The Lord said to her, Two nations are in your
womb, and two peoples will be separated from
your body. And one people shall be stronger than
the other, and the older shall serve the younger.
When her days to be delivered were fulfilled,
behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the
first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment.
and they named him Esau. Afterward, his brother
came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's
heel. So his name was called Jacob, and Isaac
was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful
hunter, a man of the field. But Jacob was a peaceful
man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau because
he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from
the field and was famished. And Esau said to
Jacob, Please let me have a swallow of that red
stuff there, for I am famished. Therefore his
name was called Edom. But Jacob said, First,
sell me your birthright. Esau said, Behold, I
am about to die. So of what use then is the birthright
to me? And Jacob said, First, swear to me. So
he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and
he ate and drank. and rose and went on his way.
Thus, Esau despised his birthright. By way of
reminder with regards to our practice of preaching
at Grace Fellowship Church, we practice consecutive
expository preaching at GFC, which means that
we primarily Exposit parts, portions, and books
of the Bible in a consecutive fashion. So we
work our way through books. We work our way through
sections of books or parts of the Bible. And
we do so because we believe that it's best for
the people of God to be exposed and taught the
full. counsel of God in his word. In order to
be whole, complete, healthy Christians, we need
to understand and be exposed to the whole of
God's divine revelation. We need all of the scriptures.
We don't just want parts or pieces that we're
inclined to. We want all of it. Now, one of the
benefits of consecutive expository preaching
is that it forces us to deal with difficult and
hard texts and difficult and hard and weighty
doctrines which we encounter here and there in
the Word of God. But we also... get the benefit,
and we also are exposed to the easier doctrines
to digest. We get all of it. The weighty, strong
meat, and we get the lighter, easier to digest
milk as well, all contained in the Word of God.
Today, we get the meat, brothers and sisters.
Today we get the strong doctrine of the Word.
Today we come to deal with a weighty topic. The
topic of divine election. Something that ought
to be handled with the utmost care and humility.
Because these are the great mysteries and works
of God. And we have to be cautious in how we
deal with the works of God, especially when it's
strong doctrine. So as we come to our text today,
we'll be primarily in verses 27 through 34. So
we come to it, and immediately we'll see that
we find Jacob and Esau. Growing up, becoming
boys and then growing into men. In this episode,
in this altercation that we have, in verses 27
through 34, we don't know their age exactly.
We know what kind of lives they were living.
We know what they were doing. We're shown their
character, but we don't know exactly how old
they were or where they were at in life exactly.
we'll see that there's this altercation between
Jacob, the promised heir, and Esau, who's rejected
or cast off ultimately by the Lord. Now, one
of the things that's important for us to understand
and see in this text is the fact that God has
already declared what will take place. in the
life of Jacob and Esau. We saw this in verse
23, where he says, Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from your body,
and one people shall be stronger than the other,
and the older shall serve the younger. So we
see that God has declared his ordained plans
and purposes with regards to Jacob and with regards
to Esau already. And a lot of it involves this
idea of a birthright. Now with the patriarchs,
this concept or idea of birthright, or we could
say family inheritance, is deeply intertwined
with the idea of the divine promise and blessing
that God has given to Abraham. to Isaac, and
we'll see ultimately he gives it to Jacob as
well in our text. We can't separate those two.
So when the text talks about the birthright and
inheritance for the heritage or descendants and
offspring, it's also talking about the promise.
And so when we're talking about the promise,
we know from Galatians chapter 3. That when God
gave the promise to Abraham, he was giving the
gospel ahead of time to Abraham. So we're dealing
with things, the things of Christ. We're dealing
with the things of the gospel. So the first thing
we have to consider as we look at this text is
that we have to consider Esau. The older brother
that does not inherit the birthright. Now in
this text we learn a great deal about Esau. We
learn his trade and we learn his station in life.
What's his trade? We see that he's a skillful
hunter. He lives and he dwells and he roams in
the woods. With the beasts of the field. He spends
his time away from his family. He spends his
time away from other people. He's off by himself
following his own desires. Following what he
enjoys. He's a skillful hunter. And he lives
and he dwells and he roams in the wilderness.
He's almost described as a beast in the text.
Think about how he's described at his birth.
Afterward, I'm sorry, verse 25. Now the first
came forth red, all over like a hairy garment,
and they named him Esau. The author is already
speaking. ill, in a sense, of the firstborn.
