An Overpriced Bowl of Stew

Recently God has been speaking to me about living life like David, not Jacob. As part of my process of better understanding this heart nudge, I went back to Genesis to
take a closer look at how Jacob lived.

Inevitably, of course, I came to the story of Jacob and Esau and quite possibly the most
famous bowl of soup in all of history. Who knew lentil soup could cause such a
ruckus? But what struck me as I read this passage was the fact that neither twin fully appreciated their standing. Jacob lacked contentment with his position and coveted his brother’s. So, he plotted a way to swindle his brother out of his birthright. As for Esau, we are clearly told that Esau “despised his birthright” when he sold it to his brother Jacob (Genesis 25:34, KJV). In other words, he devalued something he was given for free! He didn’t appreciate the position he had.

As the first-born son he was entitled to a greater part of the family inheritance as well as a greater degree of authority within the family structure. He gave it away—kinda reminds me of someone else who devalued their position and gave away authority back in Genesis chapter 3. And what was the result in Esau’s life? He lost all of the legal and spiritual privileges that accompany that position. It’s really sad if you think about it. He was given, for free, an AMAZING material and spiritual legacy, and he threw it away because he saw no value in it.

I’m shaking my head as I’m typing this, and yet also realizing how often I’ve done this in my own life. How often have I traded God’s promises and blessings for something far less? God’s love for fear? His power for doubt? His grace and wisdom for my own strength? And where does that get us? Well, in Esau’s case, it led to a lifetime of being numero dos and living by “the sword” (Genesis 27:40, KJV). I’m not exactly sure what it means to live by the sword, but it doesn’t sound very pleasant or prosperous. If anything, it sounds a lot like living a life of
fear, doubt, and out of my own abilities versus God’s love, power, grace, and wisdom.

So, what can we take away from this infamous lentil stew story? We can learn from Esau’s hard-knock life lesson and the incredibly steep price he paid for that bowl of soup. Because
in the end, it didn’t matter how much Esau begged, by making choices that evidenced his flippant attitude toward God’s best, God’s promises and blessings, he was relegated to serve his brother and to live life by “the sword” instead of the “dew of heaven…fatness of the earth…and plenty of corn and wine” (Genesis 27:40, Genesis 27:28, KJV). He failed to recognize his position and in so doing he lost wealth and authority—which is exactly what happens to us when we choose our way instead of God’s way and when we make choices to trade God’s best for so much less. (Side note: wealth may or may not be material; there are many ways to be wealthy!)

Thank God, today we live in the grace of Jesus, and my entire life doesn’t hinge on one or two decisions (although I’m sure there’s more to this story than what was recorded). Thank God for His grace that covers so many errors in judgment or those mistakes made because of naivete. I’ve found that I need to approach the decisions in my life, one at a time, and consider the price tag. First, is this decision being made out of my underappreciation for where I am in my life or out of an insecurity? Then, will this decision lead me to live in a deeper revelation of God’s love and grace? Is this decision being sourced in God’s wisdom and backed by the Bible? Are my actions being led by God’s love and am I going forward in His strength and power or mine? If not, I need to stop stewing on it because it’s just too expensive.