Genesis 27:36
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Esau's charge was true: Jacob was rightly named supplanter, for he supplanted his brother twice, first taking the birthright by fraud and then taking the blessing by deceit. The birthright was already his by God's promise and the blessing had been foretold, and the foretold outcome should have been left for God to bring about in his own time and way. Instead, in failure to trust God and his promises, in distrust and impatience, he sought by his own efforts and by fraud to secure what God was abundantly able to perform.
God did not approve that conduct and will not sanction, justify, or excuse such dealing, not even the least wrong in it. Supplanting is deception practiced by deceptive reasoning, grasping all one possibly can for self, turning a man from his rights, and breaking agreements without regard for the disappointment and wrong done to him. God's favor and the benefits of the blessing depend on conduct, and on love and reverence for God, so that possession of birthright or blessing by itself does not guarantee favor, and Jacob could have been blessed through love and reverence even without the privileges usually given to the firstborn.
Esau's loss is explained by long gratification of appetite, which left him controlled by strong desire for a coveted dish. He let imagination dwell on it until appetite bore down every other consideration, so that he thought he would suffer great inconvenience and even death without it, and the sacred birthright lost its value and sacredness in his sight until he despised it. In that recklessness he bound himself by solemn oath to give it to Jacob, flattering himself that he could dispose of it at will and buy it back at pleasure. When he learned that Jacob had obtained the blessing that would have belonged to him had he not rashly sold his birthright, he was greatly distressed and pleaded for a blessing.
His regret and bitter repentance over his rashness, folly, and madness came too late to remedy the matter and undo his choice. Though he sought to regain it even at great sacrifice and with tears, he was not able to do so, because he had despised the blessing and the Lord had removed it from him forever. His later lament over losing both birthright and blessing was sorrow over the result of his wrongdoing rather than true contrition for its guilt. Thus it will be with sinners in the day of God who barter away their heirship to heaven for selfish gratification and hurtful lusts, for perishable treasures and indulged appetite and selfish pleasure; they will find no place for repentance although they seek it carefully and with tears.
Jacob's fraud reaped its harvest upon himself and showed that every deed reacts upon the doer. It stirred his brother's hatred and forced him to flee for his life, and the danger he later faced from Esau brought the weight of self-reproach because his own sin had caused it. Through twenty years of exile he himself was wronged and defrauded and at last forced to find safety in flight, and he reaped a second harvest as the evils of his own character cropped out in his sons. His taking of the birthright and blessing by fraud was sin requiring repentance, and he did repent, humbling himself in self-surrender and prevailing with God. Because he had repented, God heard his prayer when he wrestled and mercifully preserved his life, pardoning him as supplanter and deceiver.
God does not contend forever nor remain always wroth, but sees the ways of the covetous and froward, and heals and leads and restores comforts to him and his mourners, giving rest and peace in the assurance of restored favor, peace to him that is far off and to him that is near. The name supplanters also applies to church leaders who have held office and pursued their own plans instead of being guided by the Holy Spirit.