Birthrights and blessings were important
      a birthright established position
            and power within the family
            it traditionally went to the firstborn male
      the blessing was a sacred pronouncement
      from the old to the young

The psychological impact of a blessing
      would be great
Believing the blessing
      could possibly
      make it come true

Stealing a brother's blessing
      is a most base form
      of unethical behavior

Also unfortunate is the attitude of the parents
      they had favorites
      his son
      her son
They all needed to learn
      our sons

This is a story in which nobody seems to win
Everybody loses
      Isaac trembled at the deceit within his household
      Esau became angry and vengeful
      Rebekah sent Jacob away and never saw him again
      Jacob was driven out of his comfort zone.

                       BIRTHRIGHTS AND BLESSINGS
     This divided family would not live together in peace.
                                        Genesis 27

    1Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes
were so dim that he could not see, he called Esau his older
son and said, "My son."  He answered him, "Here I am."
    2Then he said, "Behold, I am old.  I do not know the day of
my death.  3Now therefore, please take your weapons, your
quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game
for me.  4Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it
to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before
I die."
    5Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his
son.  And Esau went to the field to hunt game.  6So Rebekah
spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Indeed I heard your father
speak to Esau your brother, saying,  7'Bring me game and
make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you
in the presence of the Lord before my death.'
    8"Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what
I command you.  9Go now to the flock and bring me from there
two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from
them for your father, such as he loves.  10Then you shall take
it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you
before his death."
    30Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing
Jacob, and Jacob has scarcely gone out from the presence of
Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father,
and said, "Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that
your soul may bless me."
    32His father Isaac said to him, "Who are you?"   So he
said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."   33Then Isaac
trembled exceedingly, and said, "Who?  Where is the one
who hunted game and brought it to me?  I have blessed
him--and indeed he shall be blessed."
    34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried
with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his
father, "Bless me--me also, O my father!"   But he said,
"Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your
blessing."
    36And Esau said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob?  For
he has supplanted me these two times.  He took away my
birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!"
          _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

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