Esau

Birthright: The covenant of God and Abraham-that God will be his God and that he will be the father of a nation.

Too often in life we place our physical needs and desires above matters of spiritual importance. Esau did just that one day when he returned from a hunting trip famished. Jacob offered his older brother a bowl of stew, but at a stiff price-his birthright (Gen 25:27-34).

We've heard the story before. Esau sells his birthright in exchange for a bowl of stew. But how many times have we really considered what happened in this passage, what happened when Esau made the exchange? Esau's was the heir to Abraham's line. God had established a covenant with Abraham, that God would be his God and that Abraham would father a nation. When Esau sold his birthright to Jacob this is what he was giving up. He was surrendering to Jacob the promises of God. Why? Because at that moment the needs of his body were more important than the promise of God.

Esau's second mistake was to disobey his parents and tie himself to the line of Ishmael, who did not share in God's promises. He married Ishmael's daughter (36:23) and two Hittite women (26:34).

When people used to plow fields in Biblical times they yoked two oxen together to a plow. If one ox was bigger and stronger than the other the lines would not come out straight. The oxen would have to be evenly matched so that the plow lines would be straight. The Bible encourages us to "not be unevenly yoked." While this obviously pertains to romantic relationships and marriage, this also applies to friendships and partnerships. Remaining on the "straight and narrow" requires that we not try to walk the path with someone or with some people that do not believe the same things that we do.

Esau allowed himself to become "yoked" to a line that was not to inherit the covenant of God. By doing this he cut himself from God's covenant completely.

Esau finally began to realize that he had lost his way when his brother stole his blessing. As the firstborn son Esau should have received the blessing of his father, but Jacob deceived his father and stole the blessing. This blessing was so important that it made Esau into Jacob's servant, fulfilling the prophesy that his parents received when they were born (25:23, 27:40, 27:29b).

What made Esau mad was not that he was now Jacob's servant, but that he was called Jacob's servant. What was most important to Esau was his pride and that he perceived that he was respected.

This is made evident when Esau sets out to kill Jacob and years later, when he finds him he is completely placated by large gifts and signs of respect (32:18). Esau embraces Jacob and forgives him when his pride is restored (33:4).
We can learn a lot from the mistakes Esau made.

First, Esau placed his physical desires over the things of God.
Esau was not the only person in the Bible to do this. Sampson places sex above God's calling. So did King David. Judas and the rich man both placed money over salvation. Even Jesus asked God if He could somehow avoid death on the cross. When we place our physical needs above God's calling we loose. Esau lost everything. Sampson lost his strength. David lost his son and entire family. Judas took his life and the rich man lost salvation. And what if Jesus had decided not to die on the cross?

Second, Esau tied himself to godless people.
The book of Psalms begins with an admonition to keep away from just this. "Does not walk in the counsel of the wicked" means to not order your life according to the advise of godless people. "Nor stand in the path of sinners" means not to place yourself along the same path as those that make wickedness a way of life. Finally, "nor sit in the seat of scoffers" means to not settle oneself among those that ridicule God.
Godless people claim that all there is to live for is self-gratification. As Christians we should not be buying into this ideology. As Christians we should not be going along with sinners and helping them in their sinning. Finally, how many of us have been among people that have ridiculed God? I know I have and have been guilty of keeping silent. I lost the opportunity for blessing as Psalms 1:1 advises.

Third, Esau placed his emotional needs over the things of God.
While this area is a little harder to qualify Biblically, it is something that we deal with a lot in today's world. Often we place over God. We also avoid have a tendency to ignore the issues of pride and greed, both of which can severely impede our relationship with God. Solomon, who had more right than almost anyone else in the Bible to exhibit pride admonishes that "pride comes before the fall."

We are declared by God to be a royal priesthood; we are His chosen people, the elect. This is our birthright. Let's not make the same mistakes Esau made and forsake this birthright.