Why did Jacob want both the birthright and the blessing?
Jacob wanted both because he caught a flicker of faith that the birthright and blessing held something worth gaining from God. Esau, by contrast, was destitute of faith and saw nothing in God's promises. Jacob understood that unless the God of Abraham and Isaac blessed him, he was destitute.
Les explains that Jacob had just a little flicker, a glimpse, that there was something to be gained by getting the birthright as well as the blessing. Esau was the oldest of the twins and came first, but he was destitute of faith and saw absolutely nothing in the promises of God. Jacob, however, knew he was dealing with the God of his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham, and he understood that unless this God blessed him, he was destitute. That is why Jacob clung to the Lord in the wrestling match and said, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me."
More Questions
What did Jacob see in the birthright and blessing that Esau did not?
Unlike Esau, Jacob got a little glimpse — a flicker of sight — that there was something to be gained by getting the birthright as well as the blessing.