“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4
From Genesis 25: Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”
Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
We all know the story but what puzzles me is why some folks feel that Jacob stole Esau’s birthright. Esau was shortsighted and only interested in satisfying his current needs or comforts. He saw little value in a future inheritance or his father’s blessing. At this point he was just hungry. Jacob on the other hand was well aware of the value of the inheritance and was ready to seize the opportunity. I’m not saying that Jacob was a better character, but God had already chosen him (Genesis 25:23).
It reminds me of when Jesus was in the wilderness and hungry and tempted by Satan to turn the stones into bread. He could’ve done it to satisfy his hunger but He said no.
If I was given a choice to inherit the kingdom of God and receive His blessings or trade it for a lotto ticket or a night of pleasure, I pray that I would not give in. If I did give in it would be my own fault. When you stop and think about it, we are faced with Esau-like situations daily. Do we choose that which satisfies our hungers or present needs and worry about tomorrow later or do we stay focused on God’s desires?
We can learn a lot from these two brothers.