Sibling Rivalry in the Bible - #3

If you have more than one child, and they differ in age by less than 7 years, you have undoubtedly experienced a bit of sibling rivalry. It can take all kinds of forms and it can be rooted in all kinds of emotions, but it is there. It's as old as Cain and Abel, and the "problem" of sibling rivalry isn't going anywhere as long as Jesus hasn't come back. So, I'm going to begin a series of posts (1 each for the next couple of weeks) about sibling rivalry. We'll take a look at different instances of it in the Bible, and attempt to learn something together.


Jacob and Esau (Gen.25-27)

What really happened: Isaac and Rebekah have twins. Anyone who has twins knows that there are some times where twins can give joy like single children born separately can't. They also know that there are times when twins can cause pain and tension unlike children born separately. The Bible says that the two boys were "struggling within her before they were born" (Gen. 25:21-26). Eventually, they grow up and Jacob tricks his father and takes the inheritance from his older brother, leading to the separation of two nations who still to this day, dislike each other.

What caused it in their situation: I think the main clue to this particular case of sibling rivalry is that "Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob" (Gen. 5:28). In this family, there were obvious favorites.

The End Result: Two different nations are formed from these two brothers after Jacob "steals" the birthright from Esau and tricks his father into giving him the blessing/inheritance.

Be on the lookout: Make sure you are on your guard and watchful about whether or not parents have their own, personal favorite kids. Dad, if you're spending more time with one child while mom is spending more time with another, watch carefully. I know that can be difficult sometimes (especially if Dad coaches little league and Mom is the dance sponsor), but it may take a conscious effort to spend quality/special time with each of your children, lest you, unknowingly, develop "favorites."

What's the Takeaway: Well, the most natural takeaway from this story is that if you have twins, you should keep your eye out for certain kinds of sibling rivalry that can be exasperated by "twin-dom." Secondly, in this family, we see the obvious dangers of playing favorites.