Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 25 before reading the devotional below.
Abraham’s life looks a lot like the cultures around him, with concubines that were never approved by God. We can’t tell from this passage what God thinks about all this, and if we only looked at Genesis we might think that God is just fine with a swinging lifestyle. (Spoiler alert: he’s not). Other passages in the Old and New Testament paint a picture of monogamy, including Song of Solomon, Hosea, Proverbs 31, and 1 Timothy 3. In these passages we see God’s intention for a husband and wife, and Abraham was not in touch with God’s design.
In today’s passage Isaac has two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob will be renamed Israel in the coming chapters, and that is where we get the name Israel as a nation of the Jewish people. These two brothers did not get along, and Esau takes the physical and spiritual implications of his inheritance as a firstborn son lightly when Jacob demands them in exchange for some soup. Not a great plan.
Here’s your freedom for today:
Hang on to God’s good gifts for you.
Impulsive decisions rarely lead to freedom, and Esau learns the hard way that the gift God gave him in the role of firstborn son is something he should have treasured. When we feel desperate, we often think short-term: what’s good for me in this moment? God’s operating on an eternal timeline, so instant gratification rarely leads to eternal rewards. Don’t take for granted all that God has given to you — hold on tight and treasure every good thing.