Genesis 27:35-40: a reflection

35He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.” 36He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?” 37Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?” 38Esau said to his father, “Do you have just one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39Isaac his father answered him, “Behold, your dwelling will be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of the sky from above. 40You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you will shake his yoke from off your neck.”

When Esau discovers that his brother Jacob has deceived their father and taken the blessing meant for him, he is overcome with grief: he cries out with a great and bitter cry, and weeps, begging his father, Bless me, even me also. The blessing he had lost was precious, and its loss broke his heart. Yet it was Esau who, earlier, had despised his birthright, treating lightly what was precious, selling it for a single meal. Now, too late, he grieves the loss of what he had once treated lightly.

Notice the sorrow of Esau over what he had once treated lightly. The blessing and birthright were precious; but Esau had earlier despised his birthright, treating it lightly, valuing a meal above it. Now, when it was gone, he saw how precious it had been, and grieved bitterly its loss. He had treated lightly what was precious, and now, too late, he mourned it. The one who had once thought so little of his birthright now wept over the blessing lost with it; the value he had failed to see before was clear to him only in its loss.

That is a sober warning, for we too can treat lightly what is precious, only to grieve its loss when it is too late. There are precious things, our relationship with God, our integrity, opportunities, relationships, that we can treat lightly, valuing lesser things above them, until they are lost; and then, like Esau, we grieve what we failed to value while we had it. Do not treat lightly what is precious, valuing lesser things above it, lest you grieve its loss too late, as Esau despised his birthright and then wept over the blessing gone with it. Recognize the value of what is precious while you have it, your relationship with God above all, and do not trade it lightly for lesser things; for what is treated lightly and lost is grieved too late, as Esau grieved the blessing he had once thought so little of, weeping when it could not be recovered.

Lord, when Esau discovers that his brother Jacob has deceived their father and taken the blessing meant for him, he is overcome with grief: he cries out with a great and bitter cry, and weeps, begging his father, bless me, even me also. The blessing he had lost was precious, and its loss broke his heart. Yet it was Esau who, earlier, had despised his birthright, treating lightly what was precious, selling it for a single meal. Now, too late, he grieves the loss of what he had once treated lightly. Show me the sorrow of Esau over what he had once treated lightly. The blessing and birthright were precious; but he had earlier despised his birthright, valuing a meal above it. Now, when it was gone, he saw how precious it had been, and grieved bitterly. He had treated lightly what was precious, and now, too late, he mourned it. The value he had failed to see before was clear to him only in its loss. Take that sober warning to my heart, for I too can treat lightly what is precious, only to grieve its loss when it is too late. There are precious things, my relationship with you, my integrity, opportunities, relationships, that I can treat lightly, valuing lesser things above them, until they are lost. Keep me from treating lightly what is precious, valuing lesser things above it, lest I grieve its loss too late, as Esau despised his birthright and then wept. Help me recognize the value of what is precious while I have it, Lord, my relationship with you above all, and not trade it lightly for lesser things.