Jacob and Esau were twins but they were as different as day and night.
1. Jacob was more the domestic Homeboy who enjoyed the quieter things while Esau was the hunter out in the woods bringing game for the table.
2. Jacob was smooth of skin, Esau had a hairy body.
3. Jacob was suave, Esau was Machismo and rough around the edges.
4. Jacob was Mama’s Boy and Esau was favored by dad. “Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” Genesis 25:28 (NASB).
5. Jacob was clever and conniving, Esau was gullible and impetuous.
6. Jacob saw opportunities to advance himself, and Esau saw opportunities to satisfy himself.
Jacob was like Kenny, a city boy, who moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died."
Kenny replied, "Well then, just give me my money back." The farmer said, "Can’t do that. I went and spent it already."
Kenny said, "OK, then, just unload the donkey." The farmer asked, "What ya gonna do with him?" Kenny replied, "I’m going to raffle him off."
The Farmer said, "You can’t raffle off a dead donkey!" Kenny said, "Sure I can. Watch me."
A month later the farmer met up with Kenny and asked, “What happened with that dead donkey?" Kenny said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898.00.”
The Farmer asked, "Didn’t anyone complain?" Kenny replied, "Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back." Like Jacob he was quick thinking and took advantage of the occasion with no loss, only gain.
That leads me to thinking about Esau’s Egregious Error and Jacob’s willingness to take advantage of it. Let’s go back in time to the unfolding of the story.
“When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, ‘Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.’ Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, ‘First sell me your birthright.’ Esau said, ‘Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?’ And Jacob said, ‘First swear to me’; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” Genesis 25:27-34 (NASB).
He lacked discernment. Discernment is the ability to examine the situation, apply a good dose of experience, and take the appropriate action at the right time. It’s what most people would call “good judgment.”
What can we learn from this event?
I ESAU WAS PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH:
A In monetary terms, a penny is a penny and a British pound is equivalent to $1.18 in American money.
1 “‘Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?’ And Jacob said, ‘First swear to me’; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.’”
2 Penny-wise and pound-foolish, Esau valued soup, (the penny) more than he valued his birthright (the pound).
3 That’s tantamount to burning $100 bills to heat a pot of water for tea.
4 He virtually gave away what he should not have lost to gain what would last him only a few moments.
B Let’s understand the value of a birthright.
1 Birthright refers to the right of the son born first in a family to inherit his father's possessions and authority.
2 In ancient Israel all the sons received some of their father's property, but the firstborn received a double portion and became the leader of the family.
C The Bible is full of those who were penny-wise and pound-foolish.
1 Adam and Eve who forfeited Eden’s Paradise for the taste of one bite of fruit.
2 The rich young ruler who preferred his riches over salvation and went away from Jesus sadly.
3 Judas Iscariot who forfeited his apostleship and his soul for the gain of 30 pieces of silver.
D If we are wise we will ask, “Is this a penny, or is this a pound? Will this last for just a few moments or will it endure for eternity?” Honestly assessing that should greatly alter our choices.
E A young man noticed that his tires were worn bald and showing cords in a few spots. He knew the danger of driving on tires like that and that he should buy a new set but he had only enough money to buy tires or the fancy stereo set he had wanted for a long time. He foolishly chose to buy the stereo and within the next week he blew a front tire throwing him into the guardrail, totaling his car. Fortunately he was not severely injured and learned to tell the difference between pennies and pounds. Unfortunately for Esau that understanding came too late. BUT NOT ONLY WAS ESAU PENNY-WISE AND POUND-FOOLISH
II ESAU WAS STOMACH, NOT SPIRIT MOTIVATED:
A “When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, ‘Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Soup!! Esau was so hungry his one desire was food!
1 His appetite received a #1 importance in his life and the birthright slipped to #2.
2 His quest for game in the field had depleted his energy and he had but one thought and desire. He had to have food!
3 Seeing the soup his brother was cooking his salivary sensation was stronger than his common sense. “Give me some of that soup! I’m starving to death!”
4 He was like the person who would say, “Man! I’d give both of my arms to own a car like that!” My question is, “Then how do you propose to drive the car?”
B For Esau, it wasn’t a matter of monetary value, it was sensory, fleshly appetite that drove him.
1 His stomach, not his spirit, motivated him. He was like this man: “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.” Luke 16:19-21 (NASB). That man’s stomach was of so much importance to him that he had no spirit of generosity and simply ignored the empty stomach of Lazarus.
2 He would have done well to remember:
a Words like those of Paul concerning enemies of Jesus, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.” Philippians 3:19 (NIV).
b And, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6 (NASB)
c “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 (NASB).
C See the contrast between flesh and spirit:
1 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
2 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit”. Galatians 5:19-25 (NASB).
