# 32 - Jacob & The Pot of Stew - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Esau faces a fateful decision, trading his birthright for a simple meal. This episode, inspired by Genesis 25:29-34, explores themes of instant gratification versus long-term blessing, and how our choices today shape our future.
Episode 32 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
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Show Notes:
(01:39) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:48) Jacob & The Pot of Stew
(17:34) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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<v Speaker 1>Previously on the Chosen people.
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<v Speaker 2>Tell me how you learned you were pregnant, My lady,
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<v Speaker 2>I was thought to be barren for so long, for
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<v Speaker 2>over two decades, I wondered if I would ever know
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<v Speaker 2>what it would be like to bear children. I finally
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<v Speaker 2>asked Isaac to advocate for me and to go to
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<v Speaker 2>his God, as we would have done with the old
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<v Speaker 2>gods from back home. But this one answered, didn't he,
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<v Speaker 2>my lady, He did, and he became my God.
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<v Speaker 3>That day, two missions are in your womb. Two people
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<v Speaker 3>will come from you and be separated. One people will
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<v Speaker 3>be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve
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<v Speaker 3>the younger.
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<v Speaker 1>Deborah brought the first infant to her and placed him
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<v Speaker 1>on her chest. Delirious with exhaustion, Rebecca frowned at the
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<v Speaker 1>tiny babe. He was a dull, blotchy red, and covered
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<v Speaker 1>with hair like a fur coat.
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<v Speaker 4>We should name him Esau.
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<v Speaker 1>Rebecca stretched her arm out for the second child and
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<v Speaker 1>drew him to her breast.
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<v Speaker 2>Let's call him Jacob.
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<v Speaker 1>In the back of her mind, Rebecca knew the other
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<v Speaker 1>meaning of the name. Trickster Usurber even now seeds of
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<v Speaker 1>a plan to reverse the roles of her two sons
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<v Speaker 1>were in motion. Thus Jacob became Rachel's precious child before
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<v Speaker 1>Esau even had a chance to latch onto her breast.
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<v Speaker 1>He was the second son in her eyes.
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<v Speaker 5>Ah, it's settled Esau and Jacob.
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<v Speaker 6>What is the price of a birthright? Well, for Esa,
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<v Speaker 6>it was a bowl of lentil stew. For Jacob, it
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<v Speaker 6>was a step closer to a promise from God. Sello,
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<v Speaker 6>my friends, from here in the Holy Land of Israel,
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<v Speaker 6>am Ya l extein with the International Fellowship of Christians
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<v Speaker 6>and Jews, while to the Chosen People. Each day we'll
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<v Speaker 6>hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible, stories filled
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<v Speaker 6>with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the meaning of life.
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<v Speaker 6>Through Israel's story, we'll find this truth that we are
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<v Speaker 6>all chosen for something great. Do me a favor and
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<v Speaker 6>take a moment today to follow the podcast, leave a review,
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<v Speaker 6>and share it with a friend. These steps may seem small,
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<v Speaker 6>but in a crowded world of podcasting, they actually make
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<v Speaker 6>a huge impact. Thank you so much for making this
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<v Speaker 6>Holy Missi impossible. Now let's begin. In the still of
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<v Speaker 6>the morning, near the edge of the wood, two brothers
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<v Speaker 6>stand at the threshold of a moment that will echo
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<v Speaker 6>through the corridors of time. Esa a man of the earth,
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<v Speaker 6>rugged and raw, his skin tanned, his hands callous from
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<v Speaker 6>the labor of the hunt. Jacob is a man of tense,
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<v Speaker 6>careful and contemplative. His mind is always turning, always looking
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<v Speaker 6>to the future. One moment, one choice, a birthright which
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<v Speaker 6>hangs in the balance, And we ask, what is the
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<v Speaker 6>value of legacy of destiny? Can a single meal of
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<v Speaker 6>fleeting pleasure outweigh an inheritance from God himself? And in
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<v Speaker 6>the swirl of life's desires and demands, how often do
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<v Speaker 6>we trade the eternal for the immediate? So step into
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<v Speaker 6>this ancient story inspired by Genesis twenty five twenty nine
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<v Speaker 6>to thirty four, and ask yourself what would you give
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<v Speaker 6>up to satisfy your hunger.
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<v Speaker 1>The forest floor was cool and damp, blanketed with the
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<v Speaker 1>decaying remnants of lost autumn's leaves, offering a soft, muted cushion.
