When I was a youth minister, in my early 20s, there was a man in the congregation and his wife who became close to Rachel and me. He was in his 50s. But he had an alcohol problem. Right before we left to go to Romania, we got news from his wife that he died on his kitchen floor from cirrhosis of the liver. You know, if he had never taken that first drink – if he had never taken that first drink – he would have never died an alcoholic and he would have probably lived much longer and he would not have left his wife as a young widow.
Sin seems so enticing at the time. But, more often than not, we engage in sin without considering the long-term consequences of that choice. Then, we get stuck into a rut, a cycle, even an addiction and it is hard to pull out of it.
Take a moment to read Hebrews 12:15-17 and then go to Genesis 25 to read the whole story.
THE BIRTH OF ESAU – Genesis 25:19-26:
Rebekah wanted to know why things weren’t right with her pregnancy and she went to Jehovah God and talked to Him personally (vs 22). Rebekah prayed to God: “What’s going on?!?” God tells her in 25:23: “Honey,” God says, “You’ve got two whole nations going at it with each other in that womb of yours!” “OH!” Rebekah says, “now I know why I can’t sleep at night!”
The prediction that God made to her when the boys were not yet born was: “the older shall serve the younger.” Maybe, just maybe, that helps motivate Rebekah to favor Jacob over Esau. We don’t know that, but I suspect that is the case.
THE BIRTHRIGHT IS STOLEN BY THE “HEEL GRABBER” – 25:27-34:
A considerable amount of time passes between verses 26 & 27. One day… Jacob cooked some stew. It was some type of red stew so many scholars guess it was red lentils (cf. 25:34). Esau came in from the field and was hungry! The text actually says he was “exhausted.” He was probably more tired from being very hungry.
Jacob is the “heel grabber.” Jacob is shrewd and conniving, much like his mom. I wonder if Rebekah ever wished she could have “disciplined the ‘Rebekah’ out of Jacob”! “Sell right now your birthright to me.” Jacob gets right to the point.
The birthright was the title to the family estate! It carried with it, practically, the headship of the family. All Jacob would have to do was wait until daddy died and Jacob would be in control. If he did, indeed, know about God’s statement to Rebekah before he and Esau were born, Jacob is trying his best to help fulfill God’s plan, but in Jacob’s way, not God’s way.
Jacob made plans. Jacob worked those plans. Jacob anticipated the future. Jacob was resourceful. Jacob responds: “Swear to me right now!” In this whole thing, Jacob has said only eight words! Esau gave in.
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Then, Moses makes this comment at the end of verse 34: “Esau despised his birthright.” That is, he treated his birthright with contempt. Esau behaved as if his birthright was not important, much like we do with our souls, sometimes.
THE CHRISTIAN USE OF ESAU’S STORY – Hebrews 12:15-17:
Now let’s turn back and spend some time in the Hebrew writer’s context. This context actually begins in verse 14. Verse 15 begins with a participle (“seeing to it”) and a participle cannot contain the main idea in a sentence. The main idea is the command, the imperative, in verse 14: “Pursue peace.” Among the ways Christians are to pursue peace is:
1. Seeing to it that no one comes short of the grace of God. We pursue peace by helping our fellow Christians, our weak Christians, who have succumbed to some short-sighted sin in their life. We help them so they don’t come short of receiving the grace of God and lose their salvation.
2. Seeing to it that no root of bitterness comes up that it may annoy a weak Christian and from that root of bitterness, many become defiled by sin. Weak Christians feel sorry for themselves because they’re not living a “Cinderella” life and they get bitter.
3. Seeing to it that no one falls prey to being an evil person or totally worldly (godless, irreligious) person, short-sighted, living only for the present moment, like Esau. Then the Hebrew writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us insight into the heart of Esau in verse 17. In other words, Esau could not turn things around! He set the ship into motion and he could not get it turned around. Even though he tried with tears. Esau cried over his predicament. But, one bad decision was all it took for a lifetime of regret.
The whole purpose of the book of Hebrews is to encourage us to stay faithful and dedicated to Jesus Christ. But to do that, we’ve got to stay away from sin! One poor choice is all it can take to get us headed down the wrong path. One drink of beer can turn you into an alcoholic. One minute at the slot machine can turn you into poverty. One weak moment with your boyfriend or girlfriend in the passion of the moment can make you a parent immediately. One click to an XXX website can turn you into a sex addict for the rest of your life.
We thank God that there is always hope; there is always forgiveness; there is always a chance to turn things around. But the longer we play in sin and the dirtier we get, the harder it becomes to turn our hearts around and submit them to Jehovah God in order to find that forgiveness.
Let’s learn from Esau’s example and not give up a lifetime of divine blessings for the momentary indulgence of sin. Keep the long-term goal in view!
Paul Holland
