21_Selling your birthright Gen 25:27-34 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Heb 12: 15-17 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 become defiled; 16 that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Into a bustling marketplace a man came, hardened by years of reckless living. He hoped for a few coins from the sale of the dusty old violin he held under his arm. Once cherished by his father, it had long since been neglected. Its strings were loose, its body dusty. Nobody was interested in buying it from him. Just then a passerby walked by. He examined the violin, and agreed to buy it. The man hurried away, glad to have got a little money in exchange for the useless old thing. The new owner dusted it off and began to tune its strings. Soon, splendid music filled the air, drawing a crowd. Suddenly, the violin was recognized for the rare treasure it had always been. Like the man with the violin, Esau failed to recognize the value of what he possessed. His birthright as Isaac’s eldest son symbolized a double share of the inheritance. As Isaac was the heir of God’s covenant and promise to Abraham, this was no small gain. Yet Esau considered it a paltry thing and exchanged it for a bellyfull of food. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah as the fulfilment of promise. His life was a testament to God’s faithfulness. This legacy was carried forward when he married Rebekah. They endured 20 years of childlessness. Then the Lord answered Isaac’s prayer for his wife and she conceived twins. These boys, Esau and Jacob, were indeed privileged. Abraham, their grandfather, was alive and with them for 15 years after their birth. He was a man who walked by faith and knew to the full the value of God's promises. Esau, the firstborn, had every opportunity to grasp the depth of his