He's already speaking negatively, in a sense,
with regards to Esau. He's stating that he's
not like Jacob, and it's not a good thing. It's
not a positive thing. Now, we'll see, Jacob's
not the standard. Jacob's not the shining knight,
either. But the author... is already speaking
ill in some way of Esau. Now what's his character
like? What do we see about who this man was in
this text and in this altercation? Well, we see
that he's a carnal man, that he follows his appetites,
that he has no foresight for what is to come.
You know what he cares about, brothers and sisters?
He cares about his belly. He cares about filling
his belly with food. He cares about getting game
because he likes it. He enjoys it. He does what
he wants to do, when he wants to do it, how he
wants to do it. He's inclined towards immediate.
gratification. I need food, and I need it now.
I'm hungry. Give me food. This is essentially
what he's saying to his brother. In Genesis chapter
27, where Isaac curses Esau after blessing Jacob,
he says, you will live by the sword. You know
what that means, brothers and sisters? That means
that Esau is going to live in violence. He's
going to be a man of violence. He's a carnal,
natural man following around the lusts of the
flesh who is violent in his nature. He reminds
me a great deal of many other figures we've already
seen in the book of Genesis. Can you think of
any who Esau is very, very similar to already?
Think about Cain, the brother who killed his
own brother, Abel, because he had a better sacrifice.
There was enmity between the two. So he struck
him and killed him. He reminds me a great deal
of Lamech, who we read about in Genesis chapter
4, who was known for his exceptional violence.
And his vengeful nature. And who's also known
for his sexual immorality. And being the first
polygamist in the world. He reminds me a great
deal of Nimrod. Who was a mighty hunter before
the Lord. But the beginnings of his kingdom were
Babel. He reminds me a great deal of Ishmael.
Who was compared to a wild donkey. He would roam
and always be at odds with his brethren. This
is Esau as the text is characterizing him. Paul
speaks of men like Esau in Philippians chapter
3. Paul says this, He says in verses 18 -19,
listen to these words. For many walk, of whom
I often told you, and now tell you even weeping,
that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
whose end is destruction, whose God is their
appetite, and whose glory is in their shame,
who set their minds on earthly things. This describes
Esau to a T, brothers and sisters. He's a natural
man following his natural inclinations and his
natural desires throughout life. Now, what was
his relationship to his birthright? To the promise,
the inheritance? Well, the text tells us in verse
34, that he despised his birthright. Meaning
he held it in contempt. He did not value it as
he ought to. And actually we see in the end,
he trades it for lentil soup, which is the most
common bean soup that a person could get. Here's
Esau. who trades the glorious promise of the
inheritance and the promises associated with
that and the blessings, he trades it for that
which is common so that he can fill his belly
in the moment. He rejects the birthright. He
denies it. He doesn't want it. He doesn't want
anything to do with it. He doesn't see the point
of it. He doesn't see the importance of it. He
doesn't see the significance of it. This is why
we read in the book of Hebrews, chapter 12, starting
in verse 15, see to it that no one comes short
of the grace of God. That no root of bitterness
springing up causes trouble, and by it many be
defiled. That there be no immoral or godless
person like Esau, who sold his own birthright
for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards,
when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was
rejected. For he found no place for repentance,
though he sought for it with tears. The author
of Hebrews couldn't be any more clear about Esau.
He was godless and immoral. And how do we know
that according to this text? Because he despised?
His birthright. He did not want it. He held it
in contempt. He gave it up for that which is
insignificant and that which is common in the
world. He placed his earthly desires and his
immediate gratification above eternal favor and
blessing, brothers and sisters. His eyes went
this far. He had no foresight with regards to
spiritual realities or spiritual truth. He was
godless and he was immoral in this world. There's
nothing more clear in the Bible than this. Now,
when we come to this, we need to ask, why would
a man cast off such a thing? Why would a man
despise this which is good, his inheritance?
