The birthright usually went to the eldest son, but the birthright in the family of Isaac must go to the son who would obey God. He was to be the father of God's people,—the children of Israel.
Jacob loved God, and was willing to obey Him. He greatly desired the blessing which the birthright would bring to him. But Esau did not love God nor care to serve Him. He would rather live the wild, free life of a hunter, and do as he chose, than have the birthright.
Jacob did not trust God as he should, for he feared that Esau would have the birthright because he was the eldest son of Isaac. So he studied all the time to find some plan to get it away from Esau.
Jacob's Dream.
One day Esau had been in the fields hunting, but had found nothing. On the way home he became very hungry. Coming to the tent of his brother he found him preparing his dinner of pottage. "And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint."
Jacob forgot that he ought to be kind to his brother. He only thought that this was the chance he had been looking for. "And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright."
"And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me?" So he sold his birthright to his brother for a good dinner.
You see Jacob took a mean advantage of his brother when he was faint and hungry. This made it easier for him afterward to do another great wrong, and deceive his father. One wrong act always makes it easier to do another.
When Isaac was very old he became blind. He was still determined to give the birthright to Esau. So one day he told him to go into the field and kill a deer and make some savory meat, and then he would bless him.