Stolen Birthright

Intro:

We are going to do a fly over most of the story of Jacob and Esau and then we will narrow it down to one particular part that I think is really important for us to understand today.

Rapid fire questions

Who did Issac marry?

Was it easy for her to get pregnant?

Who did Rachel get pregnant with?

Which one was born first?

Who should have received the blessing?

We will come back to this…

In chapter 26 there is another famine in the land and Isaac goes to settle in the lnd of Gerar and he is afraid of the philistines so what does he say his wife is?

Again!!! Sin if often passed down. We are often guilty of committing the same sin out parents commit but we don’t have to!

None the less Isaac is blessed a hundred fold and grows stronger and stronger

But in chapter 27 we see that Isaac is an old man ready to die…

It’s interesting Isaac was the son of promise. The one Abraham waited for so long for. But the bible doesn’t spend much time on his life.

Why?

Because he ultimately wasn’t the promised one. Someone far better was coming.

Isaac lied about his bride Rebekah in order to save himself. But Jesus the the true and better Isaac gave up himself to save his bride the church.

Everyone else in scripture will disappoint you. Everyone else in life will disappoint you. But Jesus never will.

As Isaac is dying what does Jacob do?

Jacob deceives his dying father and steals his older brothers blessing. Isaac the deceiver is deceived by his son.

Proverbs 26:27 “27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.”

Proverbs 22:8 “8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.”

Proverbs 1:31 “31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.”

Hosea 8:7 “7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.

Genesis 27:41–45 (ESV)

41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— 45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?”

That’s where the story ends… But i’d like to spend a few minutes earlier in the story.

Look at Genesis 25 starting in verse 19 - 27

So the babies are fighting in the womb and God tells Rebekah that the older will serve the younger.

When she gives birth sure enough Esau comes out first covered in red hair and then Jacob comes out second holding his heel.

But I want you to notice something really interesting look at verse 28

Genesis 25:28 “28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.”

Why did Isaac love Esau? Because of what he did for him.

Many of you think this is why God loves you. If you do enough good things for God he will love you more or be happier with you.

But why did Rebekah love Jacob? What does the text say?

She just loved him. Now how this played out becomes very messy and manipulative and Rebekah proves to an unhealthy example of parental favoritism.

However, it is worth point out that real love. True love is not dependent on someone else’s actions. We don’t love because… If I loved my wife because she was beautiful well what if she got in a tragic accident and had third degree burns all over her face. Would my love stop?

I may love that my wife is beautiful but I do not love my wife because she is beautiful.

Isaac loved Esau because he ate of HIs game. Rebekah just loved Jacob.

God does not love you because of something you’ve done but because of something Jesus has done on your behalf. You don’t earn his love you accept it.

Let’s keep reading in verse 29…

What was the birthright that was to be given to Esau?

Think about everything that had been promised to Abraham and Isaac. This was technically supposed to go to Esau. What was promised to Abraham should have gone to Esau. It was his birth right.

But what does he give it up for?

A bowl of soup and some bread…

He gave up everything for a simple meal… A meal that wouldn’t satify hi. He would be hungry the next day….

He gave up something eternal for something temporal.

Esau is talked about in the New Testament in Hebrews 12:15–17 (ESV)

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 contrast to Esau who can remember what the hall of faith says about Moses?

Hebrews 11:24–26 “24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”

It is so easy to chose temporary pleasure and happiness over eternal good. That is the fight of the christian life.

Many of us think well one day we will get serious about following God.

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.

Isaiah 55:6 “6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;”

Amber….

Day one was the theme of the meltdowns. Not one day. It’s not one day I’ll follow Jesus. It’s day one of giving Jesus my life.

Do not despise the Lord’s blessing by trading it in for the fleeting pleasures of sin. Follow Jesus with everything you have.

As we read scriputre we always want to see how Jesus is the fullfilment of the stories we read. How he is the true and better right.

Who can think of an example of Jesus being the true and better Esau…

Jacob’s name means deceiver…

Anyone think of a time when a deceiver was trying to get Jesus to give up everything for a meal?

Jesus faces a temptation similar to the stew incident while in the wilderness. When he is both tired and extremely hungry, he is offered a meal by Satan. But to meet his appetite in this way will cost him his inheritance. Getting him to do that is at the heart of Satan’s words in Matthew 4:3. In essence, he says, “If you are the sinless Messiah, create for yourself a meal and satisfy your appetite.” Christ refuses to do so, not because he believes eating is sinful but because he believes the inheritance ahead is more important than immediate gratification. When Esau despises the birthright, he personally eliminates himself from inheriting the promises of God. By cutting off his hunger, he cuts himself off from the blessing that will ultimately come through Jesus, the greatest Son of Abraham. Similarly, we too must decide whether to gratify the appetites of the flesh by persisting in unbelief or rule over them in faith because of the value of the inheritance promised us in Christ (Phil 3:7–9).

Philippians 3:7–9 “7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith

Left to ourselves we are all Esau. But God came to fulfill what we couldn’t so that through Him we could choose what is right and stop what is wrong.

Will you choose Jesus? Or will you continue to give up what is eternal for the temporary pleasures of sin.

Don’t wait. Give your life to Jesus today.