ve been wounded by favoritism, tell God honestly how that has shaped you. Ask Him to heal the places that still ache from being overlooked or undervalued.
And if today you cannot do any of this—if you’re too tired, too hurt, too numb—then simply know this:
God’s purposes are not dependent on your performance.
He is working. Even through dysfunction. Even through failure. Even through families that look nothing like what they should.
He is faithful. And He will complete what He has begun.
Not because we are strong. But because He is.
The Bible for the Broken is published by Aurion Press LLC. © Aurion Press LLC. All rights reserved.