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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
Genesis 25:27-34
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Isaac prayed to God, asking Him to make the way for Rebekah to have a child and boy did the Lord deliver because the couple not only ended up with one son but two. In yesterday’s message, we read about the two babies and their birth.
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Genesis 25:24-26
Two boys who were very different in appearance and this wouldn’t be the only thing that would distinguish them for this is what God told their mother the following before they were born:
“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.” Genesis 25:23
With all this in mind, we turn to the closing verses of this chapter and see how things started to change with the younger gaining prominence over his older brother, not by chance but rather with the eldest foolishly giving away what God wished for him to have. Look again at those words here:
The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright. Vv.27-34
Here, we pick up years after the twin babies emerged from Rebekah’s womb. We read where they became very different in what they liked to do with Esau becoming an outdoorsman “of the open country” who was a “skillful hunter” while Jacob was “content to stay at home among the tents”.
The scriptures then tell us that the two sons were each favored by one parent over the other. Given that he was a hunter who satisfied his father’s hunger for “wild game”, Esau was loved more by Isaac while Jacob was a favorite of Rebekah.
What did God say about these two sons?
They would be two people who would be separate with one stronger than the other and the older serving the younger. We immediately see the distinctions taking root as the stage is set for what’s to come later.
So what did come later?
Going to our passage, we learn that one day as “Jacob was cooking some stew”, his older brother “came in from the open country”, and we immediately find out he was hungry for he tells Jacob:
“Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”
Now, you’ll remember that Esau came out hairy and red when he was born and now we see where he loves red stew. Of interest, the name Esau actually means hairy and the scriptures also tell us that he was “called Edom” which means, red. It also lets us know that Esau would be the future progenitor of the Edomites, who would be constant enemies of the Israelites who we will later see emerge from Jacob’s descendants.
Well, as this story continues about the request for red stew, we learn that Jacob was a pretty sly brother for he took advantage of his older brother’s hunger by trying to make a deal, putting the following condition on the food:
“First sell me your birthright.”
Now, on the surface this looked like a ludicrous request and one only a fool would accept. Let me explain.
You see the birthright was always reserved for the firstborn son in any family and it carried very special privileges, privileges that were a blessing from God.
For example, the son who carried the birthright was the one who would step up and assume their father’s responsibilities and authority if he died. The entitlement also carried with it a greater inheritance as the oldest son received twice as the other sons.
There is no question that the birthright was a sacred blessing, a gift from God and one that should never taken for granted but we see Esau surprisingly doing just that as he says this to Jacob:
“Look, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”
Here, we find Esau trying to make it sound as if he would die before his father Isaac and so the inheritance would hold no value anyways, therefore, he could just give the birthright away. In reality, he simply held his desires as a greater priority, no matter what he might be giving up in return.
Friends, are we too much like Esau sometimes? Are we willing to turn away from the desires God has for us, which include His special blessings, so to chase after the things we want?
If we’re honest, maybe we all have made the same mistake as Esau did, although perhaps with a lot less at stake.
Well, going back to the scriptures, we find Jacob doubling down on his request for Esau to surrender his birthright for he asks his older brother:
“Swear to me first.”
In other words, Jacob was making sure the matter was sealed for once Esau “swore an oath to him”, the birthright would be legally his and binding.
And that’s exactly what took place. Esau swore the oath and in doing so, effectively “despised his birthright”, handing it over to Jacob for “some bread and some lentil stew”.
Friends, today people can choose between the world and what it offers them or the Lord and the things He desires to give which includes the offer of sin pardon and eternal life through His only Son Jesus, the One who gained the ultimate birthright from His Father and then passes a portion of that birthright kingdom inheritance to anyone who places their belief and trust in Him. I think this is why the Savior of the world posed this question found in the Gospel of Matthew:
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” 16:26
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
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