What came with that? The influence, the power,
the headship of the family. Why would he cast
off dignity? Why would he cast off the honor
of being the family heir? Why would he cast off
that which is associated with the divine promises
and blessings? Of God. Why would a man reject
these things in favor of common soup to fill
his belly in the moment because he was hungry,
worn out, and tired? Think on that, brothers
and sisters. We will answer that question. Now,
we also have to consider Jacob, the younger brother,
that does inherit the birthright. The older brother
does not inherit the birthright. But the younger
brother does inherit the birthright. So what
do we learn about Jacob, the younger brother,
from this text and this altercation in verses
27 -34? We learn a great deal about Jacob. We
learn his lifestyle and what he was like in comparison
or contrast to Esau. We learn that he was a peaceful
man. We read this in verse 27. But Jacob was
a peaceful man living in the tents. That word
peaceful, it carries the idea that he is more
whole. It's the word that's used for upright
or blameless throughout the scriptures. But it
also carries the idea that he was civilized,
which also says something about his brother who
was uncivilized and more brute than Jacob. In
some ways, it's fair to say that Jacob is more
refined, that he lives with the family, he's
around the people. We don't know exactly what
his trade or what his occupation was. He's probably
aiding or helping with the household and the
family affairs already, or he acts as a shepherd
in some way, shape, or form at this time. Now,
we're tempted to come to Jacob and think, oh,
well, his character surely is far beyond the
character of Esau. It is better than Esau, brothers
and sisters. But he's not perfect, and Jacob
will see clearly and outrightly sins in this
altercation and this interaction. It's different,
but he's still a sinner, and it's obvious and
clear from the text. We see that he's crafty.
This is true even of his birth. Why does he get
his name? Because as soon as he's born, he's
already trying to get one step ahead of his brother
to pull his brother down underneath him so he
can get in front of him. He's already overly
ambitious in life. In a sinful manner. He's selfishly
ambitious. with regards to getting ahead, with
regards to getting what he wants, with regards
to getting what he likes. He's crafty. He's deceitful.
He's manipulative, brothers and sisters. The
language in this text with regards to this altercation
between the two, the Hebrew is very clear. It's
the language of a trap. Meaning, Jacob, the younger
brother, sets a trap for his older brother Esau.
Why? So that he can take advantage of him and
so that he can exploit his moment of weakness
so that he can obtain and get what Jacob wants.
He's deceitful. He's manipulative. He's overly
ambitious. But we have, in spite of all of these
things, We have to recognize something. In spite
of his sin, in spite of his flaws, what did Jacob
want? He wanted the birthright. In spite of all
of these issues in his life, Jacob wanted that
thing that God had promised to him. Jacob longed
for the very thing that God had promised would
be his possession. Now, does he go about it in
the right way? No. We saw that in the life of
Abraham, didn't we, brothers and sisters? He
wanted the promise of God to come about, and
he resorts to the flesh to get it. But we also
see that Abraham is gradually and progressively
sanctified more and more and more in his life,
and we'll see the exact same thing in the life
of Jacob, who would become Israel. where at the
end of his life he can say that God has been
the shepherd of his life all his days. So, yes,
he has his issues, but he wants the promise.
He wants the blessing. His life is oriented toward
the promises of God, where Esau's life is going
the opposite direction. Jacob's going toward
the blessing, toward the inheritance. He's seeking
for it. He wants to lay hold of it while Esau
casts it off and rejects it and wants nothing
to do with it whatsoever. And he gets it. He
obtains it. It comes into his possession. We
see the younger brother prevailing. over the
older brother just as the Lord stated would take
place. Jacob receives the promise, the inheritance,
and the birthright. He is the sole heir just
as the Lord declared he would be. Now we have
to come to this, and just like we did with Esau,
we have to ask the question. Why? Why did Jacob
come into possession of the birthright and not
Esau? Why did Jacob become the heir and the next
patriarch and not Esau? Why would the Messiah
come through the lineage of Jacob and not Esau?
Why would he become the father of the church
in a sense just like Abraham and not Esau? What's
the difference? Why him? Why does he get the
promise and the blessing and be the heir and
not his brother Esau? Is it because of his family?
Well, they're a part of the same family. Was
it because of his birth? Well, they come from
the same womb and the same environment. Was it
because of his virtuous character? No. His character
was just as flawed as his brother's character
was flawed. He was a sinner just like his brother
was a sinner. Jacob did not deserve the inheritance
or the birthright any more than Esau deserved
the inheritance or the birthright. Yet it comes
into his possession and he becomes the blessed
recipient of it. Why, brothers and sisters? That's
the question, isn't it? This leads us to the
last thing we have to answer. We're the last
thing we have to consider. Not just Esau, the
older brother, who does not inherit the birthright.
Not just Jacob, the younger brother, who does
inherit the birthright. But we have to consider
the sovereign grace of God. That's the basis
and reason that Jacob does receive the inheritance
and the birthright. We have to remember that
last week, When the Lord gave a prophetic word
to Rebekah in verse 23. He declared that these
events and this appointed end would come about.
