Genesis
chapter 25 summarizes the last days of Abraham and contrasts Ishmael
and Isaac with the birth of Esau and Jacob. ” Abraham
took another wife whose name was Keturah“.
They had many sons, but we are told “Abraham
left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living he
gave many gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from
his son Isaac to the land of the east“.
Abraham clearly recognized Isaac as unique. Abraham lived to be 175
years old, “and
died at a good old age“.
Abraham was buried in the filed he brought from Ephron the Hittite,
next to his wife Sarah. “After
Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac“.
Understand, Isaac is blessed because of his father Abraham, but
Isaac developed his own special relationship with God. Someone once
said God, doesn’t have any grandkids- He has children and regardless
of the relationship your parents had with God, you must establish
your own. Jesus didn’t die for “mankind”, He died for you
and me. When we embrace that personally, we become children of God.
We read that Ishmael, the Son of Hagar also had many sons, “his
descendents settled… near the border of Egypt…And they lived in
hostility toward all their brothers“.
Abraham learned, our actions have consequences.
“Isaac
was forty years old when he married Rebekah“.
“Isaac
prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren. The
Lord answered his prayers and his wife Rebekah became pregnant“.
She is carrying twins and we are told, “The
babies jostled each other inside her“.
These two boys are battling before they are born and God proclaims,
“Two
nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you will be
separated; and one people will be stronger than the other, and the
older will serve the younger“.
Esau was born first, “and
after this, his brother came out with his hand grasping his brother’s
heel, so he was named Jacob“.
Jacob means “heel catcher”, but it meant more like sneaky
con-man. This name was not complementary. As the boys grew up,
“Esau
became a skilled hunter”
and outdoorsman, while “Jacob
was a quiet man, saying among the tents“.
We are told, “Isaac,
who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob“.
This split devotion causes problems later on.
Next
we read that Esau was out hunting and Jacob was cooking some stew.
When Esau returned, he said to Jacob, “Quick
get me some of that red stew, I’m famished“.
Jacob replied, “First
sell me your birthright“.
Esau finally agrees, “I’m
about to die. What good is the birthright to me?“.
Jacob makes him swear an oath before he brings him anything. We
read, “Esau
ate and drank and got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright“.
The right of first born was a huge honor. He was the one that
inherited the bulk of his father’s possessions and carries on the
family legacy. In this case the line from which Messiah will be
born. Jake is a sneak, but Esau does not hold the responsibility
high regard. In the first chapter of Ephesians, we are told that
“God
predestined us to be adopted as His sons, through Christ Jesus“.
The apostle goes on to explain all of the privileges that come with
salvation “in
accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with
all wisdom and understanding“.
Yet we so easily trade our birthright for the things of this world.
For what will you give up your spiritual birthright?