Be A Jacob Not An Esau…

So last week on the last video I did, I talked about why God doesn't love everybody, right? And I know that really.

That really sets some people off. It's all good, though. I believe the Bible, I believe what it says. And. And I would recommend that you do some study. And I had a lot of people say, yeah, but what about John 3:16?

And my first thought is, well, what about it? It's in the Bible. It's true, right? So John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Right? It says that. So that's what it means. But to assume that when it says God so loved the world, that that means he loves every single solitary person in the world. That logic, if you're going to use it one place, you have to use it every place. So when in the book of 1 John it says, love not the world, neither the things are in the world. For if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. If the world means every single solitary person in the world, if it means that in John 3:16, then it means that in first John chapter, I think it's chapter two where it says, love not the world, or might be chapter three anyway, love not the world, well, that means I should hate everybody in the world. It's faulty reasoning, right? It's faulty reasoning. God loves the world because it's his. And he made it like, period.

I may love my town, but I don't know that I love everybody in my town. I haven't met them all yet, right? So anyway, I think you're just using. I get that that's your desire, and we think it's not fair, but we have to get over this idea of fairness, right? So today we're gonna pick up where we left off. Cause I read some verses last week that, like, people wrestle with. Why? Why God hates Esau? Why does God hate Esau? I'm gonna show you in the scripture why God hates Esau. And I think it's gonna be really helpful to you practically in your life to understand why God hates Esau. Say, how could that be helpful to me? You will see. Okay. Man, I wish I had looked up that verse, but I think it's Romans 14:17, I think it says, and it might be 14:23. The things that were written a four time were written for our learning. That we, through patience and comfort of the scripture, might have hope one of the reasons a lot of Christians don't understand the Bible is because you don't read the Old Testament. You only read the New Testament, which, if you don't read the Old Testament, it's not the New Testament for you. It's just the half Testament because you didn't read the first part of it. It's not new to you. It's the only Testament. Right? The whole Bible is God's word. And the New Testament fulfills it. Does not. It does not negate the Old Testament. It fulfills it. Okay, so anyway, thought I'd share that as an aside. So here's what it says. Romans, chapter 9. Again, it says Romans, chapter 9, verse 10. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even our father Isaac. For the children not yet being born, neither having done any good or evil or that the purposes of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. Now, Myron, are you a Calvinist? I don't. I don't know any. I mean, I know a couple people named Calvin. This has nothing to do with, like, I don't have a label. Here's what I do. I'm. I'm. I'm a Bible believer. That's what I am. And see, I don't believe. Let me ask y' all a question. Y' all are here in the audience. You've read the Bible, right? Some of it or all of it or whatever. Does God ever learn anything? No. Why not? Why doesn't he learn something? Because he already knows everything. If you already know everything, you can't learn something. So people say, well.

The reason it says according to election is because.

You know, God knew you were not going to choose him, so he didn't choose you.

So God knew. So now the effect is the cause of the cause. That doesn't. That's not. That's illogical. God does what God does because he's God. And because he did it, it is right. Whatever it is, even if it doesn't seem right to us, it's still right because he did it. And he doesn't need your vote, and he doesn't need my vote, and he doesn't care about either one of them. God is not an elected official. Right? He's the king of the universe. Okay, so. All right, so. And by the way, how many of you would agree that when you read this for the children not yet being born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works? But of him that calleth, and it is said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. You hated him before he was born. Like, what is that? What kind of God does that? The kind of God that doesn't need your permission to do anything. Let's start there. Let's stop trying to be God of God.

I'm God's God, so he can't do that and still be God. You are delusional.

How can you believe in a God that. I can't believe in a God that would let me tell him what to do. You'd let me tell you what to do. I know you ain't God.

Okay, what shall I say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Okay, so in order for me to understand this whole Jacob and Esau paradox, I gotta go back to Genesis, chapter five, where it first starts talking about them. Because we're back in the law of first mention again. And it's talking about when they were conceived. So it says, and Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren. And the Lord was entreated of him. And Rebecca, his wife, conceived. So believe it or not, there was a time in world history where the idea of having a baby was a blessing from God. It wasn't an inconvenience.