Let me read it one more time just for clarity's
sake. Two nations are in your womb. And two peoples
will be separated from your body. And one people
shall be stronger than the other. And the older.
shall serve the younger. In our text today, we
see these ordained events coming to pass. Don't
we, brothers and sisters? We see two boys, two
men, two nations in conflict, fighting. It's
an altercation between the two. There's enmity,
there's hostility between these two. That's why
Jacob sets a trap for his older brother Esau.
There's hostility and conflict between the two.
But we also see that one of them, and one of
them alone, becomes the heir. One of them is
supreme, and one of them prevails, and that is
the younger brother having victory and prevailing
over the older brother, just like... God declared
it would come about. Now, understanding that
the sovereign will of the Lord is coming to pass
helps us understand the source of the distinction
between these two. It helps us grasp the distinction
between Jacob and Esau. And the distinction between
the two is God's choice of Jacob and not Esau.
Turn with me to Romans chapter 9, if you would.
In Romans 9, we see the Apostle Paul working
an argument for his recipients. We see that he's
teaching the recipients that... Just because
a person is Jewish or a part of ethnic Israel,
that does not mean that they can presume upon
grace and salvation. Meaning just because they're
a part of ethnic Israel or they're physical descendants
of Abraham, they are saved. That's not the case.
Paul wants them to understand this and see this
clearly. So he says this, starting in verse 3,
For I could wish that I myself were accursed,
separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren,
my kinsmen, according to the flesh who are Israelites.
To whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the
glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the
law, and the temple services, and the promises?
Whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ?
according to the flesh, who was over all, God
blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though
the word of God has failed. For they are not
all Israel who are descended from Israel. He
wants his readers to be well aware. Just because
you come from ethnic Israel does not mean you
are saved by grace. It doesn't mean that you're
automatically in Christ. So what does he do?
We read in verse 7, Nor are they all children
because they are Abraham's descendants, but through
Isaac your descendants will be named. That is,
it is not the children of the flesh who are children
of God, but the children of the promise are regarded
as descendants. For this is the word of promise.
At that time I will come and Sarah shall have
a son. Now, he's saying that those who are saved
and those who have been saved have always been
saved by the promise of God with faith. He's
already cleared this up in Romans chapter 4.
And we see that they are justified by faith in
Romans chapter 4 and Romans chapter 5. And that
they're in Christ. This has always been the case.
But listen to what he says next. And not only
this, but there was Rebecca also referring to
the circumstances we've been studying in Genesis.
When she had conceived twins by one man, our
father Isaac. For though the twins were not yet
born, and had not done anything good or bad,
so that God's purpose, according to his choice,
would stand. Not because of works, because of
him who calls. It was said to her, the older
will serve the younger. Just as it is written,
Jacob I have loved, but Esau I hated. What shall
we say then? There is no injustice with God,
is there? May it never be. For he says to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I
will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
So then it does not depend on the man who wills,
or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
The reason that a person, Jew or Gentile, comes
to be saved is not because of their will, their
effort, their merit. It's because of the divine
choice of the living God to place his grace upon
them. What is the distinction between Jacob and
Esau, brothers and sisters? The grace of God.
What is the difference between Jacob obtaining
the promise, receiving the promise, and Esau
being a reprobate and rejecting the promise?
It's the will of God and the fact that he is
merciful and gracious and he saves those whom
he wants to save. It's the fact that God sets
his merciful love upon them. He chooses them.
He inserts his grace into their lives and redeems
them. That's the distinguishing mark between
Jacob and Esau. This means the absence of God's
electing grace and love in Esau's life leaves
him a natural with a reprobate heart and a reprobate
mind. Now, I did not say that the absence of
God's grace makes him a reprobate, did I? No.
The absence of God's electing grace and love
in a person's life leaves them a natural, carnal
man. It leaves them who they are in reality.
Those born with a sin nature. Those born under
the wrath of God. Those who are sons of disobedience
from the moment of their birth. Those who willingly
and freely cast off the very promise of God and
the gospel of Jesus Christ. It leaves them, carnal,
natural men, to live the life they want to live.
In this world. God does not make men. To be rebellious.
Men are born rebellious. God does not make men
to be depraved. They are born depraved. And they
want to be depraved. They want their sin. They
want their pleasures. They want their carnalities.
All outside of Christ are exactly where they
want. To be brothers and sisters. The absence
of God's grace. Does not make men. Reprobates.
It leaves them natural. And carnal men. Esau.
Was born natural. He lived. As a natural man.
And he cast off. Willingly. Without compulsion.
