| Subject: Genesis 25 vss. 27-34 Post 131 |
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Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 14:16:41 05/23/10 Sun
Genesis 25:27-34 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Reading between the lines one can see the competition between the boys as they grow up. Esau becomes a "sports jock" and Jacob tends to the more sedate side. Isaac beams with pride over the accomplishments of his oldest son Esau as he grows into a cunning and successful hunter. He relishes the "steaks" that Esau grills for him after his hunts. His mastery of archery must have stood him well with not only his father but the rest of the men that knew him. Not only that but they could depend on Esau to invite them all to a barbecue from time to time. Esau was a man's man.
Jacob on the other hand was quite content to work around the farm. He was a shepherd and farmer that new how to care for and raise the livestock he was entrusted with as well as tend crops. On top of all that he could also cook! He might not bring in the wild game but he could sure whip up a meal of beans and "taters" and even Esau craved his savory stews. Now dad's don't often beam with pride when a son masters culinary skills but Mom's do and Jacob was his mother's pick! Isaac beamed with pride over Esau and Rebekah beams over Jacob. It is the right setup for sibling rivalry and parents choosing sides.
Esau is the second archer and hunter (Gen. 10:8-10) we run into in the scriptures. Nimrod was the first and Esau is the second. Both stand against God and the descendants of Esau earn the displeasure and wrath of God. I am sure Nimrod's descendants did also as God's hand falls on the nation he founded just as it did Esau's. Archery, i.e. the bow and arrows, is connected with the anti-Christ as we see in Revelation 6:1-2 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
In the narrative about Esau and Jacob we glean a little of the values the two hold as to what they want to accomplish in life. Esau dreams of the "trophy buck" while Jacob wants to build his herds and landholdings as his father. Jacob is looking to the future as he labors on the farm and Esau is thinking only of his next hunt. Jacob will build what can be left to his children to enrich them and Esau will leave a legacy of strength through arms.
As we read we find Esau has been afield for a few days and runs out of food in his "napsack". He evidently hasn't been successful this time in his hunt or he would have cooked some venison rather than letting himself come to the weakened and famished state he is in when he arrives back home. As Esau stumbles in the door he smells a wonderful aroma from the pot on the fire that Jacob is stirring. Boy oh boy, Jacob has made some of his stew! What takes place is revealing. Jacob has been thinking of the future and how Esau was going to inherit all the land and herds yet it was he that was staying at home and doing all the work. When the crops needed planting and hoeing it was Jacob that worked in the fields. Esau would be off on another hunting trip. Jacob must have thought over and over how worthless Esau was in helping with the chores and tending the livestock. It just wasn't fair to Jacob and besides Esau had beaten him out of the womb only by a minute or two. Thus it was when Esau comes staggering up to Jacob and asks for some stew Jacob bargains with Esau and says: "You can have all you want for your birthright as the firstborn";. "And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob."
How many times do we act similar to Esau? Esau sacrificed his future for instant gratification. The inheritance was a long time down the road and his stomach was empty now! Esau owned the birthright of the inheritance and it was his to do with as he pleased. Possibly Esau also thought of the possibility of his father out living him. To Esau it was more important to have immediate satiation than to worry over what he might receive in 50 to a 100 years down the road. After all didn't he come from a family that was long lived?
Sacrificing the eternal on the altar of the immediate is something that countless millions of people do all the time. In the spiritual realm we forsake our "birthright" to eternal blessings which are ours to claim by living for God. The here and now is more important to us than the eternal hereafter. Esau couldn't see the reward of patiently waiting for a promise but Jacob could. He knew the birthright was years down the road but he was willing to wait for it. We, as Christians, know of the reward at the end of this life and if we are faithful we patiently wait for the promise of God. This is our inheritance. We can't see the reward of patience any more than Esau could but if our priorities are in order we see the reward at the end of our journey here on earth. How many, like Esau, determine it isn't worth the wait and decide to grab immediate gratification in this life. The flesh desires many things that God tells us we shouldn't partake of. God tells us to hold on and be patient for what He has for us is much better than what we can grab now.
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