One day Jacob stewed pottage and Esau came from the field and he was faint, “And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint: therefore is his name called Edom And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said; Behold I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore unto him: and he sold his birthright. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of bean soup.
Normally the scripture would tell us of Abraham, Isaac and Esau. But Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of bean soup and now it will forever be Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Normally we would read of the children of Edom. But Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of bean soup and now we read of the children of Israel. Normally we should be reading the names of the twelve tribes of Esau on the pearly gates of Heaven. But Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of bean soup and now it will be the twelve tribes of Israel eternally on the pearly gates of Heaven. Esau traded all that glory and sold his birthright for a bowl of bean soup.
Paul says, “He found no room for repentance in his father though he sought it diligently with tears.” What a price to pay, all for a bowl of bean soup. We who have been born again of water and the Spirit have a birthright. We have a right to call ourselves Christians, we have a right to repent and pray for forgiveness when we sin knowing that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all iniquity, we have a right to Heaven, we have a right to come to the Lord’s Table on the Lord’s Day. One preacher told me of a member of the church who told him, “Don’t expect to see me in services from September until December. I will be at the stadium watching the NFL football game.” This is just one example of a great percentage of the members of the church who every Sunday, week in and week out, throughout the year sell-out the glory of God for a bowl of bean soup.