Sister Sunny Sunday School 1/20/13

Sister Sunny Sunday School 1/20/13

Esau despised his birthright:

Gen 25:32  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

Gen 25:33  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

Gen 25:34  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

We see that Esau did not value his birthright.  There were a lot of things that had his focus that he valued and esteemed.  He was a cunning hunter and that is one thing that held his focus. 

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

The story of Esau despising his birthright is a story often repeated in the scriptures down through time.  God gave many blessings to His children, delivered them with a strong hand, fed them and supplied all their needs.  Instead of being thankful for their inheritance, they would reach for something that they did not have. 

The testimony of the Children of Israel:

Psa 106:11  And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

Psa 106:12  Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

Psa 106:13  They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

Psa 106:14  But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

Psa 106:15  And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

Psa 106:24  Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:

There are many things that we can value the gain of more than that which God has for us. 

Luk 14:16  Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

Luk 14:17  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

Luk 14:18  And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

Luk 14:19  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

Luk 14:20  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

We have a free invitation; we need to walk appropriately. 

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

One meaning for “walk worthy of the vocation” is to walk appropriately for the invitation.  We have a free invitation to be children of God.  We, who before had no inheritance, have been invited to take part as a joint-heir with Christ.  What are we going to do with the invitation? 

Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Isa 49:7  Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

Isa 49:8  Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

Jesus is the cornerstone that the builders rejected.  The Jewish people, as a nation, despised Him; the nation rejected Him.  If we will see and arise and worship, the invitation is to us. 

He causes to inherit the desolate heritages:

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Isa 61:4  And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

I think of this on a very personal level.  He restores to us what we despised and lost through our pride and rebellion.  He repairs and rebuilds the wastes and gives beauty for ashes.  He gives joy where there was shame and mourning.  He does this with the desire that we glorify Him. 

Jesus said to the woman at the well, “If thou knewest the gift of God…”  Do we know the gift of God?  Do we recognize it as such and take advantage of the opportunity given to us to receive it?  How much do we want it?  How much effort are we willing to put into seeking it? 

Is it something that we will lightly esteem as Esau did?  Are we willing to let it go for a little comfort or let the cares of life or the lust of other things choke it away from us? 

I am not willing.  Lord, help me to think right when I am in the muddle of life and to value what is of true and eternal value at those times.