“Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
Genesis 25:31-32
Isaac and Rebecca had troubles having children, but Isaac prayed for his wife and Rebekah delivered twin boys when Isaac was 60.
Having twins, I fully understand that some twins can be identical and others can be like mine, complete opposites. And these boys, they were opposite in every way. Esau was a hunter, a man’s man, his dad’s favorite. Jacob, on the other hand, was a homebody, the favorite of his mom, and the one the promised covenant was to be fulfilled through by God.
One day, Jacob was home cooking a stew and Esau arrived back feeling famished — aka really hungry for any “growing” boy. Esau being the oldest, had something that Jacob didn’t, the birthright of the family. The birthright was the one thing that every boy in the family desired because it meant he would be in charge of the family when the father passed away, he would receive the greatest blessing from the father, and the majority of the inheritance would go to this son. In the depths of his soul, Jacob desires the birthright, and in the pit of his stomach, Esau just wanted food. One was definitely more important that the other, and Jacob saw an opportunity and took it.
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 25:31-34
Esau, so quickly, gave up something so important, just to feed his selfish desire. Jacob, took advantage of his brothers poor selfishness, to get something God had promised him from birth.
Before you are quick to say, “I’d never do something like that.” Slow down, think….aren’t we all willing to give up the best things for our own selfish desires. Aren’t some of us willing to give up time with our family to work more to get that boat or that huge house? Don’t we give up our time with God because we want to sleep more so we can stay up later to watch that show? Do you ever say “Yes” to something you want when it will take away something that’s even better?
Esau, in the moment, let his stomach guide his decisions. He didn’t think about what his life would look like. He didn’t take the time to think, wait, I could make a sandwich or go out and Kill myself some food. Esau didn’t utilize the gifts that God had given him because he just wanted the easy way out.
Thankfully, God already knows the choices we will make, even when they are poor. He knew Jacob would trick his brother and He knew Esau would give up something great for his own selfishness.
And for every decision we make, there will be consequences we have to take.
God had already promised that Jacob would be the one that the Abrahamic Covenant would be fulfilled through, but instead of letting God make it happen, Jacob took it into his own hands.
These quick decisions on both Esau and Jacob, for different reasons, caused family issues for the rest of their life and into the unforeseen future.
God will provide for us in every situation, and he will give each one of us everything we need for the call he has given us. But all to often, we try to take the future into our own hands. We don’t patiently wait or utilize the gifts we’ve been given, instead, we trick and scheme and give up what’s best for something God would have given us for free.
In each choice we have before us, we have 2 options: sell our soul for a bowl of soup or save our soul through the one who will give us abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine.
What are you willing to sell your soul for? Even the woman at the well was dying of thirst, but Jesus told her she would thirst no more if she would just come to him instead of going to the arms of someone who would never fulfill what she was really looking for. Why not look at our desires through the eyes of Jesus, and weigh them against his desires? Then and only then will our desires be fulfilled because our desires will become his desires. And we will no longer be selling our souls or anything else for a bowl of soup.
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