What did God tell Rebekah about Jacob and Esau before they were born?
God told Rebekah that two nations were in her womb and two peoples would be separated from her. One people would be stronger than the other, and the elder, Esau, would serve the younger, Jacob. This was said before the twins were born.
Rebekah conceived twins, and when the children struggled together within her, she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord answered that two nations were in her womb and two manner of people would be separated from her; one people would be stronger than the other, and the elder would serve the younger. The context identifies the elder as Esau and the younger as Jacob. Les explains that this was in the sovereign plan of God in the first place, before they were ever born, so Jacob's later conniving to get everything from Esau should not be faulted too much. Later, when her days were fulfilled, Esau came out first, red and hairy, and Jacob followed, his hand holding Esau's heel.
And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
More Questions
Was Jacob's treatment of Esau part of God's plan?
Jacob's later seeming connivance to take everything from Esau was part of God's sovereign plan from the start, and God intended it that way, so Jacob and Rebekah cannot be too heavily faulted.
Who mandated Jacob's destiny before he was born, and why is that important when reading about Rebekah and Jacob's trick?
God himself mandated, before the twins were ever born, that the elder would serve the younger, so in the later story of Rebekah and Jacob's scheme to get Isaac's blessing, we must never lose sight of that prior divine mandate.