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M.E.M. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God 18 May 2023 Hits: 293

Esau a Profane Person

Scripture text: “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Hebrews 12:15-17).

by Mark Mountjoy

Esau, as many of us already know, was the eldest son of the Hebrew patriarch Isaac. As the firstborn, he was entitled to receive an inheritance upon his father’s death,

The birthright was the natural privilege of the firstborn son. Receiving the birthright, the firstborn would become the head of the family, and would have charge of the family, including the family property. He would be responsible for the welfare of the younger sons, the widow, and any unmarried daughters. He would exercise considerable authority over the other members of the family. The blessing that he received would also place him in a special covenant relationship with the Lord. During the Patriarchal period when Jacob and Esau lived, God dealt directly with the heads of the families. The Hebrews counted the blessing given by the father to be very important and considered it an oral contract, which was just as binding as a written contract.¹

Given his birthright, he didn’t need to work for it. All he had to do was maintain it and value it. However, at some point during his youth, Esau grew so hungry after a hunt that he offered to trade his precious, valuable, and beneficial birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a single bowl of red bean soup. When Jacob heard the offer, he was more than happy to accept it because he knew something that Esau did not: While Esau only considered the cost (which was nothing), Jacob (who was later renamed ‘Israel’ by God in Genesis 32:22-32) understood its true value.

The details of the transaction were not widely known, as only Jacob and their mother Rebecca were aware of what had occurred. However, in God's eyes, Esau was seen as a profane individual due to his tendency to engage in sexual immorality and his desire to have both the entitlement he had sold and the blessing that came with it. Esau was not sincere and he planned to deceive Jacob and claim the blessing for himself, despite the fact that he had already received his bowl of red bean soup for it.

When Isaac was near the end of his life and on his death bed, it was time for him to give the firstborn blessing to Esau (Genesis 27:18-30). However, Isaac did not know that Esau had already sold his rights to his brother a long time ago. Nevertheless, Rebecca was determined and she sent Jacob to retrieve some animal skins to put on his arms so that he could receive the inheritance that belonged to the firstborn. Isaac was blind, but when he heard Jacob’s voice and felt his hairy arms, he gave him the birthright. When Esau found out, he tried to receive the blessing through tears and pleading but it was too late as the blessings had already been given to Jacob. Esau became furious and Jacob had to flee from home. For many years, Jacob kept his distance from Esau until he was able to find a way to reconcile with him.

TThe message conveyed in Hebrews is that Christians are entitled to a birthright granted to us through “God’s grace.” Although it doesn't come at a cost, it was definitely not free!

Engaging in the satisfaction of our physical desires, particularly through pornography - which the Bible refers to as “fornication" or “πόρνος/porn” - can lead to us being rejected by God as "profane individuals”² It may appear that we have not given up our beliefs and morals if we hide evidence of our activities on our phones or through a VPN, but God knows the truth. As Christians, we are entitled to the blessings of eternal life and entrance into the kingdom of God. However, we must not take our relationship with God lightly or risk our salvation.!

Life is not guaranteed. We are not promised that we will wake up in the morning or live to see the next year. We may live to be very old or die young. Being a Christian holds great value, and we must take care not to belittle it, even in pursuit of legitimate desires, let alone illegitimate ones! What we profess in public must also be sincerely believed and upheld in our private lives. The Bless the Lord O My Soul and Do Not Forget His Benefits quality of our commitment to Jesus Christ is demonstrated not only by our beliefs, but also by our actions, speech, and the limitations we place on ourselves based on our faith and expectation of encountering a holy God after we die. We must remain vigilant to avoid being overcome by strong desires that can keep us from entering the gates of heaven (Revelation 22:14). We should fear God, avoid evil (Acts 10:34-35, Peter 3:11), and maintain our passion and love for the Lord so that we do not become careless (Hebrews 2:3, Revelation 2:4-5). If we need support or encouragement, we may seek pastoral care, but we should always steer clear of pleasures that could harm our soul and lead to regret (James 1:14-16). May God bless us on our journey as Christians.