By: Joel Ramirez
In a recent adult class I attended, the subject of Esau was reviewed and I began to see his story in a new light. The discussion started with how easily Esau gave up his inheritance over a bowl of soup. The discussion moved on to Jacob, the supplanter, and how he took advantage of the opportunity his brother’s hunger provided him. As the discussion moved on my mind came back to Esau. As the firstborn, Esau had been born with a right to inherit his father’s land and possessions and as the discussion continued it was recounted that Jacob was the rightful heir of the blessing God bestowed upon Abraham and Isaac because God had chosen Jacob. But, it still brings to mind that we as children of God have an inheritance. Ephesians 1:13-14 states “in Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” We have become adopted as sons by Jesus Christ’s sacrifice “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”, Ephesians 2:5. And, with that adoption we have become partakers of His inheritance in the saints. Just like Esau, we have a great inheritance promised to us. None of us would argue that we would never want to do anything to give up that inheritance. I am sure that Esau would have boasted this as well. But how often do Christians do exactly the same thing as Esau and forfeit their inheritance for some far lesser and temporary earthly treasure? Are the excuses the same in nature? Genesis 25:32 states “And Esau said, “look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” People scoff at Esau for giving up such a great treasure for something as menial as a bowl of stew. But how menial is anything we sacrifice our inheritance for when we compare it to how great eternity is with our Lord and consider the eternal damnation we settle for with any other choice? Many saints have fallen victim to forfeiting their inheritance to their own desires. I often think of Demas who had been a fellow worker with Paul. We know from the letter to Philemon that Demas had been with Paul during his house arrest recounted in Acts chapter 28. Paul also mentions Demas in the letter to the Colossians and includes him with a greeting from Luke the beloved physician. The sorrow in the last portion of the second letter to Timothy chapter 4 is almost palpable as Paul begins to recount being forsaken first by Demas in verse 10 but also in verse 16 when Paul recounts being forsaken when no one would stand with him. We don’t have any details of why Demas left Paul other than “a love for this present world”. Some speculate that Demas had become discouraged when he was faced with the reality that doing the Lord’s work with Paul would end in death and humiliation. The words of Esau echo “I am about to die”. There is no doubt that a first century Christian had a daily battle with the fact that being a Christian carried a death sentence and not just for the Christian but possibly and likely for their family as well. There is a real argument when we look at this with a carnal mind that Demas made a safe choice if this were the case. Now, our plight today in dealing with the fact that people may not like us or say mean things about us for standing up for God in our daily lives hardly compares but that carnal mind makes the same argument. We cannot overlook the fact that in doing so, a spiritual inheritance is forfeited and as mentioned before eternal condemnation is chosen for momentary comfort. Is this not exactly what Esau exchanged for his inheritance? It is hard to not also consider Ananias and Sapphira when I think of a forfeited inheritance. Here are two people who had the opportunity to see the Holy Spirit working miracles by the hands of the apostles. Their punishment was death for lying to the Holy Spirit about keeping back a portion of what was theirs to keep or give away as they chose. We can only speculate that their motivation was greed and some love for their present world in holding back a portion of their earnings. Perhaps Ananias and Sapphira had thoughts of using their money to do personal evangelism or perhaps to ensure they had something to fall back on if things got tough. The motivations may vastly vary but all can be rationalized with a carnal mind. There have been many Christians who have used similar carnal rationalizations to hold back their own earthly possessions. Yet, the consequence is the same in that an inheritance is forfeited for momentary comfort and eternal damnation is chosen.
We could include so many examples of those who gave up their inheritance in God for what pleased them at the moment. Esau begged Isaac for some portion of an inheritance when he truly grasped the fullness of the promise he had forfeited for bowl of stew. Genesis 27:38 reads “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me-me also. O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.” How many will cry the same plea in the day of judgment? But, unlike Esau, our Father shows us true grace and mercy in that repentance returns our full portion of the heavenly inheritance. Take a second and meditate upon that. 2nd Peter 3:9 states “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish by that all should come to repentance.” This is followed by the warning in verses 10-11 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness”. We have the greatest inheritance that surpasses anything this temporal world has to offer. It is so important to realize that the greatest treasure this world hold’s is just a bowl of stew when compared the infinite treasure of heaven. We cannot forget either that the bowl of stew also comes with an eternity of damnation separated from our heavenly Father. “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation”, 2nd Peter 3:14-15.