Oh, my goodness. All those kids.

My mom and dad had seven. My mom was pregnant for almost seven years straight. And she loved her children, and my dad loved his children. Like children are not an inconvenience. They are a blessing from the Lord. They are an extension of your life on this earth and your impact on this earth. And if you think they're an inconvenience, you're confused. Okay. Anyway, so he prayed for his wife, and she conceived. And the children struggled together within her. And she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. She said, if this is an answer to prayer, why is it like this?

Hey, how many of y' all know sometimes the answer God gives you is not the answer you were expecting.

It showed up. It didn't look nothing like you thought it was going to look.

Okay. Just want to make sure we talk. Okay. She went to inquire of the Lord. And then it says, and the Lord said unto her, he's helping her understand what's going on inside of her. Remember that? I said that he's helping her understand what's going on inside of her. And the Lord Said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels. And the one people shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb, just like God said, watch this now. And the first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. And they called his name Esau. And then it says, and after that came his brother out. And his hand took hold on Esau's heel. And his name was called Jacob, which means heel, grabber or supplanter. So in case you are wondering what that means. And Isaac was three score years old when she bear them. Isaac was 60.

Yeah, he was 60. Okay. So. And then the boys grew. And the boys grew. And Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field. And Isaac. And Isaac loved. I'm sorry. And Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison. But Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage. And Esau came in from the field and was faint. And Esau said unto Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint. Therefore his name was called Edom. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, behold, I am at the point to die. And what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, swear to me this day. And he swear unto him. And he sold his birthright unto Jacob and Jacob. And Esau. Jacob gave Esau bread of pottage. Bread and pottage of lentils. And he did eat and drink and rose up and went his way. Thus, Esau despised his birthright. This story has so much stuff in it. They're so. Ah, it's so good. It helps me understand my life so much.

What? Okay, I'm going to get there. But before I do, let's first of all fix the Jacob and Esau myth. Here's the Jacob and Esau myth. Jacob was a man's man. I mean, Esau was a man's man, and Jacob was a mama's boy. Let's fix that. Because if you study that passage, it doesn't say anything even remotely close to that, right? Oh.

He was a plain man just hanging around in the kitchen, learning how to cook with his mom. He was such a. You know, they try to paint him like this little sissyfied, weak, watered down, like mamby pamby dude. It's not biblically accurate. I'm just Saying we're going to get into what it means here in a minute. And Esau was a man's man. He was out there hunting like a man. Right? And I don't know if any of you all have ever heard sermons like that. I've heard them my whole life. And then I studied it and found out what Br Lakin said was true.

He said, just knowing your Bible will unfit you for hearing a lot of preaching. Amen.

Anyway, so when it says there are two nations in thy womb, Jacob and Esau are a picture of something. The story of Jacob and Esau is a picture of our old nature before we came to Christ, and our new nature after we came to Christ and the battle between those two natures.

That what I said. So let me read it to you again. Let me read it to you again. Here's what it says. And.

The children struggled within her. And she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb. And just like two nations were in her womb, two natures are in my being. And in your being, you have two natures. You have a sin nature. But when you were born again, like, literally, your life is a twin. And one of them's older and one of them's younger, just like these were. Like, you got your natural man, but you have your spiritual man. And so what happens when you're born again? Right? Your new man is younger than your old man.

This is about to get juicy, y'. All. And the scripture says, just like those two nations were inside of her, warring against each other, our two natures are inside of us, warring against each other. Thus, the spirit lust, the flesh lusted against the spirit, the spirit lust against the flesh. These are contrary, one to another, so that you cannot do the things that you would. I don't understand why I keep sinning. Because your flesh man likes it.

That'S why. Your old nature loves sin, likes the way it feels.

Amen or oh, me. But it's your flesh. That's why. This is why. The law, though it is good. How do I know it's good? Because that's what the Bible tells. Tells that in the New Testament, the law, though it's good, it can't save me because it needs my flesh to cooperate. And my flesh don't like cooperating with the law. Why? Because if you read Romans, chapter 7, you will see the Bible talks about three different laws. In Romans, chapter 7, there is the law of The Scriptures, which is from my master.

