Why Esau Was Godless

Introduction

Welcome to everyone. We, as always, have a lot of visitors. Our worship today has been spirited as we’ve gone to the throne of God. And I appreciate so much the participation of each one. I would be amiss if I didn’t say something about my parents being here for the first time since last June. And that’s when Brett got married. That seems like such a long time ago. Yes, when you’re when your son is and daughter in law are expecting a child, the first grandchild. You forget about the wedding was only 15, 16 months ago, whenever it was. So that seems like a long time ago. But it’s good to have my parents here, and I owe them so very much, and it’s special when they’re able to be with me here.

And to see all that changes in just maybe a year and a half with our group. And a lot of positive changes at that. We’re going to do something briefly this morning. We’re going to look at what I call the Esau puzzle. And this might not answer all your, well, it’s not going to answer all your questions that you might have, but maybe be a springboard for some personal study. And one of the more perplexing statements of Scripture made about Esau and his brother Jacob. I’m going to assume some familiarity in this audience with the story of these two boys who were the sons of Isaac, thus grandsons of Abraham, to whom the great promise of Genesis 12 is made. But this statement in Romans chapter 9 puzzles many Bible students.

1. Jacob I Love, but Esau I Hated

I’ll not be able to uncover or unpack everything that’s going on in Romans 9 this morning. But just this statement is made: Jacob I love, but Esau I hated. The first observation that I would make about that statement is that it’s more than just about two individuals, but has to go to their descendants as well. And that’s made clear in Malachi chapter 1 where that statement is quoted from, where the beginning of Malachi’s oracle has to do with God’s intentions for the descendants of Jacob versus his intentions for the descendants of Esau, the Edomites. And if this might help you with this, Edomites sort of sounds like termites. Not that all of necessarily Esau’s descendants were bad, but a lot of times they were pests to Israel.

And God is going to put an end to the Edomites, and that’s how Malachi’s oracle begins. And I wonder about this. As I believe what’s going on in Romans chapter 9, Paul is talking more about a choice that God made, more so than his affection for any particular individual. I mean, God loved the world and gave his only begotten son. He’s not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. I don’t know how it’s all going to play out for Esau on the day of judgment, but it is certainly not God’s desire that Esau be lost, or any of his descendants for that matter, though some will be, of course. So it’s not about that. It’s much like if you don’t hate your own father and mother, you cannot be my disciple, spouse, wives, brothers.

You know, I have to come first. Perhaps the idea of love and hate, we shouldn’t look from the standpoint of God’s ultimate desire for the salvation of each other. But in the context of Romans chapter 9, it’s about choice. Now the question might be why did God choose Jacob over Esau? Remember at the very beginning, and we’ll be going to Genesis 25 here in just a second. When Jacob comes out, he has a hold of his brother. His brother comes out first. These are twins in the womb, and he has a hold of Jacob. And this observation, prophetic announcement is made, the older will serve the younger. Now again, we can question why it is that’s the way it’s going to play out in the Genesis story.

Perhaps this choice was made purely upon the basis that God is choosing the younger. Perhaps it has something to do with the faith and character that each one would have. That Jacob would be more godly than his brother, as we shall see in a moment. Because God sees the future absolutely crystal clear. He knows which one will have a faith more like grandfather Abraham and Father Isaac, and thus the selection is made from the very beginning. Because he sees the future. And thus the older will serve the younger. But I want to look at a statement in Hebrews chapter 12 first. And this is the passage I want you to consider this morning in terms of application to our own lives. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 15 through 17.

2. Come Short of the Grace of God

And this particular phrase that is found there, you know, there’s not a lot said about Esau in the New Testament, a few places like Romans 9. But this is a very insightful comment. And I want you to look at these verses carefully, because it is said in a context where the Hebrew writer is challenging every believer, including you and me. See to it that none of you come short of the grace of God. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 15. As wonderful as the grace of God is, and we talk a lot about God’s beautiful gift toward us. He says, you can come short of God’s full intentions for that grace in your life. He says, see to it that none of you come short of the grace of God.

And then he gives two illustrations, two ways in which that could happen to you. One of the things he talks about first is bitterness in our hearts in verse 15 that rises up within us, causing trouble and causes us to be defiled. So attitudes that we have about our circumstances and toward others. And then this in verse 16. This is the second observation. That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau who sold his birthright for a single meal. So something like that is possible in the lives of believers now, though we don’t have the whole birthright thing. I’m the only son of my parents who are here today. I think we ought to go back to this birthright concept. Because I think the way it’s planned out now, it’s going to be equal shares for me and my two sisters.

