GIVING UP OUR INHERITANCE

Obadiah 1:18b There will be no survivors from the house of Esau, the Lord has spoken.

Esau was the firstborn of Isaac the son of Abraham. Esau was Isaac’s favorite son. His other son Jacob liked to be with his mother and cook and the like. Easu on the other hand was kind of a man’s man. He was more rough and rugged wanting to be in the outdoors hunting, camping and being with the guys.

The tradition for Abraham’s descendants was t give an extra portion of the inheritance to the eldest son. I suppose the idea was that being the oldest they might have more insight in the responsibility for taking care of his father's wives,concubines, other children, slaves, cattle and etc. With this responsibility came accountability. The father was depending on his first born to care for his inheritance as he would. Sad to say Esau may have been a man’s man and his father’s favorite, Esau didn't see his firstborn position regarding his inheritance as a treasured gift. One day as he was returning from a hunt, he was hungry and told his brother Jacob that he would exchange his birthright for a bowl of soup. This was an incredible thing he did. He certainly wasn’t at the point of death, or he could have gotten something to eat from others in the camp. Esau didn't cherish his gift of extra inheritance, probably he saw his father as still in good health and the he could take care of himself and didn't need his father’s inheritance.

Whatever it was that caused Esau to exchange his valued inheritance for a bowl of soup, he certainly dishonored his his father and the rest of the family. While Esau would prosper on his own and the nation of Edom would come from him, what he did in the eyes of God had great consequences.

Because of his lack of respect and honor for his father, God would choose Jacob to carry his promise to Abraham to bless the world. It would be through Jacob and his descendants that God would send his only begotten Son to bring salvation to the world.

In the book of Obadiah, God reveals the future for Edom Esau’s descendants, and also for all nations for the day of the Lord is near. While the Assyrians took the Northern Kingdom and then the Babylonians came later to take not only what the Assyrians had conquered but the Southern Kingdom and countries all over the middle east including Edom, we can see an end of days events that will take place as well here as well. Obadiah points that the nation that will escape defeat will be Israel. The reason for this is that the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance.

This whole aspect of inheritance is very important in the end of days event or the day of the Lord. Esau gave up his inheritance and birthright for a bowl of soup, but multitudes are giving up their birthright through Jesus every day all over the world. The birthright or inheritance through Jesus is meant for everyone. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. The problem is only those who receive him as their Lord and Savior can have his inheritance. People may not be giving up their inheritance through Jesus for a bowl of soup, but they are giving it up for many other reasons. And as it hurt the Lord to see Esau do this, it also hurts God to see multitudes giving up on the great blessings that Jesus would have for them.

Rejecting Jesus as with Jacob’s inheritance for Esau is a great dishonoring of a very great gift. With God’s gift of salvation through Jesus there is responsibility and accountability too. While in the end of days the world will be following the antichrist, Israel will begin to follow Jesus recognizing him to be their Lord and Savior, their Messiah.

As time gets closer to the return of Jesus many in the church will become deceived by the antichrist and false prophet and turn from Jesus. Like with Esau they will give up their inheritance through Jesus. With this God’s great wrath will come on all who reject Jesus. Multitudes will die from disasters, plagues, and war. Nothing will be safe from the wrath of God except the inheritance for those who trust in Jesus.

What are you willing to give up to keep your inheritance in Jesus? Jim Elliot once said to his father that threatened to take aways his wealthy inheritance if he went to the mission field to serve Jesus, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help us to never give up on loving and trusting in Jesus. We love you Heavenly Father, and as this in Jesus holy name.

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