Sermon – Is It Worth That Bowl of Beans?
- Opening question before we read our passage … what
would you trade (of value – importance – worth to you) for a bowl of beans?
- Genesis 25:27-34 (NLT – Esau Sells His Birthright) …
As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet
temperament, preferring to stay at home.
(28) Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau
brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
(29) One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from
the wilderness exhausted and hungry.
(30) Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved!
Give me some of that red stew!”
(This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) (31) “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade
me your rights as the firstborn son.”
(32) “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” (33) But Jacob said, “First you must swear
that your birthright is mine.” So Esau
swore an oath, thereby selling his rights as the firstborn to his brother,
Jacob. (34) Then Jacob gave Esau some
bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the
meal, then got up and left. He showed
contempt for his rights as the firstborn.
- In the previous section, Genesis 25:19-26, you’ll
read that Isaac married Rebekah when he was 40; and it wasn’t until he was 60
that twin sons were born. If you’re
quick at math, then you knew right away that 20 years passed. We aren’t told how long Isaac pleaded with
the LORD, but eventually the LORD answered his request.
- You might be praying for something … perhaps you’ve
been praying for something for a long time … this is just another example to
NOT give up. Keep praying and pleading before
the Lord; and don’t give up until you get your answer.
- Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT) backs this up … “Keep on asking,
and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be
opened.”
- Back to our story at hand … We have two boys born …
Esau the oldest, hairy, grew up to be a skillful hunter and was loved by his
father … Jacob the youngest, fair, preferred to be at home and was loved by his
mother. One is the favorite of the dad;
and the other the favorite of the mom … (and if you’re familiar with this saga,
you know this isn’t a good thing later on).
- You have the oldest son – Esau – the favorite of his
father … the one that the family line was to go through … the one the double
blessing was to be given to … he had everything but gave it up for a bowl of
beans.
- You have the youngest son – Jacob – the favorite of
his mother … the one that would have received the “leftovers’ and who wouldn’t
be in charge of the family name or land or business … he seizes the opportunity
to turn the tables.
- Esau – who we read was a skillful hunter comes in
from a hunt tired and hungry; and he says he was starving – dying of
starvation; and that his birthright wasn’t doing him any good RIGHT NOW!
- It is doubtful that Esau was truly starving to
death. What skillful hunter wouldn’t
take adequate supplies with him? What
skillful hunter wouldn’t be able to take down something or find something in
the wild to eat or drink? Esau might
have tired and hungry, but could also have been putting on – exaggerating if
you will … Esau could cook because he does later on in the saga … maybe he
didn’t want to; maybe he wanted to save his game for later to share with his
father … we don’t know … but whatever the reason, he despised his birthright
enough to trade it for beans.
- It’s thought that Esau wasn’t serious about this
trade; and that there weren’t any witnesses; and that he could claim his
brother was lying … but for something as serious as the birthright – the double
portion – being the one the family line continued through – taking over the
family business … this was not something to joke about … it was not something
to lose, especially for something this trivial as a bowl of beans.
- Now, I like beans; made a pot of soup Friday night;
but I wouldn’t trade anything grand or major for it; but sadly, some people trade away more
important things – things they’ve worked long and hard for in exchange for
something not as good … or they try shortcuts that don’t work out.
- Husbands or wives that trade a marriage of 20 or 30
years for a bowl of beans … an athlete who cheats via performance-enhancing
drugs throws away a career for a bowl of beans … a promising student that
plagiarizes and gets kicked out school, all for a bowl of beans … instead of
working hard and saving, someone decides to steal or scam and gets caught, all
for a bowl of beans.
- Scripture is full of examples of this:
- Abram and Sarah couldn’t wait … what did that bowl of beans turn in to?
- David sinned with Bathsheba … what did that bowl of beans get him?
- Ananias and Sapphira wanted applause … what did that
bowl of beans get them?
- What about your faith? Do you choose the right and honorable; or do you trade them for beans? … do you spend time in prayer and study? … do you invite people to Sunday School, services, and studies? … do you even attend these events? … are you using your talents, resources, and gifts to build God’s Kingdom? … do you follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting to either do good or not sin?
- Esau traded his hunger – which was temporary – for
his birthright – which was permanent.
- That choice set off a bunch of other events … his
mother and brother conniving together to steal the blessing … his brother
fleeing … him being angry enough to kill … all because in one moment, he chose
the beans over something that could have altered his life.
- What are you willing to trade for a single bowl of
beans? character? reputation?
word? dedication? family?
job? finances? purity?
honor? salvation?
- Each of us are faced with temptations – perhaps daily – that we must choose whether we will stay true to God, His ways, His will, His standards … or choose the beans.
- Jesus, Himself, was tempted directly by the devil;
but refused to buy the beans … Matthew 4:1-11 … Luke 4:1-13 give us the account
… The devil offered Jesus 3 things … the kingdoms of the world … protection (by
tempting God to save Him) … and to turn stones to bread after fasting for 40
days … Jesus turned down the beans – said “No” to temptation and refuted the
devil using Scripture.
- Luke 14:34-35 and Matthew 5:13 both tell us about
what happens to salt that loses its saltiness (or savor or flavor or taste) …
it’s thrown out – trampled on – it isn’t good for anything
- How does salt lose its saltiness … by rejecting what
God has for us and choosing the lesser things … by choosing sin over
sanctification … by trading holiness for whatever type of bean you prefer.
- Jesus told a story of two brothers – the Parable of
the Prodigal Son(s) … one traded his good life and wound up feeding pigs … one
brother didn’t see what he had either and complained when his brother came home
… both wanted something else then what they had; and both suffered for it.
- Hebrews 12:16-17 (NLT) says, “Make sure that no one
is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son
for a single meal. You know that
afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though
he begged with bitter tears.
- When Esau traded his birthright, nothing changed
right away; but the course was set. So
much was based on that one decision … and for us the same holds true as well.
- One (bad) decision might not seem like much; but
they can add up and before you know it the snowball or boulder is chasing you
down the mountain and you can’t stop it.
- Ephesians 4:30 (NLT) says, “And do not bring sorrow
to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.
Remember, He has identified you as His own (or has put His seal on you),
guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
- Each time we ignore the Spirit’s leading, be it to
not sin or refuse to do good, we grieve Him.
I do believe that a lifetime of grieving the Spirit could be the same as
blaspheming the Spirit, which according to Jesus in Matthew 12:31 is the only
unforgivable sin.
- What happened in the Old Testament when the Holy
Spirit was grieved or made sorrowful or offended or sinned against? The Spirit left the person, and they were not
the same – they were abandoned.
- If we trade our salvation for a bowl of beans; we’ll
be like Esau, crying after the fact … in utter darkness, with (weeping and) gnashing
of teeth. One bad decision may not lead
us to Hell, but can still impact our walk with God, our relationship with
others, and our witness.
- Each day – perhaps, many times each day – you have to choose what is most important; and if God isn’t the most important – if your faith isn’t where you get your identify … you’ve traded Him for a bowl of beans.