A Profane Person Like Esau

Articles

Derek Long
02/23/20 - Wrong Attitudes

A Profane Person Like Esau By Derek Long
The Old Testament is filled with examples of the failure and successes of various individuals for us to learn from (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). Esau is an example of how a Christian should not act. Hebrews 12:14-16 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.” Esau is called a “profane person” in this passage and we are warned not to be a “profane person” like Esau was.
The event being referred to in Hebrews 12:16 is originally recorded for us in Genesis 25:29-34. Genesis 25:29-34 says, “Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.’ Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, ‘Sell me your birthright as of this day.’ And Esau said, ‘Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?’ Then Jacob said, ‘Swear to me as of this day.’ So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” A birthright would have been a special privilege given to the firstborn. Esau shows the lack of importance he placed upon his birthright in being willing to give it up for bread and stew of lentils. Esau serves as an example of what we ought to not do as Christians with our blessings from God.
A profane person is one who takes something holy or important and treats it is as common or unimportant. Esau treated his birthright which should have been viewed as something special as something of little importance. Christians are recipients of the wonderful grace of God (1 Peter 5:12). Do we fail to treat what we have received as something special and holy? Do we treat the sacrifice of Christ as though it was not that big of a deal by sinning willfully (Hebrews 10:26-29)? Do we cast away our confidence which has great reward (Hebrews 10:35)? Do we exchange our heavenly home for the passing pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25)? Do we recognize gaining the whole world and losing our soul would be a worse deal than Esau selling his birthright for a morsel of bread (Matthew 16:26)?
A birthright would have given the firstborn a greater portion of the inheritance. Esau gave up his part of the inheritance for bread and stew of lentils. Christians stand to receive a far greater inheritance as children of God than the inheritance Esau would have received from Isaac (1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 21:7). Do we exchange our home in heaven for something equivalent to bread and stew of lentils?
Esau shows us it is possible to not value what has been given to us, give it up, and lose what we once had. Christians today need to realize what wonderful spiritual blessings they have received in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). We can give up our spiritual blessings by not placing the proper emphasis upon spiritual things. We can end up losing the wonderful salvation God has given to us as Esau lost his birthright. 2 John 8 says, “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.” Hebrews 12:15 warns us of the danger of falling short of the grace of God. Let’s be careful not to treat lightly the salvation which God has given us! Let’s be people who are led to serve God with greater diligence in light of the wonderful blessings we have received from Him (2 Peter 1:3-9)!