I'm not going to go into that because that'll take too long. Okay, then you have the law of sin, which is in my members. And then when I receive Christ, the law of the Spirit, that's in my mind.

And so I've got to make sure that I yield to, to the. I yield my spirit to the Holy Spirit and I listen for him and listen to him and then follow after him. That's what it means to walk in the Spirit.

I'm. I'm. I'm listening for. Listening to and following after. Now I'm walking in the Spirit. But when I listen to. Because I don't have to listen. I don't have to listen for the flesh. Why? Because the flesh yells. But the Spirit speaks in a still small voice. I have to pay attention. I have to be intentional about listening to. I have to be intentional about listening to the Spirit because the Spirit speaks in still a small voice. It's really fascinating that the flesh is like entropy.

Anything that left to itself tends to move more and more towards disorder. See, your flesh, my flesh, everybody's flesh you've ever seen that has flesh is suicidal.

It's self destructive. It wants to kill you. Your flesh wants to kill you. My flesh wants to kill me too. That's why I have to buffet my body as the scripture tells me, and bring it under subjection. Why? Lest at any time while I've preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

I gotta make my body do what it's supposed to do. Why? Because they don't want to do it. Don't look at me funny either, because yours don't either. So you might as well stop looking at me like that right now. You might fool some of you. Ain't fooling me. I've been here too long. Okay, so here's what we see. There is a conflict in conception. See, you had a conflict before you came to Christ. Your conscience was warring against your flesh, but your conscience isn't strong enough to beat your flesh. So there's a conflict in the conception. They were warring in the womb before they ever got to the earth.

There were two nations representing two nations. The old nature and new nature. Here's what it says in 2nd Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. So you got this new man living inside of you that didn't live there before you came To Christ. Are y' all tracking? Now, it says in Colossians, chapter 3, verse 10. It says, and put on the new man, which is renewed. Verse 9 says, Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. So we have a new nature, and we have to learn to yield our spirit to God's spirit in that new nature. Are y' all tracking? Okay, so there's a conflict in conception. There are two nations. There were two nations. There were two manner of people.

Inside of her representing the two manner of people in me and you. There's the flesh man in me. There's a spirit man in you. Okay, you got it. Now, here's what it says In Romans, chapter 8, verse 5. It says verses 5 through 8. Here's what it says. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. But they that are after the spirit, after the spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death. To be fleshly minded is death. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God. Neither, indeed, can it be your carnal mind. The flesh part of you cannot be subject to the law of God. Why? Because there's a law in your members. It's called the law of sin.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

So then, not only was there. Was there a concept, a conflict in character? I'm sorry. A conflict in conception. Here's what it says. It says, the one shall be stronger than the other. Did you find that interesting? I found it interesting. You know why? Because it didn't tell us which one.

It didn't. It said one will be stronger than the other. But it didn't tell us which one's gonna be stronger than the other. You know which one's gonna be stronger than the other? The one you feed the most. And if you perpetually feed the flesh, here's what you're gonna find out. Fleshly appetites are never satisfied.

But if you feed the spirit.

If you read the Bible and you study the Bible and you meditate on Scripture and you pray, then you're feeding the new man and you're giving him what he needs. You're giving him his armor, his whole armor of God, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the sword of the spirit. Feet that are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, you're literally preparing your new man for battle against your old man.

The Bible.

And it says the one should be stronger than the other. So there's a weak one and a strong one. Now we know when twins are born. Usually, usually, not always, but usually the big twin is born first. And guess what? Your old man was born before your new man. But it doesn't mean it always has to win.

You can feed your new man and exercise your spiritual acuity over a long enough period of time so your new man can win more often than your old man. That's such a blessing.

You don't have to give in to the old man.

You're just used to it. Okay. Then it says, the elder shall serve the younger, which represents the flesh is supposed to serve the spirit. Not the spirit, the flesh. So even though I was born May 14, 1961, that's when I was born in the flesh. I'll be expecting some nice gifts.

I was born again April 9, 1978.

