Esau¡¦s Choice
In the Bible, Esau is a solemn admonition for us. He
was the grandson of Abraham, the Father of Faith. Materialistically, he
inherited all the property of his father, Isaac. But from a spiritual
perspective, he lost the heavenly blessing that is everlasting. Esau lost this
heavenly benediction not because he was cheated out of his father¡¦s blessing by
his brother Jacob (since men can be cheated but not God), and not because God
said, ¡§Esau have I hated¡¨. It is because in his choices he followed the
pleasures of the flesh again and again, despising his relationship with God.
The twins Esau and Jacob were both descendents of
reverential people. During their mother¡¦s pregnancy and delivery, there was
already unusual conflict. The characters and preferences of the brothers were
markedly different. Esau was skilled in hunting, and was often in the fields.
Isaac¡¦s nature was quiet, and stayed mostly among the tents. (Genesis 25:27) If
we search carefully, we will understand that the predilections of Esau during
his formative years somewhat molded his disposition to things later on. He
chose life in the open country, was fond of hunting, and became an expert
hunter. He was born into a wealthy family, so hunting was not a means of
sustenance. It was a leisurely hobby to satisfy the physical emotions of
euphoria and conquest. Not only that, he was probably quite a gourmet, as
otherwise he would not have attracted his father to frequently taste his wild
game. His father cherished him more, because Isaac would often partake of the
game that he served up. Esau gradually became controlled by the pleasures of
the flesh, so that he slowly lost interest in spiritual matters. This is also
what we should be mindful of. Don¡¦t allow ourselves or our children to over-indulge
in the leisurely pursuits and physical enjoyments that people consider
acceptable, because ultimately we will fall under their domination. It is what
Paul has said, ¡§Everything
is permissible for me¡Xbut not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible
for me¡Xbut I will not be mastered by anything.¡¨ (1 Corinthians 6:12)
The life of Esau gives us another
warning, and that is his disdain of spiritual things. One day, after coming
back from hunting and feeling famished, Esau saw Jacob preparing a stew. For
the sake of some food before him, Esau impatiently and thoughtlessly sold his
birthright to Jacob in exchange for an immediate satisfaction of the flesh.
This was a thoroughly ignorant transaction, since the birthright was not just
an issue of property inheritance, it was an issue of the relationship between
God and the descendents of Abraham. ¡§He ate and drank, and then got up and
left. So Esau despised his birthright.¡¨ (Genesis 25:34) The major character of our physical
being is that it ¡§cannot wait and cannot abstain¡¨. How many people have failed
in sexual morality because of their inability to deny the impulses of the
flesh? Esau only sought instant gratification in his physical needs, searched
for handy pleasures, but made light of things with spiritual value that have a
relationship with God. Dear brothers and sisters, never allow the lust that
¡§cannot wait and cannot abstain¡¨ in our natural character to grow strong, so
that we despise things that have everlasting value. The author of the Book of
Hebrews warns us, ¡§See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like
Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.¡¨
(Hebrews 12:16)
Esau was a man who followed the flesh.
He preferred to choose according to his personal desires. In the matter of
marriage, he ignored the opinion of his parents and picked Canaanite women as
his wives, forgetting how attentive his grandfather was in choosing a woman
that was pleasing to the will of God to be his father¡¦s spouse. ¡§When Esau was
forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also
Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.¡¨ (Genesis 26:34) When the light finally
came on and he realized that his parents did not care for the Canaanite women,
he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath on top of his two wives. (Genesis 28:9)
Esau relied only on the pleasures of the flesh in his dispositions and actions
through a series of important life choices. He did not act according to the
will of God, so that he turned further away from the Lord and lost the grace of
God. I hope that the wrong choices Esau made generate an admonition for the
brothers and sisters.
By: Daniel To