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"Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and
he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, 'Please feed me with the same
red stew, for I am weary.' Therefore his name was called Edom. But
Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright as of this day.' And Esau said,
'Look, I am about to die; so what profit shall this birthright be
to me?' Then Jacob said, 'Swear to me as of this day.' So he swore
to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread
and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his
way. Thus Esau despised his birthright" (Gen. 25:29-34).
The Biblical account quoted above has spiritual application (Heb.
12:12-17). Therefore, I would like to suggest three characteristics
of human nature revealed through Esau selling his birthright.
First: Do not allow yourself to become weary over earthly "things"
whereby there is no fight left for spiritual things. Esau was weary
(worn out in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness; having one's
patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted - Webster). He was so
tired that he would give anything for physical revitalization -
food and rest.
We must guard against allowing ourselves to become weary and tired
so that we can no longer fight against sin and Satan. Especially,
if we are exhausting ourselves to obtain worldly goods. Remember,
"our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Therefore, we must "resist him,
steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet. 5:9). If we expend every ounce of
energy in pursuit of earthly pleasure, then there is no energy left
to fight the good fight (2 Tim. 4:7).
Second: Never lose sight of the profitability of your birthright.
Esau said: "'Look, I am about to die; so what profit shall this
birthright be to me'" (Gen. 25:32)? Esau had lost sight of the profitability
of his birthright. He did not see the profit in suffering to obtain
it.
We must never lose sight of the profitability of our birthright.
Paul tells us the price some have paid for their birthright: torture,
mocking, scourging, chains and imprisonment, stoned, sawn in two,
tempted, and slain with the sword (Heb. 11:35-37). Our home in heaven
is more valuable than life itself; therefore, we must be willing
to pay any price to keep it.
Third: Never despise your birthright. Esau sold his birthright;
therefore, he despised it. Despise means to: regard as negligible,
worthless, or distasteful (Webster). Anytime we sell ourselves to
Satan, we despise God - we do not consider God very important in
our lives at that time. And anytime we sell our birthright, we despise
it - we consider it negligible and worthless.
If you are a Christian, you have a birthright. What is your attitude
toward your birthright? Do you cherish it and count it as the most
precious possession you own? Will you guard it and protect it with
your life? Or is there a price for which you will sell it?
Jesus says: ""If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires
to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My
sake will find it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole
world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange
for his soul" (Matt. 16:24-26)?
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