So my new man is almost 17 years younger than my old man. My old man had a 17 year head start. That's why I'm so glad. When I came to Christ, I stopped watching television, I stopped listening to music. I'm not saying everybody has to do this. I stopped going to the movies and I read my Bible. I know this sounds crazy. I'm a 17 year old. A bunch of us in our youth group were like this. We're 17 years old. 17, 18, 19, 20 years old. Here's what we did. We read the Bible, we prayed, we witnessed to people. We did bus ministry, youth ministry, children's church ministry. And I got immersed. Why? Because I had already been immersed in an environment that satisfied the flesh for almost 17 years. I had so much catching up to do. We started memorizing a verse. First meal, my brother Mike and I, we started memorizing a verse a day. Then we. That ain't enough. We need to memorize like three verses a day. We got to one point where we were memorizing seven verses a day because. And what we do is we just take seven. We take seven times seven, whatever that is. 49. We write them down and read them out loud. Write them down on a three by five card. Read them out loud seven times a day for seven days the first week. Read them out loud three times a day for seven days the next week. Read them out loud one time a day for seven days the next week. But then every week we'd start a new Series of verses. And before you know it, we had, like, hundreds and hundreds of Bible verses memorized. Why? Not because we have great memories, but because we had a great system for memorizing verses. Why? Because my. My old man had a head start. A ginormous head start. Okay. Yard tracking. So this is so good. And it's about to get even better.

So. So the el. The elder shall serve the younger. The. You were not put here to do everything you feel like doing. Some of the stuff you feel like doing, you're just supposed to arm your new man and fight it off. Well.

Okay, so not only was there a conflicting conception, there was a contrast in their character. Esau was a man, but he was animalistic. He was red all over, like a hairy garment. He was just red and hairy. I think of so many. I think of so many analogies of stuff that I've heard people say. It's so crazy. Anyway.

The. The. The spirit. The scripture is bringing attention to his fleshly attributes. It's calling in, like, it's calling into our attention. This is what he looked like. Why? Because that's what's important to the flesh. Are y' all tracking? Okay. It says Jacob was. I mean, Esau was a was. He came out hairy all over, but Jacob was a heel grabber. Do you understand? Every single solitary person in this room. If you came. If you have come to Christ, your spirit, man is a heel grabber. Why? Because it got here after your flesh man.

But Jacob was the promised seed. He was the one that God told Rebecca. The older is going to serve the younger. And if God said it, guess what's going to happen? The older going to serve the younger. Esau might not like it. Isaac might not like it, but that is going to happen. Like it or not, excited or not, mad or not, glad or not, it's going to happen. Okay, so. So. So not only is there a. There's a contrast in their characteristics. Esau was big, bright and burly. Jacob was small, second and supplanting.

But there was also a clash in their character. It says Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field.

Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents. Hmm, that's interesting. Esau was a cunning hunter.

Wait a minute. Cunning? You know what that means? That's daring, thrill seeking, wild. Always looking for the next bungee jump, the next exciting party, the next exciting thing. Cunning hunter. There's only one other person in the Bible that scripture calls a hunter. Who was it? Nimrod, a mighty hunter who put himself before The Lord, he's giving Esau the same attributes as Nimrod who wanted to be God.

Are y' all picking up what I'm putting down? That's mind blowing. But everybody tries to make it, oh, he's a man's man. Yeah, he's a fleshly man's man.

But he was a cunning hunter. And then it says Jacob was a plain man. Do you know this is the only. This is the only place in the Bible I found this word plain translated as plain. By the way. All translation is commentary, in case you're wondering. That's why it's important to do word studies. Okay.

Every other place this word plain is mentioned, it's mentioned as.

Upright, perfect, righteous. In fact, the Bible says, Mark the upright man. Same exact word as plain. Mark the perfect man. Same word.

God described. Job. How did God describe Job to Satan? He said he's what?

Perfect and an upright man. One that feared God and askewed evil. Exact same word to describe Job. He used to describe Jacob. We try to act like Jacob was just a schemester. Well, I'm gonna say this. He went along with his mother's scheme, but it wasn't his scheme. People say Jacob stole Esau's birthright. There's no place in the Bible that says Jacob stole Esau's birthright. It didn't happen. Jacob did not steal Esau's birthright. We'll read it again in a minute. But the difference between these two is Jacob Esau was a daring, thrill seeking hunter, nimrod like person. Jacob was a perfect, upright, plain man like Job.

