It is always believed that because Esau was cursed (sold his birthright and lost his blessing to Jacob) he was wretched and poor in all ramifications of life compared to Jacob.
Meanwhile, a careful study of the Bible will prove otherwise. After Jacob received the blessing of Esau from Isaac their father, he had to run to his uncle Laban in Haran so that Esau would not kill him (Gen. 27:41, 28:1-9). Before he went to Haran Esau had already marry from the Canaanite woman. In Haran, Jacob had to serve his uncle for seven years before Laban could give him a daughter for his wife (Gen. 29:14b-30).
While Jacob was serving in a foreign land, Esau was already making wealth in their homeland. Materially, Esau was richer than Jacob. Their possessions were too great for them to remain together. The Scripture says: "The land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock (36:7)." Esau moved to a distant place so that they could have enough space for their inheritance.
After Esau parted from his brother and settled in the hill country, he grew and built a great kingdom called Edom. While Jacob and his sons were still "nothing" before the face of the earth. Esau is the first descendant of Abraham to build a great kingdom (Gen. 36).
Despite all these physical, financial, and material attainments by Esau that far outweigh that of Jacob momentarily, the Bible still considers him cursed. Esau was such a great man, but before God he was wretched.
Here is the point, one could be wealthy materially and yet be poor in the eye of God. Though Esau was rich materially he was poor as far as the Bible is concerned. Man, to some extent is limited to determining true wealth. True riches depend on God, it is what God considers riches that is truly riches. It is not human attainment that makes true riches but God’s blessing and approval of human achievement. One could acquire all his or her heart desires and yet be poor in the true sense of riches.
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