(a)
Esau teaches us the danger of “being
impulsive.”
(b)
Esau also teaches us the danger of
"living in the moment."
b.
Some characteristics or traits of both Edom and his nation.
1)
Esau’s fatal characteristic was, to quote the New Testament, he was “profane.”
a)
In his profaneness, he failed to put a difference between what was holy and what was not.
b)
After a particularly difficult and disappointing hunting trip, Esau having a hungry stomach traded his birthright for some “red” food, (Gen.25:29-34).
(1)
This was a shameful disregard for the
precious family birthright (which in this
family bore eternal weight).
(2)
Esau’s (Edom’s) disgraceful and
dishonorable actions demonstrated that in
his mind the “here and now” held equal
importance with or greater importance than
eternal matters.
c)
Esau’s birthright fiasco is the event that led to his receiving the nickname “Red.” In Genesis 25:30
Moses records “And Esau said unto Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom, (Red).”
(1)
Let us mention once more that Esau would
show respect for holy things only when it
did not inconvenience him in his personal
pursuits and desires.
(2)
And let us once more call to your attention what God said in response to Esau’s outlook on life as evidenced by the way he discarded his birthright. God said, “I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau”, (Mal.1:2-3).
2)
Esau was never able to understand what pleased God.