3. Why Was Esau Godless?

I think a double portion, don’t you think a double portion for me might be in order? For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place for repentance, though he sought it for tears. He makes a very tragic decision. And so we’re going to ask the question, why does Hebrews, in the comment, in the summation of Esau’s life that we’re reading about back in Genesis 25 in just a second, why is this statement made about Esau? An immoral and godless person. I want to ask the question with you this morning. Why was Esau godless? Genesis 25, after the birth of the two boys, the first came forth red, who was Esau, thus he was named.

And afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding the Esau’s heel. And so his name became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, but because he had a taste for game. But Rebecca loved Jacob. And when Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished. And Esau said to Jacob, please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there. For I am famished. Therefore his name was called Edom, the red. But Jacob said, First, I’ll give you some of that stew, but first sell me your birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I’m about to die, so of what use then is this birthright to me? I’m going to die if I don’t get some nourishment here.

Look at this in verse 34. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Now let me tell you what is going on here with the selling of this birthright. This has in tow with it not just financial considerations, not just the blessing that’s going to follow. This has to do with God’s intentions for the descendants of Abraham. This has to do with a promise about a seed, a nation, through your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Which one of these children are going to be in this lineage through whom all the descendants of the earth shall be blessed? The birthright has this spiritual connection. And Esau said, don’t eat it.

I need this stew because I’m going to die. What good is that birthright to me if I’m dead? Have you ever been prone to exaggeration? As famished as he was, as hungry as he was, and again, we never get that far from our food, like our drink, as I talked about in drinking the water of life. We hardly know what it means to be thirsty anymore. We don’t get more than three or four hours down the road, and we are seeking grub. And you’re probably right now. If this preacher doesn’t get done soon, I’m going to die of hunger. Beware of that. The Esau story says, beware. So why? Because the text says, in this action, Esau despised his birthright. He didn’t just not regard it.

In the very action of selling it for a meal, he despised it. Why was Esau godless? The first observation I want to make about that is let’s not make the conclusion here that Esau was an atheist. He was not godless or immoral because, and we’re here’s the term godless, and we tend to see that term, and we tend to think, oh, he didn’t believe in God. No, Esau believed in God, but he despised the things of God. And that tells us something about saving belief. It requires more than simple acknowledgement that God exists. And belief in God will be demonstrated in the way that we worship, in a serious fight against temptation, and the way that I view and respond to the needs of others.

Belief has a lot of implications. But here’s the thing. Esau valued his desires above the blessings and promises of God. Life is a choice between worldliness and godliness. See, what’s set opposite of godliness is not atheism. What set opposite of godliness is worldliness. Either you live a life that’s focused on God, and so I often have told you about defining the term godly. It doesn’t mean God like. It results in that. But the idea of being godly is to be God focused. And so are you going to have a God focused life, or you’re going to have a this world focused life? And the reason why Esau was godless, which led to his immorality, is because he chose a meal over the blessings and promises of God and all the spiritual implications of the birthright that was given to his grandfather.

The promise given to Abraham. What a silly, foolish decision.

I know yesterday a lot of you were out at the primes chowing down on the most delicious, tastiest barbecue that has ever been made on the planet. Especially if you got some of the winner’s barbecue. Micah. Did you want me to mention that from the pulpit?

4. We Generally Do What We Want to Do

Oh, it was so delicious and sucking. Like I said, Tony, you weren’t there. I was having bacon wrap filet mignon. It’s terrible. But you know, you eat this, you eat this delicious meal, and you think, I don’t need to eat anymore. I’m done. You’re not thinking that right now. As good as that barbecue was, you’re concerned about where that next meal is going to come from. See how short-sided that is. And we’re going to sacrifice the will of God, being in God’s purposes, spiritual things above. We’re going to seek material things above those. I think there’s a danger in Esau’s choice, and I’ll make just a few observations. As I challenge you, that the point of godliness is we need to be daily contemplating the presence and will of God.

All that Esau cared about in that moment was his hunger. And not the implications of the choice that he was making. That Jacob was challenging him with.

This is the determination of godliness versus worldliness. Isn’t that a practical point for all of us to take with us today? But here’s the danger. Esau shows us this important danger, and that is we generally do what we want to do.

And if we’re not careful, we will exalt what we want to do above what we need to do and what others need us to do. And when we get upset for whatever reason, we often tend to justify our actions based on the actions of other people. Now, Esau could say, why did later when the blessing is stolen, he wants to kill his brother. And that affects the rest of the story in Genesis between Jacob and Esau. But he could have said, why did he hold the birthright over his famished brother who just wanted a bite of that stew? That evil little brother of mine.

