Selling Your Soul …. For Soup!

Opening Illustration

I remember an episode on the Simpsons where Moe, the guy who owns the pub decides to buy an ex-army deep fryer .. it turns up on this huge truck and is the size of a swimming pool . Moe says “This little baby can deep fry a water-buffalo in 30 seconds” to which Homer replies “Oh no .. 30 seconds, I want it now!!”

It’s a comment on our world .. we want instant gratification

Now when that comes to considering our ETERNAL HOME .. we can’t be CARELESS .. today we are going to look at a guy who sells his soul for .. soup .. lentil soup!

REVIEW: Last week we saw Abraham’s faith in action .. OBEDIENT to God’s call to SACRIFICE his ONLY son Isaac .. believing that somehow, the PROMISES made to him willstill come true. Maybe God would BRING Isaac BACK FROM THE DEAD?

Mt Moriah .. the BACKGROUND for Gen 22 … would be the region where God’s ULTIMATE FAITHFULNESS was shown to us .. God gave His Son .. His ONLY Son .. the Son whom He loved .. and with HIS sacrifice we have salvation

Let’s move on

I Isaac Take You Rebekah ….. Ch24

Abraham’s wealth increases as does his age .. as does his concern that Isaac takes a bride from “his own relatives” .. that’s where the blessing will continue

So Abraham calls in his chief servant – probably Eliezer of Damascus – and makes him swear to go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” V.4

None of this “falling in love stuff” .. just get out there find a woman and bring her back

But even for Eliezer that’s tough and after travelling all day .. he and the camels are hot and thirsty

He prays to Abraham’s God for a “sign” .. the first girl to give him a drink and then say “How about I give your camels a drink too” .. let her be the ONE

Well .. look at v.15 .. talk about a quick answer … opens his eyes and there’s Rebekah .. who comes down to the well draws water and when asked gives Eleizer a drink ..looks at the camels and says “How about I give your camels a drink too” .. not a very subtle script eh!

Well kindness is rewarded .. Rebekah gets gold bracelets and a nose ring .. there’s something for you teenagers to argue with mum and dad over Sunday lunch today .. body piecing was big time in those days

Eliezer invites himself to her place, as you do, and we see that the LORD has everything perfectly planned .. Rebekah is the daughter of Bethuel ..who is the son of Nahor .. who is the brother of Abraham .. it’s all in the family

NB the cameo appearance of Laban – Rebekah’s brother – who will have a significant part to play later

The obvious thrust of the chapter is to see God deliberately guiding the wedding plans.. UNSEEN BUT SUPREME! 24:50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.”

Rebekah willing to take this lead and leave family and friends and marry a 40 yr old guy she has never seen .. but the words of the blessing resonate with the PROMISE God has already made ..v.60

“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands;

may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”

So .. no photos of the husband to be … but weighed down with all these presents .. they load up the camels and head back to Abraham and Isaac

And the chapter finishes with the inevitable … boy sees girl .. love at first sight .. I Isaac take you Rebekah

Jacob I Have Loved .. Esau I Have Hated …. Ch. 25-26

Abraham dies at the good old age of 175yrs and it’s clear Isaac is the son of the CONTINUED PROMISE .. even though Abraham has taken local girl for his wife and had another 6 kids

Isaac is the ONE .. the blessing of RELATIVES will slip into hyper-drive … descendants like stars and sand … but … Rebekah is barren, infertile .. not again!

They pray and wait for 20 years ... the encouraging thing is there is NO going in to the concubine ..

Isaac prays and God answers it’s TWINS .. Rebekah realises that something weird is going on here and the LORD tells her .. v.23“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

An interesting development for the family tree and a reversal of NATURAL ORDER ..

the older will serve the younger .. Hmmmm … what is God doing now??!

