Topic: Sell It Not [Tuesday January 31, 2017]
Text: Genesis 25:27-34
Key Verse: “Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34).
As a rolling stone gathers no moss, so a careless and flippant person does not value precious things. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ says we should not cast our pearls before swine. Our passage for meditation has important lessons to teach us. Esau and Jacob were twins. Born by Isaac and Rebekah, they grew up in a home where the father loved the elder, Esau because of food while the mother had preference for Jacob. This act of parental discrimination created problems for the boys.
Instead of loving each other, there was envy and rivalry among them. As a parent we must avoid this mistake by all means. Each child is a precious gift from God and should be appreciated, loved and cared for. No child should be preferred above the other. All the children are special and unique. Furthermore, the passage teaches us to value whatever God gives us. Esau being the firstborn was privileged to have the birthright – the right to have double portion of his father’s belongings. Unfortunately, Esau did not value this privilege. This is why the Scripture later described him as a “profane” person – a person who had no respect for sacred things. He treated and handled a precious thing (the birthright) with contempt.
From Esau, we have some eternal lessons to learn. One, value who you are and all that God has given you. Value your soul and your relationship with God above every other thing in this world. Secondly, we should not be rash or irrational in making decisions. Look before you leap. Think deeply and think through before taking decisions. Where you are in doubt about the likely present and future consequences of a decision, ask for counsel from others who know better. Esau’s irrational decision of selling his birthright in order to satisfy his hunger cost him his place in the lineage of Abraham and even in the kingdom of God! What a loss! What you think or do at the spur of the moment or in the heat of passion could provoke great repercussions and damning consequences in the future. Learn from the unfortunate but avoidable example of Esau. Let the word of God be your guide and stay.
Thought for the day: An irrational person acts before he thinks.
Bible Reading in one Year: Romans 13-16
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
