The Birthright

Esau and Jacob

Genesis 25:21-34; 27:1-36; Romans 9:13

Esau and Jacob are given to us as examples of the kind of lives that attract either the love or hatred of God. This was because of a particular attitude of heart that each one had - an attitude that was the motivation of their whole lives.

Two Attitudes

Esau - the man of the field</strong> In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of the "field" as a picture of the world (see Matt.13:24-30, 36-43). The statement that declared Esau a "man of the field" not only described his occupation, but also, as the Bible unfolds, was a picture of his heart-attitude. Esau was a man who loved the things of the world - who lived for the pleasures of life now.

Jacob - tent-dweller

Hebrews 11:1-12:3

Jacob, along with Abraham and Isaac, had his eyes on an eternal dwelling place. He believed God's promise to Abraham, his grandfather, that he would be the father of many nations.

Genesis 12:2-3; 17:4-7,16; 18:18; 22:17-18

This promise was ultimately to be fulfilled in Christ and the New Creation people, born through Christ's atoning work on the Cross, that would make up the "City" of God.

The key to Jacob's life was that "living in tents" represented a transient life. His attitude was that he was a foreigner and pilgrim in the world, with his eyes fixed on one goal -God's eternal purpose.

The Birthright

The Birthright of the firstborn was far more than the material blessings of an earthly inheritance. It was the right to fulfil in his generation the next step in God's continuing plan and purpose. When Esau sold his birthright to Jacob to satisfy his temporary physical hunger, he was virtually saying he put no value on the purposes of God.

Hebrews 12:15-16

The Blessing

Esau thought the blessing was separate from the birthright. When he sold the birthright to Jacob, he knew he was selling him the right to be part of God's purpose, but he had no intention of selling him the material wealth and blessing of his inheritance. He did not realise that the blessing was the result of the birthright (Genesis 27:36).

The Arena of Faith

Paul uses the picture of a relay race that has been in progress throughout history. The heroes of faith in the past have all faithfully fulfilled their lap of the race, and have passed the baton on. Abraham passed it to Isaac. Isaac was going to pass it to Esau, but he didn't want it. Jacob desired it more than anything else in life and took it up. Down through the centuries it has been passed on and now it's our turn in the arena of faith. We are completing the race that they began so that all together we might reach the goal. God desires each of us to have a heart like Jacob - not like Esau.