Gen 25:27-34: A Good Diet
September 25, 2011.The infamous event is where Esau trades his birthright to Jacob for a meal of stew. Esau returns home after having spent a prolonged time away in the fields hunting. Famished, he pleads for the stew from younger brother, Jacob, has cooked up. Jacob, recognizing his upper hand, offers the stew in exchange for Esau's position of "oldest brother". Esau, exaggerating his condition, makes the trade.
Despite being informed by his mother Rebekah, that he would be "over" his brother, Jacob did not need to take advantage of Esau to gain the birthright. God had made it known to Rebekah (Gen 25:23), and through her, to Jacob. God would have made a way to fulfill his promise: Esau might have died in the field; he could have voluntarily abandoned the birthright; he could have left home and never return. Jacob should have been patient to wait upon God. He did not exercise enough faith, and he took matters into his own hands. (This is just like Abraham not waiting for his promised son.)
Hebrews 11:6 states, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
Walk by faith, not by sight—have greater faith in how God will provide. We have to wait on God, being fervent in prayer. If God, who is faithful, has our interests at hand, we must rely upon him to deliver.
Hebrews 12:15-17 characterizes Esau as immoral and godless. Immorality is a person's fleshly desires realized; becoming a victim to the flesh and fleshly desires. It is astonishing how easily and quickly Esau surrenders his birthright, and he regards it with such little value that he trades it for a meal. The birthright had a high value in the culture, that this eldest-son position came with all the benefits of family position, respect, title and honor. He trashes this birthright for a meal that's consumed and gone within minutes.
A condemning as we might be of Esau and fault him for this low regard for his birthright, we often do the same by devaluing God, spiritual practices, eternity-preparing aspects. So many students trade worship, Bible study and fellowship for academics or work. Many would rather compromise their ethics than do the hard work of a godly person. Many think, "religion can come later. I've got funner or important things to handle now." We should not trade spiritual and eternal values for material or worldly goods. 1 John 1:15-17 reminds us that we are NOT to be lovers of the world nor the things of the world. If so, we become immoral or godless just like Esau—feeding his fleshly desires.
Esau was a hunter, a man of the field. He was absent from home and removed from the daily affairs of family. He was likely gone for extended period of times, and his stays didn't last long (25:34). The results were that he had little family ties and the matters of home did not concern him enough to remain. We can wean from this that Esau did not receive much instruction from Isaac or Rebekah. He became very distant and disconnected from the family. He did not receive any values passed from his parents.
The take-away for us: God-starved people will consume false ideas of satisfaction. The more we keep our distance from God (away from reading scripture, going to worship, out of fellowship, etc), we starve ourselves from what is good for our spiritual well-being. The consequences: we are influence by the wrong people and accept their values and belief-system, we don't understand scripture and twist it to justify our actions or to meet our needs, we get into lifestyles we think are satisfying but inevitably will lead us down a wrong path, God is simply not satisfying.
Are you starving yourself of what is good for your soul—soul food? Are you replacing that hunger with the wrong diet, or are feeling empty? Getting into the habit of God can take time, just like a food diet is difficult to begin. If you're starving, take small steps of faith. Pray. Confess. Ask God for help. Get a trainer—discipler—to help.
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