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<v Speaker 1>Beneath Esau's deliberate steps. His powerful arms, like those of
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<v Speaker 1>a bear, kept the bow drawn taut, ready to release
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<v Speaker 1>at a moment's notice. His breath rose in the frigid air,
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<v Speaker 1>like smoke, curling up to the canopy of Syrian ash trees,
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<v Speaker 1>their leaves hanging like the wet fur of a hunted beast.
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<v Speaker 1>Each of Esau's steps was careful, silent, and imbued with purpose.
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<v Speaker 1>He was there in the forest where he came alive.
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<v Speaker 1>The smell of rotted leaves intermixed with earth and dew,
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<v Speaker 1>The soft murmur of trickling streams and melodies of songbirds.
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<v Speaker 1>The primal exhilarating feeling in his hungry belly as he
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<v Speaker 1>hunted for food. The primal thrill surged through him, his
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<v Speaker 1>hunger gnawing like a wild beast within his belly. Esau
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<v Speaker 1>was a creature of the bow and pine, a predator
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<v Speaker 1>borne to the hunt, fierce and formidas as any bear.
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<v Speaker 1>Esau had tracked a stag for miles, Its tracks invisible
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<v Speaker 1>to the untrained eye, but Esau saw them. He saw
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<v Speaker 1>every broken twig, smelled every dropping, and heard every shuffle
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<v Speaker 1>in the leaves. The forests spoke to him and guided
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<v Speaker 1>him to his prey. Esau finally crept through some bushes,
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<v Speaker 1>revealing a clearing beside a grove of hollyoaks. The stag,
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<v Speaker 1>unaware of its peril, grazed calmly Esau's only betrayal was
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<v Speaker 1>the plume of his breath, rising in the cold morning air.
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<v Speaker 1>He raised his bow, eyes narrowing as he aligned the arrow.
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<v Speaker 1>The stag sensed its doom and tense to flee, but
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<v Speaker 1>Esau's arrow flew true, striking it in the heart. It
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<v Speaker 1>collapsed without struggle, its life extinguished in an instant. Esau
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<v Speaker 1>approached the fallen creature, nodding in silent gratitude.
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<v Speaker 7>You were fast, you were strong. Thank you for your meat.
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<v Speaker 1>With a grunt, Esau crouched, Sliding his powerful arms beneath
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<v Speaker 1>the stag. He heaved it onto his shoulders, planting his
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<v Speaker 1>feet firmly, before beginning the trek back to camp. The
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<v Speaker 1>sun had not yet risen over the land of Canaan,
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<v Speaker 1>and the earth lay quiet under a shroud of fog.
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<v Speaker 1>Jacob slipped from his tent, moving with the stealth of
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<v Speaker 1>a thief through the sleeping camp. Each of his steps
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<v Speaker 1>was as calculated and silent as his brothers in the forest.
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<v Speaker 1>He entered Esau's tent, finding it empty as expected. He
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<v Speaker 1>rifled through the disordered piles of fur and tangled bowstrings,
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<v Speaker 1>muttering to himself.
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<v Speaker 4>This place is a mess. What's that smell? Ugh?
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<v Speaker 1>Jacob searched with the little regard for Esau's belongings, confident
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<v Speaker 1>his brother would notice no trace of his intrusion. Despite
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<v Speaker 1>Esau's prowess in the wilderness, he was oblivious to much else,
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<v Speaker 1>a fact Jacob intended to exploit. His fingers closed around
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<v Speaker 1>the objects of his search, a medium sized iron pot
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<v Speaker 1>and a leather pack of tanning knives.
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<v Speaker 4>Let's see, Ah, there you are.
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<v Speaker 1>He concealed the pot and knives beneath his cloak and
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<v Speaker 1>returned to his own tent. A flickering candle cast a
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<v Speaker 1>soft glow inside, revealing an orderly space. Jacob's tent was
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<v Speaker 1>a testament to his meticulous nature. With sown pockets on
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<v Speaker 1>the walls for tools and supplies, and woven baskets for
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<v Speaker 1>his garments. Every item had its place, providing the mental
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<v Speaker 1>space he needed to think, plan, and scheme. He knew
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<v Speaker 1>Esau would be back soon, gain over his shoulder and ravenous.
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<v Speaker 1>After hiding the part in his tent, he exited and
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<v Speaker 1>watched the sunrise slowly creep over the undulating planes of Canaan.
