Have you ever felt so hungry that you would do anything for a meal? I'm sure we've all felt the pangs of hunger that made it difficult to concentrate on anything else! Arriving home from school to the most delicious smells was part of my childhood I fondly remember. Mum loved to bake and there were often cakes, cookies and pastries on cooling racks when I walked into the kitchen. The desire for something sweet was the only thing on my mind but quite often I was told the baking was for an upcoming event and I would have to wait. After some pleading and bargaining on my part, I usually managed to get a taste of something, although in exchange, I had to promise that later, I would eat all of my dinner! We will see an interesting situation that arises in today's reading that involves a very serious promise in return for some food.
"This is the account of the family line of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.
This is the account of the family line of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom. ) Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 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."
Genesis 25:12-34 NIV
It's wonderful to see the blessing of God on Ishmael's life. Although he was not under the special covenant that God made with Abraham, he had twelve sons to carry on after him, (they became rulers which fulfilled a promise made to Abraham) and he lived to a good age.
We then find out what has been happening with Isaac since he married Rebekah. Faith in God was surely tested as this couple waited to conceive a child, like Abraham and Sarah before them. Isaac prayed to God and He answered with a twin pregnancy!
Without the benefit of modern technology, Rebekah didn't know she was carrying twins but when the great deal of movement from within her becomes troubling, she inquires of the Lord and He reveals she has two nations within her womb! Details are given of how the eldest will serve the youngest. What a revelation!
Esau and Jacob are born and like many siblings were very different, both in looks and preferences. Esau loved hunting in the outdoors and Jacob seemed to prefer staying home and liked cooking. Isaac favoured Esau because of his love of eating the game he caught, while Rebekah favoured Jacob.
Esau being the eldest held the birthright to inherit a double share of his father's wealth, lead the family after his father's death and also receive a spiritual blessing. Perhaps there was already some jealousy over this —even from the start, Jacob was born grasping the heel of his brother. Things were about to change as Jacob used the fact that his brother came into their tent hungry from the open country. Jacob saw the opportunity as he had something his brother was desperate for! So with a bowl of lentil stew and bread he had prepared, Jacob tricked his brother!
An oath was sworn by Esau, giving up his birthright to Jacob —all for a bowl of lentil stew and some bread! He only thought about the present moment and how desperate he was to eat instead of thinking about the future! His present desires messed with his priorities so God's prophecy of the older serving the younger was already being fulfilled!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for this passage today that really causes us to consider where our priorities lie. Bless each of us as we wrestle against all that can potentially pull us away from keeping our eyes fixed on all that You have for us. We have so much because of Jesus, may we meditate right now on the inheritance which is ours:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory."
Ephesians 1:3-14 NIV
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
"For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see."
Psalms 36:9 NLT
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Light and Life for Today
SpiritüelA daily devotional for your time alone with God. In an increasingly dark world, more than ever, we need to look beyond what we can see, past our present circumstances. In order to see the light and experience life as our Heavenly Father intended, I...
