Be Thankful For and Treasure The Gift Of God’s Grace (Genesis 25:23-34)
The story of Jacob and Esau, and the “red stew” is often told as a precautionary tale. The message is typically framed as a warning against living according to the desires of the flesh. And there is nothing wrong with that. This is certainly the application made in Hebrews 12:15-17. But this story, within the context of the rest of the Book of Genesis and the oracle that had just been given is about something else.
Last week we saw that God chose Jacob and rejected Esau. This set of twins would go down in history, in part, because of the major disfunction that would be found between the two of them. Their animosity toward one another was noteworthy. Neither of these twins were a model of righteousness and their warring with one another is incredible. So, this message serves as a part two to last week’s message.
Esau, who was the older, should by all rights have the birthright. But he would not receive it. God chose Jacob and rejected Esau and as we looked at Romans 9:10-18, we saw that it was not based on the actions or future actions of Jacob and Esau but based on God’s choice alone.
“And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad–in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls– she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” (Romans 9:10-18 ESV)
If a person possessed the birthright, as Esau did, then that should have been incredibly precious to him. But we find that it was not. For Esau, being the child to whom the promise passed wasn’t worth a pot of red stew. The promises of God were not worth a bowl of soup to Esau.
What we will see today is that we should be thankful for and treasure the gift of God’s grace.
Be thankful for and treasure the gift of God’s grace.
God’s Grace Is Not Based On Your Works (Genesis 25:23-28)
God chose Jacob, not based on anything that he had done or would do. As we saw last week, God graciously chose Jacob and rejected Esau (Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:10-18).
We will later see that Jacob was often a scoundrel in his early years. Some of his interactions make my mouth fall open. And sometimes my thought is, and this is the guy that would be called “Israel” and father the foundation of the 12 tribes of Israel. But God chose Jacob, not based upon anything he had done.
This would shape the lives of Jacob and Esau and their relationship with one another. When she gave birth, Esau came out red and hairy. I don’t know if his skin was red or his red hair made him look red, but he came out red and hairy. Hairiness in a baby is not something that is uncommon. All babies are covered in hair in the womb, it’s called Lanugo. They usually lose this hair in the womb, but not always. And it seems that Esau did not. Hairiness in ancient times was a picture of incivility and people were not inclined to trust the hairy among them. And Jacob came out of the womb clutching the heel of Esau to overtake his brother. And sometimes, as has already been mentioned, these interactions will be filled with deceit. Jacob means “he takes by the heel” or “he cheats”. He was named thusly because he took his brother by the heel, but either of these definitions would suit his name.
As the children grew up, we see the difference in the two of them. Esau was a good hunter and Jacob was quiet and dwelt in tents (Genesis 25:24). We oftentimes think that “dwelt in tents” means that Jacob was effeminate or lazy, but this is not the case. He was likely a shepherd like his father and grandfather, rather than out in the wild hunting like his brother.
And these two children also had parents who favored them. Isaac loved Esau because of his game. And Rebekah loved Jacob. Why did Rebekah love Jacob? It seems that she loved Jacob because he was the child through whom the Lord had chosen. Hers was the righteous choice. Isaac loved Esau’s food. Even though Jacob would prove to be a scoundrel that needs to be beaten into shape, she loved Jacob. Even though he pounced on his hungry and thirsty brother to take his birthright, she favored Jacob. She favored Jacob because he was the child of the promise, chosen by the Lord.
You didn’t do anything to earn God’s grace. You can’t. You have earned for yourself God’s wrath and justice instead. That is why Paul says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV). And our lostness is tremendous. Sin has so wrecked us that this is a description of our sinfulness, the sinfulness of all mankind.
“What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”” (Romans 3:9-18 ESV)
And this should not be news to you. This has already been seen in the flood account.
Notice what God said about mankind before the flood.
“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5 ESV)
Notice what God said about mankind after the flood.
“And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.” (Genesis 8:21 ESV)
Did you notice anything strange? Did the flood change the condition of the human heart?
No, it did not.
Adam sinned in Genesis 3 and it plunged the entire human race into sin. We are now born sinners. We sin because we are sinners. We are rebels who are born with a rebellious nature that desires evil. No one on Earth has earned God’s grace, but He does give it.
God sent His Son to accomplish our salvation. God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a perfect life and accomplished all righteousness on behalf of those whom He would save. And He died on the cross and paid the punishment for sin. He then rose from the grave three days later. And all those that turn from ruling their own lives and trust in Christ will be redeemed. It is only by God’s grace that salvation for lost and wicked sinners was accomplished.
But it is also only by God’s grace that you were enabled to receive this grace and mercy. That too was a gift to you otherwise you would not have it.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)
So here is where we get to the heart of the matter. And here is why this matters.
What is the difference between you and your lost neighbor? Only the grace of God.
And that very fact should bring you to tears of thankfulness.
The Lost Don’t Desire God’s Grace On Their Own (Genesis 25:29-34)
The thing to notice here is that Esau despised his birthright. Jacob was deceitful and strove for it. But Esau didn’t care that much for it.
Jacob cooked stew and saw an opportunity to exploit. His brother was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. And Esau wanted the stew. Jacob insisted that he sell his birthright for a bowl of red stew. And Esau, thinking only of his hunger and thirst, said “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” (Genesis 25:32 ESV). And so Esau swore to Jacob, ate his fill, and went on his way as if nothing big had taken place. “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25:34 ESV).