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<v Speaker 1>The air was fresh and damp. Jacob saw Esau emerge
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<v Speaker 1>from the forest right on time. Jacob approached his brother
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<v Speaker 1>with a theatrical flourish.
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<v Speaker 4>Ah, our brave hunter has returned. Father will be thrilled
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<v Speaker 4>you conquered such a beast here. Let me help you
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<v Speaker 4>with that. You must be exhausted, Yes, I am tired.
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<v Speaker 7>Stag was long legged, in and.
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<v Speaker 4>Fast, certainly no match for you, though, dear brother, your
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<v Speaker 4>bow has never failed you.
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<v Speaker 8>Yes, my arms are strong to keep the bow tight.
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<v Speaker 8>Father will be pleased with the big stag.
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<v Speaker 4>Speaking of fire, I was surprised you wentn't hunting this morning.
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<v Speaker 4>That he was complaining last night about how you didn't
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<v Speaker 4>finish your tasks in the fields. Father was upset, Yes,
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<v Speaker 4>which is strange because he favors you so I rarely
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<v Speaker 4>see him. That worked out well. At least you brought
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<v Speaker 4>a stag for him to eat. Will you be making
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<v Speaker 4>him that stew? He loves That will surely make him
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<v Speaker 4>forgive you.
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<v Speaker 8>Yes, I will cut stag and make stew with my
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<v Speaker 8>knives and pot. Father won't be angry once I give
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<v Speaker 8>him his favorite.
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<v Speaker 4>Great idea he saw. Find your special pots and knives,
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<v Speaker 4>and I'll take the deer to the butchering stone.
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<v Speaker 1>Esaw transferred the stag to Jacob's shoulders. Jacob may buckled
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<v Speaker 1>under its weight, but managed to carry it to the
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<v Speaker 1>butchering stone. He listened as he saw rummage through his tent.
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<v Speaker 1>His frustration mounting, he burst out of the tent, eyes
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<v Speaker 1>wide with panic.
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<v Speaker 4>My part and I for God, Mother and I are
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<v Speaker 4>always telling you to be more tidy with your things.
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<v Speaker 4>You wouldn't lose so much if you've kept them organized.
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<v Speaker 7>If I don't have stew, I can't plaise father.
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<v Speaker 4>Well, don hasn't even settled completely over the fields. If
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<v Speaker 4>you got your work done before father woke up, I'm
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<v Speaker 4>sure all will be forgiven.
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<v Speaker 7>But what about the stag?
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<v Speaker 4>I'll butcher it myself.
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<v Speaker 7>Thank you, brother. I will get some bread, then go
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<v Speaker 7>to fields. I'm starving.
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<v Speaker 4>No, no, there's no time for that. Go now, finish
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<v Speaker 4>your work. I'll look for your misplaced items and cook
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<v Speaker 4>up a nice meal for you.
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<v Speaker 7>Why you do this for me?
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<v Speaker 4>Why we're brothers, Esaw twins. Your hurt is my hurt.
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<v Speaker 1>He sau hurried to the fields, and a sly smile
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<v Speaker 1>curled Jacob's lips as he watched. He and his brother
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<v Speaker 1>were opposites in almost every way. Esau was a bear, large, hairy,
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<v Speaker 1>and strong, living by instinct. Jacob, however, was a cat, smooth,
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<v Speaker 1>controlled and cunning. Unlike his brother, Jacob craved more than sustenance.
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<v Speaker 1>He sought influence, wealth, and power.
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<v Speaker 4>I guess we're both hunters and as sense. But while
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<v Speaker 4>my dear brother uses a bow and arrow, I prefer lait.
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<v Speaker 1>Jacob began butchering the stag with precise practice strokes. His
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<v Speaker 1>brother was an adept hunter, but Jacob was a master butcher.
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<v Speaker 1>His blade was always sharp, always. As the afternoon sun
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<v Speaker 1>melted the morning fog, the air grew thick with heat,
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<v Speaker 1>sapping Esau's strength. If he had paid more attention, he
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<v Speaker 1>might have realized that it had been Jacob's turn to
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<v Speaker 1>work the fields the day before. The undone work was
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<v Speaker 1>not his burden. Yet Esau labored on sickle and hoe
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<v Speaker 1>in hand, his back aching, his stomach, growling like a
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<v Speaker 1>caged beast. His brow was drenched in sweat and mud.
