08/14/2019 HUNGRY
Genesis 25:27-34 As the boys grew, Esau became a skillful hunter, while Jacob was a quiet sort who liked to stay at home. Isaac’s favorite was Esau, because of the venison he brought home, and Rebekah’s favorite was Jacob. One day Jacob was cooking stew when Esau arrived home exhausted from the hunt.
Esau: “Boy, am I starved! Give me a bite of that red stuff there!” ….
Jacob: “All right, trade me your birthright for it”
Esau: “When a man is dying of starvation, what good is his birthright?” …
And Esau vowed, thereby selling all his eldest-son rights to his younger brother. Then Jacob gave Esau bread, peas, and stew; so he ate and drank and went about his business, indifferent to the loss of the rights he had thrown away. [Living Bible translation]
Scripture
The history of the nation of Israel, from Abraham to Isaac, to his sons, Jacob and Esau and to the generations that followed is a fascinating account. Each of these Biblical characters is instructive. There is the drama of family dynamics involving Isaac, his wife Rebekah and the two sons Jacob and Esau. There is a relationship between the brothers, who were twins. There are the individual personalities of Esau and Jacob--one a skillful hunter and the other a homebody. There are decisions that were made. And the opportunities that were lost. Esau, who did not value his birthright and, in a “moment of weakness,” exchanged his inheritance rights for a bowl of stew, some bread, some peas, and a drink. Esau even swore (i.e., to GOD) sealing the deal. See, Genesis 29:33.
Esau’s relationship to food, drink and his hunger for the wrong things changed his life forever.
Esau’s story is a tale of physical hunger and poor spiritual insight. Esau’s poor spiritual insight appears to continue past his interaction with his brother Jacob.
- When their father Isaac one day proclaimed that he was ready to bless Esau before he died, and Esau later ran to his father saying “I am your son, “your firstborn Esau,” (Gen 27:32), it appears that Esau was ready to accept the blessing of the firstborn, despite the fact that Esau had already given his birthright away to Jacob? In other words, Esau was prepared to disguise himself as the one entitled to the first-born birthright blessings, when he was not.
- Esau has no spiritual insight into his own behavior. When Esau learned of Jacob’s deception, Esau never once accepts any personal responsibility for what has occurred. Esau blames everything on his cheating brother, claiming Jacob took away his birthright (which in fact, Esau gave away) and took his (firstborn/birthright) blessings (which in fact, Esau was no longer entitled), having given away those rights to Jacob.
- Esau has poor spiritual insight or compassion regarding his brother, Jacob. Esau was always his father’s favorite. Ironically, Isaac loved Esau because Isaac loved eating the savory meals from Esau’s hunting trips. (Genesis 25:28; Genesis 27:4). Even, when Isaac was ready to bless “his son” before he died, Isaac basically gave all his blessing to “the birthright” child. Nothing was left for “the other son.” So, when Esau cries out after learning of Jacob’s deception, “Oh, haven’t you saved even one blessing for me?” Isaac says nothing. In his own self-pity, Esau fails to discern that this is exactly the situation Jacob would have been in, had Esau been blessed first. But Esau has no spiritual insight, no empathy, no compassion nor concern for anyone other than himself.