D Check this thought:
1 What we put into our stomach lasts a few hours and then the tum-tum hollers “So, Feed me ALREADY!”
2 What we put into our spirit lasts forever and never loses its power.”
E We all have appetites and desires, and sometimes they destroy us. Let me illustrate. Raynald III was a fourteenth century duke in what is now Belgium. Grossly overweight, Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname, "Crassus," which means "fat." After a violent quarrel, Raynald's younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald but did not kill him. Instead, he built a room around him in the Nieuwkerk castle and promised him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the room under his own power. This would not have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred. The problem was his size. He just couldn't walk and wouldn't fit through the door. Here was a man in captivity who could have been free by the simple expedient of self control. He simply didn't recognize, or didn't care about, his enslavement to food! he was enslaved to his appetite and was blind to it. But Edward knew it! He knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew larger and larger. When Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: "My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills." He never quit loving his dainties; he ate them as rapidly as they were served, so he stayed in that room for ten years a prisoner to, and because of, his appetite. He wasn't released until after Edward died in battle. By then his health was so ruined he died within a year ... Still a prisoner of his own appetite.
A little later on Jacob managed to trick his aged and blind father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing that belonged to Esau by disguising himself as Esau. Esau was so angry and disappointed with the outcome he not only threatened, but tried to take, the life of his brother Jacob. This all began over a bowl of soup and a birthright.
BUT NOT ONLY WAS ESAU PENNY-WISE AND POUND-FOOLISH, STOMACH, NOT SPIRIT MOTIVATED, BUT
III ESAU WAS REMORSEFUL, NOT REPENTANT:
A if it wasn’t bad enough that Jacob tricked him out of his birthright but to cheat him out of his father’s blessing was egregious. And though he undervalued and despised his birthright, too late he regretted giving it away, and there was nothing he could do about it.
B The author of Hebrews wrote, “Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.” Hebrews 12:16-17 (MSG).
1 Remorse is a terrible regret that we have done something we now despise but cannot, or do not, seek to change.
2 Repentance is:
a A change of mind that issues in a changed behavior.
b A military command to “About Face!”
C In 1 Corinthians, Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for turning a blind eye to immorality and he demanded swift and stern discipline. In 2 Corinthians we read the outcome of that rebuke: “Now I'm glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from Him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 (MSG).
D Look at it this way:
1 Judas betrayed Jesus for money and a afterward, “when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor. Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!" And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:1-5 (NASB).
2 Peter denied Jesus 3 times and that was equally treacherous as Judas’ betrayal. In remorse, Judas hanged himself. But Peter repented and returned to Jesus. He was asked 3 times, “Do you love Me, Peter?” Three times Peter said, “I love you.” And Jesus commissioned him to care for the flock.
3 To sum it up: “Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.”
E There was a great Scotch writer and historian in the nineteenth century named Thomas Carlyle. He married a woman, who’d worked as his secretary named Jane Welsh. But Carlyle was dedicated to his writing so he didn’t spend much time with her. He just mostly wrote.
At one point she became ill and then it turned out that her illness was terminal. But Carlyle was too busy writing and he didn’t have much time for her. Jane died and they carried her to the cemetery for the service in the pouring rain. Following the funeral, Carlyle went back to his home. He went up the stairs to Jane’s room and sat down in the chair next to her bed.
He sat there thinking about how little time he had spent with her and wishing so much that he had a chance to do it differently. If only. Noticing her diary on the table beside the bed, he picked it up and began to read in it. Suddenly he was shocked. There on one page she had written a single line. This is what she wrote: “Yesterday he spent an hour with me, and it was like heaven. I love him so.” Something dawned on Carlyle that he had not noticed before. He had been too busy to notice that he had meant so much to her.
He thought of all the times he had gone about his work without thinking or noticing her. He turned a page in the diary and there he read some words that broke his heart. This is what she wrote: “I listened all day to hear his steps in the hall, but now it is late and I guess he won’t come today.”
Carlyle read a little more and then he threw the book aside. He ran out of the house. Some of his friends found him at the grave. His face was buried in the mud. His eyes red from weeping, tears rolling down his cheeks. Over and over again he kept repeating the same phrase: “If only I had known. If only I had known. If only..”
But, it was too late. After Jane’s death, Carlyle made little attempt to write again. He lived another fifteen years, weary, bored and a partial recluse.
Three of the saddest words in the English language are “It’s too late” That is because they indicate that there is no further opportunity to avoid, or alleviate, the consequence, but passed on by untaken and unrecoverable.
Don’t let the opportunity to say “Yes!” to Jesus pass by so that you look back to say, “If only I had .. Received Jesus ... known Jesus, ... served Jesus!” Today there is an opportunity to repent and to be saved. If you wait until you have died – it will be- - - - too late.
No matter what stupid things you have done, there is room and opportunity for repentance. Follow not Esau’s egregious errors. Come to Jesus and He will be unto you as a birthright from the Father with all the extreme riches and privileges in Jesus and a high place in God’s house.
