MONDAY, September 8th, 2008

Well I just want to tell each of you how impressed I am with you. I know that yesterday was a difficult passage, yet many of you read it anyway and really tried to get what the passage was saying. That is what this is all about. Keep up the good work.

Genesis 25

1 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
3 Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.
6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

Abraham’s Death and Burial
7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years.
8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite,
10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.
11 And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

The Families of Ishmael and Isaac
12 Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
13 And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
15 Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16 These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations.
17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.
18 (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.
19 This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac.
20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.
21 Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”
24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau.
26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.
28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau Sells His Birthright
29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary.
30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”
32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”
33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.
34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.


There are once again, several great truths in this chapter. Let me share the one that I am sure your parents will agree with me on... Verse 20 says that Isaac was 40 years old when He was married, so that sets the standard on when people should get married. You can get married when you are 40. :) Just Kidding! Calm Down!

Well there are several stories told in this passage, I will brush by all of them until I get to the last one. First we see that Abraham is old and HE GETS MARRIED AGAIN!!! AND HAS SEVERAL MORE KIDS!!!! DISGUSTING!! He was like 150 years old!! That is sick. Then we see that Abraham dies. After Abraham dies Isaac is in the spotlight. Isaac and Rebekah want to have a kid, but they cannot. Finally after 20 years God not only gives them one child, but He gives them twins!! God is just GREAT like that!

Well, We see that these two children are named Esau and Jacob. This is the story that I will focus on. Esau was a tough, rugged, hunter. He was probably like Survivor man. Jacob was like a male version of Martha Stuart. Jacob could cook, while Esau went out and hunted. Esau was born first, which meant that Esau had the "BIRTHRIGHT". What does that mean? It simply meant that He was the child that would carry on the family name, He would receive the inheritance, and He would also carry on the lineage of Christ. WOW!

The last several verses tell a story about this birthright. It tells how Esau went out and was hunting. He came back home and He was hungry... and Dramatic. Esau was telling Jacob that HE WAS GOING TO DIE IF HE DID NOT EAT SOETHING RIGHT THEN. (Have you ever done that?) I remember growing up and telling my Mom that I was going to STARVE TO DEATH IF SHE DID NOT FEED ME RIGHT AWAY!!

Well, Esau wanted instant gratification. He wanted to be pleased right then and there, and He was willing to give up his entire future, all of his dreams, all of his possessions, for one lousy bowl of STEW!!!! Are you kidding me?!?!?! He is Crazy!!

We are just as Crazy!! God has such great plans for our lives! God knows what is best for us and he planned out the most perfect life for you and for me where we can serve Him and live for Him with complete peace and Joy! BUT WE DECIDE TO THROW ALL OF GODS PLANS FOR OUR LIVES AWAY FOR SOME LOUSY SIN!!! When we choose to sin, we are doing exactly what Esau did. We are choosing to give away all of our blessings, all of our fellowship, all of Gods plans for some kind of temporary pleasure in Sin!!

Sin is pleasurable for a season, but in the end thereof are the ways of DEATH!!!

Teenagers, the price of that stew was not worth what Jacob asked, it was not worth Esaus birthright... Neither is your sin worth the destruction it brings to your life. You cannot sin and WIN!!!