Some people reading this today may well understand the pain in the next two verses.
“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.” (Genesis 26 v 34-35)
Two verses, and behind it is pain.
Just two verses, but packed with relational pain.
We don’t know why. We can speculate. Cultural differences, faith, personality clashes, we just don’t know. What we do know is this: the parents were heartbroken.
We will read next about how Jacob stole Esau’s blessing. Jacob, we know, was the deceiver. Isaac’s blindness made the deception easier. However, we see here that Esau, the eldest brother, didn’t just sell his birthright for the cost of a meal; he married outside their faith community. His decisions seemed selfish, driven by immediate gratification with no thought for the consequences.
This isn’t a neat story, and it leaves many questions. It doesn’t condemn Esau’s wives. It simply states what happened and mentions the pain Isaac and Rebekah felt.
Sometimes grief isn’t neat and tidy. There are seasons when families just carry the tension, and there doesn’t seem to be a pleasant conclusion. The Bible leaves the stories hanging, and that is still true for many today.
If you or your family look somewhat of a mess, the Bible understands – the Bible’s characters understand – and importantly, God understands.
Missions Paul 