We tend to justify our actions based upon the reflection we see in the mirror. It doesn’t work for me. What you did is the cause of all of this, but it doesn’t say anything about Jacob’s behavior. It doesn’t say anything ultimately about Jacob’s conniving. You know, that’s the interesting thing about Jacob is that while there was some conniving that went on in the ultimate receiving of the birthright and the blessing, he’s going to have to learn the hard way about what that kind of behavior does. He gets some things done to him that were similar to what he did to his brother. He has some life lessons to learn about trickery and deceit. But God’s going to take care of Jacob. But the issue here is Esau.

5. You Control You

And what he chose to do, and that is he sold his birthright. So I want to make one point, and this is sort of the big one here that I want to make here about the story of Esau as it relates to our either godliness or worldliness. Are you ready for this? This is brilliant. This is deep wisdom here. You control you. For Jacob’s role in this, the text says that Esau despised his birthright. And yet, how many people, again, we tend to justify our actions based on the actions of others. Jacob shouldn’t have done this. He shouldn’t have held a pot of stew against the birthright and made me make such a choice. And we could argue all of that. Jacob played a role in all of this, but the bottom line is that Esau did not value the things of God like he should.

And so often when people want to be worldly, when they want to set aside the will of God for their lives, they start pointing fingers. You know, the preacher didn’t relate to me in a in a certain way. He walked right by me, didn’t shake my hand. Like there was some malicious intent there. He was intentionally snubbing you. Don’t think that’s never been said. It happened once, but I know for sure. Back when I started preaching, never here. But long time ago. It was said about both me and Max Dawson as we were working together. So that somehow justifies, even though we don’t really know what was going on in the heart of that person. But the preacher, the elders, they walked right by me. And I’ll tell you, the elders made some decisions I just don’t like.

Well, were they unscriptural decisions? Did it involve falsehood like Tom talked about in his Lord’s Supper talk? Or was it just a matter of judgment? Well, I don’t like the decisions that they made, and so therefore, I’m not going to serve the Lord. So you’re going to take out your unfaithfulness on someone else. Or, hey, let’s get it closer to home. Let’s talk about the home. I get to be exempt from serving the Lord faithfully and consistently and participating among the Lord’s people like I’ve been instructed to do because my spouse isn’t acting right. Not as they should. And I’ve said this before, haven’t I? That sometimes your spouse will indeed disappoint you and act less than what they should be. Yes. But that doesn’t give me an excuse.

Or give me a justification to take it out on the Lord. You control you. I found this on my phone. It’s an anonymous quote, and I don’t know where I got it, but I don’t associate with people who blame life for their problems. And then this. You’re the problem, and you’re the solution. And I like that. We had a quote on Wednesday night from Scott. You know, you hear quotes from people. Sometimes quotes illustrate truths, and some very profound things are said by others, and so we quote them. We see them consistent with biblical teaching. And you might hear a quote from great philosophers like Aristotle or Socrates or Plato or Epimenides, or maybe even some contemporary Christian writer like C. S. Lewis. I’ll tell you what you get here from this pulpit Rocky Balboa.

And that may be the first time that Rocky Balboa has ever been mentioned in the same sentence with Socrates and Aristotle and Plato. But I noticed something at the end of that quote that Scott used that was very effective. That had application to this point. And that is when Rocky’s speaking to his son and he talks about pointing fingers. And he says, you ain’t where you want to be because of him or her. That’s what cowards do. And you’re better than that. And that’s what we tend to do. We tend to say, I’m excused here because of the behavior of someone else. Look, your role, the role that you play among the Lord’s people in the local church, is about your determination. It’s about what you choose to be and do.

The attitude that you have in the workplace, the attitude that you have in your community. That’s about choices that you make. You control you.

Conclusion

And so as I wrap this up this morning, making that one point, I want to talk about maintaining a godly heart. This quotation from John Owen. It is vain to contend that anything that hath the power of our affections in its disposal, it will prevail at the last. So whatever it is that you allow to control your affections, it will prevail at the last. Will it be worldly thinking? Will it be godly thinking? No wonder Paul said, set your affections on things above. We’re about to sing, is your heart right with God? And the first thing we’re going to sing is, have your affections been nailed to the cross. Do you have passions and desires that are not consistent with the will of God? We need to nail them to the cross.

Crucify them, if you will. That’s what the message of the cross means. We need to keep our eyes trained on the spirit realm. We need to stay in the will of God no matter what others do. Is your heart right with God? Have your affections been nailed to the cross. Listen to every word as we sing. And if you need to respond, come now.