One of the saddest and most solemn stories in all the Bible is that of Esau. He was the son of Isaac, one of the most honored of the patriarchs. He was about fifteen when his grandfather, Abraham died, and as a boy should have been greatly influenced by him who is ‘Father of the Faithful.’ He was the older twin of Jacob, to whom God showed such unspeakable grace, and to Esau belonged the birthright and the blessing. He saw, and knew, the value which his grandfather, father, and brother placed on the promises of God: but to him they appear to have meant nothing at all: and he “for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.” (Heb. 12:1616Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. (Hebrews 12:16)). He seems to have been a man entirely devoid of faith. What he could not see, had no value in his eyes. The Scriptures call him a “profane person”, and of him it is said: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” I know that he illustrates “the purpose of God according to election”, (Rom. 9:1111(For the children being not yet 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;) (Romans 9:11)), yet I doubt not we may trace the reason for this in Esau’s own conduct. He despised the promises of God, and “afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” (Heb. 12:1717For 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. (Hebrews 12:17)).
You remember Esau planned to murder his brother, and what seems to have been most grievous in the sight of God was the implacable hatred that the seed of Esau bore towards the seed of Jacob, who were the people of God. Yet we may see the yearning of God’s heart over these descendants of Esau, for in Deut. 23:77Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. (Deuteronomy 23:7), He says: “Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother.” In spite of all the waywardness and sin of Esau and his seed, yet the Lord would still have Israel remember the brotherly claim that Edom had upon them. But even this grace was despised and rejected, and the Lord must say to Edom: “For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever.” (Obad. 1:1010For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. (Obadiah 10)).
We who are Christian parents do well to remember that self-indulgence in the matter of food seems to have been the beginning of Esau’s downfall, and we have already noted that this is the very sin into which his father fell. How unspeakably sad if in a coming day it is revealed that his father’s example, led Esau to that which proved his ruin! May the Lord keep us, for we cannot keep ourselves!
But we must remember that Isaac’s bad example does not lessen Esau’s responsibility, nor excuse him for not following in the faith of his father, nor does it lessen God’s judgment on him. To understand the severity of this judgment, we must go to the Prophets. We find the whole Book of Obadiah occupied with it, and it is frequently referred to in the other Prophets: see, for example, Jer. 49:7-227Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished? 8Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. 9If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough. 10But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbors, and he is not. 11Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me. 12For thus saith the Lord; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. 13For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. 14I have heard a rumor from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle. 15For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. 16Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. 17Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. 18As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it. 19Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? 20Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them. 21The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea. 22Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. (Jeremiah 49:7‑22). Edom is to be “cut off forever”, and is to be “as in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there.” (Jer. 49:1818As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it. (Jeremiah 49:18)). When the rest of the world is rejoicing, Edom shall be utterly desolate.
Esau and his descendants remind us of children of Christian parents, children who have refused the Gospel. They have had a “birthright” of salvation, but have despised it. They have heard and known the blessed promises of God, and have rejected them. They have had grandparents, parents, brothers or sisters, whom they have seen to place great store by what they have refused. In some cases, alas, they have become very bitter towards the people of God: perhaps with some cause: what cause Esau had to be bitter towards his brother! But it did not excuse him.
To write such words is more painful than I can say: but may this sad example bring us who have wayward children, more earnestly on our faces before God on their behalf. And should the eye of such a child fall on this page, remember the mercy of God still pleads with you, and there still is a way “Home”. Is it so very hard to say: “Father, I have sinned”?