Thought from today’s Bible reading from Genesis 25-26.
Esau and Jacob, though twin brothers, were very different from one another. “Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents” (Genesis 25:27). One day when Esau returned from the field hungry, Jacob took advantage of the opportunity to secure the birthright in exchange for his stew.
“Esau said to Jacob, ‘Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.’ … But Jacob said, ‘First sell me your birthright.’ Esau said, ‘Behold, I am about to die; so what use then is the birthright to me?’ And Jacob said, ‘First swear to me’; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. … Thus Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:30-34).
The birthright, among other things, was the right of the firstborn to the greater inheritance. Esau forfeited long-term prosperity for short-term comfort. He gave away the firstborn’s inheritance for a single meal.
Christians today are often guilty of a similar transgression. We have an inheritance that Peter says is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Yet far too often we want to enjoy the “passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25).
Is sin really worth the risk of losing one’s soul? Is there anything in this world that is preferable to the eternal reward in heaven? Only if one is short-sighted like Esau would there be any question.
Do we truly appreciate our inheritance? Or do we despise it to pursue the vanities of life?
Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis 27-29
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
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