In my last post, I wrote about the dreadful pigeons who not only took up residence in a less than ideal location, they also took up residence on top of their own dung. I felt like this was a symbol of how I often live my life. Since I’ve been spending time in both Genesis and Hebrews, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Esau. The example of the pigeons living among their own dung reminded me of Esau’s story.
I often feel sorry for the poor guy. It seems he was doomed even from the beginning. The prophecy about his and Jacob’s births declared that Esau would serve Jacob. As things progressed, his stinker of a brother took advantage of his hunger and bought his birthright with a bowl of soup. Later Rebekah and Jacob connived again to steal Esau’s blessing as well. I have wrestled often with how Jacob seems more wicked in many ways and seems to succeed and yet it seems as if Esau is punished severely for menial things like being hungry.
But then as I thought more deeply on the lives of the two, I realized that Jacob was the one who wrestled with God. He wanted a blessing so badly that Jacob prevailed against God! Jacob was ruthless in his pursuit of blessings. He knew where the treasure lay and would not take no for an answer. To contrast, Esau gave away every right entitled to him as firstborn, for a bowl of soup. Esau’s birthright, as a descendant of Abraham, included the promised land, blessings, descendants as numerous as the stars and to be a blessing to all nations. If Esau was so cavalier as to quickly give away his birthright for a bowl of soup, what would he have done with the nation? This is why Hebrews says that his actions regarding his birthright meant that he was also rejected the blessing of his father. Certainly Jacob was wrong in stealing it but Esau was not innocent in the affair. He showed that he was not trustworthy with things such as blessings and birthrights.
There is certainly a difference in the heart of faith behind the two brothers. This is why Hebrews calls Esau “immoral and unholy.” Romans 8:5-7 says,
“For those who live according tot he flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
Esau’s mind was on the flesh. He showed that he thought little of his birthright. He sold his holiness for a fleeting pleasure. I’m not saying that what Jacob did was right, but it is evident that his mind was set on eternal blessings rather than temporary pleasures, even if his mode of obtaining those blessings was wrong.
This brings me back to the pigeons. They were not designed to live on a tiny window ledge wallowing in their own dung. They were made for higher things. Esau was also called to a higher life. He was called to one of holiness, to be a blessing to all peoples. But instead his mind was focused on the flesh, on simple pleasures. Like the birds, he chose to sit on a pile of poo rather than take the hard road.
Both of these examples give me cause to examine my life. Am I like Jacob, willing to wrestle with God for the holy blessings or am I like Esau, settling too easily for an easy life? What are the things in my life that hinder me or cause me to stumble in my divine calling? What areas am I sacrificing holiness for fleeting pleasures? In what ways am I choosing dung over the treasures of holiness? May God help me let go of the hinderances and fleeting pleasures. May he help me free me from choosing the trash over the treasure.
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