Exchanging the Temporal for The Eternal
Notes
Transcript
Genesis 25:29–34 (KJV 1900)
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
In the thought of that age, the birthright carried with it the spiritual leadership of the tribe. To be the priest of the family, to stand between the Most High and the rest of the household, to receive divine communications and execute the divine will, and to be in the direct line of the Messiah-such were some of the privileges that gathered around this position. They were nought in Esau’s estimation, and he was quite content to part with all they implied, if only he might have the immediate gratification of appetite. The steaming fragrance of the lentil pottage was sweet in the nostrils of the hungry hunter. We have all passed through such an experience. On the one hand, our self-respect, our true advantage, our God; on the other, passionate desire crying, “Give, give.” In days and hours like that, beware: for you may say a word or do an act that shall determine your future, and, like Esau, you will find no loophole for altering the cast of the die. See Heb 12:16
Esau physically
21 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, And two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; And the one people shall be stronger than the other people; And the elder shall serve the younger.
Esau was the firstborn the spiritual blessing was coming to him
But prophecy said Jacob
Dignity
power
Larger portion of blessing
3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Pass down a might spirit.
no one can make you mighty in spirit other than the Lord.
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
We are leaving something for those who are coming after us.
We have a spiritual legacy we are passing on to those who are younger.
Whether my children accept the faith and continue in it is up to them
I pray they do.
What does that look like?
We fight for our family on our knees
We fight for our children on our knees
We fight for each other on our knees
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
There was preparation to pass down something to his oldest son
Parents are supposed to pass down
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
profane - ungodly, foolishness
something temporal
in a moment gone
Carnal appetites
temporary appetites
Adam and eve foolishly bargained away
The hunter Esau
The tough brother
The Woodsman
He was strong
but he couldn't control his carnal appetites
He wanted what he wanted now!
When we operate in pride we are drawn in by by Satan’s snares
We operate by faith
Hidden things of God
The family that looks good on the outside might not be the one that God will use
What made Esau weak
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
Need to gratify sensual appetites
Leadership and those who are strong are tempted to fulfill their lusts
Esau loved food - food can be a snare
The prudent forseeth evil
Discretion - the ability to see the future is connected
Making decisions with only the temporal in mind
When we allow carnal appetites to drive us more than our desire to follow God
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
2. Esau Had Weak Reasoning
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
The present desires were more important
Ready to die - really
The Birthright came
with spiritual leadership and Spiritual blessing.
Esau sold spiritual blessing for fleeting pleasure.
1. Holiness is a blessing that enables spiritual power with God
There is no carnal moment of pleasure is worth losing the spiritual power of holiness
A commitment to purity
A legacy of blessing
If you have morally fallen plead the blood of Christ over your mind and do right
2. Soberness provides spiritual power and insight
Drugs and alcohol will cloud your thinking
“Be not drunk with wine”
We should commit to the boundary of never drinking alcohol
3. Obedience to parents provides spiritual blessing and power.
Your parents are valuable and what they say are valuable.
Alcohol and drugs have ruined so many lives
4. Access to God’s throne is a powerful spiritual blessing that many cannot understand because of the guilt and shame of sin.
if you want to have power in your prayer life, godliness is needed
sin will keep you away from prayer
5. Gathering with your local church with a pure conscience in fellowship is a powerful spiritual blessing that living with a heart for the world will ruin.
This is a spiritual blessing to be here
Do you want to be here?
There are some that are so depressed because of their guilt and shame the don’t want to be in church
This is a spiritual gathering and a blessing
6. Worshipping the Lord with genuine thanksgiving is a Spiritual blessing but is impossible if filled with the world and the flesh.
The excitement to worship King Jesus is a blessing
7. Serving God is a blessed spiritual power but many will not because it requires a heart of giving of self.
We get to serve God
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
You will want to cross the finish line
You will want to have worked for the Lord
Our Spiritual blessing is worth fighting for
worth praying for
I have been given spiritual blessing
I will not allow you to stop me
I embraced the faith
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
How do you know you’ve lost your birthright
Do you despise the fellowship
preaching
the Word of God
I’m not looking for how to get out
You might be on the edge
you could come to all the services