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<v Speaker 1>As he finally threw down his sickle and trudged back
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<v Speaker 1>to camp, the sides of his vision darkened with fatigue,
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<v Speaker 1>his head throbbed, and his limbs felt leaden. Cresting the
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<v Speaker 1>small hill, he saw Jacob seated by the fire, a
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<v Speaker 1>pot of red lentil stew simmering. It's aroma mingling with
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<v Speaker 1>that of freshly cooked game. Esau beamed at the sight
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<v Speaker 1>of it, as if he hadn't seen food in days.
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<v Speaker 7>Give me some red red. I'm starving and field as he.
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<v Speaker 4>I've made it for you, dear brother, but I won't
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<v Speaker 4>give it for free.
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<v Speaker 7>What do you want?
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<v Speaker 4>I'll give you this stew for Oh, you're both right,
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<v Speaker 4>your status as the firstborn son.
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<v Speaker 7>What good is birthright? If I die? Give me the
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<v Speaker 7>red rad Ah.
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<v Speaker 4>No, not yet, Esaw. That's not good enough for me.
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<v Speaker 4>I need you to agree that you are purchasing this
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<v Speaker 4>red red in exchange for your birthright. Swear to me,
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<v Speaker 4>I swear give me the bread. This is binding between us.
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<v Speaker 4>You've spent too much time in the forest, my friend,
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<v Speaker 4>and here you go. Wipe up that chin with some bread.
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<v Speaker 1>Esau devoured the stew, red liquid dripping down his beard.
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<v Speaker 1>Jacob watched with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction that easy.
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<v Speaker 1>Isaac reclined by the fire, with Rebecca beside him and
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<v Speaker 1>his sons opposite him, as was tradition. The two boys
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<v Speaker 1>ended each night with their parents. Most nights, Jacob and
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<v Speaker 1>Rebecca exchanged jokes and sharp jabs, sometimes at Isaac and
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<v Speaker 1>Esau's expense. Isaac and Esau spoke of game, hunting, the weather,
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<v Speaker 1>and how to carve figurines from almond branches.
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<v Speaker 5>Tell me about the hunt today, Esau.
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<v Speaker 7>Oh, the stag was fast?
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<v Speaker 5>Oh yes, how fast?
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<v Speaker 7>Very fast?
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<v Speaker 5>Oh so so what happened when you found it?
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<v Speaker 7>I chased it into the grove and shot it?
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<v Speaker 5>Oh amazing, riveting dear the tail for the ages.
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<v Speaker 1>Esau, Rebeccah, and j Acob exchanged a knowing look. Laughing quietly, Isaac,
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<v Speaker 1>still caught up in Esau's story, pressed on, I.
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<v Speaker 5>Hear there's better hunting in the wilderness of xin east
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<v Speaker 5>of Beersheba. When you take my places ahead of the household,
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<v Speaker 5>perhaps you want to move our people there and teach
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<v Speaker 5>your sons how to hunt a Ah.
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<v Speaker 4>Actually that will no longer be Esau's decision. He sold
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<v Speaker 4>me his birthright.
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<v Speaker 2>Esau sold you his birthright. What do you mean for
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<v Speaker 2>what price?
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<v Speaker 4>Some lentil soup? My dear brother calls it red? Read what, Esaul?
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<v Speaker 4>What is the meaning of this.
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<v Speaker 7>I don't need birth right now. It's far, far away
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<v Speaker 7>away in the future.
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<v Speaker 4>You see, he doesn't want it anyway. It was a
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<v Speaker 4>worthwhile trade right Esau.
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<v Speaker 5>All right, God, no, Rebecca, speak to your son.
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<v Speaker 2>Jacob. You you can't be serious.
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<v Speaker 4>It's Esau who isn't serious. I, on the other hand,
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<v Speaker 4>know exactly what I want and the value this birthright
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<v Speaker 4>holds in the future. If he despises his birthright so much,
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<v Speaker 4>isn't it better that it's in my hand? I'm the
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<v Speaker 4>one who wants it.
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<v Speaker 2>He's got a point, Isaac. Wouldn't you want it in
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<v Speaker 2>the hands of the one who understands its value?
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<v Speaker 1>Isaac was silent, first brooding, then his brow softened to resignation.
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<v Speaker 1>He stood and walked away, leaving the other three by
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<v Speaker 1>the fire his birthright.
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<v Speaker 2>Jacob, really, how did you manage that?
