Have you ever made a decision in your life that seemed so right at the moment but turned out to be incredibly, unbelievably stupid that you’d think, “How could I have gotten it wrong?”
That’s right. We’ve all been there.
In fact, one of the characters in the Bible has been there, and I think he’s become quite famous for his obviously wrong decision. When you read his story, you’ll go, “Who does that? That’s so poorly conceived.” Do you know him? His name was Esau.
Esau was the firstborn of Isaac and Rebekah’s twins; Jacob was his brother. We know what happened to Jacob: the Lord gave him the name Israel, became the father of twelve sons who, in turn, fathered the twelve tribes of God’s chosen nation. Then again, Esau was the firstborn. In Jewish tradition, the firstborns are very special. They are heirs to thrones and to great blessings. When God asked for sacrifices, He asked for the firstborns of the livestock, the first fruits of the crop. The emphasis was always given to the ones who were first. But how come Esau’s story was cut short along the way?