This should have been of utmost value to him. There should have been nothing on Earth that Esau would trade for his birthright. But Esau despised it.
It is hard for us to understand why so many people would reject the message of Christianity. And the reason is that we are the seeing people. But the lost are not this way. God must work in a person to bring them to Himself, to give them the desire to follow Him. Notice what Paul says about the natural person,
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV)
It is not that they make a rational value judgment and reject Christ. The natural person cannot accept “the things of the Spirit of God” because they are things that natural man cannot understand. As Paul put it, “they are spiritually discerned”.
Again Paul writes,
“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:1-6 ESV)
The good news of what Christ has done is veiled to some people They are left unable to see the truth and beauty of the good news. But also notice, what is the difference between the blind and the seeing?
It is the light of God in the hearts of believers.
If not for God’s grace, shedding light to us, we would not come to faith in Christ. I’m not a believer because of something good deep within myself. The difference between my neighbor and I is the grace of God.
Think back to when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus was dead for four days and everyone knew it. Jesus spoke the words, “Lazarus, come out” and the dead man received life and walked out of the tomb. Now, if all people are able to believe in Christ surely this is the moment that everyone would do so. But they did not.
“Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what He did, believed in Him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.” (John 11:45-46 ESV)
And what about Lydia of Thyatira. There were women gathered together and the message of Christ was declared to them. And notice why Lydia believed the gospel.
“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.” (Acts 16:13-15 ESV)
Why is it that Lydia believed?
What is the difference between you and your lost neighbor? Only the grace of God.
And again, our response should be an overflowing thankfulness of the great grace and mercy that has been poured out upon us. If you are a Christian, then God has been gracious to you. Not only did He accomplish salvation for you but He brought you to Himself and gave to you His grace and mercy.
But this also causes us to do something else. It causes us to pray for the lost. It causes us to pray for the unbeliever. It causes us to pray for the Holy Spirit to open blinded eyes and bring the lost to faith in Christ.
We are having an outreach event next week and I pray that many people come. I am praying that many people hear the gospel. And I am also praying that God the Holy Spirit opens blinded eyes and causes people to come to faith in Him.
Warning: Be Wary Of Your Desires (Genesis 25:29-34; Hebrews 12:15-17)
This passage is also a warning to Christians. It is a warning to not be like Esau and despise the grace of God.
We are Southern Baptists and believe that those people who are truly believers endure to the end. They may temporarily fall away from the Lord, but it will not be permanent. God will cause His people to persevere to the end. And so, the writer to the Hebrews picks up on this story and delvers a warning to Christians.
“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:15-17 ESV)
How scary this is!
You are sitting in a congregation. And I hope, that by God’s grace you are hearing God’s Word proclaimed in truth Sunday after Sunday. And though you have made a profession of faith, been baptized, and are sitting here today you may fail to obtain the grace of God.
We do believe that all those who are truly believers will persevere to the end and be with the Lord for eternity. But we also believe that there will be false professors who turn away from the Lord after making a profession of faith and fail to obtain the grace of God.
And there is a reason that sexual immorality is mentioned here. It is a major reason people fall away from Christ. I know that it is the case today and apparently it always has been. Esau is a picture of someone fulfilling the lusts of the flesh so much that he disregards God’s grace. And it is something that we often see with the lusts of the flesh.
It is likely that someone in this room devours pornography or lustful thoughts like they’re sitting at the table during Thanksgiving. They eat and eat and eat and eat until they make their self almost sick and then regret devouring the stuff when it makes them feel sick. Only when they’re gassy and bloated do they give any thought to God’s Word and ways. Only when they’re sick from overfilling themselves with lust do they sit back, regret what they’ve done, ask God to forgive them, and do it all over again a few days later.
Are God’s promises not enough for you? Do you despise the Lord and His ways so much that you’ll fill yourself up with these things?
The same could be said for the sinful reaching of just about anything. It is good to work and have money. It is not good to prioritize it over following the Lord.
This warning is for you to be on guard lest you fall away and prove to yourself and everyone else that you were never really one of God’s people. This is a warning. And it’s a warning that everyone in this room needs to heed.
God has given to you His grace and His mercy. Don’t you dare walk away from that! Don’t you dare go and chase after the things of this world and leave behind Christ!
How many times have we seen the affects of sin on unbelievers?
Do you know what I have noticed over my time as a youth pastor concerning those that fall away from the faith? It was usually not a conscious decision to reject Christ. It was a decision to follow the lusts of their flesh straight to Hell. I have known multiple students that abandoned Christ because they desired to live a homosexual lifestyle. I have known another that cross dresses. And many of those would say that they do not believe in Christ today, but it was not a conscious rejection of Christ. It was filling their selves with the lusts of the flesh because, they had no real regard for Christ.
That is what we see with Esau today. He had no real regard for the promises, for the birthright. He was consumed by the lusts of his flesh and gave no thought to the promises that were his.
Let this be a warning to all of you!
Do not be carried away by the lusts of the flesh!
Conclusion
If you are a Christian, then God has been gracious to you in ways that are unfathomable. The depths of this love will be plumbed throughout eternity. God has accomplished your salvation and brought you to Himself and God will bring you to be with Him for eternity. But there is a warning in the life of Esau that we need to heed. Treasure the gift of God’s grace. Do not despise it. Do not follow the lusts of the flesh, or it will carry you away.
R. Dwain Minor