Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 25:27-34.

“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 he 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.”  Genesis 25:27-34.

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The action of Esau in despising his birthright is the theme of today’s devotion, particularly because we are warned “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.”  Hebrews 12:16-17.

Many of us were born and raised in a family and home where we attended at least some church and some Sunday School and received some amount of Christian teaching.  

Some of us have received much more and in addition attended Christian school and regular children’s catechism and were abundantly taught the doctrines of grace.

This was our birthright, and we received it just because we were born in a family who provided all of it.

Yet, as we got older, we became wise in our own eyes and desired to be like others.  We became attracted to churches that prioritized popularity programs that appealed to our senses rather than appealed to the purity of the preaching including the doctrines of grace which we were taught.  We justified it in our eyes as being more seeker-sensitive.  We joined the crowd who minimized and eventually hid the importance of the doctrines of grace summarized by TULIP.  When others scoffed at election a/k/a predestination, we were silent and stayed with them.  In summary, like Esau, we went our way and despised our birthright.    

Be warned by the lesson of today’s Scripture and this following concluding Scripture!

“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.  Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said:  “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.”  And again, THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.”  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  Hebrews 10:26-31.