The problem of priorities: Esau's choice

In Genesis chapter 25 verses 27 - 34, we read of an interesting exchange between twin brothers. One wonders if Jacob and Esau were teenagers at the time this happened. Who else but a teenage boy would claim he was “dying of starvation,” just because he came home from a tiring day in the outdoors. It’s an illustration of how unbalanced a teenager’s priorities can be: they want things now and don’t want to wait for them. Delayed gratification is a vital life skill that parents need to help them learn at this age. They’d rather watch TV than do homework for an exam. They’d rather get that new bike now, than save up to buy it. And they see everything as more dramatic than it really is: is everyone really looking at that tiny pimple on their chin? Will they truly be a social outcast if they’re not wearing the latest designer label? Would Esau really have starved to death if he hadn’t got that lentil stew right there and then?

Learning to order priorities is part of growing up for pre-teens and teenagers. Tragically, some people never learn it, and they go on into adulthood without this important life skill. They get into credit card debt because they don’t want to wait for that new phone or car, or new clothes that they want.  They throw away their virginity because waiting for the right time and the right person requires too much self discipline. They give up their studies because they want to be out “having fun,” like all their friends are (or, at least, as they believe all their friends are doing.)

Most tragically of all, some - like Esau - throw away their birthright and never mature to be the person that they could have been. They squander their destiny because their lack of character causes them to settle for second best in life.

I guess this is why God, in the mystery of His omniscience, knew that the younger brother would be the one to inherit the birthright and blessing that were usually reserved for the firstborn.

But more about Jacob in a later post (see below.) What we read here about Esau is that he “despised” or “showed contempt” for his birthright. The Spanish word for despise is menospreciar - to consider something as being of lesser value. And in this Bible passage, the Hebrew verb bazah also means to undervalue or to see something as worthless. Esau simply didn’t care about what or who he could be in the future. All he cared about was getting what he wanted, and getting it right now.

So what about my life or yours? Where am I in danger of throwing away who I could be, because of settling for something lesser that I want out of life today?

It can happen with the big things in life, and it can happen in the smaller choices from day to day. Anyone who has ever been on a diet has experienced this temptation in a smaller way; many a dieter has traded their dream of a healthier body for the more immediate pleasure of a slice of delicious chocolate cake today. Sometimes we discover too late (as would happen with Esau) that today’s decisions shape tomorrow’s destiny, and having the wrong priorities today can lead to devastating consequences tomorrow.