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<v Speaker 4>You know as well as I do that this family
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<v Speaker 4>is doomed in Esau's hands. I'm doing you, our herdsman,
0:16:56 --> 0:16:57
<v Speaker 4>workers and craftsmen, a favor.
0:16:58 --> 0:17:01
<v Speaker 2>Your father may acknowledge and cons see the practical aspects
0:17:01 --> 0:17:04
<v Speaker 2>of Esau's birthright, but you know the blessing of Abraham
0:17:04 --> 0:17:06
<v Speaker 2>and Isaac can't be sold for stew.
0:17:07 --> 0:17:09
<v Speaker 4>Now, I don't know, you'd be surprised how far a
0:17:09 --> 0:17:11
<v Speaker 4>little stew can go with those two.
0:17:11 --> 0:17:13
<v Speaker 2>What are you scheming, my son.
0:17:14 --> 0:17:17
<v Speaker 4>Nothing you haven't already thought of. Mother.
0:17:18 --> 0:17:22
<v Speaker 1>Jacob's ascent began with grabbing his brother's heel out of
0:17:22 --> 0:17:27
<v Speaker 1>the womb. Now he seized his brother's birthright. All was
0:17:27 --> 0:17:31
<v Speaker 1>falling into place for Jacob. Soon he would have the
0:17:31 --> 0:17:32
<v Speaker 1>blessing as well.
0:17:37 --> 0:17:42
<v Speaker 6>Wow, what a story, and what a trade a birthright
0:17:42 --> 0:17:45
<v Speaker 6>for a bull of stew. I mean, think about it
0:17:45 --> 0:17:49
<v Speaker 6>for a second. Esau was so hungry, so desperate, that
0:17:49 --> 0:17:52
<v Speaker 6>he gave up something of immense value for something that
0:17:52 --> 0:17:55
<v Speaker 6>was satisfy him for just a moment. It's one of
0:17:55 --> 0:17:59
<v Speaker 6>those Bible stories that sometimes doesn't make sense. Is he
0:18:00 --> 0:18:03
<v Speaker 6>see the judge Esa to say? How could he be
0:18:03 --> 0:18:07
<v Speaker 6>so foolish? But then I look at my own life.
0:18:07 --> 0:18:12
<v Speaker 6>How often have I traded what's priceless for what's temporary,
0:18:13 --> 0:18:19
<v Speaker 6>That moment of gratification, that fleeting pleasure, that sense of control. Well,
0:18:19 --> 0:18:21
<v Speaker 6>I think we all do it all the time. We
0:18:21 --> 0:18:26
<v Speaker 6>trade our peace for productivity, We trade our intimacy with
0:18:26 --> 0:18:31
<v Speaker 6>God for the rush of instant gratification. We trade our
0:18:31 --> 0:18:36
<v Speaker 6>joy for the next distraction on our screen. Esau's story
0:18:36 --> 0:18:41
<v Speaker 6>reflects our own struggles, are misplaced priorities, and our hunger
0:18:41 --> 0:18:47
<v Speaker 6>that leads us to make the worst decisions. And this
0:18:47 --> 0:18:51
<v Speaker 6>story also makes me think about how I treat others,
0:18:51 --> 0:18:56
<v Speaker 6>especially when they're down, vulnerable, or in need. Do I
0:18:56 --> 0:18:59
<v Speaker 6>offer help or do I look for how I can
0:19:00 --> 0:19:05
<v Speaker 6>benefit from their vulnerability. Now, in today's story, we learned
0:19:05 --> 0:19:08
<v Speaker 6>that Esau was not willing to wait for the best things.
0:19:08 --> 0:19:11
<v Speaker 6>After a busy day, Esau was hungry and sold his
0:19:11 --> 0:19:15
<v Speaker 6>birthright for a bull of stew yep, that's right, stew.
0:19:16 --> 0:19:20
<v Speaker 6>In his short sightedness, in verse thirty two, he utters
0:19:20 --> 0:19:25
<v Speaker 6>these fateful words to his brother Jacob. Quote, look, I'm
0:19:25 --> 0:19:26
<v Speaker 6>about to die.
0:19:27 --> 0:19:28
<v Speaker 4>What good is.
0:19:27 --> 0:19:29
<v Speaker 6>The birthright to me?
0:19:29 --> 0:19:31
<v Speaker 4>End quote.
