Lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Hebrews 12:16
How much was the birthright that Esau despised worth? Even for his day, it was worth a fortune. His grandfather Abraham had built up a huge fortune in livestock. And his father Isaac had added to that fortune and was one of the wealthiest men in all of Canaan. The holder of the birthright would have inherited at least two-thirds of that great wealth and the prestige that went along with it. So even for the time, Esau was a great fool for selling his birthright for a bowl of stew. Looking into the future, Esau gave up a heritage beyond anyone’s ability to imagine. He gave up the lineage that produced a great nation, along with its vast dominions in the days of David and Solomon. He gave up the lineage from which sprang the Messiah Who was promised from the beginning of the world. He gave up everything of the kingdom of the King of Kings Who will one day rule the world in righteousness. Oh how much Esau lost all for that morsel of meat. Today, we have a great birthright that we must treasure or else face the loss of it.
What is our birthright? It is the claim that we have been given to the promises of God because of the new birth. The value of those exceeding rich and precious promises is far beyond our power to calculate, certainly far beyond the herds and flocks of Abraham and Isaac. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). The Owner of the cattle on a thousand hills would have us appreciate not only His infinite wealth but our claim to a share of that wealth. We face an eternity of glorious plenty. Even more, we are able to enjoy the anticipation of that glory, and to appreciate God’s great provision for us here and now. We are wealthy in spiritual terms, having the Holy Spirit to enable, guide, and encourage us every day. We are wealthy in practical terms, having the Almighty to preserve us in a dangerous world and to feed us in uncertain times. What a birthright is ours! How much do we sell it for?
Do we sell the time we could spend in the Scriptures, in prayer, and with the Lord’s people for the world’s entertainments and pursuit of pleasures? Do we sell an investment in eternal rewards for a temporary grasp of the world’s property and money and trinkets? Do we sell our future honour as those who will reign with Christ for the fleeting titles and honours and power in this world?
How much we value the treasures of God will be seen by how willing we are to sell them out for a few of the world’s morsels of meat. -Jim MacIntosh