Editor's Note: I'm very impressed with the alliteration in the title of this blog. You should be too.
Jacob and Esau. It's a story that we all know well. Jacob gets dissed a lot. What with all of the deception and thievery that the smooth skinned Mama's boy did, we can probably understand why.
And yet as I read through the story this time around, I was struck with Esau's hatred of his birthright.
Sure Jacob took Esau's birthright and then later conspired with his mother to steal his blessing from his blind and old father. These are not traits that we would usually celebrate to our children or encourage in our church. They are traits that we would typically identify with a villain.
And yet Jacob is the dude that get's the blessing and the dude that God continues to build His Biblical narrative through.
Why? Well, let's look at the beginning of their story in Genesis 25:22-26:
And it dawned on me that the story of Jacob stealing Esau's birthright is just as much about Esau as it is Jacob. Jacob would never have been able to take the birthright if Esau hadn't "despised it" so much.
Here's the text of the story from Genesis 25:29-34:
Now, it's not clear from the wording if he always despised his birthright or if he just in this moment despised it by his actions. Either way, the man clearly held his birthright in low esteem.
Jacob is a great cook apparently, but it still doesn't seem like a rational person would give up his inheritance and role of leadership over his family for a meal. I say this as an intense lover of food. As much as I love cheeseburgers, I'd never forfeit my standing in my family for one.
And that is exactly what Esau does here.
While we don't typically in this day and age have siblings enticing us to forfeit our inheritance over some fine cuisine, we do have many many lessons to learn here.
Again, think about that for a moment that if Esau esteemed his birthright as he should have, Jacob would never have succeeded in his plot. And by Jacob's passionate desire to obtain that birthright from Esau we can infer that he saw the birthright for the blessing that it was.
So in that sense Jacob's wrong-doing here is akin to Jack Bauer breaking all sorts of laws as he pursues the higher good of saving folks from terrorists or biblically speaking the prostitute Rehab lying about the Israelite spies in order to protect their lives (a feat for which she is credited in the Hebrews hall of faith.) Again, this doesn't dismiss his wrong-doing, but it does reveal the nature of his heart.
And the bottom line for us today is to not be Esau. The enemy prowls around seeking to "steal, kill and destroy" anything that brings glory to God. Your family is the basic building block upon which Jesus has built His church. The loving relationship of mutual respect, submission and self-sacrifice between a husband and wife is to testify to the love of Christ and His church. The parents are responsible to apply God's word and faith in Christ to the hearts of their children. Church can provide illumination of those truths, but it is the daily relational dynamic of the family that is responsible for making that faith real.
And so, when the enemy is attempting to steal, kill and destroy things that will bring glory to God there is no bigger target than Christian families. If he can destroy our families, he can render us spiritually neutered in this world and will radically diminish and water down the effectiveness of the church.
In order for his dastardly deeds to succeed, however, we have to "despise our birthright" just as Esau did. Every time we choose sin over Christ we despise Him. Every time we choose sin or self over our spouse and children we despise them. Every time we lose a blessing, diminish our ministry, or rip apart our family it is because we have despised them.
It is only when Satan convinces us to do an impersonation of Esau that we can lose our birthright. If we love our spouse and children more than ourselves, he has no foothold. If we love our Jesus more than our sinful desires and temptations, he has no foothold.
So, quite simply, instead of heaping judgment upon the head of the trickster Jacob for his thieving ways, let's take a moment to reflect on the heartless folly of Esau. He sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. He so despised his blessing, his family and his faith that he was willing to barter it away for a snack. Don't trifle with sinful stew. Esteem your birthright as a man or woman of God and put your God and your family before yourself and before anything else that easily entangles or ensnares us.
Know that Jesus is faithful and will always provide you a way to stand.
You cannot positively influence the lives of your family for Christ without first esteeming Christ and family above all else. Your family cannot influence and expand the ministry of the local church without first esteeming your birthright to each other first. Your church cannot stand and influence our culture and community with weak ineffectual families who esteem their birthright no more than a Happy Meal at McDonalds. Don't be a gaggle of Esaus trading away the eternal for the temporal and the important for the trivial.
Love your God and your family like the world is depending on it because it is.
Jacob and Esau. It's a story that we all know well. Jacob gets dissed a lot. What with all of the deception and thievery that the smooth skinned Mama's boy did, we can probably understand why.
And yet as I read through the story this time around, I was struck with Esau's hatred of his birthright.
