Saturday 21 November, 2015

30 When Isaac finished blessing him, Jacob left his father. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31 He too prepared some tasty food. He brought it to his father. Then Esau said to him, “My father, please sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing.” 32 His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” “I’m your son,” he answered. “I’m Esau, your oldest son.” 33 Isaac began to shake all over. He said, “Then who hunted a wild animal and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came. I gave him my blessing. And he will certainly be blessed!” 34 Esau heard his father’s words. Then he yelled loudly and bitterly. He said to his father, “Bless me! Bless me too, my father!” 35 But Isaac said, “Your brother came and tricked me. He took your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Isn’t Jacob just the right name for him? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me. First, he took my rights as the oldest son. And now he’s taken my blessing!” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you saved any blessing for me?” 37 Isaac answered Esau, “I’ve made him ruler over you. I’ve made all his relatives serve him. And I’ve provided him with grain and fresh wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept loudly. 39 His father Isaac answered him, “You will live far away from the fruit of the earth. You will live far away from the dew of heaven above. 40 You will live by using the sword. And you will serve your brother. But you will grow restless. Then you will throw off the heavy load he has caused you to carry.”

There are 2 parts to this story of Esau, the eldest son, losing his rightful inheritance from his father Isaac. In the first part Esau does the wrong thing and in the second part Esau has the wrong thing done to him.

In the first part of the story, he sells his birthright to his brother Jacob for a single meal of stew. Poor choice with big consequences.

In second part of the story he is tricked out of his rightful position as the elder brother through a collaboration plot between his own mother and his younger brother Jacob. That’s got to be rough to deal with having your own family plot against you.  We see here that Esau does not handle it well, becoming bitter and hateful towards his brother. He cries, he rants and raves, but cannot change what has been done.

All of us are faced with disappointments in life – some through our own poor choices and some through what others have done to us. Anger and sadness are a natural response, but we can’t stay in that place or discouragement and bitterness will ensnare us.

God has promised us that He will vindicate us when we have been wronged, and that He will restore us when we have done wrong. These both require faith from us because often we can’t see how He can possibly restore or bring a positive outcome from a bad situation. But I know in my own life I can look back and see that time and time again He has done just that. And so today, once again I choose to believe for the future that my God will work all things together for good as I follow Him and trust Him for the outcome.

Written by Shelley Witt