Wow. And then it says Esau was a man of the field. What is the field a picture of? Field's a picture of the world. When the prodigal son went into a far country and he wasted his living with. Wasted his substance with riotous living. The Bible said he went. This is a Jewish boy. He went out into a man's field to feed swine. In the parable of the seed, parable of the sower. Jesus said the field is the world. Esau was a worldly field, thrill seeking, fleshly, carnal man. And it says Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents. Well, that. Do you remember what it said about Abraham in Hebrews chapter number 11? Here's what it says about Abraham. Hebrews chapter 11. Did I paste it?

I didn't. It says.

I forgot. Oh yeah, I did. By faith. This is Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8. By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should have to receive an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went. He didn't even know where he's going. But he left by faith. By the way, sometimes it's a good idea to leave the place we're known for what we're not going to be, to go to a place even if we don't know where it is yet.

I don't know where I'm going, but I'm getting about it here.

Okay, y'. All. Tracking.

By faith. He sojourned in the land of the promise, as in a. In the land of promise, as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles. That's the same word, tent with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. When it says. When it says that Jacob was dwelling in tents, that didn't make him a mama's boy. It just shows that he was a. He realized he was a pilgrim and a stranger on the earth. He didn't drive his tent stakes in too deep. Why, he knew this world was not my home. I'm just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. He was a sojourner. He wasn't worldly. He wasn't attached to the world system. Okay, y'. All. Tracking. So that's a clash in their character. That's a clash in their character. Another one is Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison. His father even loved him for fleshly reasons. This story is so good. There's so much in it. And then it just says, rebekah loved Jacob. Do you understand that? A parent should love the child because they are the child. Period.

Isaac loved Jacob because he could run a touchdown. Isaac loved Jacob because he could hit a baseball or a golf ball. What? We laugh, but the reality is, like, so many fathers.

Torture their children by forcing them to live their dream vicariously through their child. I didn't do it. But you're not going to miss out on my dream. But your dream ain't my dream. Dad gonna do it anyway.

It sounds like I'm being funny, but that's sad. But it's so true. How many fathers tried to turn their sons into them?

Okay, Anyway, mothers turn to try to turn their daughters into them. Fathers trying to turn their daughters into them. Mothers trying to turn their sons into them. All that, hey, how about this? I love my children because they are my children. That'd be a good place to go. Okay, y' all checking.

So then.

Esau played while Jacob prepared.

It says, Esau came in from the field, and he was faint. Why? Because when you come in from gallivant out in the world, it always wears you out. It rides you hard and puts you up wet, just like a horse.

Beat the living daylights out of you. That's what the world does. It'll wring you out. It'll make you feel old before your time.

And Esau came in from the field, and he was faint, which means whatever he was doing out there in the world, he wasn't working so he could get something to eat so he wouldn't be faint. And then it said, jacob sod prodded pottage. You know, You. You know what that word sod means? It means he proudly prepared his portion. While Esau was out in the field playing around, having fun, hanging out with his friends, messing around with women, committing fornication, getting drunk. Esau was proudly preparing his portion. I mean, Jacob. Jacob was proudly preparing his portion. Now watch this, Jacob.

Esau was out in the field. He was playing. Jacob was preparing. Esau felt entitled to what he wanted, and Jacob felt inspired to buy what he wanted.

Esau felt entitled to what he wanted. He came to Jacob, who had prepared when he played, and said, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage. Do you understand? That is the cry of people who are unwilling to prepare. Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage. The cry of our government.

I'm not going to. I'm not going to. I'll protect you, but some. But I'm not going to serve you at all. But feed me, I pray thee, with that money, with those taxes.

I heard Joe Biden say one time when he was the vice president. So since I said, when he was the vice president, now I'm not being political.

