Which brother did God sovereignly place in the lineage of the Messiah?
God sovereignly designated Jacob, not his brother Esau, to be in the lineage of the Messiah. The context contrasts Esau as faithless and profane with Jacob, showing that God's sovereign choice placed Jacob in the Messianic line. Scripture presents Esau as a profane person, while God's sovereign election set Jacob apart for that lineage.
Les explains that Esau was a man destitute of faith, incapable perhaps of knowing right from wrong, while Isaac recognized this and would not revoke the blessing he had given to Jacob ('And he shall be blessed'). Esau cried bitterly over missing the material blessing. The New Testament describes Esau as an immoral or profane person. Les emphasizes that God in His sovereignty designated Jacob, not Esau, to be in the line of the Messiah.