A Costly Bowl of Stew
The story of Isaac’s descendants gets off to a rough start. For one thing, Isaac was already 40 years old by the time he and Rebekah married. Afterward, the couple faced the heartbreak of infertility. About 20 years of it.
Isaac prayed for his wife and according to Genesis 25:21:
But it’s a pregnancy with a surprise!
Sure enough, 20 years after marrying Rebekah, Isaac (now 60 years old!) becomes the father of twin boys, twin boys who don’t seem to be anything alike!
If I had two boys like that, I’d bond much differently with the homebody than with the outdoorsy one. Not that I’d necessarily love him more, but I’d definitely love him differently. For my husband, it would be just the opposite. And so it was with the parents of these fellows.
Maybe I’m reading too much into the word “loved” because, likenesses aside, wouldn’t parents of multiple children love each of them for their uniqueness? Parents playing favorites is bound to set the stage for all kinds of problems…
Such as the one that begins like this:
Esau comes in “starving” one day while Jacob is cooking.
First of all, what was the “birthright” and why was it such a big deal? Let me be completely honest here and just say, “I don’t really know!” There aren’t a lot of scriptures on the subject and there isn’t a comparable concept in our culture. We know it involved inheriting a greater share of the father’s wealth but there was a lot more to it than just physical property. There was obviously some spiritual significance as well, maybe some family leadership involved and/or some extra “blessing” bestowed by the father upon his firstborn son.
Whatever it involved, the “birthright” was significant enough to warrant the following command:
Esau, as the first twin to be born, is the legitimate recipient of the birthright. Jacob, who’d come into the world “grasping Esau’s heel,” now sees a chance to grasp something of real value.
Esau swore an oath to seal the deal and Jacob, in exchange for some bread and lentil stew, gained a priceless family treasure.
Given the opportunity to feed a hungry man or take advantage of a man’s hunger to extract a premium payment, Jacob chooses the latter, which doesn’t seem right at all! Notwithstanding, today’s lesson comes from Esau. It’s about placing value on the right things.
It’s easy to assume our “instant” society is the reason why so many people can’t tolerate delayed gratification. Apparently, it isn’t!
Giving up any inheritance for a meal sounds rash enough, but what Esau gave up wasn’t just “any” inheritance. Esau despised his birthright, says Genesis 25:34. By treating it as unimportant, he failed to appreciate the significance and value of the blessing he had been given.
How different would Esau’s story have been if his spiritual appetite had been as strong as his physical one?
What about my story? How effective would my faith be if I craved righteousness and sought God’s will with the same intensity and urgency that Esau went after that bowl of stew?
Hebrews 12 warns:
Esau’s nearsightedness bought him satisfaction for a moment, maybe even a day… The cost: regret he’d pay for a lifetime.
Isn’t that the way it always is?
It’s easy to say, “Esau shouldn’t have traded his birthright for stew,” but how many times have I traded something irreplaceable for something I thought I couldn’t live without?
How many times have I neglected something of eternal significance for something that seemed urgent at the time but in retrospect wasn’t worth it at all?
How often am I more concerned with fulfilling some immediate desire than protecting my long term goals?
This story has had me doing a lot of thinking about trades. We are always trading something and, just like Esau’s did, our choices tell the truth about what we value.
It’s easy to criticize Esau for “sacrificing spiritual blessings to satisfy a physical appetite” but the truth is, I’m also way too often guilty of letting a shortsighted focus deflect my vision of the eternal.
I’m challenged to think about the trades I’m making every day. Do they reflect my will or God’s? Are they worth the price I’m paying?
It is said, “We make our choices, and our choices make us.” The great thing is that we get to be in charge of the trades we make!
Here’s hoping yours bring you the very richest of God’s rewards.
Blessings Until Next Time, Kim