Don’t Make The Trade (Genesis 25-33)

Tonight's lesson is about a man who could have been the father of God's chosen people. But, we read that God chose his brother Jacob in the womb instead of him. The prophet Malachi says to Jacob's descendants.

Malachi 1:2–5 (ESV) — 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’ ” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

This is a prophesy that tells us God's plan to completely wipe out the descendants of Esau but keep Israel’s descendants alive. Why? Why would one man, who could have been the chosen one, be utterly destroyed?

The Prophesy (Genesis 25:23)

Our story begins with his mother and father. Esau was born to Rebekah and Isaac along with his twin brother, Jacob. He and his brother were the answer to Rebekah's prayers. Before they were born, Rebekah could feel the two boys wrestling with each other, so she asks God what is going on. He sends her a prophesy.

Genesis 25:23 (ESV) — 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

So God knew before they were born that the savior would come through Jacob. He would be given the promise that was given to Abraham and Isaac. Esau, the little red headed and hairy baby, would be excluded from that promise. How? Why? What does God know that his mother and father did not know? What happened in that womb?

Young Life

Can you imagine having that prophesy hanging over your head? We learn that Isaac favored Esau and Rebekah favored Jacob. If you want your children to be rivals against each other, all you need to do is favor one over the others. Esau would hunt and bring his father some of his game. You know, some people love to hunt and eat wild game. I, myself, don't enjoy it when I make it. I haven't figured out how to make it taste good. My brother could make it right, but not me. If we were living in that day, the skills to hunt would be profitable for his father. They could eat free food instead of diving into the flock.

Esau knew that his father loved his wild game. So he would go out for long periods of time to hunt for him. He sought game for so long that he had exhausted himself. One day, he came barging into Jacob's tent from the field saying, "Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!" (Gen 25:30) Jacob said to Esau, "Sell me your birthright now." Esau says, "I am about to die, of what use is a birthright to me?" So he sells his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew and some bread. The text tells us, "Esau despised his birthright."

Now, it's important that we see the sadness of what Esau has done. When Esau looked at his father's property, he only sees only a small portion of land and large flocks that could be taken by someone stronger. He doesn't see, believe, and value the providence, protection, and promise of God. This one event tells us what we need to know about Esau. He was impulsive, careless, and has no faith or plan for the future. Esau refused to live by faith, choosing rather to live by his own abilities. He doesn't want God's help. He has his father's love and a skill that will provide for him. What use is God to him?

How many of us know someone who has done something similar to Esau? Some have lived impulsively and rejected the promise of God. They had access to all the promises and they despise their birthright, so to speak. Is a bowl of temporary soup worth trading heaven for? Yet, that is exactly what they are doing. Satan, like Jacob deceives us and takes the birthright. There is no getting it back from him. Once we make this decision to serve the temporary, to live for the physical, and to reject trusting in God, we lose that opportunity. The world gets it's claws around us and refuses to let go.

Marriage

I wonder how the news of Esau selling his birthright for a bowl of soup went over with his parents. They believed in God's promises, having experienced His providential care and protection. That would have been concerning. But it gets worse. The world's claws are portrayed in Esau's next choice.

Genesis 26:34–35 (ESV) — 34 When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, 35 and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

After making the decision to reject the God of his father and mother, Esau chose to marry a Hittite woman. Then, he married another. It's as though he seeks to reverse everything his father and grandfather stood for. In his mind, he has just married some good looking and beneficial women. He now has allies in the Hittites. Perhaps he can hunt their land without fear. With this decision, he lets the world dig its claws in. This is a very foolish thing to do. He hurts his mother and father instead of honoring and obeying them. It made their lives bitter.

God told the Israelites never to marry with the people of the land of Canaan because they were wicked people, engaging in all forms of idolatry. God knew that marrying with them would corrupt their moral sensibility. They would become just as wicked as everyone else. He wanted them to be holy as He is holy. He wanted them to stand out from the wicked people. Solomon is the ultimate example of what happens when we ignore this. All his goodness was ruined by marriages to foreign women, a fly was in his perfume. Why? Marrying a someone means introducing their influence in your life, causing pain for yourself and those around you.

The Blessing

Later in Esau's life, his father grew old and blind. He was about to die so he wanted to give a blessing to his favorite child. Isaac was a great man, and it was told to Abraham that his seed would bless the nations. So, when Isaac said that he would bless Esau after he brings him a fine meal of whatever he kills, everybody's ears puckered up. Do you think Esau believed that everything would be good when Isaac blessed him? Maybe it would not matter how much he had done wrong once he received the blessing. This meal would make up for the past meal he sacrificed his birthright for. All would be forgiven. But such was not the case.

Esau went out and hunted his game. He brought it back and prepared it just as his father had commanded. But when he brought it in, he found out that he was too late. He had missed his opportunity because Jacob and Rebekah had lied to Isaac. There is no denying that they were wrong to deceive Isaac and steal the blessing from Esau like that. But we have to consider that God wanted this to happen. This fulfills God's prophesy.

