The struggle in the womb signified that two nations were already at odds within Rebekah and that God had sovereignly chosen Jacob, the younger, over Esau before either had done good or evil.
God answered Rebekah's inquiry with a sovereign declaration: 'Two nations are in thy womb... and the elder shall serve the younger' (Genesis 25:23), spoken before the boys were born. Les teaches this shows the struggle was in God's sovereign plan from the very beginning, not merely a foreshadowing of later sibling rivalry. Because God had already set the outcome, even the later scheming of Rebekah and Jacob did not frustrate His purpose.
Genesis 25:22-23 — The direct passage where Rebekah inquires about the struggling twins and God reveals that two nations are in her womb and the elder will serve the younger.
Romans 9:11-12 — Paul's New Testament commentary showing the prenatal choice of Jacob demonstrates the purpose of God according to election, not of works.
In Genesis 25, Rebekah experienced an unusual struggle of twins within her womb and asked the Lord, 'If it be so, why am I thus?' The Lord answered directly: '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' (Genesis 25:23). This answer came before either child had been born or had done good or evil. When the twins were delivered, Esau came out first, but Jacob's hand took hold on Esau's heel (Genesis 25:26), so that the struggle that had begun within the womb continued at the very moment of birth. The Scripture presents the prenatal conflict not as meaningless movement but as a revelation of two distinct peoples separated from Rebekah's being. Paul later reaffirmed the significance of these events in Romans 9, explaining that the purpose of God according to election might stand 'not of works, but of him that calleth,' and reminding his readers that the declaration 'The elder shall serve the younger' was made before the children were born.
Les emphasizes that God answered Rebekah before the twins were born, telling her that two nations were in her womb and that the elder, Esau, would serve the younger, Jacob. He marks this as a critical point: because God declared the outcome in advance, the later actions of Rebekah and Jacob to secure the blessing were 'in the sovereign plan of God in the first place.' Les says 'this is the way He intended it to be, so we can't fault them too much.' Les also connects the womb struggle to Romans 9, where the children had done nothing good or evil when the purpose of God according to election was declared — 'not of works... but of him that calleth.' For Les, this is the sovereign God at work. He adds that God, in His foreknowledge — seeing the end from the beginning — knew that Esau would be destitute of faith. Esau saw nothing in the promises of God, while Jacob had just a little flicker of faith, a glimpse that there was something to be gained in the birthright and the blessing. So the womb struggle pointed to the different spiritual dispositions of the two men.
Romans 9 declares that the children were not yet born and had not done anything good or evil when the purpose of God according to election was declared, so the choice was 'not of works... but of him that calleth' — the sovereign God (Clip 5). Les adds that God, in His foreknowledge, could see the end from the beginning and knew that Esau would be destitute of faith, while Jacob had a little flicker of faith that made the birthright and blessing worth pursuing (Clips 6, 2).
Les tells his listeners to mark Genesis 25:23 down, because when they later see how Jacob seemingly connives to get everything away from Esau, they must remember that it was 'in the sovereign plan of God in the first place. This is the way He intended it to be, so we can't fault them too much' (Clip 3). The prior declaration before birth ensures that the blessing given to Jacob was not a hijacking of God's will but the outworking of what God had already determined.
Les draws a direct line from Esau's spiritual condition to the prenatal struggle. Esau was 'destitute of faith' — he saw absolutely nothing in the promises of God — so it is no surprise that he later traded his spiritual birthright for a bowl of bean soup (Clips 2, 7). Jacob, by contrast, had a little glimpse that there was something worth gaining in the birthright and the blessing (Clip 2). The different spiritual dispositions of the two boys were the backdrop for God's sovereign declaration that the elder would serve the younger.
Jacob & Esau: The Sovereignty of God in the Birthright & Blessing | Genesis 25-27
surprised of the time element that takes place between so many of these things that we normally read and think, well, it must have been just a week or two, but in actuality it was years. Because you want to remember, God promised Abraham that from His call to go to a land that He would show him, which of course was to Canaan, until Israel would be a nation coming out of Egypt is going to be 430 ye…
Two Nations Declared Before Birth
Les reads the Genesis account showing God told Rebekah before the twins were born that two nations were in her womb and that the elder, Esau, would serve the younger, Jacob — the foundational explanation for the struggle.
Jacob's Flicker of Faith vs. Esau's Destitution
Les compares the twins' inner spiritual states: Esau was destitute of faith with no interest in God's promises, while Jacob had a small flicker of faith that made the birthright and blessing worth pursuing — the very contrast that God's prenatal declaration anticipated.
Struggle Within God's Sovereign Plan
Les points to Rebekah's inquiry about the struggling twins and stresses that this was 'in the sovereign plan of God in the first place' — the way He intended it to be — so the later conniving of Rebekah and Jacob cannot be over-faulted.
What Does the Bible Say About Deception? Jacob, Esau, and the Stolen Blessing.
And now Esau comes on the scene having, of course, gotten his deer and he's prepared the food that he knows old Jacob loves. And now let's drop in at verse 30 of chapter 27. And it came to pass as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, now remember I pointed out in the last half hour that the blessing was the double portion of the material estate.
Election Not of Works
Les applies Romans 9's statement that Jacob and Esau had done nothing good or evil when God's purpose of election was declared, showing the womb struggle pointed to the sovereign God who calls, not to human works.
God's Foreknowledge of Esau's Unbelief
Les explains that God — able to see the end from the beginning — knew in foreknowledge before the lads were ever born that Esau would be destitute of faith, which Les sees behind God's sovereign choice of Jacob.
Esau's Birthright Traded for Soup
Les highlights Esau's attitude toward the birthright — calling it no profit and exchanging it for bean soup — as proof that Esau had no faith and that the difference between the brothers had deep spiritual roots.
Genesis 25:22: And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
Records the actual struggle of the twins within Rebekah, prompting her to inquire of the Lord about its meaning.
Genesis 25:23: 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.
God's direct answer revealing that the struggle signified two nations and a sovereign reversal in which the elder serves the younger.
Genesis 25:26: And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
Shows Jacob's hand taking hold of Esau's heel at birth, connecting his name to the prenatal struggle.
Romans 9:11: (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Paul's explanation that God's election of Jacob stood before the children had done good or evil — not of works.
Romans 9:12: It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Quotes the Genesis declaration, confirming the sovereign choice of the younger over the elder.
God told Rebekah that 'two nations are in thy womb' and that 'the elder shall serve the younger' — a declaration made before the twins were born. The struggle showed that two distinct peoples were already in conflict and that God had sovereignly chosen the younger, Jacob, to carry the promises.
No. As Romans 9 explains, the children were 'not yet born, neither having done any good or evil' when the purpose of God according to election was declared — 'not of works, but of him that calleth.' Les emphasizes that God in His foreknowledge knew Esau would be destitute of faith, but the choice itself was God's sovereign act.
Les teaches that Esau had no faith in the spiritual promises — he saw absolutely nothing to be gained in them. When he was hungry, he glibly traded his birthright for a bowl of bean soup, showing that the spiritual difference between the twins was evident even before birth.
Les says yes — the outcome was 'in the sovereign plan of God in the first place,' declared before the boys were born. That does not excuse the deception, but it shows that their conniving took place within a story God had already determined.