Text: Genesis 25: 29-34
When a person becomes a Christian (i.e. by getting born-again), what has actually happened is that he has entered into a spiritual covenant with God by which God (YHWH) becomes the person's God personally, and the person becomes a child of God. So, for all genuine believers, God is no longer merely the Creator but also a Father and Benefactor who provides and dispenses numerous blessings to the believer.
The covenant entered into is the New Covenant (Hebrews 8: 8-12) which is God's only means of redeeming all natural people from spiritual darkness and death into the eternal life of God's kingdom of light.
Actually, God had perfected the "papers" of the Covenant ahead of time and had signed it with the blood of Jesus who had been slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8)
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was God's love gift to the world of sinners so that we may not perish but live. Using the channel of the Gospel (i.e. the "good news" that such a great sacrifice had been made), God chose both to inform us of the Covenant as well as persuade us to partake of it. Anyone who believes this good news and acknowledges Jesus Christ (who made it possible) as his/her Saviour is deemed to have "signed" the covenant, thus entering into the blessings available therein, both temporal and eternal.
Every covenant has priviledges and responsibilities. We just summarised the priviledges as blessings temporal and eternal. We must also emphasise that these are associated with responsibilities - not that the responsibilities are the causes or reason behind the blessings (which are ours only by God's pleasure), but that the covenantal nature of the relationship requires that the responsibilities be kept.
Our role in the Covenant is quite simple, which is to love God who has so graciously given us such an abundant covenant AND to respect the Covenant. We should neither break nor despise it, but ensure that our love for God is "true, faithful, trustful, consecrated and devoted." Obviously, this calls for a life of practical obedience. Whosoever claims to love God and does not PRACTICE righteousness is a liar. The Christian walk is not in "precepts" alone but in living by those precepts that have been received.
The life of Esau, the first born of Isaac whose birthright it was to be the custodian and direct line carrier of God's covenant with Abraham aptly demonstrates the dynamics of covenant despising.
Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary." Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright as of this day." And Esau said, "Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?" Then Jacob said, "Swear to me as of this day." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
1. "...Look, I am about to die; ..."
Our first observation is that Esau forgot that the Covenant is more eternal than temporal. The decisions and way of life of Esau were based on an attitude of now, now, now! Unfortunately, this is also the attitude of many of us modern day Christians. We are often too willing and quick to sell our glory, honour, and other covenantal blessings to gratify the flesh. We live only for the present and give no thought at all for eternal considerations especially the eternal consequences of our current choices. But the Bible says, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable." (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Even among the leaders, spiritual success is increasingly being measured by level of possesion of wordly goods and absence of physical pain or inconveniences.
The experiencing of any form of lack (hunger, nakedness, failure, etc.) is seen as enough justification to disdain the sacred covenant and become careless with our glorious heritage. Any suggestion of an immediate relief is welcome regardless of the apporpriateness of such measures. Even Naboth, who operated under a lesser covenant resisted selling his covenantal blessings despite great external pressure of violence to the point of death (1 Kings 21). But today many children of the kingdom, like Esau of old, do not need any pressure at all - we willingly and actively solicit for faithless evil relief!
2. "...this birthright..."
Desire for unholy instant relief was not the only factor pushing Esau from within. He actually did not see much value in his blessing nor ascribe any worth to it. He did not appreciate it at all and had no difficulty in trampling it underfoot.
Similarly, we all need to truthfully ask ourselves, "How do I regard the things that are precious to God? What is my heart condition toward life (e.g. abortion), marriage, tithing, sexual purity, righteous dealings in business, etc.?" If our answers are less than biblical, then we need to reexamine our motivations, keep our hearts with greater diligence and cleanse our lives. We must re-orientate our hearts to value and esteem the things that are dear to God, especially those which He has placed in our charge in any form.
3. "He swore to him..."
Esau's swearing was an evidence of willful, intentional and determined decision for a permanent rejection of the Covenant. He was not merely acting on the spur of the moment. Having adopted an attitude of disdain for the Covenant, it became logical and easy for him to embark on a course of separation from that which was the object of his disdain.
Although the precipitating situation would today no longer be about a pot of lentils nor what is at stake be the Jewish birthright, the core issue remains the same: we must not harden our hearts against the clear counsel of God. Many Christians have inwardly "sworn" to themselves not to uphold certain elements of God's covenant because such elements have become, for them, inconvenient to uphold. The reason may be social acceptance, political correctness, financial gain, false science of natural evolution, or any among a host of others.
4. "...ate, drank, and went his way"
Esau was a man of his words! He actually practicalised his swearing. He "walked the talk", albeit for evil and not for good; for worse and not for better. This was a clear evidence that his swearing was not mistakenly done. Even Judas Iscariot after he had betrayed Jesus, later became remorseful. Not Esau! That which he had promised to do he was bent on doing. Years later, Esau would feel the loss of the blessing he so willing gave away, but even then, he never repented.
Now, having eaten and drunk, he went his way, practically turning his back on God. He chose the fleeting enjoyment of rewards of iniquity over the patience of perseverance demanded by God's word. Thus did he finalise the despising of his covenantal blessings.
Covenant despising is a high stakes gamble that results in great and dire temporal and eternal consequences.
1. God will only honour those that honour Him. (1 Samuel 2:30). He who despises God's covenant dishonours God. As Christians, we should never forget that all things are by His grace and favour. To be removed from the ranks of those whom He honours is a great loss indeed.
Similarly, Christ will only defend those who defend Him before men (Matthew 10:33).
Defending Christ does not mean fighting for Him as if He were a weakling - but rather standing up for Him, publicly associating with Him and His counsel on all issues even if it costs us. Refusing to be ashamed of His Cross.
2. But perhaps the more terrible consequence is that the despise, if not urgently repented of, will ultimately lead to covenant breaking and eternal damnation.
My desire for each of us is a renewed zeal to cherish our inheritance in the Lord and the needful grace from on high to keep what has been entrusted into our life and care. God bless us all. Amen.
Rev Fikayo Adeyemo
