I told you last week that in my study I’d slipped into a pretty deep rabbit hole. It started with Genesis 25 (which led to the reposting of Birthright), looped around Romans, and then circled back to Exodus. That’s the beauty of God’s Word, it is intertwined, beautifully woven, and the only way to get the full effect of this tapestry is to open The Book. You have to read it and follow the trails. Anyway…
Last week we talked about Isaac and Rebekah’s kids, the twins, Esau and Jacob. We’ve got two very different kids – Esau, an outdoorsman, and Jacob, a homebody. In fact, they were so different that during Rebekah’s pregnancy the two “struggled within her womb.” And she did what every smart woman does:
So she went to ask the Lord about it.
Genesis 25:22
And what did our Great Lord do? “And the Lord told her…” He answered her! He told her that her children would become rival nations, one would be stronger than the other, and that the descendants of the older would serve the descendants of the younger. Don’t think that didn’t set up a scenario for a dysfunctional family – by the way, we all got ‘em. Now, right here is a prime opportunity to go down another rabbit trail but I’ve got so many started already I must resist. Anyhow, we know what happened. There was a tremendous amount of scheming going on, which also included the parents at some point. Esau came in from the field hungry and Jacob said sell me your birthright or – no soup for you! So Esau gave up his birthright, the right to a double portion, the right to be the family leader (men, this includes the spiritual leader of our families), and the Covenant Promise made to their great grandfather.
In conjunction with reading Genesis 25, I was also to read in Romans 9 and I couldn’t get over the contrast. We know that Romans was written by the Apostle Paul to Christian believers everywhere, but specifically to those in Rome. In Romans 9:1-15 and beyond he speaks specifically to his Jewish brothers and sisters. The verse that leaped to me was the second sentence in 3, but let’s look at 1-3
In the presence of Christ, I speak with utter truthfulness – I do not lie – and my conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm that what I am saying is true. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed – cut off from Christ! – if that would save them.
Romans 9:4
I find the sentiment conveyed by Paul to his brothers and sisters here a little hard to grasp, don’t you? The sheer magnitude of that statement boggles my mind. Think about it. Paul would be willing to abnegate, give up, relinquish, his salvation for his Jewish brothers and sisters to be saved and spend eternity with Christ. Now let’s be perfectly clear right here, Jesus would never ask anyone to do such a thing. Jesus is a numbers guy, He wants to gather as many willing sheep into the fold as possible, that’s why He has not yet returned. Paul’s statement speaks to this outrageous, amazing kind of love that he had for his brothers and sisters. It made me think, if they understood what salvation was, would they feel the passion with which he loved them — literally, sheer abandon.
Although Jesus would not ask or accept one’s abandonment of eternity for another, He absolutely does ask, accept, and frankly expect that kind of sacrificial attitude from His children. That smarts, doesn’t it?
Here’s the contrast – Esau thought only of himself, his need, his desire, his immediate moment. Paul thought only of his brothers and sisters, their need, their salvation, their eternity. Esau was willing to give up everything to get something for himself. Paul was willing to give up himself to get something for others.
It made me wonder who I resemble most? Am I thinking only of myself, my needs, my desires, my immediate moments, or am I thinking of the salvation of my brothers and sisters? I think of how much Paul loved. Do I love that much? Am I that self-sacrificing? Would I be willing to intercede for another’s salvation? Do we want to be like Esau or Paul? What are we doing to make that happen?
These probing questions, painful as they may be, are ones we all need to answer. Our answers direct our paths. These questions are not meant to tear us down, that’s baby talk, they are meant to build us up. They are meant to form us and shape us into people of hope. The people God wants us to be. If we’re struggling with the answers, maybe we need to do what Rebekah did about her internal struggles – just ask God. And, just like Rebekah, He will surely answer.