Squandering Our Birthright // Genesis 25: 19-34

Jacob and Esau
19 This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram [a] and sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 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."

24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. [b] 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. [c] Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom. [d] )

31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."

32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"

33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

34 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.

Footnotes:

Genesis 25:20 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
Genesis 25:25 Esau may mean hairy ; he was also called Edom, which means red.
Genesis 25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel (figuratively, he deceives ).
Genesis 25:30 Edom means red .

Words, phrases that stuck out:

*** Mainly, the various uses of "birthright" (specifically, verses 31, 32, and 34): Here is a definition of "birthright" I found on dictionary.com: Birth"right`\, n. Any right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth, such as an estate descendible by law to an heir, or civil liberty under a free constitution; esp. the rights or inheritance of the first born.

Lest there be any . . . profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. --Heb. xii. 16.


Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

Interesting that this dictionary chose the example from Genesis to show the usage, huh? Anyway, as I read this morning, all I wanted to do was learn more about this concept of birthright. And, more specifically, why it is such a big deal that Jacob was manipulating things surrounding Esau's birthright (so Jacob could have it instead), and why Esau was so willing to give it away... And, what is the spiritual implication? Do I have a birthright? Do I want a birthright? If I have/had one, what would cause me to give it away so freely? Ultimately, I don't really know...but I have a feeling that our birthright is as God's children...and how easily we squander it away. How we will just ditch Jesus for the promise of one minute of fun. Stuff like that... I really don't have anything else to add but this question: What does "birthright" mean to you in reference to our life with Christ?