January 7, 2008
Readings - Genesis 24 - 25Genesis 24 and 25
Isaac and Jacob, Abraham’s son and grandson, are significant men. This is not so much because of any contribution their lives make to us, but because they are links in the line through which the covenant promises of God are passed on. The genealogical record proves the right of Israel to special relationship with God and to the land promised to Abraham.
Birthright. The birthright was the extra portion of a father’s goods which ancient custom dictated must go to the eldest son. In these chapters of Genesis, the birthright which Esau despised and Jacob valued was the covenant promise of God.
Esau’s hunger (Gen. 25:29-34). Esau was the oldest son of Isaac and, according to law and custom, was in line to inherit a double portion of Isaac’s possessions, including the covenant promise of God. This was his birthright: his right by birth.But one day after a hunting trip Esau came home hungry. Jacob was boiling a stew of lentils, and Esau asked for some. Seeing his chance, and knowing his brother well, Jacob demanded Esau’s birthright in return. The Bible tells us that Esau “despised” his birthright and swore it to Jacob as the price of the pottage.
What a picture! Esau weighed the promise of God’s continual presence and blessing against a bowl of soup—and valued the soup more highly. What a revelation of Esau’s character. He was a man who valued the present rather than the future, the material rather than the invisible. The momentary satisfaction of physical desires seemed more important to him than the approval of God. The body, not the spirit, dominated his scale of values.
I can look at Esau’s act and be amazed by it. But what I need to realize is that this act of selling the birthright was an action that is in character, not out of character. It was the result of a long process of character formation, a long history of choice after choice which shaped Esau’s personality.
Right now I may look at Esau with wonder and say, “I’d never do that.” Instead I ought to look at the action as an expression of character, and wonder: In what direction are my daily choices leading me? Do I so value my present experiences that I fail to discipline myself to wait when waiting is best? Do I have to have the pleasures of eating despite the fact that I’m overweight? Is God high enough on my priority list to cause me to spend time with Him, or do other things push Him out of my thoughts?I can shake my head in wonder at Esau, but I had better realize that unless I make a daily habit of rejecting Esau’s values, I might someday be faced with a similar choice—and make the wrong one!
Reflection
In what ways are you like Esau? How are you going to change so that the things of God are more important than the things of man?