Preschool
Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32).
Selling the Birthright
Memory Verses
Primary
Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32).
Junior
Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it (Luke 17:32-33).
Background Scripture: Genesis 25-27
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 25:29-34; 27:30-40
Introduction
“The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel” (Ps. 16:6-7). The recognition of God and seeking Him for counsel is wisdom that He blesses. Esau is an example of a person who did what seemed right to himself without regard to what would please God, his parents, or anyone else.
Key Verse
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb. 10:29).
Lesson Scripture
Genesis 25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
27:30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.
32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
Studying the Lesson
Strife, envy, jealousy, and feelings of ill will have been common to mankind since the first family on earth. When anyone seeks for preeminence, it is likely to cause dissatisfaction among those involved.
As children are born into a family, they become rightful heirs of their parents. In the ancient setting where this account takes place, the firstborn, male child was to receive a double portion of the inheritance with the remaining part to be equally divided among the other heirs. This custom may have been set in place by the reasoning of man. However, there were instances when God judged a recipient as unworthy because of wrong actions or attitudes. Then the birthright and blessing were passed on to another heir.
We may conclude that Esau was inclined to do whatever pleased himself. He did not take into consideration that he should align himself with God’s will as Abraham and his father Isaac had. He chose to marry without the guidance of his parents. He spent himself doing what he enjoyed and foolishly traded his birthright for one meal. Even as his father enjoyed the venison that he was able to provide, Esau made a plan to cover his mistakes with hatred. He thought that he could recover the birthright by killing his brother. Plainly, God could not bless such deeds and attitudes.
Practical Truths for Today
Some people may be able to determine the proper value of something with a cursory examination, but most times a careful going-over is necessary. Hasty conclusions usually represent poor judgment on a matter when a little counsel may be quite helpful, especially in major decisions. We may learn from our mistakes, but there may be a cost attached. Misdeeds can cause much sorrow, and Esau’s haphazard and casual approach to the matters of life was not pleasing to God. As we approach God, it needs to be with much carefulness and respect. When Jacob had the dream of the ladder to heaven, he made a sacrifice and a vow to God. Later in life God called Jacob back to Bethel. This caused Jacob to put away any idols that were among them and to wash their clothes. Note the carefulness and respect this represented. Such order is still pertinent today.
In the natural sense, being born or adopted into a family makes a person a legal heir. In the spiritual sense, being born again makes a person an heir in the kingdom of God. The Bible teaches that without this happening, a person cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Upon the new birth, the Holy Spirit of God finds entrance into the heart and gives spiritual direction and perception. In Acts 2, the Pentecost experience gave the believers power and boldness that they had not received before. To be of the lineage of Abraham, or claim family lineage of any kind, does not give entrance to the kingdom of God. The prophecy in Jeremiah 31:33-34 makes this clear: “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” This (new birth) experience sets a person free and makes him an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. In this we are adopted into the family of God. To disdain, disregard, or lightly cast aside this precious spiritual birthright is a serious matter before God.
The Bible teaches us to be patient and respectful. These virtues should be taught to the children and practiced by all. Our passions too easily can take control of us, and we must have the Lord’s help to direct our steps. It is not in our evil nature to have good direction for our Christian walk (Jer. 10:23). When we look back into this ancient account and review the happenings of that time, it may be easy to see where mistakes were made. Esau’s impulsive, uncontained nature and lack of self-restraint led him to a slanted view of what was important. Our senses and impulses will need to be denied so that we are not caught in similar failure. We may be faced with present decisions and not be able to see what the end result may be. Properly regarding that which is of eternal value will keep us from making decisions we would later regret.
In a certain sense, when a person repents of sin and receives peace with God, that person inherits a double portion. We receive quietness of soul, assurance of salvation, strength to overcome, willingness to be of service, and a lively hope of heaven. The book of Hebrews defines the people of God as the “church of the firstborn” (Heb. 12:23). Being born into a Christian home does not make a person a child of God by preference of birth. Everyone will need to answer the call of God personally to be received of Him.
Questions
- We may compliment a discouraged brother in an effort of encouragement, but how can we instill a recognition of the need for repentance?
- Esau’s former position could not be restored to him though he earnestly desired it. We can repent for having sinned but must still accept the consequences. Is this what is meant in Hebrews 12:16-17? Discuss.
- Sometimes young people may be embarrassed to acknowledge that they are part of a Christian family. What can we do to avoid feeling ashamed?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).