Stupid People- Ol' Red

On Sundays in the Young Marrieds Bible Fellowship class that my wife and I lead, I'm currently teaching through a series called, "Stupid People in the Bible". The concept is that it's very easy to look back at the past and see where people made "stupid" mistakes but so easy to overlook the fact that we often still make the same poor decisions today.

In Genesis chapter 25, we read the story of Esau (who is described in verse 25 as being both red and hairy), the name Esau meaning Edom or "red". A skilled and rugged hunter, Esau is the firstborn son of Isaac and thus holds claim to the family birthright (providing at least a double share of the inheritance distribution following a leader's death). The holder of the birthright became the family's defacto leader following a patriarch's death. This would be a prized role in any culture, but not so with Esau.

One day, upon returning from the fields (v. 29-34), Esau grossly exaggerates his weariness and hunger following a day of hunting (v. 32- "Look, I am about to die, so what is this birthright to me?), and in a legendary moment of shortsightedness, sells his birthright to his brother Jacob (later called Israel) for a bowl of stew!

In a moment of weakness and profound poor judgment, Esau receives a bowl of stew but forfeits the right to be a part of the lineage of the coming Christ (Matthew 1:1-3). By thinking only in the moment, he gave away a linkage of historic proportions. How stupid!

Don't Be Stupid:
Think long-term.
You don't know what the future holds.
Be patient.
Invest, don't run.
Build your legacy now.