Genesis 25:34 "Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."
In one word, how would you describe Esau as a man? Impulsive. Short-sighted. Immature. Foolish. His life is largely defined by his decision in Genesis 25 to despise his birthright. A preacher once said, "Don't sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate." It is foolish to sell what you cannot afford to lose!
Hebrews 12:16 warns us by using Esau as an example. The Bible says, "Lest there be any . . . profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." The word profane means common (as opposed to holy, set apart). In other words, Esau treated with contempt ("despised") that which was very holy. So many times we are just as short-sighted as Esau was, focusing on what we want right now and forfeiting what we could have in the future.
We ought not treat as common what God has entrusted to us. With a short-sighted perspective, things are common right now that will be priceless in the future. My children come to mind as an example. The older I get, the more valuable the direction that I give my kids has become! I have been thinking now more than ever about college because I have one teenager and two more approaching quickly. If I minimize or fail to even think about this decision that is several years down the road, that is short-sighted-that is "profane." My child's college choice is priceless in the future, so I must consider it important now.
Some of the most valuable things are some of the most unnoticeable, simple things right now. Time, people, and talents are just a few examples. The lesson of Esau is that he was profane-he treated lightly that with which God had entrusted him. Don't take what you have been given for granted! Something that may not be worth more than a bowl of soup to you now might, in time, be as valuable as diamonds. Value what you have, while you have it!
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