Birthrights And Blessings Series

Genesis 27

Family

Last week we talk about our inheritance from our parents (politically, psychology, behaviorally, and Spiritually). Looking at the relationship between Isaac and his parents.

This week we are going to talk about Birthrights and Blessings in the relationship with Isaac and Rebekah; and their sons Esau and Jacob.

In Chapter 25 Esau comes in from the field hungry. Gives up his birth right to Jacob for some soup. Impulsive personality. Makes some emotional decisions.

Birth Right is the share of the family inheritance. It was the middle eastern practice that the eldest son would have a double share, 2 sons spilt it 3 ways and give the older son 2 shares. Some people use similar birth rights. Every Child gets a Car, every child get College paid for, birthday presents is part of our culture of birthrights. My parent bought me a 1976 Toyota pick-up poop green, baby ran great on 3 cylinders. I knew they would get my sister a car (younger sister) I just never dreamed it would be a Mazda 626. I might cal that a double birthright. In other cases you can think of a birth right as what happens with the WILL.

Now the main reason I wanted us to understand a birth right is so that we would not confuse it with a blessing. Birth rights are a part of being in a family and they are obviously bigger and more substantial in different situation. This is how families say in control and power for years and centuries.

A blessings affects every person and every family. And out ineptness at understanding blessings is killing many families.

To bless is to impart good favor, to make our feelings and hopes Verbal known: Life, Fertility, vocation, success.

I want us to work through two categories of Blessings: The receiving & the giving. We will start with the receiving so we can see how important it is to Give.

Every person desires their parents blessing. I was in Governors Cup with Shawn Sloan and we were having a cup of coffee talking about what God was doing in our lives. This man with Cerebral Palsy named Russell asks us if we are Bible Scholars so we start this fascinating conversation, and during it out of the blue he starts talking about how his Mother was not a Godly woman, but her blessing upon his has been incredible important to him.

I was talking to another friend of mine this week, and he started talking about how he was struggle with the disagreements he was now having with his father. They are both incredible gifted and confident men, and he has always been in his fathers graces, and it is bothering him, how much he and his father are now disagreeing.

I have to admit that I have the blessing of my Family, and so this is not in my mind very much, but this week my eyes were opened to the pain and unhealth that comes without our parents blessing. I want to talk for a minute about Esau, but first I want to mention that it got my attention this week that Jesus, the son of God, Lord of all, needed his Fathers blessing. Several places illustrate this, but a clear one is at his baptism. This is my son in whom I am well pleased.

Esau helps us see the pain and confusion that comes without our parents blessing. When we pick up the story in Chapter 27 Esau should have already received a blessing or two. He is a child who has chosen to do his own thing. He went against his parents wishes a married two Hittite women, probably out of a desire for political power in the area. First, he didn’t get his parents blessing on the marriage or the fertility of his wives. He tries to make his own wealth rather than receiving the blessing of wealth and prosperity from his father. Jacob is not the source of all Esau problems.

Even though he has done it his way he cry’s when he finds out Jacob has received a mighty blessing. In Chapter 28 he will find that his parents have blessed Jacob to marry a woman of their heritage, and he goes an find himself a similar bride, but again without asking for a blessing. He is constantly seeking approval, but he can’t make himself and his parent happy.

So all of us are children

What are the barriers to us receiving their blessing?

[Selfish ambition, Jealousy, power, Lack of Respect, Rash decisions]

Now lets look at Jacob. The receiver of the parents blessing. It is easy to see him as a thief, but I want to draw your attention to Chapter 28 when Isaac calls him back: Blesses his pursuit of a wife, adds to his blessing, fertility, becoming a community of People, inheritting the promise of Abraham, and God’s blessing. As I read about this part of Jacob’s life it became obvious to me that it was his obedience that put him in a place to receive his parents blessing. He listened to his mother, he listened to his Father when he told him where to find a wife. He seems to understand that there will be a time when he is the Blesser who makes the decisions, but that has not come yet. His brother who is one body length older than he is, already has two wives, and is going on a third.