GENESIS 25

BERESHIS 25

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

The boys grew to be men.

"Esau was an expert hunter, and a man of the field."

The result of these pursuits was to surround himself with warriors, whose power grew into the future kingdom of Edom. When he was ninety-one years old, he was able to march with four hundred men against Jacob, then on his return from Mesopotamia. But Jacob was of a more peaceful disposition.

'"He was a plain man, dwelling in tents."'

While they sojourned with their father, Esau was Isaac's favourite; and Jacob, his mother's. One day while Jacob was preparing a pottage of red lentiles, Esau came in from hunting very much overcome with fatigue. He requested Jacob to let him partake of the red lentiles. But Jacob was not disposed to part with it without a consideration.

Esau was the elder, and according to the custom of primogeniture, was entitled to certain privileges, termed birthright. Now, Jacob, whose name signifies "supplanter," wished to supplant him in this right, that he might afterwards be entitled to the precedence over Esau, which God had indicated in saying,

"The elder shall serve the younger."

Therefore before he consented to Esau's request, he said, "Sell me this day thy birthright."

Esau reflected on the demand a little; at length he said, "Behold, I am at the point to die; what profit shall this birthright do to me?" "Swear then," said Jacob, "to me this day: and he sware unto him: and sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob then gave him the red pottage. From this time Esau acquired the surname of Edom, which signifies red; and commemorates the fact that

"Esau despised his birthright" (Gen. 25:27-34)...

The apostle cites the case of Esau as a warning to believers lest any of them should

"fail of the grace of God."

All who are Abraham's seed by being in Christ have obtained the birth right; and are thereby entitled to the blessing of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that hereafter

"people should serve them, and nations bow down to them; and that they should be lords over their brethren."

But, if for some temporal advantage they should "sin wilfully," and thus barter it away,

"there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb. 10:26-27).

There is no scope afforded to such for repentance; for they have placed themselves precisely in Esau's position. Hence, the apostle exhorted his brethren to look diligently to it, that none of them proved to be

"a profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright: "

for, said he,

"ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no possibility of a change of (Isaac's) mind though he sought it carefully with tears" (Heb. 12:15-17).

God is merciful; but He is also jealous; and "will by no means clear the wilful." If His children sell their birthright to the world for anything it can tempt them with, His mind, like Isaac's, is immovable; and transgressors cannot change it, though they may seek carefully to do so with tears, and prayers, and with great and exceeding bitter cries.

Elpis Israel 2.3.