What is your inheritance worth?

Remember all those popular primetime drama’s of the 70’s and 80’s where all the people are vying for a piece of some family fortune? No? Me neither, and I think that speaks well of us but I heard they were popular. Just give me a good ole episode of the Dukes of Hazard and my intellectual quest for learning was satisfied! If you agree, I don’t think that speaks well for us!

Either way the quest for human beings to “get what’s rightfully ours” is a challenge we have struggled with since the earliest days! Be it a piece of JR’s Oil Empire or keeping Uncle Jesse safely on the farm, humankind has always wanted what they perceived was due them, owed them or rightfully theirs.

Historically, our means by which we have achieved this could make Machiavelli blush!

Which brings us to Jacob and Esau; the simple fact God made them twins is evidence of his Almighty sense of (twisted?) humor and we remember them most for the trading of an inheritance for a bowl of bean soup!

What?

Oh, yes if you aren’t familiar with the story read Genesis 25:27-34 and you will get all the details. But the story is much larger than these select verses because it goes to a basic element of human nature that touches on the very essence of what our soul needs vs. what our body wants.

Esau goes out hunting – which he is usually very good at – and comes home empty-handed and famished. Now, in bicycling we have a term called “the bonk” and it occurs when all your readily available sources of energy are depleted. You have absolutely no more strength and would eat grass off the ground if you could. It is indescribable to those who have not experienced it because “the bonk” transcends hunger and puts you in an awkward position where you might do something very rash to get anything to eat.

Esau, in his hunger, does something very rash. He swears over to Jacob his rights as the firstborn child of Isaac!

Genesis 25:32 Esau said, “All right! I am about to die; what good would my rights do me?” and he vows to turn them over to his brother Jacob.

All for a bowl of red, lentil stew!

One Wednesday night we had navy bean stew for supper and I hated navy bean stew. I would have gladly given my bowl to Esau because I would not eat it and I knew we had prayer meeting so if I held out until 6:45 I would be off the hook.
No such luck! When we got home I was set down in front of those cold beans and stayed there until I managed to choke down the last spoonful!!

What was Esau thinking!!! If you are going to trade off your inheritance, your rights as firstborn and your blessing – do it for some real Buffalo Style Hot Wings for cryin’ out loud!! BEAN STEW!! Are you insane Esau!!!

Then I got to thinking…

As children of God we are heirs to his Kingdom. We have rights as royalty and are due blessings beyond compare in this life and the next – so how many times does God look down and say, “You are trading my blessings for a __________.” And you can fill in the blank with, motorcycle, car, career, relationship, sporting event, few minutes of sleep, day on the lake, round of golf, round of drinks…

Are you insane!!!

“But I would die without those things so I may as well give up that birthright and enjoy life know!” Then you will truly die! You will kill off your soul which God is calling back to him so he can lay his hands on your head and say, “Receive my blessings my child!”

But Esau could have died, right? I don’t know, but this truth came through to me as I read this story for the hundredth time – Esau’s father Isaac loved him and even if Esau went back to Isaac’s tent empty handed from the hunt, Isaac would have fed him! Isaac would have made sure his beloved son was cared for!

Our heavenly father is only different in that he not only feeds us when we are weary but he feeds us with the Bread of Life and quenches our thirst with Living Water!!

Closing Thought

Have you traded your birthright? Have you gone looking for some other blessing that you think will be more satisfying? Jacob and Esau’s “little trade” tripped off a whole series of events that placed them and their ancestors at odds for centuries!

Don’t make any trades that will do the same between you and God.

If you have, don’t be afraid to stagger back to his tent empty-handed. I am sure he will feed you something to see you through!

Servant of Christ

Randall

Cain and his offering

Genesis 4:1-16 is a fascinating passage but let’s look at the early part of the chapter where we have Cain and Abel bringing the very first sacrifices to God.

Chapter 4:2-5 Abel became a shepherd, while Cain was a farmer. At harvest time Cain brought the Lord a gift of his farm produce, and Abel brought the fatty cuts of meat from his best lambs, and presented them to the Lord. And the Lord accepted Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s. This made Cain both dejected and very angry, and his face grew dark with fury.

I have always struggled with this passage because the Bible doesn’t list any “instructions” on how to make a proper sacrifice in the proceeding chapters so I used to think Cain was rejected for nothing less than being a poor guesser” ! 

“Cain, you have 2 doors to choose from, behind one of those doors is the proper sacrifice to God, but behind the other door is rejection, anger and sin – good luck!”

This, of course, is not the case because God doesn’t play “Let’s Make a Deal” regarding our relationship with him. If we dig deeper we can find some answers to understand Cain’s predicament.

Fast forward with me through the Bible and humankind’s history and check out Leviticus Chapter 23:9-11 where God instructs Moses about celebration and proper sacrifice and one of those occasions is -The Festival of First Fruits -  When you arrive in the land I will give you and reap your first harvest, bring your first sheaf of the harvest to the priest on the day after the Sabbath. He will wave it before the Lord in a gesture of offering, and it will be accepted by the Lord as your gift.

Wow! All this makes me think Cain was doing the right thing! He appears to be a man ahead of his time by a few millenniums! Don’t we just love forward thinkers – so what was wrong?

Chapter 4:6-7 “Why are you angry?” the Lord asked him [Cain]. “Why is your face so dark with rage? It can be bright with joy if you will do what you should! But if you refuse to obey, watch out. Sin is waiting to attack you, longing to destroy you. But you can conquer it!”

Cain is in a pitched battle for his soul! Cain is still hearing God, although God rejected Cain’s offering and some translations say God rejected Cain himself, God’s mercy and love are prevailing to keep Cain from succumbing to sin’s deadly grasp! God is still keeping Cain in relationship!

The entire "Lords prayer series"