I heard him say, if you make more than $250,000, it is your patriotic duty to pay more in taxes. And I thought to myself, what a moron. All you have to do is read a history book and know that America was founded on a tax revolt. How could it be your patriotic duty to pay more in taxes? There was no such thing as income tax in the United States of America until 1913 anyway.

Patriotic duty.

Either you think I'm an idiot or you're an idiot to say something like that. Anyway.

That'S.

Well, if I had an opinion, I'd never voice it in public.

That's the same thing. People. That's the same thing, People. People think people will look at you. If you've worked to prepare yourself for something, people will look at you because you have something. And they will want what you have because they don't have it. And in their minds, that's a.

Attitude.

Because you got something and they don't have something. Esau was out playing in the field, out living it up, and then comes in all woe out and rung out and probably hungover and says, bro, I need something. Give me what you prepared Esau. Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. And here's what it says next. And Esau sold his birthright on him. All these people talking about Jacob stole Esau's birthright. Go read the Bible.

Esau.

Felt entitled to what Jacob had. Jacob was willing to pay for what Esau had.

Don't be an Esau.

Don't go around thinking that people owe you something because they have it and you don't.

Okay, I'll keep reading.

Esau felt entitled what Jacob felt inspired to buy what he wanted. Esau felt entitled to what he wanted. And Jacob felt inspired to buy what he wanted. Like, let the things that you desire that you can't have right now. Let those things inspire you to wake up early, stay up late and work on that dream. Let the work work on you until you become the person for whom it can work. Don't buy into the lie. I tried that. It didn't work. All work works. How do I know that? It's in the Bible. In all labor there is profit. All work works. But work is a two sided coin. Tails is. It's working on you. Headset is working for you. And see, so many people are unwilling to let the work work on them long enough to become the person for whom it can work. I think about when I first started in insurance and investments. I was terrible at sales. I was so bad.

It took me 18 months to make my first sale. And I kept doing presentations anyway.

Why? Because every time I did a presentation the most people would perceive as failure. I perceived it as feedback. And I made adjustments and went and made another presentation. And I kept doing that for a year and a half until finally somebody said yes. And I was like, what'd you say? I didn't say that, but I thought it.

And I got good at persuasion so I don't have to convince people to buy.

See, convincing is when I attempt to get you to do something I want you to do for my reasons. Persuasion is when I help you make a decision you already desire to make for your own. For your own Reasons. Okay, so. And then Esau despised the birthright, and Jacob desired the birthright. Now, let me tell you what the birthright was. The birthright was what the oldest son received from the father. And it had two. Had two sides. It had two components. It had the rights of the birthright, and it had the responsibilities of the birthright.

The rights of the birthright were that you received a double portion of your father's inheritance. If your father had, like. If your father had. Like Abraham had. I mean, like Isaac had. Jacob had 12 sons. If you're the oldest, you get twice as much as everybody else.

Come here.

Okay?

That's the rights of the birthright. You also. All of your younger siblings had to do what you said you were, like, the third parent.

So interesting.

The dry cleaners in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where I used to take my clothes. Two brothers, Reggie and Chris. And I went in there one day. Reggie's the older one, Chris is the younger one, and they were Korean.

And one day I heard Chris addressing Reggie, and I think he called. I don't remember exactly what he called him, but I think he called him, like, Hong. I'm like, is that like his Korean name or something? He said, no, that just means brother. I said, you call your brother brother in Korean? He said, yeah. He said, there's no universe in which I'm gonna call my brother by his first name. He said, I only called my brother by his first name one time in my life, and he beat me down so bad. I will never make that mistake again. What.