Freely. The blessed inheritance which was his
by birth. He gave it up because he wanted to
give it up. He despised it of his own free will,
brothers and sisters. This also means the free
and sovereign grace of God. is the sole cause
of Jacob's reception of the birthright and the
promise. That means that Jacob wasn't born worthy
of the promise or the birthright, but that God
graciously gave it to him because he's merciful.
That God chose to bestow this merciful gift.
God gave him that which he promised freely and
graciously. And God worked in Jacob's life to
bring that about. His providence guided him and
directed him that his good purposes in Jacob's
life would in fact be brought about. The question
is not for us today. The question is not, have
you discovered the grace of God? The question
is not, have you found God's grace in your life?
That's a bad question. That's the wrong question
to ask. The question is not, have you found God?
Have you sought out His grace? The question is,
has God's grace been placed? Has it been set
upon you? Has God's grace found you, friend?
Has God's grace entered into your life? Has His
love been set upon you? Has His grace accomplished
a mighty work in your life of transforming your
heart? Has His grace given you a new nature in
Christ? Has His grace regenerated your heart
and caused you to be born again where you have
new life welling up in your soul? Has His grace
changed your desires and your longings so that
you are oriented towards the gospel of Jesus
Christ and not immediate gratification like Esau?
Has the grace of God given you a new heart? So
that you love Christ. And you look to faithfully.
In the power of the Holy Spirit. The obedience.
To his revealed will. Has his eternal love. Given
you faith and repentance. Has his eternal love.
Given you a trust. In Christ. And a forsaking
of sin. As Pastor Nick. taught this morning in
catechism. Has God in His great mercy and His
great grace provided you with the ability and
the gift of faith to believe the promises of
God, to move toward the promises of God in your
life? Has He granted you repentance from sin?
Has God's grace brought about other graces in
your life? has His grace, or is His grace now
changing you powerfully? Is the Spirit of God
actively at work in your heart as a believer,
changing you and transforming you? Is there vital
power in your soul that is actively stirring
and moving, changing you? Do you know that the
living God is at work in your soul? Are you conscious
of His work in your heart? Is He sanctifying
you and transforming you? Or do you never think
about the things of God? Do you never think about
the Word of God? Do you never think about the
Gospel? Do you never think about Christ? Do you
never think about sin? Do you only look this
far and this far only? Is God changing you by
His grace? If your answer is yes, praise God.
If your answer is yes, then Jesus Christ and
everything He possesses, the world and all that
is in it, is your very birthright, brothers and
sisters. Everything that is Christ is yours.
The Father is yours. The world is yours. The
new heavens and the new earth is yours. Eternal
life is yours. Eternal joy is yours. A resurrection
in glory is yours if His grace has been set upon
you. Has it been? Do you have eternal life? Has
He given you faith to trust in the gospel of
Jesus Christ? Have you trusted in His blood on
the cross? His atoning death. Have you trusted
in the resurrection for new life and power and
hope beyond the grave? If it has and if it is,
then Jesus Christ and everything that He has
promised is yours. It cannot be taken away. It
cannot be revoked. Because it's of grace. Everything
that He's promised to you will be yours. Not
because of your performance. Not because of your
righteousness. Not because of anything you say.
And not because of anything you do. It's purely
and wholly and completely of sovereign grace.
And it's based on the work of Jesus Christ. That
means that everything that is the Christians,
everything that is a blessing as a result of
salvation, is fixed. and complete and absolute
because of the perfect, completed, objective
work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
That's why it's important that we understand
salvation is of grace. If you answer no to any
of those questions, If God's grace has not discovered
you, if God's grace has not broken into your
life and changed you, if God's grace is not actively
changing you and you are not conscious of it,
you don't know if you're a believer or not. That's
concerning. If your answer is no, then we should
assume that you're not a Jacob. But that you're
an Esau. That you're in rebellion against the
living God. You're still in need of repentance.
And you're still in need of faith. And you still
need to receive the blessed promise of the gospel.
I don't want you to be an Esau. I don't know
if you're an Esau. I don't know if you have a
carnal mind and a carnal heart, but the living
God does. I want you to be a Jacob who is the
recipient and heir of all the good promises and
all the good blessings that God has promised
in the gospel of Jesus Christ. But listen, the
only way that comes about is if you turn from
your sins and you trust in Christ. Now, if you
give up everything and your pride and your arrogance,
if you forsake your sin and your iniquity and
you come to the cross empty -handed saying, I
have nothing to offer and you trust in the righteousness
and the blood, the atonement and the work of
Jesus Christ, then you will be It was Jacob.