Abraham was certainly a rich man with a host of servants at command,
yet the Bible tells us that Sarah, his wife, prepared with her own
hands the food for the strangers who visited the patriarch as he sat in
the door of his tent by the Oaks of Mamre. We can understand then that
the sons of Isaac, who were even richer than his father, prepared food
themselves.
Esau was looked upon as the older son and treated accordingly. There
were certain privileges which by custom were given to oldest sons at
their fathers' deaths, and these things constituted what was called a
birthright. In addition to being treated as the older son Esau was
also the favorite son of his father.
But Rebekah loved Jacob more than she did Esau. Jacob was of a much
quieter disposition than his brother, living near his mother and
probably spending much of his time with her. We may think of him as a
man who liked to live in comfort and peace, hospitable to strangers, as
was the custom of the country, yet all the time wishing, as he looked
out over the flocks and herds, that his was to be an older brother's
portion when they were divided.
The word Jacob means "supplanter," or one who takes the place of
another, and Jacob acted up to the meaning of his name at the first
opportunity.
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