We've heard of Herod the Great, but have we seen the comparison between Him and Esau, and their battle for power?
Herod the Great vs. Jesus: A Tale of Two Kings
The story of Herod the Great and Jesus presents a striking contrast between two figures who each claimed the title, King of the Jews. But they embodied vastly different ideas of kingship, power, and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Both Herod and Jesus were deeply connected to the lineage of the Jewish people, but the roots of their ancestry and their paths to kingship were fundamentally different. Herod was an Idumean descended from the line of Esau, and the other was a true Jew, descended from Jacob—whose name was eventually changed to Israel. The stories, though separated by centuries, reflect two distinct approaches to God's blessing, as well as a spiritual battle between the pursuit of fleshly desires and the pursuit of God’s will and His Spirit.
Esau’s Birthright and the Flesh
In the book of Genesis, the birthright and blessings of God were handed down from Abraham to Isaac and from Isaac to his second-born son, Jacob. Jacob was not the favored son; Esau, his older brother, was the favored one. He had the birthright by virtue of his firstborn status. But Esau, a man who lived for immediate gratification, famously sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew (Genesis 25:29–34). Esau’s decision to satisfy his fleshly hunger revealed his disregard for the spiritual blessings tied to the birthright. He sought what he could see and touch, rather than understanding the deeper, more valuable, spiritual inheritance that came with it.
Esau is often depicted in the Bible as a man of brute strength and impulsive desires, a hunter who lived for the moment, by all accounts, he was a man's man. But His rejection of the birthright in favor of satisfying his immediate needs set the tone for the kind of man he would become—a man who, like his actions, was driven by passion, pride, violence and a hunger for immediate gratification.
In contrast, Jacob, who was known for his quiet, more introspective nature, recognized the true value of the birthright and strategically determined to acquire it. Even though Jacob’s means of obtaining the birthright and the blessing is controversial, he valued the promise that came with it.
Once it was fully secured by Jacob, even at the bitter weeping and the intense pleading of Esau before their father, it could not be redistributed. Esau was enraged and sought to kill Jacob, thereby maintaining and securing his power and inheritance in the family. Jacob fled for his life to his mother's family lands and stayed there for 20 years. When finally returning to his homelands to claim his rightful place by the birthright and blessing of inheritance, Jacob received word that his brother was coming with hundreds of warriors.
Jacob, armed with only a shepherd's staff, spent the night alone on the banks of the river Peniel, which he needed to cross.
This name is given to the place where Jacob wrestled with a divine being all night, which is described in Genesis 32:28, "Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.'" In Genesis 32:30 it says, "So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.'"
The name Peniel (also spelled Penuel) in Hebrew means "Face of God" or "The face of El" (where "El" refers to God). It reflects Jacob's experience of encountering God in a direct, personal way during the night-long struggle.
During this encounter, God changed his name to Israel, meaning "one who wrestles with God and overcomes or prevails" (Genesis 32:28). Jacob’s struggle symbolizes his deep yearning for God's blessing and his willingness to overcome his own desires and fears to secure it.
Esau, Herod, and the Battle for the Blessing
Fast forward nearly two millennia forward from Esau, one of His very own descendants, became a King over the Jews. Herod the Great, a descendant of Esau through the Idumeans, mirrors his ancestor in many ways. Herod was driven by power, control, and a hunger for dominance. Esau was a brute who sought to satisfy his flesh and violently secure his position, Herod, too, was a tyrant who sought to secure his rule and preserve his throne at any cost. Herod’s claim to the title "King of the Jews" was shaky at best, as he was not of the Jewish line but an Idumean, a descendant of Esau.
Nevertheless, Herod sought to retain this title, feeling entitled to the power and influence that came with it. How thrilled he must have been, knowing the stories of Esau and Jacob from centuries before, to have acquired the coveted position of authority, and be installed as King of the Jews.
It must have seemed to Herod at least, that he had finally conquered his 'younger brother' and reclaimed his inheritance.
Like Esau, Herod would do whatever it took to secure his position, even resorting to bloodshed. The infamous massacre of the innocents, in which Herod ordered the slaughter of all male children under the age of two in Bethlehem, reveals the depths of his cruelty and his desperation to eliminate any threat to his throne (Matthew 2:16–18). Herod’s actions echoed Esau’s violent and impulsive nature, a desire to destroy the perceived threat to his claim—just as Esau once sought to kill his brother Jacob after losing the birthright (Genesis 27:41).
Both Esau and Herod are examples of individuals who sought immediate pleasure and control over God's promises. They embodied a worldview centered on earthly desires, power, and the satisfaction of the flesh. Herod, like Esau, could not see the higher, spiritual significance of God's blessing. He sought the position of "King of the Jews," but not through God's will. Instead, he sought to preserve his own self-interest at all costs.
Jacob’s Blessing and the True King
Despite his flaws, Jacob wrestled with God to secure the birthright and blessing that God had promised to his forefathers. Jacob’s name change to Israel symbolized his spiritual transformation—a man who had once been deceptive but had wrestled with God to earn the blessing that would not only shape his own destiny but the destiny of his descendants. Jacob's wrestling was not just physical but spiritual. He overcame his will, fears, and need for control to embrace God's promise and protection.
This spiritual struggle and eventual victory over his desires were key to understanding why Jacob, not Esau, was the rightful heir to God’s blessing. God’s favor rested on the one who would embrace His promises, not the one who would use force and bloodshed to seize power.
Fast-forward 1800 years, and we see the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the true King of the Jews, was born into the lineage of Jacob. Unlike Herod, Jesus did not seek power, wealth, or control. Instead, He lived a life of humility and sought God's will. His kingship was not based on worldly domination but on spiritual truth, justice, and the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom.
Herod, like Esau, could not grasp the deeper spiritual significance of God's promises. He tried to kill the fulfillment of those promises, but in the end, he was overcome by Jesus—the descendant of Jacob, who was the true heir to the promise.
Overcoming the Flesh: Jesus as the True King
Herod and Esau sought to satisfy their fleshly desires and secure their own kingdoms at any cost, but Jesus, as the descendant of Israel, embodied the opposite path. He wrestled with His own will in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). Jesus chose to obey God’s will, even when it meant suffering and death. His victory was not one of earthly power but of spiritual triumph, securing the kingdom of God for all who would believe.
Ultimately, Jesus was the true King of the Jews, not because of His earthly birthright or political power, but because He was the fulfillment of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Herod in his tyrannical pursuit of power, was overcome by the King who came not to rule with an iron fist, but with love, mercy, and sacrifice.
One shed the blood of all others that might threaten his power, The other shed His own blood, because No power could threaten. Not even death- He prevailed!
In conclusion, the story of Herod and Jesus as 'King of the Jews' highlights the contrast between two rulers—one who seeks to satisfy the flesh and the other who seeks to fulfill God's will. Esau and Herod were driven by earthly desires, and sought to claim God’s blessing by force and violence. Yet, Jacob and Jesus, through faith, humility, and obedience, became the true heirs to God's promises. The birthright, the blessing, and the kingship belong to those who wrestle with God and are empowered by God to overcome their desires in submission to His will.