Sure Jacob took Esau's birthright and then later conspired with his mother to steal his blessing from his blind and old father. These are not traits that we would usually celebrate to our children or encourage in our church. They are traits that we would typically identify with a villain.
And yet Jacob is the dude that get's the blessing and the dude that God continues to build His Biblical narrative through.
Why? Well, let's look at the beginning of their story in Genesis 25:22-26:
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger." 24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.Jacob and Esau were warring in Rebekah's womb. God told them in advance that this was going to be a case of textbook sibling rivalry. And while we can't excuse the deception and the bad things that Jacob does, we can't deny his passion.
And it dawned on me that the story of Jacob stealing Esau's birthright is just as much about Esau as it is Jacob. Jacob would never have been able to take the birthright if Esau hadn't "despised it" so much.
Here's the text of the story from Genesis 25:29-34:
29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary." Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright as of this day." 32 And Esau said, "Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?" 33 Then Jacob said, "Swear to me as of this day." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.Now, I'm a simpleton. I don't claim to be the smartest man in the world nor do I claim to be the final authority on all scripture. As I understand it, however, the birthright in Biblical terms meant that the firstborn was to get a double portion of the inheritance from the father. The firstborn would also become the head of the household after dear old dad kicked the bucket. This is what Esau despised.
Now, it's not clear from the wording if he always despised his birthright or if he just in this moment despised it by his actions. Either way, the man clearly held his birthright in low esteem.
Jacob is a great cook apparently, but it still doesn't seem like a rational person would give up his inheritance and role of leadership over his family for a meal. I say this as an intense lover of food. As much as I love cheeseburgers, I'd never forfeit my standing in my family for one.
And that is exactly what Esau does here.
While we don't typically in this day and age have siblings enticing us to forfeit our inheritance over some fine cuisine, we do have many many lessons to learn here.
Again, think about that for a moment that if Esau esteemed his birthright as he should have, Jacob would never have succeeded in his plot. And by Jacob's passionate desire to obtain that birthright from Esau we can infer that he saw the birthright for the blessing that it was.
So in that sense Jacob's wrong-doing here is akin to Jack Bauer breaking all sorts of laws as he pursues the higher good of saving folks from terrorists or biblically speaking the prostitute Rehab lying about the Israelite spies in order to protect their lives (a feat for which she is credited in the Hebrews hall of faith.) Again, this doesn't dismiss his wrong-doing, but it does reveal the nature of his heart.
And the bottom line for us today is to not be Esau. The enemy prowls around seeking to "steal, kill and destroy" anything that brings glory to God. Your family is the basic building block upon which Jesus has built His church. The loving relationship of mutual respect, submission and self-sacrifice between a husband and wife is to testify to the love of Christ and His church. The parents are responsible to apply God's word and faith in Christ to the hearts of their children. Church can provide illumination of those truths, but it is the daily relational dynamic of the family that is responsible for making that faith real.
And so, when the enemy is attempting to steal, kill and destroy things that will bring glory to God there is no bigger target than Christian families. If he can destroy our families, he can render us spiritually neutered in this world and will radically diminish and water down the effectiveness of the church.
In order for his dastardly deeds to succeed, however, we have to "despise our birthright" just as Esau did. Every time we choose sin over Christ we despise Him. Every time we choose sin or self over our spouse and children we despise them. Every time we lose a blessing, diminish our ministry, or rip apart our family it is because we have despised them.
It is only when Satan convinces us to do an impersonation of Esau that we can lose our birthright. If we love our spouse and children more than ourselves, he has no foothold. If we love our Jesus more than our sinful desires and temptations, he has no foothold.
So, quite simply, instead of heaping judgment upon the head of the trickster Jacob for his thieving ways, let's take a moment to reflect on the heartless folly of Esau. He sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. He so despised his blessing, his family and his faith that he was willing to barter it away for a snack. Don't trifle with sinful stew. Esteem your birthright as a man or woman of God and put your God and your family before yourself and before anything else that easily entangles or ensnares us.
Know that Jesus is faithful and will always provide you a way to stand.
You cannot positively influence the lives of your family for Christ without first esteeming Christ and family above all else. Your family cannot influence and expand the ministry of the local church without first esteeming your birthright to each other first. Your church cannot stand and influence our culture and community with weak ineffectual families who esteem their birthright no more than a Happy Meal at McDonalds. Don't be a gaggle of Esaus trading away the eternal for the temporal and the important for the trivial.
Love your God and your family like the world is depending on it because it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment