doc Committed to Excellence in Communicating Biblical Truth and Its Application Orcutt Christian Church

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1 doc Committed to Excellence in Communicating Biblical Truth and Its Application Orcutt Christian Church A Grace Driven Church for Grace Needing People! Burning Question #73 What About "Materialism, Hoarding, Freedom from Things?" Matthew 6:19-21, Communion: Archie Miller Care Calling: Bill Decker Host: The Webb's Saturday 11/03: Clean Up: The Felix's 1 How Majestic Is Your Name The Longer I Serve [ALL] Something for Thee [ALL] Doxology 5 Dios Esta Aqui [ALL] Handout 6 Freely, Freely [ALL] Find Us Faithful [Once] 456 Proverbs 15:16-17 (NASB) 16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it. 17 Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox served with hatred. Proverbs 27:20 (TEV) 20 Human desires are like the world of the dead there is always room for more. Matthew 6:19-21, 25,27 (NASB) 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where

2 moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 25 I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? Isaiah 55:1-3 (NASB) 1 "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. 2 "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. 3 "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; Stuff! You will probably stuff yourselves on Thanksgiving. You can't find your hat in your closet because it's full of stuff. Stuff controllers make a lot of money helping you organize your stuff. It's everywhere. Stuff controls a huge amount of your energy. Your mind is filled with stuff. So is your mailbox. It started as a trickle a few days ago and during the next 54 days it's going to turn into a deluge. I'm referring to the number of Christmas Catalogues. The great American wish book.

3 Every manufacturer of stuff wants your money, and in the next 54 days will do every enticing thing possible to have your load up your credit cards. According to Forbes Magazine, there are over 150 new toys that your kids will just not be able to live without. But, don't think they are just focused on enticing your kids, they have you adults in mind as well. Americans are becoming bored with selfies, and two German engineers have the solution. Nobody knows who did it first, but soon thousands of people in United States started uploading incredible selfies from every insane angles. They uploaded them to social media and soon EVERYONE wanted to do the same! Now, this new type of selfie has taken off - Literally - across the world! They are heavily marketing it to adults as the ultimate selfie. Listen to the Hype: It s the new Drone 720X, a brand new type of drone made so that anyone can fly it. It's perfect for making the ultimate selfies! It can almost fit in your shirt pocket, and it's only 99 dollars. How can anybody escape materialism? We are a nation consumed with consuming. The average American says Time magazine spends $1300 for every $1000 they make! And the problem is, it's catching up with us. We've overspent for a decades and the national debt is collapsing the economy. Solomon, who knew a thing or two about lusting over possessions, said: Proverbs 27:20 (NASB) 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied. Our obsession with accumulating more and more stuff can kill you.

4 I. How Can Accumulating Stuff Kill You? 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Warren Buffett s oft-quoted maxim, If you don t buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need, comes from a person who has the economic security to know that, should he need something, he will be able to buy it. Many of us grew up in the period called the great depression, where we held on to things, and reused them over and over. Balls of string was common. Old buttons were kept to repair shirts and trousers. Some years ago, I had a call from a Parole Officer who wanted me to go with him to see a new person who had been assigned to him We went to a up-scale house in one of the exclusive areas of Orange, and were greeted by his client, who, it turned out, was a medical doctor. You literally had to walk through corridors of medical journals, newspapers, books, and stuff. I remembered at the end of some of the aisles, he had weapons in specials frames on the wall, like a pair of matched pistols, USMC Kabar knives, crossed machetes, etc. I experienced a heavy feeling of violence, and justifiably, because the doctor had served prison time for murdering his wife. And, while that is horrible of hoarding, there is one even worse. America's most notorious case of hoarding came to light on March 21, 1947, when New York City police were called to investigate a dead body in a three-story Harlem mansion. The nealy 6,000 square foot building belonged to two elderly brothers, Langley and Homer Collyer, and when the cops made it into the building, they were shocked by what they saw: piles of junk -- including 14 pianos, a Model T Ford and the remains of a two-headed fetus piles of stuff that reached to the ceiling, and a

5 system of tunnels in which Homer and Langley were found dead, one crushed to death by a pile of things, the other dead of starvation. Over 140 tons of collected items that they had amassed over several decades. Both Langley and Homer Collyer were brilliant persons. At the age of 14, Homer was accepted to the College of the City of New York earning his bachelor's degree before he was 20. Both Homer and Langley attended Columbia University. Homer obtained a degree in admiralty law, while Langley studied engineering and chemistry. Langley was also an accomplished concert pianist; he played professionally for a time and performed at Carnegie Hall. Langley was also a layman of the Trinity Church where the family had been parishioners since Both also taught Sunday school at the Trinity Church. In 1933, Homer lost his eyesight due to hemorrhages in the back of his eyes. Langley quit his job to care for his brother and the two began to withdraw from society. As time progressed, the brothers became fearful due to changes in the neighborhood; the largely upper-class area changed dramatically due to the economic effects of the Great Depression, and they withdrew into their mansion. After teenagers threw rocks at their windows, they boarded them up and wired the doors shut. After unfounded rumors spread throughout the neighborhood that the brothers' home contained valuables and large sums of money, several people attempted to burgle the home. In an attempt to exclude burglars, Langley used his engineering skills to construct booby traps and tunnels among the collection of items and trash that filled the house. And, sadly, it was one of Langley s booby traps that killed them. Langley apparently was killed by one of his booby traps, and his brother Homer died of starvation.

6 So, yes, hoarding Stuff can Kill You, if not physically, then psychologically and spiritually. II. Why Do I Always Want More? Proverbs 27:20 (TEV) 20 Human desires are like the world of the dead there is always room for more. We simply are driven to ask ourselves three questions: What motivates me to always keep spending myself into debt? What motivates me to never be satisfied with what I have? What motivates me to keep wanting more and more and more? And, as we contemplate on these three questions, we discover that we have some misconceptions that we have borrowed from the culture in which we live. None are true, but our culture is driven by these misconceptions. A. Having more things will make me more happy. The sells ads tell us that so it must be true! We believe in Life, Liberty, and the Purchase of happiness. It's the American way of life. Like most of The Tempter s deceptions, there is a hint at a truth. When Mr. Snake made his approach to Eve, he deceived her with a half-truth when he contradicted God: Genesis 3:4 (TEV) 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. That knowing good and evil would make them like God was another of Satan s lies, for God knows about evil but not through personal experience. By His very nature He is totally separate from all that is evil, and He hates it.

7 Actually, Adam and Eve were like God in His image, but Satan tempted them to want more than was spiritually healthy for them. The fact is, things can bring happiness. The problem is, it's temporary. It's just for a while. Things do make you happy. The old maxim that the more you have the more you spend is true. Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NASB) 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. Andy Rooney said, "Having enough is no where near as much fun as I thought it was going to be when I didn't have any." B. Having more things will make me more important. Look at the houses of some of the Hollywood crowd. Ellen DeGeneres 10,500 sq ft Montecito, California Price: On sale for $39.5 million Celine Dion 20,000 sq ft Jupiter Island, Florida Price: Sold recently for $28 million Johnny Carson 174,240 sq ft Malibu, California Price: On sale for $81.5 million The misconception is, I am what I own, that my valuables determine my value, that if I have little then I must be worth little.

8 So since I want to be liked and respected and looked up to, I must continually keep on getting more and more and more. Warren Buffett famously still lives in the Omaha, Nebraska, home he bought in 1958 for $31,000. I understand that Warren Buffett says The fact is, we buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't even like! Jesus says about this attitude: Luke 12:15 (NASB) 15 "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Jesus says, "Be on your guard." Ask yourself the tough questions: Am I expecting more things to make me more happy? Am I expecting more things to make me more important? We have to continually evaluate yourself. C. Having more things will make me more secure. The fact is, the more you have, the more insecure you can be because the more you have to worry about. The more you have, the more time and energy it takes to maintain it. Think about Langley and Homer Collyer. The more they accumulated, the more paranoid they became. So, while none are true, society teaches us: Having more things will make me more happy. Having more things will make me more important. Having more things will make me more secure. III. Getting A Handle on Materialism

9 The less you have, the less you have to worry about. The Bible says it's dumb to base your security on how much you've acquired because you can loose it all. Solomon talk about wealthy dreamers: Proverbs 18:11 (NASB) 11 A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. The truth is, real security can only be found when you place your security in something that can't be taken away from you. If you put it in something that can be taken away from you, you put your security in things, things can be ripped off from you a million different ways -- legally or illegally. You must have security in something that cannot be taken away from you and the only thing that cannot be taken away from you is your relationship to God. We learn from Job that even your family can be taken away from you. Job went through some horrible circumstances before he learned Job 31:24-28 (NASB) 24 "If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust, 25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; 26 If I have looked at the sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor, 27 And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, 28 That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above. Why did he say that? Because whatever you trust in for your security is your god? If you're trusting in your job, that paycheck for your security, that's your god. If you're trusting in your pension plan for your security, that becomes your god.

10 If you're trusting in God, He is your God. One of my heroes is Dr. Viktor Frankl. Dr. Frankl was a successful psychotherapist, who just happened to have been a Jew. Arrested by the Nazi government, he was slated to be exterminated. All his family were murdered by the Gestapo. From his years of internment, he developed a new way of looking at our human situation. And, from his experience he said Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. You can choose to be grateful for what you've have. Ecclesiastes 6:9 (TEV) 9 It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else It's a lot cheaper too. I remember about 15 years ago when I also dabbled in Real Estate, the widow who had inherited a huge hunk of money from her deceased husband. She lived in a nice, moderate house here in Santa Maria. She had no children. And you want to purchase one of those 4,000 sq ft houses they were building in Arroyo Grande. I tried to dissuade her, but she was sure that she would not be happy unless she had one of those houses being built on the hills east of AG. What do you think? Will moving from a $250,000 house here in Santa Maria and moving into a $500,000 house in AG double her happiness? My mother had a maxim we learned early in life: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." That's a great phrase!

11 The apostle Paul says something similar Hebrews 13:5-6 (GW) 5 Be happy with what you have because God has said, I will never abandon you or leave you. 6 So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. G. K. Chesterton says There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less. If you desire less, you can be content without having to get more. This means we really need to refocus on what has permanent value. Remember when Jesus told the story about the farmer seeding his field, and some fell on hard soil, some on shallow soil, and Jesus says Matthew 13:22 (TLB) 22 The ground covered with thistles represents a man who hears the message, but the cares of this life and his longing for money choke out God s Word, and he does less and less for God. How many times have you heard the excuses? I don t have time to attend worship, I ve got to make a living. Never confuse making a living with making a life. Making a life is much more important. What you live for is much more important than what you live on. I want to challenge you to do something real risky. I want to challenge you to challenge the myth of more. The myth that says if I get more, I'll be more happy, more important and more secure. Rejoice in what you do have. And what do you have?

12 You can have God in your life by giving yourself to Him. November 4 Prayer and Invitation SIBLINGS RIVALRY DEVOTIONAL READING: Matthew 16:13 20 Lesson 10 (NIV) BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Genesis 25:19 34 GENESIS 25: This is the account of the family line of Abraham s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, Why is this happening to me? So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 The LORD said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. 27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I m famished! (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, First sell me your

13 birthright. 32 Look, I am about to die, Esau said. What good is the birthright to me? 33 But Jacob said, Swear to me first. So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. KEY VERSE The LORD said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. Genesis 25:23 GOD S WORLD AND GOD S PEOPLE Unit 3: God Blesses and Re-creates Regardless Introduction A. Lucy and Jacob The classic Peanuts comic strip often featured a theme centered around a promise that Charlie Brown s nemesis, Lucy, makes to hold a football on the ground so he can kick it. Charlie is wary; he knows that Lucy will pull the ball away. Lucy pleads for another chance, claiming that she has changed. She gives Charlie her bonded word that she will not pull the ball away. So Charlie backs up, runs toward the ball, and (of course) Lucy yanks it away. Charlie is seen flipping into the air with his predictable exclamation of Aaugh! Then he lands on his back with a Wump! Lucy s clever, deceptive behavior is similar to that of Jacob, the focus of our next four lessons. In today s Scripture passage we see him taking advantage of his brother Esau s hunger in order to pull away from him something much more significant than a football: the family s birthright. But this was no cartoon; it was a series of events with tragic consequences for Jacob and his family. B. Lesson Context

14 Today s lesson begins a new unit of lessons that continues our studies from Genesis this quarter. The unit s theme of God Blesses and Re-creates Regardless highlights God s ability to work through the life of one flawed man in particular: Jacob. Initially, Jacob had very little regard for anyone except himself. He was a man who lived by his wits, by his ability to outwit and outmaneuver anyone who crossed his path. Eventually he learned to acknowledge God, not himself, as the one in control, though the consequences of his deceitful tactics dogged him through much of his life. Siblings Rivalry, the title of this lesson, could serve as a subtitle for the book of Genesis as a whole. Before we read of Jacob and Esau s tension, we read of Cain and Abel and of Ishmael and Isaac (Jacob s father). Later in Genesis, we see the friction between the two sisters Leah and Rachel. Then there is that of Jacob s sons. Thus today s account doesn t lack for company! I. Distressed Mother (GENESIS 25:19 23) A. Big Picture (vv. 19, 20) 19. This is the account of the family line of Abraham s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, The book of Genesis is arranged by the use of the phrase the account of (compare Genesis 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1, 9; 37:2). The verses just prior to this one record the account of the family line of Abraham s son Ishmael. But that account lasts only through verse 18. By contrast, the record of the family line of Abraham s son Isaac that begins here continues through Genesis 35:29 more than 10 chapters! That speaks to the relative significance of these half brothers. 20. and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. Genesis 24 records the arranged marriage of Isaac to Rebekah (last week s lesson). Bethuel is the son of Abraham s brother

15 Nahor. Her brother Laban eventually becomes father-in-law of Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, through Jacob s marriages to Leah and Rachel, Laban s daughters. The term Aramean is a geographical designation rather than an ethnic one. The term Paddan Aram means plain of Aram. It is a part of Mesopotamia, to which Abraham had sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:10). B. Barrenness (v. 21) 21. Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. Barrenness is a characteristic of three prominent women in the book of Genesis: Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. This condition, viewed as shameful in biblical times (Genesis 30:23; Luke 1:25), becomes the backdrop for God to show his power to reverse such circumstances. But God does not grant this request simply to relieve heartache. He is committed to let nothing not even a seemingly irreversible condition like barrenness prevent him from keeping his covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:2). Isaac, distraught over his wife s condition, turns to the Lord in prayer. Thus did his father Abraham express to the Lord his own concern over Sarah (Genesis 15:2, 3). In each case the barren woman is empowered to conceive. What Do You Think? How can we ensure that life s difficulties drive us closer to God rather than further from him? Digging Deeper Analyze motives and spiritual maturity of Bible characters who made wrong choices in this regard (Matthew 13:20, 21; 26:69 75; etc.). C. Battle (vv. 22, 23)

16 22a. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, Why is this happening to me? An expectant mother can often feel the baby inside kick. Rebekah, however, seems to be experiencing an unusual amount of such activity. She does not yet know that she is carrying twins; she is only questioning why the movement within her is so intense. Perhaps she suspects that there is more than one child responsible for this. In truth, though, the sibling rivalry has begun! 22b. So she went to inquire of the LORD. Just what this action consists of is difficult to determine. It appears that she goes to a specific place as opposed to simply praying, which is what Isaac has done. Perhaps it is a place that has come to be associated with the presence of the Lord for some reason, much as is the case later with Bethel (Genesis 28:16 19). What is most important is that Rebekah is going to the right source with her question. What Do You Think? What are some reliable ways to discern God s will or purpose in times of confusion? Digging Deeper Consider the distinction between what God generally requires of everyone (from Scripture) and what God may want specifically from a particular person in a given context. 23a. The LORD said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, In some clear and unmistakable manner, the Lord speaks to Rebekah and answers her inquiry, just as he has answered Isaac s prayer for a child. Rebekah is carrying twins, but they are described as two nations. The nations are not specifically named; all that Rebekah is told involves the future of each. 23b. and the older will serve the younger.

17 The prophecy then focuses on the children themselves. The promise here is not the norm in the Old Testament world. Typically, the older sibling is to be given greater prominence within the family. The Law of Moses later stipulates that the firstborn son be given a double share of the family s wealth (Deuteronomy 21:15 17). But in Genesis, the younger sibling is generally more favored. In addition to Jacob, this is true with Abel, Isaac, Rachel, and Joseph. This illustrates what the Lord will later say through the prophet Isaiah: My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways (Isaiah 55:8). One may also see the preference for the younger sibling as illustrating the principle of grace at work: the individual who does not deserve prominence or blessing (the younger) receives it nonetheless. II. Distinctive Boys (GENESIS 25:24 28) A. Esau s Birth (vv. 24, 25) 24, 25. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. A child s name in the Bible often reflects some detail in the circumstances of the birth itself (Genesis 38:27 30; 1 Samuel 4:19 22) or includes a statement of hope or vindication (Genesis 30:8, 20). In this case the unusually hairy appearance of the firstborn son yields the name Esau, from the Hebrew for hairy. Also quite striking is the redness of his skin. Both details will play an important role in the sibling rivalry that will characterize these boys: the color red (of Jacob s stew) will figure in Jacob s act of cunning in obtaining Esau s birthright, and the hairy appearance will enter into the deception of Isaac in Genesis 27. B. Jacob s Birth (v. 26) 26a. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau s heel; so he was named Jacob.

18 The second of Rebekah s twins is marked not by his appearance but by a rather curious action for a newborn: his hand seizes Esau s heel. From this he is given the name Jacob, from the Hebrew word for heel. At this point, no one can anticipate what kind of heel-grabbing this infant will eventually engage in. Nor can anyone anticipate how the characteristics of Esau will play themselves out in his life someday. Whoever names these twins (probably their parents) may be chuckling as they do so. But deceit and heartbreak await this family, not laughter. Jacob s heel-grabbing will come to have a much more sinister connotation to it: grabbing the heel as if to pull a rival back and impede his progress so that the heel-grabber can move ahead of him. This is what Jacob will become known for doing especially and tragically to his own brother and father. 26b. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. Isaac married when he was 40 (Genesis 25:20, above), and now he is age 60. Thus he has had to wait 20 years for his sons births. WHEN SIBLINGS STRUGGLE For years, twins Alexandria and Anastasia Duval shared the ups and downs of life, experiencing together business enterprises, bankruptcies, and moves to various places. On May 29, 2016, the sisters were seen in a parked vehicle on a cliff 200 feet above the ocean in Hawaii. Alexandria was in the driver s seat. Witnesses saw a fight break out between them, with Anastasia pulling Alexandria s hair. Then, according to witnesses, the vehicle accelerated and made a sharp left turn over the cliff. Alexandria was injured, and Anastasia was killed in the crash at the bottom of the cliff. Shortly thereafter, police charged Alexandria with seconddegree murder, alleging that she intentionally drove off the road. But a judge said there was not sufficient evidence for the charge. Four months later, however, a grand jury accepted the murder charge, and Alexandria was arrested in New York and held for extradition to Hawaii.

19 The Bible also includes tragic tales of siblings who struggled against each other. We know about the later struggles of Jacob and Esau, but today s passage tells us the problem began early before birth! Many of us wonder how we can work with God to overcome family strife. Let us pray we do better at it than Jacob and Esau did. Perhaps God gave us their story to encourage us to strive not to be like them! C. R. B. C. Boys Preferences (v. 27) 27. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. The account now moves forward in time, though no specific number of years is given. The text simply reads that the boys grew up. Of more importance is how different the boys become, though they are twins: Esau becomes an outdoorsman, a skillful hunter and a man of the open country. Jacob is more of a homebody. The Hebrew word rendered content to stay at home describes someone who is orderly and methodical, more of a quiet and private person. Jacob is certainly not the rugged, robust individual his brother is. Visual for Lesson 10. Start a discussion by pointing to this visual as you ask, What s at the heart of sibling rivalry? D. Parents Preferences (v. 28) 28. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Not only are these boys different, but their differences affect the attitudes of their parents toward them. Isaac is drawn toward Esau, while Rebekah favors Jacob. With Isaac a reason is given for his preference: he likes the kind of food Esau prepares from what he captures when he hunts. The Hebrew word for wild game can designate any kind of game obtained by hunting.

20 No reason is given for why Rebekah becomes especially fond of Jacob, but this is likely because he spends so much time among the tents where Rebekah presumably spends most of her days. If there is already any degree of sibling rivalry between Esau and Jacob, the fact that the parents play favorites can only exacerbate the problem. What Do You Think? How can parents ensure they do not exhibit favoritism regarding their children? Digging Deeper Consider both dos and don ts. WHAT MAKES CHILDREN DIFFERENT? I was born 4 years before my first brother, 8 years before the second, and 12 years before our sister. We differ in many ways, but others see us as very much alike, especially in our sense of humor. At family reunions, our spouses make a game out of simultaneously cringing at our puns and time-worn stories. Some psychologists call sibling differences a matter of divergence: when one child excels in an area, the others seek to excel in divergent ways. A second way to explain sibling differences comes from the fact that they experience the family environment differently. If their parents divorce, siblings of varying ages will react differently. A third explanation comes from exaggerated comparisons. Though two siblings might both be friendly, the extremely outgoing child will be labeled the family s extrovert while the other is seen as the introvert. Esau and Jacob differed in appearance from birth, and soon their personality differences became apparent. Their differences were likely exaggerated by the dysfunctional way their parents responded to them. Many of the difficulties the two brothers experienced later in life might have been mitigated if they had received wiser parenting. Rearing children is difficult, but we can make it less stressful if we use godly wisdom in doing so.

21 III. Despised Birthright (GENESIS 25:29 34) A. Offer Given (vv ) C. R. B. 29. Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. Apparently Jacob has honed his cooking skills quite well as a result of spending time among the tents. On the occasion mentioned here, Esau comes in from the open country. The text does not say whether he has been working or hunting. But apparently it has been some time since his last meal. 30. He said to Jacob, Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I m famished! (That is why he was also called Edom.) The red coloring of the food may come from the lentils (Genesis 25:34) that are used in making the stew. Esau s craving for this food leads to another name for him: Edom, meaning red. (Remember that verse 25 tells us that Esau came out of the womb red. ) Esau s second name, Edom, is eventually used to identify his descendants: Edomites. What Do You Think? How can we ensure that our decisions are driven by a sense of right and wrong rather than self-gratification? Digging Deeper Distinguish between those who make selfish choices intentionally and those who do so because of ignorance or blind spots. 31. Jacob replied, First sell me your birthright. To this point, the idea of a birthright has not been mentioned in the book of Genesis. The Hebrew word behind this translation appears a total of 10 times in the Old Testament in reference to humans, and 5 of them are in the account of Jacob and Esau. The