0:19:31 --> 0:19:35
<v Speaker 6>Of course, Esau was not actually about to die. He
0:19:35 --> 0:19:39
<v Speaker 6>was young, he was strong. But Jewish tradition has an
0:19:39 --> 0:19:43
<v Speaker 6>amazing explanation for this. It explains that Esau knew about
0:19:43 --> 0:19:48
<v Speaker 6>God's prophecy to Abraham that the Chosen people would inherit
0:19:48 --> 0:19:52
<v Speaker 6>the land of Israel. But Esa also knew that this
0:19:52 --> 0:19:56
<v Speaker 6>prophecy would only be fulfilled two hundred years later, after
0:19:56 --> 0:20:02
<v Speaker 6>the Israelites enslavement and their exodus from Egypt. So Esau
0:20:02 --> 0:20:06
<v Speaker 6>thought to himself, if that's what the birthright means, that
0:20:06 --> 0:20:10
<v Speaker 6>we will inherit the land of Israel, then why should
0:20:10 --> 0:20:10
<v Speaker 6>I care.
0:20:11 --> 0:20:12
<v Speaker 4>I'll be dead.
0:20:12 --> 0:20:16
<v Speaker 6>It's two hundred years from now, so who cares. I'll
0:20:16 --> 0:20:21
<v Speaker 6>just sell this useless birthright. You know, the Jewish people
0:20:21 --> 0:20:24
<v Speaker 6>have prayed for centuries that we might return to our
0:20:24 --> 0:20:29
<v Speaker 6>biblical homeland. We say uvine urusha laim ir hakoda shimpirabia,
0:20:29 --> 0:20:32
<v Speaker 6>may New Lord return us to your Holy City of
0:20:32 --> 0:20:36
<v Speaker 6>Jerusalem in our day. We've been saying that through thousands
0:20:36 --> 0:20:40
<v Speaker 6>of years of exile, and even though that promise took
0:20:40 --> 0:20:43
<v Speaker 6>a long time to come true, that didn't stop each
0:20:43 --> 0:20:48
<v Speaker 6>generation from asking God to make it happen. Generation after
0:20:48 --> 0:20:55
<v Speaker 6>generation passed without seeing that promise fulfilled, but generation after
0:20:55 --> 0:21:01
<v Speaker 6>generation we prayed. I think about my grandfather in Nazi
0:21:01 --> 0:21:07
<v Speaker 6>Germany praying return us to Jerusalem. It seemed so far
0:21:07 --> 0:21:09
<v Speaker 6>fetched that he prayed it with all of his heart,
0:21:10 --> 0:21:13
<v Speaker 6>and now his great grandchildren were born in the Holy Land.
0:21:14 --> 0:21:17
<v Speaker 6>I'm speaking to you right now from the Holy Land
0:21:18 --> 0:21:22
<v Speaker 6>because unlike Esau, the Chosen People have believed that even
0:21:22 --> 0:21:26
<v Speaker 6>if it's not in our own generation and we might
0:21:26 --> 0:21:31
<v Speaker 6>not live to see it, God's promise will happen. I
0:21:31 --> 0:21:34
<v Speaker 6>cannot begin to explain how grateful I am to God
0:21:34 --> 0:21:39
<v Speaker 6>for two things. Number one that it happened in our generation,
0:21:40 --> 0:21:46
<v Speaker 6>and number two that all those previous generations continued praying.
0:21:47 --> 0:21:50
<v Speaker 6>Before we leave this story behind, we have to talk
0:21:50 --> 0:21:53
<v Speaker 6>about Jacob. While we shouldn't let Jacob off the hook
0:21:53 --> 0:21:55
<v Speaker 6>for his trickery towards his twin brother, there's a point
0:21:55 --> 0:21:58
<v Speaker 6>I'd like to make about him that looks to the future.
0:21:59 --> 0:22:01
<v Speaker 6>You see, what we learned from the story is that
0:22:01 --> 0:22:05
<v Speaker 6>Jacob was always looking not for what's best today, but
0:22:05 --> 0:22:10
<v Speaker 6>towards tomorrow. Because Jacob knew, maybe from hearing it from
0:22:10 --> 0:22:14
<v Speaker 6>his mother talk about her unusual pregnancy, a pregnancy that
0:22:14 --> 0:22:19
<v Speaker 6>had seen two forces struggling within her. Maybe he knew
0:22:19 --> 0:22:23
<v Speaker 6>that the legacy of Abraham and Isaac, his grandfather and
0:22:23 --> 0:22:28
<v Speaker 6>his father, could only go to one of Rebecca's sons,
0:22:28 --> 0:22:33
<v Speaker 6>either to Esau or to himself. But he knew not
0:22:34 --> 0:22:37
<v Speaker 6>to both. Jacob knew that he would use that legacy
0:22:38 --> 0:22:42
<v Speaker 6>wisely and advance it in a holy way, and that
0:22:42 --> 0:22:47
<v Speaker 6>his brother would not, and so Jacob was deeply motivated
0:22:47 --> 0:22:51
<v Speaker 6>to buy the birthright, ensuring that the great legacy of
0:22:51 --> 0:22:56
<v Speaker 6>the Chosen People would be continued through him. But aside
0:22:56 --> 0:23:00
<v Speaker 6>from the eternal birthright and the everlasting promises and story
0:23:00 --> 0:23:04
<v Speaker 6>of two brothers, it's still a story of temptation, of
0:23:04 --> 0:23:09
<v Speaker 6>basic desires, of doing what you want in the immediacy
0:23:09 --> 0:23:13
<v Speaker 6>instead of looking to what's right for the future, and
0:23:13 --> 0:23:15
<v Speaker 6>it calls us to reflect on our own relationship with
0:23:16 --> 0:23:21
<v Speaker 6>such things. Genesis twenty five ends with this quote, So
0:23:21 --> 0:23:27
<v Speaker 6>Esau despised his birthright end quote. This line is priceless
0:23:27 --> 0:23:31
<v Speaker 6>for us today. It shows us that Esau suffered from
0:23:31 --> 0:23:35
<v Speaker 6>what we would call instant gratification, and it shows us
0:23:35 --> 0:23:39
<v Speaker 6>what instant gratification can do to our hearts and minds.
0:23:40 --> 0:23:45
<v Speaker 6>The allure of the here and now can be blinding. Yes,
0:23:45 --> 0:23:48
<v Speaker 6>as God's chosen people and as readers of the Bible
0:23:48 --> 0:23:52
<v Speaker 6>armed with hindsight, we see the foolishness of Esau's decision.
0:23:53 --> 0:23:55
<v Speaker 6>But the truth is, I bet we have all made
0:23:55 --> 0:23:59
<v Speaker 6>that same mistake plenty of times, and we still continue
0:24:00 --> 0:24:00
<v Speaker 6>to make it.
0:24:01 --> 0:24:02
<v Speaker 2>So the lesson that.
0:24:02 --> 0:24:04
<v Speaker 6>I get from this story is that we have to
0:24:04 --> 0:24:08
<v Speaker 6>stop and choose not what feels good for our temporal body,
0:24:09 --> 0:24:14
<v Speaker 6>but what is truly nourishing and anointing for our eternal spirit.
0:24:15 --> 0:24:19
<v Speaker 6>We each have a spiritual inheritance, a divine calling that
0:24:19 --> 0:24:25
<v Speaker 6>is uniquely ours. This inheritance is precious. It's worth more
0:24:25 --> 0:24:30
<v Speaker 6>than any temporary satisfaction the world can offer, So guard it.
0:24:30 --> 0:24:35
<v Speaker 6>Don't trade your calling for fleeting pleasures or immediate relief.
0:24:36 --> 0:24:40
<v Speaker 6>Hold tight, hold fast to what truly matters. What do
0:24:40 --> 0:24:44
<v Speaker 6>you value most? Are there areas where, like Esau, you've
0:24:44 --> 0:24:49
<v Speaker 6>been tempted to trade the eternal for the temporal. Instead,
0:24:49 --> 0:24:53
<v Speaker 6>let's remember that we want to all try to be
0:24:53 --> 0:24:58
<v Speaker 6>like Jacob, to value the eternal, to guard our inheritance,
0:24:59 --> 0:25:03
<v Speaker 6>and to pursue God's blessings each and every day.
0:25:04 --> 0:25:07
<v Speaker 1>You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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<v Speaker 1>ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
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<v Speaker 1>possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
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<v Speaker 1>Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive
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<v Speaker 1>producers of the Chosen People with Yiel Eckstein. Edited by
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<v Speaker 1>Alberto Avilla narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
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<v Speaker 1>Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
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<v Speaker 1>Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
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<v Speaker 1>Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
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<v Speaker 1>Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
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<v Speaker 1>kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
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