Red Stew

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #131aa Written 18FEB09 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

Save Me Today—Part Twenty-Seven: Red Stew

by rev dave c

The opposite of “I love you” is not “I hate you”. Many years ago, while drunkenly anticipating an opportunity to sin, a poisoned conscience desperately found a crack in the concrete of my hardened heart and attempted a last effort to stay my decision to do that which is evil. I remember laughing and saying out loud with a smirk, “I don’t care”. That decision, that statement, led to death and destruction for which a number of people still pay. While I have been forgiven by God for throwing away His blessing for a moment’s gratification, there are those whose lives were devastated by my actions and I pray they will someday forgive me—for their sake more than mine. No, the opposite of “I love you” is “I don’t care”.

Genesis 25:21 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. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. 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.) 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 (NIV).

"Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 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. As the eldest son, Esau stood to inherit the blessings and the honor, the privileges and the responsibilities of being the head of Isaac’s extended family when the time came for the patriarch to pass into eternity. While this was generally significant within ancient Middle Eastern culture—given God’s promises, first to Father Abraham and then to his son, Isaac, that their descendents would be as numerous as the stars and that they would be the Chosen People of God (Ge 26:3-5)—the ramifications of this particular inheritance were enormous, both at that time, and during the next 4,000 years to the present. Esau was hungry. His flesh craved satisfaction. The desires of the moment over-rode all rational thought and spiritual discernment. And so Esau sold his birthright and the future of his children’s children’s children for some bread and some lentil stew. Unimaginable.

At least it would be unimaginable if I was unable to call Esau my worldly father. Day by day, how often do I sell my birthright because my flesh craves satisfaction? How often do the desires of the moment over-ride all rational thought and spiritual discernment gained for me through the precious blood of my Savior and Lord? Some time back the Holy Spirit asked me, “Did you sin all you wanted to today?” What a penetrating question. I wish I could honestly say, “Oh, Lord...every day I am guilty of more sin than I desire”. I want to be able to consistently mean that with my whole heart, head, and hands. The truth is: At the end of every day, I must face up to the fact that I probably would have sinned more in one way or another had I been “safely” provided the opportunity—where “safely” means “without too much fear of being caught”.

And so I ask you, “Have you sinned all you want to today?” I pray that your heart is broken and that your spirit is contrite in the knowledge that our sins are ever before us (Ps 51:3). Praise the Lord that we have a God of second and third (and fourth and fifth) chances. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Je 17:9; NIV). This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything (1Jn 3:19&20; NIV).

Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears (NIV). God, forgive me—please forgive us. Amen.