Despising Our Birthright - Genesis 25:27-34
What we want says a lot about us. People are willing to devote their lives to obtaining all sorts of things: health, comfort, status, money… the list goes on. If we look around us, we see that a common anthem underlies not only personal decisions and spending habits but also societal demands, hot-button political issues, and global wars. It goes something like this:
Give me what I want.
One immediate problem, of course, is that our desires can be disordered. When we crave that which is wrong and neglect that which is right, we do so to our own detriment.
On Sunday, Pastor Michael preached on Genesis 25:27-34 and gave a sobering warning that being indifferent to the things of God will lead you to either compromise your faith or deny the faith. We see this in the life of Esau.
Esau came back from hunting one day exhausted, so when he found Jacob cooking lentil stew, he requested some of it. Jacob, knowing Esau’s condition, opportunistically told Esau to sell him his birthright. Esau did so in exchange for the bread and stew Jacob gave him. This interaction marked a pivotal moment in the lives of the two brothers. It also exposed the callousness of Esau’s heart towards the covenant promises God made to Abraham.
God had promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation, make his name great, and bless all the families of the earth in him. This promise would come to fulfillment through a descendent of the line of Abraham. Isaac, Abraham’s son, fathered Esau and Jacob, of whom Esau was the firstborn. Esau would have seemed the likely candidate to be the son through whom this line would continue, except the Lord chose Jacob. When Esau sold Jacob his birthright, this marked a turning point in Jacob’s life.
Esau’s decision was more than simply a moment of weakness; it exposed the condition of his heart. He was willing to sell his birthright — which represented position, provision, and blessing — for lentil stew. He cared little for the things of God.
If we, like Esau, are indifferent to the things of God, we will compromise or lose our faith. Though we live in a society that urges us to find identity in what we feel, we must vigilantly stay on guard against deceitful desires and instant gratification. As Michael said, “Our desires, not submitted to God, will always consume and deceive us.”
Are you guarding your heart? Are you finding full satisfaction in Christ, or in things this world has to offer? Let’s stay on guard, so we don’t give ourselves to our desires and, like Esau, find no chance to repent.
Resources:
What Is Christian Hedonism? — John Piper
Reflection Questions:
If someone were to observe your daily life and spending habits, what would they conclude you treasure above all else?
What personal desires are you tempted to idolize?
What habits can you implement to guard against becoming indifferent to the things of God?