Greetings members and friends and welcome to another commentary and preview to this Sunday’s study of the Word. This Sunday’s study text is entitled “God Chooses the Younger Twin” and it is based on Genesis 25:19-34.
Today’s study text tells us more about how God fulfilled His promise to Abram. Abram, who God changed name to Abraham, had only one son by his wife Sarah whom he named Isaac. Isaac was the son of promise and the one God renewed His promise and covenant to Abraham with.
Just like his mother, Isaac’s wife was without child for a long time. When she did conceive, she only conceived once to our knowledge and bare two twin boys. These children were Abraham’s grandsons.
The younger twin whose name was Jacob, proved to be more interested in heritage and inheritance than his older brother Esau. It was with this younger brother God would renew and continue to fulfill His promise and plan He began with Abraham through. Esau didn’t prove himself to be the person God could and would work His will through but Jacob did.
There was something about desiring and having little regard for an ancient birthright that made a difference to God. Today, the birthright that Esau swore to give to his brother is like the gift of eternal life God is offering and promised to give to humanity.
Jacob saw the importance and value of the birthright, but Esau didn’t until it was too late to do anything about it. True believers, like Jacob, recognize the value of life and God’s offer of eternal life to those who have faith and believe. They are doing what they believe is required and necessary to receive God’s gift because they recognize the value of it and desire it like Jacob did of the ancient birthright.
Everyone else fails to recognize the value of life and have exchanged or are exchanging their life and soul for the things of this world just as Esau did for some food to eat at that moment. At and in the present moment, people who are and have sold or exchanged their life for the world value what the world has to offer more than the promise of life with God. Some haven’t heard about or believe this promised life is possible or worth what it takes to receive it.
Maybe Esau didn’t really believe he would lose his birthright to Jacob even though he swore to sell it to him at the time. Maybe he though Jacob was just kidding. Regardless of the reason, maybe he thought what he did would not result in the actual loss of his birthright. What he found out too late is that we should never play or take chances or treat likely something that is important to us.
What is more important than life? This is what we do when we ignore God’s call to live by His commands. We misjudge the consequences of ignoring and skirting with God commandments just like Esau did of agreeing to sell his birthright to Jacob.
Later on, at the time of their father Isaac’s death, when it was time to pass on the birthright to his oldest son, Esau desired the birthright he had sold to his brother regardless of what he thought at the time he sold it to Jacob. Maybe he had even forgotten that he sold it. But he did not and could not receive it because God had chosen Jacob to continue to fulfill His promise to Abraham.
Some choices regardless of how we see them in the moment have unintended and irreversible consequences. Likewise, people who distain eternal life now, when faced with the certainty and consequences of death will desire and seek life, even the life that God has promised. Because at that moment we will realize that life, even life under God, is better than death. But like Esau, we will not be able to receive it.
Eternal life, like Esau’s birthright, is nothing to play with, take chances with or devalue at any time and for any reason. God is granting us a right to the tree of life but unlike Esau we must not put it in jeopardy for any reason regardless how insignificant we may think the consequence for doing so.
Well, be sure to look over the study again and come prepared to offer your comments, questions and perspective on the meaning of the study. If you can’t attend your own Sunday School class this Sunday, you can join us live and online at 9:00 am at www.fbmbc.org and clicking the online services link.
You can also join us live by dialing 508 924-2890. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section or you can share them on Sunday. So, let’s all have a great lesson and discussion this Sunday and remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
