Bucking the Parents Can Come Back to Bite You

Wow! Here it is - as plain as day. I mean I've read about Jacob and Esau and the stew and the hair and the hunt and the goat. I even knew about the mom getting involved to help her beloved son. I knew about how angry that dad got that he had been 'duped' by his son and his wife. However, i never knew the why behind it. Sure, we can rest on divine providence and God's overall will being done, but i see something very practical for us to look at.

The Bible reference is from the book of Genesis chapters 27 and 28 and the key 'smack you in the face' verse is found in Genesis 26:34-35.


"When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah."

Who was a source of grief? Esau and his wife. Now, Rebekah already favored Jacob and it seems like this was the last straw for her to begin her mastermind scheme to position her favorite son in the place of honor. This is reaffirmed in the next chapter of Genesis 27:46

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living."

Well, what's the moral of the story here? Listen up to your parents. You may think that you're getting away with something by throwing their advice to the side, but there may just come a day when they wrap your brother with some fur and medium rare goat legs and steal away the one thing that means more to you than anything. Esau figured out after he lost it all why his parents were so disappointed in him later and tried to make it right. How? Polygamy of course. He married another woman hoping that she could cover over the mistake of the Hittite woman. Too little. Too late. The damage was done.

Don't wait on this one - it's not worth it! Listen up to those in authority over you because they really want the best for you. Even if you don't understand the 'why' - talk with them and get to the bottom line. You don't want to be scambling around after the damage's done trying to make things right!

Until next time... GP