Out they pop the first is RED and HAIRY .. and they name him ESAU

His brother was “hot on his heels” as it were and called JACOB .. this

guy is smooth .. his name, figuratively speaking, means GRASPER ... DECEIVER .. TRICKSTER

NB ESAU is the rugged outdoors fishing/hunting type guy … Bear Grylls/Fatty Vaughtin bloke and JACOB is the quite stay at home read a book .. Playstation 4 .. help mum with sweeping the tents doing a bit of cooking .. the Jamie Oliver type guy

And so … this is bad parenting by the way .. Isaac loves Esau AND Rebekah loves Jacob … this is headed for disaster and sure enough it comes to a head one day after a hard day in the forest .. Esau comes in from hunting .. is absolutely famished .. is convinced he’s going to die if he doesn’t have something to eat .. ( sounds like the kids .. eh!) .. and says to Jacob .. “Quick .. give me some of that red stuff”(lit Heb) .. bit of a Philistine isn’t he .. doesn’t realise what this exotic red dish – (which is termed a lentil stew or soup) that Jacob has been experimenting with all morning and smooth as you like Jacob seizes the opportunity … “Sure .. you can have some of my “red stuff” if you … ah.. let me see … if you SELL ME YOUR BIRTHRIGHT!”

Jacob .. cunning and deceitful .. the con man that turns up on A Current Affair ever other night

“Swear to me first” says Jacob …

Esau responds “OK, OK .. I swear ... hope to die if I tell a lie”. now give me some red stuff”

So Jacob gives him a big bowlful .. a bread roll .. and a drink .. he scoffs it down .. lets out a burp .. and staggers off .. CONTENTED

NB … KEY VERSE v.34 So Esau despised his birthright... His view is so shortsighted that he'll trade his place of honour in this family of honour... for a plate of red lentil stew... that's gone in a flash. … INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Now .. let’s get this into perspective Esau was like the James Packer of the Ancient world .. he stood in line to a HUGE inheritance .. Esau was the firstborn and the one to get God’s inheritance .. the great BLESSINGS promised .. REAL-ESTATE, RELATIVES and RICHES

APPLICATION

Let’s think about Esau .. turn to Hebrews12:16-17 .. godless Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

Esau despised the inheritance God had PROMISED .. one lousy meal vs a lifelong blessing of prosperity

NOW .. just what does that have to do with us TODAY?

The FULFILMENT of all God promised Abraham and his family is Jesus .. and the KINGDOM He established .. all achieved by His death and resurrection .. and He opens His arms and says “COME! Take my yoke .. find your REST”

And what do we do? What is the response to Jesus?

Remember Jesus’ teaching .. the parables

God’s kingdom is LIKE A PRECIOUS PEARL .. you’s sell EVERYTHING to get it .. you’d give up everything this world has to offer for the WORLD that will never end

You would certainly do everything to make sure you had LIVING WATER .. that bubbled up constantly so that you never thirsted again

You make sure you had PURE WEDDING GARMENTS for the marriage feast coz you wouldn’t want to be cast out into the eternal outer darkness

Nor would you want to be:

A Rich Farmer .. All this profit .. “What will I do?” .. bigger barns of course .. get everything you can .. and God says “You FOOL .. tonight I require your soul and you are SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT … so what if you gain the world when you FORFEIT your soul

The Rich Young Ruler .. what do I do to inherit ETERNAL LIFE? Get rid of the competition .. sell everything you have .. give it to the poor .. follow ME! And the rich young rulers face fell .. he couldn’t do it .. WRONG ANSWER .. he had much wealth

Jesus spent 3 yrs preaching and teaching .. performing great signs to show and prove He is the Messiah .. people are healed .. spirits cast out .. the dead raised .. the KINGDOM had come

And before Pilate .. trumped up charges of BLASPHEMY .. Pilate asks what He should do with the King of KINGS .. CRUCIFY HIM!

Rejected .. despised .. there’s about 120 followers as Jesus dies

CONCLUSION

Friends .. where are you today?

Losing some focus? Tempted to slacken off .. getting a bit too hard to follow Jesus ... Think you might just coast along .. not get too serious

Friends .. we can’t be careless with our souls .. are you absolutely convinced that Jesus is Lord and Saviour of your life

We live in this NOW generation .. instant gratification ..

Don’t do an ESAU … Jesus is coming back .. be patient .. fight the good fight … CULTIVATE your soul .. deepen your INTIMACY with Jesus … our reward is coming .. keep your eye on that .. our efforts as a church and individually will bring fruit ..

God is doing His work through us .. let’s not give up, or take it easy for these few years we have on this planet .. there is an ETERNITY to be gained .. Let’s press on