Esau and Jacob 👬were the twin sons of Rebecca. Esau came out of the womb first, making him the first born. As they grew up, Esau chose hunting 🦌and agriculture🌾🌾 while Jacob preferred the breeding and tending of animals🐐🐏🐄. This meant that Jacob was usually in or around the house while Esau was ususally out in the wild.

One day, Esau returned from the day’s work starving🥵. He met Jacob with a freshly made hot pot of pottage (Beans🥘). He quickly requested for some. And this is where all the drama started.

Jacob requested for Esau’s birthright 📝in return. And Esau, being a person who neither understood nor valued spiritual things, sold it to him without thinking twice.

🧐It surprises me that Jacob did not waste any time to ask for Esau’s birthright. He clearly had his eyes👀 on it already and was just looking for the slightest opportunity to get it. And he, knowing that his brother did not even value it in the first place only made it all seem more attainable.

Now, lets backtrack🏃🏽‍♀️ a little. What is in a birthright?🤷‍♀️ I mean, as Esau put it, “What good is my birthright?”

The Advantage of the Birthright

In ancient middle Eastern tradition, the firstborn is the head of the family, and has charge of the family, including the family property. He is responsible for the welfare of the younger sons, the widow, and any unmarried daughters. He can exercise considerable authority over the other members of the family.

Was Jacob satisfied with the birthright alone? NO! He wanted more!!!

So when Isaac was about to die, he told Esau to go and hunt for fresh meat and prepare his favorite meal and afterwards come to receive his blessing.

LEsau did not recognise the urgency of the situation and went off to hunt. I believe nothing stopped him from pleading 🙏with his Father to bless him first since he could die any second. After taking the blessing, he could go and hunt, right?🤷‍♀️

But once again, it was Jacob who understood the significance and urgency of the situation and quickly took a hold of it. Jacob deceitfully disgused himself as Esau 👺and collected every single blessing that Isaac had to give.

Again, What’s in a Blessing?🤷‍♀️

The Benefit of the Blessing

During the Patriarchal period when Jacob and Esau lived, God dealt directly with the heads of the families. The Hebrews counted the blessing given by the father to be very important and considered it an oral contract, which was just as binding as a written contract today. The blessing Jacob received would place him in a special covenant relationship with the Lord.

Now, note that this is not in anyway saying you have to go about the things of God deceitfully. Jacob eventually paid for his crimes.

What I am trying to point out from this story is how that Jacob was so ‘spiritually’ minded while Esau was only about satisfying his flesh.

As one who has a divine calling, you must learn to deny the flesh. It is not every kind of food 🍱you must eat. It is not even every day you must eat three square meals. How often do you fast🍽️? It is not every night you must sleep 😴complete 6-8 hours. How often do you wake up at night to just pray🙇‍♀️🙇‍♂️ and hear God clearly in the stillness and quietness of the night? It is not every TV 📺show or movie you can watch. It is not even kind of song 🎶🎵you can listen to.

I have never seen or heard 👂or read about anyone who became someone great for God that woke up anytime they liked, ate anything they liked, prayed anytime they felt like and did anything they simply felt like doing. It just doesn’t work that way. Even to become someone great for the world/devil, you must make huge sacrifices. 😁Look at what native doctors do to get power na.

Hmm, may God give us understanding in Jesus name.

ACTIVATION | GETTING PRACTICAL WITH IT

1. Draw up a daily spiritual To-Do list. These are spiritual activities you want to engage in unfailingly everyday by yourself. This includes your personal quiet time with God.

2. Pray that God should deepen your hunger and thirst for his presence

3. Determine this year, to spend more time with brethren that fire you up for God. The 3 Hebrew children stuck together in Babylon for a reason.

May God help us to be His dear children who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, in Jesus name. I pray that He will make us fit vessels through which He can shine His glory thoughout the world, in Jesus name, Amen.

Love you 😍