Anyway, that's a thing. Anyway. So that's the rights of the birthright. But here are the responsibilities. You had the responsibility for being the spiritual leader to your younger siblings. You had the responsibility to carry on the spiritual family lineage to the rest of the family. You were like the. You were like the priest to the rest of the family. You were the. You were the spiritual leader to all the other siblings. You were. You were literally being trained to be in your father's stead when your father was not there. That's. That's. That's the right. Now. So I'm going to ask you a question. What part of the birthright do you think Esau despised? Do you think he despised the rights of the birthright? Double portion, or the responsibilities? Responsibilities. Thus, Esau despised his birthright. Here's what that means. In these ways, and for these reasons, Esau despised his birthright. But Jacob desired the birthright that Esau despised. Do you think the first time Esau, Jacob ever saw Esau despise his birthright was that day, his whole life. He acted like he didn't even care that he was responsible for carrying the spiritual name, the spiritual values of their family name, out into the marketplace and representing the family. Well, Esau didn't care anything about that. Esau just cared about Esau. Esau only cared about Esau right now. How do I know? Because when he said, he said to Jacob, he said, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage. Esau, Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. He said, I am at the point to die. What profit shall this birthright be to me? He said, I'm about to die, man. I don't care nothing about a birthright. I'm about to die.

Well.

And then it says, and he sold his birthright to Jacob. So I want you to think about something maybe you never thought about before. So when Isaac called Esau to go make him some venison so he could give him the blessing, Isaac was going against what God had said. Esau was going against what God had said. And Esau more. So Esau was trying to steal Jacob's birthright because it was no longer Esau's. Are y' all tracking? Now, granted, his mother talked him into deceiving his father. That was bad. Clearly. But see, God does not need your help to do his thing.

He can do it all by himself. I know it's himself, but I was using emphasis. Okay, now watch this. Here's what the Bible tells us about Esau. This is why you don't want to be an Esau. Because when you're an Esau, that means you follow your fleshly man. That means you're worldly. You're thrill seeking. You're always looking for the next feeling because the last feeling wore off. You're not ever preparing for anything. You have a gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme attitude. Here's what it says about esau. Hebrews, chapter 12, verse number 16 and 17. It says, Lest there be any fornicator. Oh, so we know that Esau had a problem with fornication. How do we know? It's in the Bible.

Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, Let me ask you a question. Is fornicator good or bad? I'm just. I'm not remembering. Good or bad? Oh, that's bad. Is profane good or bad? That's bad, too. Okay, so. So you don't want to be Esau. See, God didn't just hate Esau the person. God hates the characteristics of Esau in us. Why? Because when we yield to the flesh man, we're following Esau. We're following the Esau side of us, not the Jacob side of us.

Lest there be any profane person, any fornicator, profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright for you know how that afterwards he would have inherited the blessing and he was rejected. And when it says he would have, that means he wanted to inherit the blessing. After he sold his birthright to Jacob, he was still trying to get it from his father. He was. But what does he care? He's Esau. He don't care about breaking his word to his brother. I'll tell Esau will say whatever Esau has to say to get what Esau wants in a moment. Well.

It says he would have inherited the blessing. That doesn't mean he almost did. It means he wanted to. Okay. For you know that afterwards he would have inherited the blessing. He was rejected, for he found no place of repentance. He found no place to change his mind, though he sought it carefully with tears.

The tears you're shedding now.

You should have been shedding earlier. This reminds me of something that a wise woman said to me one time. My wife's grandmother. She said the same thing that will make you laugh, will make you cry.

And now he's crying, trying to get back the birthright that he despised.

What am I saying? Feed your spirit, because the one shall be stronger than the other. Make your flesh do what it's supposed to do, because the one shall be stronger than the other. Don't let your flesh run the day. Because if your flesh runs the day, it will ruin the day.

Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Makes this makes a lot more sense now. When I read it. When I read.

And not only this, but Rebecca, also conceived by one. Romans, chapter nine. Even our father Isaac. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purposes of God according to election might stand not of works, nor of him that calleth. It is said unto her. The elder shall serve the younger as it is written. Jacob, have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. And I know some people are going to say, well, don't you think that was like the whole God hated Esau thing was metaphorical? Yeah, I know it was metaphorical, but I don't believe it was just metaphorical. See, we have to get past this idea that God has to fit into our ideology of Him. He is who he says he is and no one else. And he doesn't have to ask for permission. To do what? Anything.

Let God be true and every man a liar. So whatever you do today, don't be esau. Hope this blesses you. And go back and study those passages that we talked about and let them. Let them meditate on them. Let them roll over in your mind so you can become yielded to the spirit, man who has victory over the flesh man in your life. Day by day. God bless.