What is Valuable

What is Valuable

Genesis 25: ²⁹ Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. ³⁰ And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

 

³¹ But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

 

³² And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

 

³³ Then Jacob said,  “Swear to me as of this day.”

 

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

 

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After Abraham died, all was left to Isaac, the promised child. Isaac now had herds of cattle, sheep, goats and plenty of gold. Esau had access to the herds, but chose to hunt for his food.

GOD turns HIS explanation to one particular day in Esau’s life. This particular day, he came in from the field and asked Jacob for food.

 

My Observations:

• Esau did not seem to value his inheritance.
• Jacob had been planning to swindle Esau for quite some time.
• Esau did not care about what he gave away, as long as he was gratified at that moment.

 

For years, Jacob worked with cattle, slaughtering it and preparing food. Jacob was not lazy, rather he was cunning. Esau may have gone out on a hunting trip thinking he was going to catch his own food. He may have been able to cook food as well, but it took silence and lurking skills to catch animals. This day he caught nothing.

 

Esau may have been exhausted chasing his prey. He comes home and gets hit with a strange statement “Sell me your birthright.” Jacob would not give Esau any food unless he agreed to give him the birthright. He valued what he would get over his relationship with his brother.

Esau did not value herds and gold, so he sold it for a meal.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD mentioned this day to Moses?
• Have you ever valued something, only to find out later that it did not have any value?
• Will you place your value in walking with the LORD today so HE can renew you from weariness?