Hebrews 12:16

THE WARNING FROM ESAU

‘Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.’

Hebrews 12:16

Esau stands out as a solemn warning to us as one who was guilty of the profanity of bartering away his birthright.

I. What is our birthright?—To put it briefly, it is that salvation which is offered to us in and through Christ.

II. How we may sell our birthright.—Esau sold his birthright for one morsel of meat. Is not this what many do to-day?

(a) We think, for instance, of the many who fall, of the thousands upon thousands who are dragged down to hell, because of what we call ‘the drink.’

(b) Are there not others who sell their birthright for carnal, for sensual pleasure, for the lust of the flesh? We may not like to talk about these things, but this is the history of many a man to-day.

(c) And then there are some who sell their birthright for unbelief. There are some who have been brought up in the Christian faith who now tell us in a superior sort of way that they sympathise with such men as Darwin, Huxley, and Herbert Spencer; they tell us that they are not able to believe the truths of the Christian faith, that they are sceptics.

III. What will follow if we sell our birthright?—Esau for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. What follows? Time passes and he comes to his father to receive his blessing, but it is gone. Some one has said, that hell will be the truth known too late. That is, the one who like Esau has sold his birthright, the one who has rejected that salvation offered to him by Christ, will in the life to come, when he realises what he has done, suffer the anguish, it may be the eternal anguish, of the lost.

IV. There is hope.—There was no hope, humanly speaking, for Esau; but thanks be to God for the hope that there is for us; we know that Jesus Christ the Saviour is still able to save to the uttermost.

—Rev. Ernest Walters.

Illustration

‘There are some honest doubters, and we can sympathise with them; but very often we find that doubt, so called, is the result of some sin, some secret sin perhaps, which keeps one back from God. We do not want to believe in God because of this or that sin. The Bishop of St. Albans at the Anniversary Meeting of the Christian Evidence Society told a story of a man who came to him in doubt, and after a little conversation the bishop came to the conclusion that it was the man’s life that was at fault, and so he launched a bold bid and said, “Look here, my friend, be honest with me; tell me, do you not give way to some besetting sin?” And it was so; it was this that kept him back from God; he did not want to believe in God because of this sin. This is often the case: it is sin that keeps men back from God.’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

THE BIRTHRIGHT SOLD

There are thousands of Esaus living at the present time, the favourites of society, easy-going, generous-hearted, not burdened with any anxiety or care, living for to-day, for the flesh, and content to leave the soul alone. They sell their birthright.

Why did Esau part with his birthright?

I. There was a manifest want of appreciation of its value.—He said, ‘Behold, I am at the point to die,’ etc. Evidently he was in a very foolish and wrong state of mind when he could say that concerning his birthright. His privileges were of the highest value.

II. There was a want of consideration.—When Esau sold his birthright it was a thoughtless act, done under the influence of excitement. He did not think of the consequence of the deed. In this respect there are many like Esau; they don’t think, won’t think, carried on by the current of desire or passion.

III. There was a want of self-control.—Esau allowed his appetite to become his master, and, for the sake of satisfying that hunger, snatches the savoury pottage even at the cost of his birthright. What an illustration of the power of passion!

Illustration

‘ “Rob Esau of the Oriental garb in which his character is clothed in the sacred narrative, bring him to the platform of contemporary history, represent him to your own mind in the garment of to-day: What is he? Well, he stands before us as a genial, kind-hearted, somewhat passionate, but on the whole a popular country gentleman, fond of field sports, passionately addicted to hunting, keeping a good table and a good house, a man who enters heartily and thoroughly into the amusements of society, a man who makes these things the very end and aim of his life; not a man of very great mental culture, of no political aspirations, but a downright good country squire, and a man who does not trouble himself very much about religious matters.” ’