22 other 5 occur in Genesis 43:33; Deuteronomy 21:17 (discussed earlier); and 1 Chronicles 5:1, 2. Obviously, Jacob is well aware of the birthright s importance. Esau may have returned from a hunting expedition, but Jacob is now the hunter who sees his prey, and his heel-grabbing skills go into action. He sees in his brother s appetite an opportunity to offer a deal and thus take the lead within the family hierarchy. B. Offer Accepted (vv ) 32. Look, I am about to die, Esau said. What good is the birthright to me? Esau exaggerates his condition, claiming to be about to die, and thereby reasons that a birthright is worthless to a dead man. In his mind, if the birthright cannot keep him from starving to death, then it has no value. 33. But Jacob said, Swear to me first. So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Abraham s servant had sworn an oath that he would carry out Abraham s desire that he find a wife for Isaac from Abraham s relatives in Harran. The oath was accompanied by a specified gesture (Genesis 24:1 9). With Esau and Jacob, the two may exchange a verbal agreement accompanied by a gesture (something similar to a handshake). The deal is finalized: the birthright has been sold. What Do You Think? What can we do to protect ourselves from those who use our weakness to take advantage? Digging Deeper Consider how Psalm 55:20, 21; Proverbs 7:21; Romans 16:17, 18; 2 Timothy 3:6; 1 John 2:18 27; and 3:7 10 help identify characteristics and tactics of manipulative personalities.

23 34. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. The word lentil refers to a member of the pea family, whose seeds are often used even today in making soups or stews. But the contents of the stew are not nearly as noteworthy as the contents of its eater s heart. Esau has no qualms whatsoever about what he has just agreed to. He has despised his birthright, something that involves far more than mere material possessions or wealth. This birthright is linked to a spiritual legacy that Esau should have viewed as a sacred trust. Instead he has bargained it away for a bowl of stew. He may walk away with a full stomach, but his heart is pitifully empty. Conclusion A. The Real Rivalry While Siblings Rivalry is the title for today s study, that is not the only rivalry on display. In fact, it is not really the main rivalry. Both Esau and Jacob fought another battle even more intense than the one that developed between them. This battle was within each man. The Scriptures place special emphasis on Esau s treatment of the family birthright. Both Old and New Testaments are equally grim in their evaluation of his actions. Our text says that Esau despised his birthright (Genesis 25:34). One can see why the writer of Hebrews uses the word godless to describe Esau (Hebrews 12:16). Esau would likely have professed a belief in God, but his interests and actions are linked solely to what gratifies his desires. Jacob had his own battle, as demonstrated by his actions in today s lesson. He could have simply given Esau what he wanted a bowl of stew. But Jacob, the schemer and heel-grabber, saw an opportunity to further his own standing; and he took full advantage of it. Just like Esau, he too was looking out for number one (himself).

24 Eventually Jacob s craftiness yielded a bitter harvest of additional deception and heartache. The remainder of Genesis tells us of the conflicts that the practice of deception produced within his wives and his sons. While there was certainly sibling rivalry between Esau and Jacob, each man was his own worst rival. Each gave in to the temptation to make himself and his desires of supreme importance. Esau and Jacob are not the only competitors in this battle. Paul knew this struggle as well. He describes its intensity in Romans 7:7 25. He desires to do what is good and right before God, but he is constantly at war with the law of sin at work within me (7:23). However, he also knows the key to victory in this battle: Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (7:24, 25). That is the key for us as well. B. Prayer Father, our world today encourages us to be very Esau-like and Jacob-like in our thoughts, words, and actions: to live for the moment and to make the achievement of our personal desires and wishes more important than anyone else s. Deliver us from such a self-centered point of view. Keep our minds on higher, holier pursuits. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. C. Thought to Remember Live for the Master, not for the moment. Boatman, C. R., Redford, D., Schmidt, D. C., & Thatcher, T. (2018). Siblings Rivalry. In R. L. Nickelson (Ed.), The NIV Standard Lesson Commentary, (Vol. 25, pp ). Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing.