I have a little bit of a confession to make. I am a Bible geek. (Shocker right?!) Like an actual Bible nerd. I study theology, I write Blogs about Bible stories and the Bible is the best book ever written in my humble opinion. So there are some inside jokes that I have with myself (that no one else would even understand) because I'm just weird like that.
And one of these jokes is that I call my Sister Rachel, Esau. Let me tell you how that happened. So Rachel and I both have these same black Zara pants. Same size, same color, same everything. But for some reason, I always thought that her pair of pants looked better than mine. And I wanted them. So one day (like every day) Rachel came into my room asking to wear something out of my closet ( because she thinks this is her shopping center). I don't even remember what she wanted to wear but because I'm petty I said no. But when I realized that she was really desperate to wear something out of my closet I took the opportunity and made her a deal. I told her she could wear anything she wanted if she gave me her Zara pants. And lo an behold; she did. Not only did I feel like the ultimate Gangster and the best wardrobe stealer in the Game, but I also told myself that I am Jacob and she is Esau without a doubt.
The story of Esau and Jacob was always pretty simple to me. Esau was one of dumbest people in the Bible and Jacob was slick ( just like me). Jacob was the good guy and Esau wasn't. Simple Maths to me. So this is why I called my sister Esau; which I found really funny because like I said I'm a Bible nerd and this was hilarious to me. But what really happened at this moment was that I saw that my sister was desperate for something and I took advantage of it which is pretty evil but when you're in the youngest sister game for a while you need to know how to go about your business. Ya know what I'm saying?
Another thing we Bible nerds like to do is compare ourselves to Bible characters. Are you Mary or are you Martha? Are you David or are you, Jonathan? Are you Elijah or are you, Elisha? And we chose the one with the better characteristics and identify ourselves with them. And I did the same thing by claiming to be Jacob because I tricked my sister into giving me her Jeans. But then God said 'Nah Girl, you need to humble yourself. Because you've got some of Esau in you too.'
Me? A whole saved and sanctified Ashley has something in common with Esau? No way.
But all of a sudden I could relate to Esau as I studied the story. The thing that Esau and I have in common is this: He was desperate.
There was a time in my life when I was really desperate for something and in order to get it, I traded what was holy and precious for a bowl of soup. Did you ever want something really bad and then you got it and realized that you lost yourself on the way to get it? Then you too have something in common with Esau.
And we've all been there. Just think about how tired you are after a long day at work or in uni. I don't even feel like frying an egg when I get home. So it's either my mum cooked something or I'm buying something. And when I say 'buying something' it's probably going to be some junk food that will do nothing for my body. We choose an unhealthy dish over a nutritious one because we're hungry, tired, lazy or desperate for just anything. Esau came home from working hard all day and he was hungry so he took his brothers offer in a moment. He gave up his birthright that would have been everlasting from generation to generation for a bowl of soup that he would poop out a couple of hours later. To us, it sounds like this guy is crazy but this is us too. The moment we choose something that is temporary over what is lasting we act like Esau. The moment we take temporary pleasure, temporary joy or temporary peace over the lasting delight, joy, and peace of God we are like Esau.
So because of his decision in that one moment, his brother got his birthright. But after begging his father for a blessing this is what Esau got
You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck."
Genesis 27:40
Esau was free the moment his father has spoken this blessing that may have looked like a curse to him. His father has given him the blessing to be free but he wasn't free. He still had to decide. Even though Jesus freed us there are a lot of Christians who are not walking in complete liberty and freedom. We all as Children of God have certain birthrights, certain blessings, and promises that we haven't stepped into because we still carry the yoke from our mistakes. We carry the words of people, we carry guilt and shame and we haven't made the decision to let go, just like Esau. Esau plotted to kill his brother because of what he did to him. He held a grudge. He harbored unforgiveness so he couldn't be free.
The only way for us to become free is to forgive.
Holding a grudge against someone is nothing else than reliving a moment of your life over and over again. It's letting that moment define you and control every other moment that is ahead of you. And this is what Esau did.
I kept reliving what I did. the pictures of my mistakes kept playing in my head like a movie. They would pop up when I prayed, when I sat in a lecture in uni, when I listened to music on the bus or when I was about to go to bed. Haunting me. Every day I was thinking about what I had done. Beating myself up about it.
There is only one person who will have you stuck on your mistakes and that is none other than the accuser himself. The Bible tells us that he accuses the children of God day and night.
"You did this and you did that. You're not worthy; God can't use you. Maybe him and maybe her but not you, not after what you did." The accuser is the devil and the devil is a liar. It's that simple. End of story. Whatever he says has no value.
Today I dare you to break free from anything that tries to define you that is not of God. Decide to be free. Forgive yourself, forgive your parents, forgive your ex, forgive the people that weren't there for you when you needed them most. Decide to be free today.
Esau isn't the bad guy in this story. He is human. Just like you and me. He is a guy who made a bad decision in a moment and lived with the consequences and in regret because of it. The most important thing we have in common with Esau is that the Father has a blessing for us too. And when we truly decide to step into it and break free, we will. And we shall overcome our faults, our failures, and our mistakes. If we decide!
I have some good news for us Esaus. The mistake happened, whatever we lost is gone, but it doesn't have to define us. The moment we decide to break free from our failures and bad decisions they will lose control over us. We will shake the yoke that is weighing us down off of our necks and we'll be free to become exactly who God called us to be. Despite our mistakes, God has blessings and purpose left for us. Don't you ever let the devil convince you of anything else. The moment you decide to be free you will be free indeed.
Esau was free the moment his father has spoken this blessing that may have looked like a curse to him. His father has given him the blessing to be free but he wasn't free. He still had to decide. Even though Jesus freed us there are a lot of Christians who are not walking in complete liberty and freedom. We all as Children of God have certain birthrights, certain blessings, and promises that we haven't stepped into because we still carry the yoke from our mistakes. We carry the words of people, we carry guilt and shame and we haven't made the decision to let go, just like Esau. Esau plotted to kill his brother because of what he did to him. He held a grudge. He harbored unforgiveness so he couldn't be free.
The only way for us to become free is to forgive.
Holding a grudge against someone is nothing else than reliving a moment of your life over and over again. It's letting that moment define you and control every other moment that is ahead of you. And this is what Esau did.
I kept reliving what I did. the pictures of my mistakes kept playing in my head like a movie. They would pop up when I prayed, when I sat in a lecture in uni, when I listened to music on the bus or when I was about to go to bed. Haunting me. Every day I was thinking about what I had done. Beating myself up about it.
There is only one person who will have you stuck on your mistakes and that is none other than the accuser himself. The Bible tells us that he accuses the children of God day and night.
"You did this and you did that. You're not worthy; God can't use you. Maybe him and maybe her but not you, not after what you did." The accuser is the devil and the devil is a liar. It's that simple. End of story. Whatever he says has no value.
Today I dare you to break free from anything that tries to define you that is not of God. Decide to be free. Forgive yourself, forgive your parents, forgive your ex, forgive the people that weren't there for you when you needed them most. Decide to be free today.
Unforgivenes is nothing else but drinking poisin hoping another person will die.
Esau isn't the bad guy in this story. He is human. Just like you and me. He is a guy who made a bad decision in a moment and lived with the consequences and in regret because of it. The most important thing we have in common with Esau is that the Father has a blessing for us too. And when we truly decide to step into it and break free, we will. And we shall overcome our faults, our failures, and our mistakes. If we decide!
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36
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