Birthright Blessing & The Coming Test (Part 1)

Birthright Blessing & The Coming Test

Gen 25:27-34; Gen 28:27-37; Matt 4:1-10

(part 1 of 2)

Mercy on you this week and have a two part message

Perry Stone series about America and want to share and expound on some of the things he shared

Sense heavy oppression during presidential election years

Why? spiritual warfare is so intense

I had never thought we’d be where we are today in our nation

Moving so fast it’s hard to keep up – oppression is intense

I want us to understand that there is a coming test

This test is for all American people and for us that call themselves born again

Read as we go Gen 25:27-34 and Gen 28:27-34

Pray

Trans: The first test that I want us to see deals with…

1. Despising Our Birthright

Turn to Gen 25:27-34 (don’t read yet)

Our nation was founded upon a God-given birthright

I believe America’s birthright – blessing from God – was Freedom or Liberty

If you study history – have to conclude their was divine intervention in the birth of this nation

Birthright – very important – Father pronounced blessing on first born Son

Story of Esau & Jacob (read Gen 25:27-34)

Esau was oldest – Hebrew custom was to pronounce blessing or birthright on first born son

Notice Esau was more interested in HIMSELF in that moment than his future

It was all about him and what he could get

Notice that Jacob had made some stew…it was stew that caught Esau’s attention

He was hungry – it smelled good – ask Jacob, give me some of the stew

Here is the first test; the first temptation; Jacob says SELL ME YOUR BIRTHRIGHT

There it is…the BIRTHRIGHT…one of the most important things in Hebrew culture and tradition

The Patriarch would pass on his blessing for the next generation through the eldest son

Esau’s reply – what good is the birthright, I am worried about myself right now

What I can get right now…how it affects me right now

Jacob persisted (look at vs 33)

Esau gave in… selling Jacob his birthright

Notice end of (vs 34) “Esau despised his birthright”

That word “despised” in the Hebrew is “ba za” which means “to be worthless”

Esau thought his birthright to be worthless so he sold it to satisfy what he could get now

Well, Well, Well, let me bring us to modern day

We now live in a time when our young people and even some older have forgotten our birthright

They have not had to fight the World Wars; the threat of communism; the threat against Freedom

Because they have not had to experience this, I believe that all across our nation

In our schoolhouses; in our colleges; in our own government; we are like Esau

We now despise our birthright – we see it as “worthless”

We are more concerned with making decisions that affect us NOW

I’m hungry now – what good is my birthright?

Now watch this and correct me if this is not where we are at?

I will sell you my birthright (freedom) as long as you GIVE ME whatever I want NOW – Can somebody agree with me and say AMEN?

I don’t care if the NSA is bugging my phone – I give up that FREEDOM – just keep me safe

I don’t care if you take my ability to protect myself – I give up my freedom to protect myself – if no one has guns – I’m safe

I don’t care if you take away my freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights

Just give me FREE PHONES; FREE COLLEGE; FREE MONEY; WELFARE; FOOD; and whatever else I want RIGHT NOW

I despise my birthright – our President tells everyone how wrong we have been as a nation

We owe everyone an apology – I don’t care if it cost me my birthright – Just give it to me now

Is anybody out there on the same page as me and can see this clearly this morning?

The first test for Esau…the first temptation…the thing that had the most value to the culture of his day…was birthright

And he sold it away and didn’t bat an eye – because it didn’t seem important to him AT THAT TIME

Trans: Warning - In order to pass the coming test…we must

2. Beware the Deceiver

Look, Esau blew it…but he blew it with his brother Jacob

Jacob means “deceiver” – He not got Esau to sell the birthright

Jacob deceived His father Isaac into giving the birthright blessing to Jacob (look at Gen 28:27-29)

Now it’s one thing to have ESAU sell the birthright to Jacob, but It was another to get Isaac to pronounce that birthright

Now do you think Esau sold the birthright to Jacob may be knowing that Jacob may not be able to collect?