The Conflicts of Jacob and Esau

Jacob and Esau started fighting at the very moment they were born. When Esau, the oldest brother,  was being born Jacob grabbed his heel. Esau was, nevertheless, was born first. But needless to say, it was one of those

Moments.

Esua, the oldest, was the hunter of the family, while Jacob tended to stay home. Once, Jacob was making a delicious stew when his brother came home from an unsuccessful hunt and was perishing with hunger. He asked for his brother's soup and Jacob said, “Only if you give me your birthright!” Esau grudgingly agreed, and they shook on it. The last straw was when their father was about to die, and Esau was out hunting. Jacob’s mother put camelskin on Jacob’s  arms and told him to impersonate his brother for his blessings. His father felt the camel skin on Jacob’s arms and thought it was Esau’s hairy arms. His father gave Jacob all the blessings meant for Esau. When Esau came home, he found that Jacob had stolen all of his blessings. He planned to kill Jacob, but Jacob found out Esau’s schemes and bolted. Many years later, When Jacob had raised a family and servants, he looked over the hill and found that he could see Esau and three hundred men marching over the hill, armed with swords and spears and bows headed for Jacob's camp. That must have been a really big "Oh, Crap!" moment.

In a rush, Jacob split up his wives and children and servants into two groups. “Maybe if we split up, one group shall escape! I’ll get gifts to bring to Esau and slow him down! RUN!” Fortunately for Jacob, Esau accepted his gifts and didn’t massacre anybody (Jacob brought at least three-hundred animas as gifts. How can you refuse that?) So that was the end of their fights. BWAHAHAHAHA! Just kidding. Their nations came to be at war and I’m pretty sure are still fighting. But (a) moral of the story is that, although Jacob was well-rewarded for repeatedly tricking Esau, Perhaps it is not good to so willingly play the trickster. As clever as Jacob was, he had to reorient himself, humble himself, and make amends at no small cost in order to come home.