But wait a minute. Jacob is evil and Esau is evil. What is God doing? Is He showing partiality? Is He becoming unjust? No. God made a promise to Abraham and the only just thing to do is to fulfill it through Isaac's wicked sons. He chose Jacob over Esau because he knew Esau would be impulsive and trust in himself. He knew Jacob would be the one who values His birthright. The one who believes God and seeks to please Him. Esau has shown himself to be immoral and unholy.

Esau's Revenge

After this took place, Esau showed his true colors. He made plans to kill his brother just like Cain did. His lack of reverence and fear toward God make it completely obvious that he was unfit for the task.

Of course, we know that Jacob was sent to Haran to marry a relative of Rebekah's. He meets God on the way, puts his trust in God and lived for 20 years there. When he comes back, we see him still sending word to Esau and letting him know that he was coming along with his family and his flocks. The servant sent word back that Esau was coming with 400 men and Jacob assumes the worst. If you heard that a man who previously wanted to kill you was coming to meet you with 400 men, what would you assume he wants to do? Jacob is terrified. He starts sending him cattle, servants, and his own family to keep Esau from killing him. But when Esau finally meets Jacob (Gen 33), he embraces him and doesn't want anything from him. Esau even tries to reject Jacob's gifts. This is an odd part of the story. We don't see Esau acting the same way he has throughout. Why not?

God has blessed Esau so that he forgets Jacob's transgression. Isn't this fascinating? God works providentially to provide safety for Jacob by blessing Esau as well. Perhaps Esau's grieving over losing the blessing turned into a repentant heart. Perhaps he has decided to trust in God's promises and love his brother instead of seeking to destroy him. After all, he appears to have forgiven his brother.

But, sadly, we know that his ancestors hold a grudge. They fight with the descendants of Jacob for thousands of years until God destroys them completely. That's what Malachi is about. Esau might have changed, but his children didn't. They suffered serious consequences for their wickedness. God wanted it to be clear that he has been true to Israel, even though they have rebelled. They shared a covenant with God, unlike Esau's descendants.

Application & Conclusion

What is the point of Esau's story?

Don't Buy The Soup

Esau made the fools choice. He chose immediate gratification instead of the eternal reward. His foolish choice is described as despising his birthright. He was ungrateful for what was rightfully his.

Consider how we might make the same trade. We might choose immediate gratification instead of seeking to do the will of God. When we choose the fleeting pleasure of sin over the eternal glory that will be ours, we are buying the soup. When we revolve our lives around financial gain instead of using our finances to help support those who are in need, we are buying the soup. When we waste our lives away enjoying comfort and ease instead of devoting ourselves to the work God has placed under our care, we are despising our birthright and buying the soup.

Buying the soup means failing to learn self-discipline and self-control and failing to look through the eyes of faith at God's eternal promises. We are surrounded by men and women who are Canaanites. They engage in this horrible trade every day. Esau chose to be like them. We must refuse what is evil and learn to do what is right, no matter the cost.

Hebrews 12:14–17 (ESV) — 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

In this text, the Hebrew writer encourages everyone to pursue holiness, living a life of self-discipline and accepting God's discipline with repentant hearts. If we reject God's instruction and refuse to pursue holiness, we could miss out on the blessing that is ours to have. Like Esau, it will be too late for us.

God Hated Esau

What is really happening in this story? God is making it clear for all future generations to see. Those who choose to buy the soup will risk losing everything that truly matters. God hates to see people treating His promised blessing so carelessly. He has sacrificed so much and worked so intricately to provide us with all the wisdom and understanding that we need. He has blessed mankind beyond what they deserve through Jesus, the offspring of Abraham. He made it possible for lying, cheating, and every form of immorality to be forgiven and to be blessed.

Only the vile and worthless would reject his offer. In Romans 1, we just studied how men have ignored the truth of God as seen in creation to worship the created instead of the creator. We could say, "They bought the soup."

Will there be no chance for those who buy the soup to return and be forgiven? The world has its hooks in them. I'm not sure that anyone can convince them to turn before it is too late. But there is one who refused immediate gratification when the temptation was strongest. He went 40 days without food or water. He allowed himself to be hung on the cross without retaliating against His enemies or seeking vengeance. Through Jesus God cries out to the wicked and to those who are entangled in the chains of sin, "Turn to me!" Don't trust in yourself to save you. Don't trust in the world to save you. Turn to God. Cry out for his mercy and forgiveness. His hand is not too short that he cannot save. The blood of Jesus will bring you into the fold of safety.

There is coming a day when many will weep bitterly over the opportunity that was lost to them. Like the day of Isaac's blessing, they will miss out. Forget the soup, and embrace the life of self-discipline, self-control, and self-sacrifice for God's glory.