An Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at Creekwood  

"The Esau Principle"

They were twins, but they were definitely NOT identical.  At their birth, “the first came out red.  He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau [meaning “hairy”].  Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob [meaning “supplanter” or “deceitful”]” (Genesis 25:25-26).  Jacob’s name was very prophetic, for he would later deceive his brother, Esau.

Years later, Jacob, who preferred domestic duties, cooked a stew.  Esau, the rugged outdoorsman, came in from the field, and he was tired and hungry.  Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary" (Genesis 25:30).  Jacob (the deceptive one) said, "Sell me your birthright as of this day."

By that birthright Esau, the oldest son, would stand to receive a double portion of his father’s (Isaac’s) estate, and would have the responsibility of taking over the leadership of the family upon Isaac’s death.

Esau, thinking only of his immediate hunger, said, "Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?" (Genesis 25:32).  Jacob said, "Swear to me as of this day."  So Esau swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:33).

Clyde Woods, commenting on this passage, wrote:  “The famished hunter let the urgency of his hunger outweigh in his mind the great value of the birthright.  Because of this event, Esau becomes a classic example of the individual who fails to evaluate properly the important things in life.” 

        May WE learn the lesson of what could be termed
the Esau principle”: 
      
“DON’T miss out on long term blessings for temporary pleasures!”

God wants to bless us with long-term – in fact, eternal blessings.  Because of SIN (wrong choices made most often based on immediate gratification), we do not have a right to these blessings. The good news is that through Christ, we may be “born into” the family of God and become heirs to an eternal inheritance.  These blessings await those who believe in Jesus (Acts 16:31), repent of their sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ before men (Romans 10:9-10), are baptized in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38) and refuse to sell their “new-birth right” 
(John 3:3-5) for the temporary pleasures of sin!

Always remember the Esau principle: DON’T miss out on long-term (even eternal) blessings for short-term pleasures!

God bless you! 

David A. Sargent, Minister 

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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