THE 25TH CHAPTER OF GENESIS TELLS US THAT JACOB AND ESAU were twin brothers, sons of Isaac, and in line to inherit the wonderful blessings God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and their descendants; also that Esau was the first-born, and therefore entitled to the Birthright of a double measure of blessings. Yet God told the prophet Malachi, “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau.” (Malachi 1:2-3) The Birthright was lost by Esau, and inherited by Jacob, o97 ancestor, whose name God Himself changed from Jacob to ISRAEL (meaning “ruling with God”) and to whom God confirmed all of His promises and prophecies.
In all the world’s history, no-one was ever offered such marvellous blessings as were in this Birthright. To lose it was a most terrible loss; yet Esau and his descendants lost it. We now have it: yet we are today in great danger of losing it the same way Esau lost it. Genesis 25:34 tells us that ESAU DESPISED HIS BIRTHRIGHT — and therefore lost It. Today, our politicians and our churches are in an evil contest to see which can teach our people to despise our Birthright the most. If we do not swiftly repent of this, we, too, can lose our Birthright.
What are we talking about? What is this Birthright? It is all the blessings promised by God. But every coin has two sides; and every blessing has the corresponding duty on our part to do the thing which God has said: they are both promises and commands.