Hold on to your Birthright

This morning during my commute to work, I continued my 60-day overview of the Bible in Genesis 25:19-34. It is the story of Jacob and Esau. As I read the story, I seemed to have taken a particular interest in verses 29-34.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.
30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom)
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.

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It was the custom of the people to give the first born son the birthright, but Jacob desired the birthright and decided to use his brother’s hunger to get it. He knew that Esau would want some of the tasty stew so he deceived him into selling the birthright for a portion of it. Verse 34 went on to say that Esau despised his birthright. I sat back in my seat and wondered, why would Esau despise his birthright? Guess we’ll never know. However, as I pondered on the story, I realized that we do the same as Esau every single day.

The word “Birthright” is defined as:

1. privileges or possessions that a person has or is believed to be entitled to as soon as he is born
2. the privileges or possessions of a first-born son
3. inheritance; patrimony

taken from the free online dictionary

We, as the children of God, also have a birthright. God sent his son to die on the cross so that you and I may inherit eternity. He came to give us life. Yet, the very life that he died to give, is the life that we are selling for quick fixes.

Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. What are you selling yours for?

Is it a car, house, friendship, relationship, money? Our Father promises to meet all of our needs in his time. He has promised us an inheritance that no eye has seen nor ear heard. Will you continue to give that up for temporal things that will surely pass away? Notice that Esau ate the bowl of lentil stew and a side of bread and left. For a small meal that lasted but a few minutes, Esau gave away his future inheritance. Was it really worth it? My prayer today is that we will take some time to think about the decisions that we make on a day to day basis. Is there anything in our lives that is threatening our “birthright”?

We must never forget that we have an adversary who is eager to take away our inheritance. He wants our blessing and will throw anything at us to get us to hand it over to him. As a matter of fact, he is not even waiting for us to hand it over. He would love to snatch it right out from under us. As you go about your day, pray that God will help you to remember your birthright and to value it. Let that person skip you in line, get up from your seat and offer it to that elderly woman, etc. You are not doing any of this to earn the kingdom. Because of God’s grace, It is already yours! Thank God for your birthright everyday, by showing kindness, love and mercy to others.

Hold on to your Birthright!

Memory Text:

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. – Revelation 3:11

Prayer Prompt:
Lord, help me to value the inheritance that you have gone up to prepare for me. Help me to love others and to hold fast to my crown during my stay here.

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