By faith Isaac blessed Jacob AND Esau concerning things to come.” (Heb 11:20) I don’t think that Esau or any of his descendants were damned to eternal misery nor pitted to destruction in hell from the womb. Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys. The mother inquired of the LORD and the LORD had said to Rebekah, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (Gen 25:23) I have come to believe that what was predetermined before birth was the church privilege, not eternal destiny of them nor their descendants. “The apostle does not seem to intimate that one should be an object of the Divine hatred, and the other of Divine love, in reference to their eternal states.” (Adam Clarke)
Jacob, the younger son, would have the right of firstborn— a term used to describe the responsibility of “the family's oldest son or daughter (Gn 22:21; 29:26)... The firstborn acted as priest of the family in the father's absence or death.” (Tyndale) And in return for services rendered, Jacob would receive a double portion of the family inheritance— based on the law.
The younger’s hand was said to clutch at Esau’s heel. Normally the eldest son held the position unless he proved himself unworthy but the LORD, in His sovereign right to bestow callings, passed over Esau for the job. “This position of the firstborn ceased when the priesthood was committed to Levi's tribe (Nm 3:12- 13).” (Tyndale) It was this right to change the priesthood again to the Gentile nations that was in question in Jesus’ day.
“So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents (a Hebrew). And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” (Gen 25:27-28) … because of the promise of God. Esau was earthly and sold the birthright earlier for a post of lentils, Gen 25:29-33. So, he became a “profane person” (Heb 12:16) by his own lack of regard for the things of God.
And it came to pass, when Isaac knew that the end of his days was near, and he desired to bestow the patriarchal blessing on a son, that his “eyes were dim, so that he could not see.’’ (Gen 27:1) “It ought not to need saying that we have there something more than a mere reference to the state of his physical eyes, yet in these days when so many glory in their understanding the Word ‘literally,’ God's servants need to dwell upon the most elementary spiritual truths. Everything in Holy Writ has a deeper significance than the ‘literal,’ and we are greatly the losers when we limit ourselves to the ‘letter’ of any verse.” (A. W. Pink)— And despite the Word of the LORD to his wife, Isaac intended to bless the eldest with that privilege (Gen 27:3-4) based, it seems, on carnal desires. “Instead of keeping his body in subjection, he indulged it. More than a hint of this is given in Genesis 25:28, ‘And Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison’: this brought him under the influence of one who could be of no help to him spiritually, and he loved him because he ministered unto his fleshly appetites.” (A. W. Pink) So Rebekah had to trick Isaac into giving the central blessing to Jacob. For the callings of God, even in patriarchal blessing, are irrevocable and must be clear.
JACOB’S BLESSING: “May God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!” (Gen 27:27-29) "Three things Jacob is here blessed with, 1st, Plenty, (Gen 27:28,) heaven and earth concurring to make him rich. 2d, Power, (Gen 27:29,) particularly dominion over his brethren, namely, Esau and his posterity. 3d, Prevalency with God, and a great interest in heaven.” (Joseph Benson)Esau wanted to inherit the blessing of firstborn but was rejected “for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” (Heb 12:17)
But Isaac had a blessing for him too. ESAU’S BLESSING: “Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.” (Gen 27:39) “This agrees with part of the blessing of Jacob, only the clauses are inverted, and no mention made of corn and wine; the land of Edom not being so fat and fruitful as the land of Canaan.” (John Gill) This agrees with the double portion going to the head of the clan. And the dew of heaven represents the ability for Esau and his descendants to be saved.
THERE WAS ALSO A LATTER DAY PROPHECY ON NATIONS OF ISRAEL AND EDOM: “‘By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.’ (Gen 27:40)
"Though Esau was not personally subject to his brother, his posterity were tributary to the Israelites, till the reign of Joram when they revolted and established a kingdom of their own (2 Kings 8:20; 2 Chronicles 21:8-10).”(Jamieson- Fausset-Brown)
“'When the sons of Jacob,' says the Jerusalem Targum here, 'attend to the law, and observe the precepts, they shall impose a yoke of servitude upon thy neck; but when they shall turn away themselves from studying the law, and neglect the precepts, behold, then thou shalt shake off the yoke of servitude.' This is no bad exposition of the passage.” (Joseph Benson)