September 25, 2016 - Esua Sells Birthright

TONY & MICHELLE PAWLAK

MEMORY VERSE

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! PSALM 133:1

Do you have siblings (brothers and sister)? If yes, do you always get along with them?  I doubt it.  Siblings may love each other but they usually don't get along all the time!  This week, we are talking about a set of siblings in the Bible that didn't get along very well at all.

Last week, we learned about how Abraham found his son, Isaac, a wife named Rebekah.  Isaac and Rebekah loved each other very much and eventually had children; a set of

twins named Esau (meaning hairy) and Jacob (meaning trickster or heel grabber). These two may have been twins but they were very different from each other.  Esau, the slightly older brother, was a strong, hairy, manly hunter.  Jacob, on the other hand, was a smoothed skin and was more a farmer than a hunter. 

In those days, the oldest son in the family inherited something special called the birthright.  A birthright meant that you got twice as much inheritance as any of your siblings and you eventually became the new head of the family.  Esau, being the firstborn, was one day going to inherit the birthright from his father.  However, Jacob had a plan to get it for himself.

One day, Esau went out on a hunting trip.  Jacob knew that

Esau would be very hungry when he got home so he cooked

up a big pot of lentil stew.  When Esau came back he smelled the stew and it made him even hungrier.
"Give me some of your stew, Jacob." Esau said.  "I'll trade you some of my stew if you give me your birthright." Jacob replied.  Esau thought about this and realized that a birthright was no good to him if he starved to death so he agreed to the trade.  

Do you think this was a good trade?  The birthright was a gift that God designed to be given to the firstborn.  Do you think God was happy the Esau gave it away so easily?  What are some gifts God has given you?  Would you ever trade or give them away for anything?  Think about it...