Don't Wrong Your Birthright

Don’t Wrong Your Birthright

Hebrews 12:14-17 (ESV)

14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 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.

Greetings Patriots and disciples. This is Perry Greene of GodNAmerica. Thank you for listening in to this week’s podcast called, “Don’t Wrong Your Birthright.”

I recently read that in 2012, Dakoda Garren, a 19-year-old from Washington State was charged with stealing a rare coin collection worth at least $100,000. After Garren had completed some part-time work for a woman living north of Portland, the woman reported that her family coin collection was missing. Her collection included a variety of rare and valuable coins, including Liberty-Head quarters, Morgan dollars, and other coins dating back to the early 1800s.

Initially, Garren denied taking the coins, but then he started spending the coins at face value, apparently unaware of their worth. He and his girlfriend paid for movie tickets using quarters worth between $5 and $68 apiece. After the movie, they bought some pizza with the rare coins, including a Liberty quarter that may be worth up to $18,500.

Yahoo News reported, “Garren has been charged with first-degree theft and is being held in jail on $40,000 bond. Which, technically, is an amount he could easily afford if the valuable coin collection were actually his.”

Some people don’t appreciate the value of what they already possess.

As Americans who follow Jesus we are blessed with a double blessing. We have the spiritual blessings in Him and because of Him we are blessed in physical ways. Our spiritual blessings include our eternal salvation as well as our God-given Liberty here and now. But, just like Garren, many of us don’t appreciate what we possess.

In Genesis 25, Esau failed to appreciate the birthright he had. Because he was hungry and could not see in the long run he gave up his birthright to his brother, Jacob for the short-term satisfaction of a full belly. While we might criticize Esau or even feel sorry for him, the truth of the matter is that many are of us selling out today. People are giving up long-term blessings from God for short-term pleasures or desires.

I. What Did Esau Give Up?

First, he gave up the privilege of being the family priest.

The Patriarch of a family was also the religious leader. He would make the sacrifices on behalf of his family, just as Job did for his children (Job 1:5). The Patriarch had a great privilege and responsibility to lead his family to God.

Family has always been the key place to pass on faith.

It was true in the days of Jacob and Esau.

It was true in the days of Moses (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, ESV) 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

It was true in the days of Joshua (Joshua 24:14-15, ESV) “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

It was true in the first century (2 Timothy 1:5, ESV) I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

It is true today. Jewish people see the home as a type of temple. Parents are the “priests” of the family they teach their children of God at the dining room table, a kind of altar where meals are shared not only with one another, but with God.