Genesis 25:34 He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn. Esau must have had some issues. The scripture above tells us that he showed contempt for his rights. Contempt is defined as dishonor, worthless, scorn…those are mighty strong words for something that is a gift. The gift of being your parent's first child, you did nothing to earn the right you are born with it and yet you scorn this gift. I don't think this verse caught my eye before. I've always had a temptation to feel sorry for Esau after all his brother and mother tricked him later in our reading today that he missed out on the blessing as well. Now I have feelings of wonder. I have the thoughts of he must have had an attitude, he must have been quick to act without thinking, he might have had anger issues…who knows, but look at a couple of these verses for yourself. Verse 28 tells us that Isaac loved Esau and that Rebekah loved Jacob, so the love was equally shared between the brothers. In verse 32, Esau was hungry, yes hungry so he traded his birth rights for a bowl of stew. Does this seem like a smart move on his part? It doesn't look like Jacob even had to work very hard for Esau to turn over his rights just had to hand over a bowl of stew ~ red stew at that! The story really got my little brain thinking this morning about how our choices are what make the difference in our journeys. We decide a lot about what is going to happen in our journey. So often God does have a plan, but we are allowed to make the choice. We get involved in the process because we decide that we must have that bowl of stew, that red stew. How often do we scorn the gifts that life presents to us? How often do dishonor a gift that we don't deserve? How often do we show contempt? I still have a tendency to feel sorry for Esau because he is so much like me…HUMAN in capital letters! I on the other hand realize that there was more to this story than Rebekah and Jacob tricking Esau when someone so easily dishonors a gift of birthright for a bowl of stew… What do we scorn that is a gift that we don't deserve? Lord, thank you for your grace that none of us deserve! Sweet blessings, Debbie
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Red stew anyone?
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Debbie you asked us a question today that made me think of Jesus. You asked, "How often do we dishonor or scorn a gift that we don't deserve......?" Well, Jesus is a gift that we don't deserve.
At first thought, I want to find myself innocent of dishonoring or scorning this undeserved gift from the Father, but then on second thought maybe am could be more like Esau that I think.
The author, Brennan Manning suggested in his book, "The Relentless, Tenderness of Jesus" that we ask the Holy Spirit to awaken our souls to Christ's deep love for us.
My thoughts are, if I don't really "get" that undeserved, act of love that Christ did for me by dying on the cross, I might just find that I could be dishonoring Him. Maybe even choosing the "red stew" unknowingly.
Do I really fathom that undeserved gift? Oh Holy Spirit, awaken my soul!
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