“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!”  “I’m so hungry I could the walls!” Our kids would come in from school famished and say ridiculous statements like this to indicate the seriousness of their hunger.  But when we would say, grab that apple or banana, they whined for a snack of cookies which was their choice.  Our response?  “I guess you’re not really as hungry as you thought, then.”  How hungry are you? 

Would you give all you had now and in the future for a bowl of stew?

Generations follow after the death of Abraham. Descendants are named that will be of concern later. Upon the death of Abraham, it is interesting to note that Ishmael, half-brother to Isaac, joined him to bury their father next to Sarah, his beloved wife.  God blessed Isaac and Rebekah with twins who fought for position from womb to grown men!  Now, we’re getting to what a good bowl of stew can do to a hungry, or should we say a “hangry” man.

Genesis 25

The Death of Abraham

Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. ² She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. ³ Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

⁵ Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. ⁶ But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

⁷ Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. ⁸ Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. ⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, ¹⁰ the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. ¹¹ After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

Ishmael’s Sons

¹² This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.

¹³ These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. ¹⁷ Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. ¹⁸ His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.

Jacob and Esau

¹⁹ This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.

²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

²³ The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
    and the older will serve the younger.”

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. ²⁵ The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. ²⁶ After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

²⁷ The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

³² “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The story of God in these twin boys, Jacob and Esau, doesn’t end here!  There’s way more to come! Rebekah, Isaac’s beloved wife, gave birth to Jacob and Esau. Even before they were even born, the boys were hostile to each other. Conflict between the two intensified throughout their lives. Eventually Esau threatened to kill Jacob—but that episode comes later. 

When Esau sold his rights as the firstborn son to Jacob for a bowl of stew, further dissension grew between the brothers. Jacob later stole Esau’s last remaining firstborn privilege: the blessing from his dying father!  More about that later, too.

These boys were angry with each other from birth.The parents ignited the fire of hostility between them by choosing their team favorites.  Isaac favored Esau who enjoyed hunting and Rebekah favored Jacob who stayed home and learned to cook with her.  Jealousy between the brothers gave birth to consistent bitter anger. 

Max Lucado writes;

“Anger. It’s easy to define: the noise of the soul. Anger. The unseen irritant of the heart. Anger. The relentless invader of silence.  The louder it gets the more desperate we become.”

Anger robs us and those around us of peace and calm.  Anger expands and gives birth to envy, arrogance, bitterness, hate, while entertaining thoughts to doing away with the one who makes you angry.  Where do these thoughts come from? —not from God!  God is the opposite of all these feelings and emotions displayed. Anger makes all parties miserable until anger is dealt with and confronted in a Godly way—in His love.

We can’t change yesterday’s display of anger; but we can run to God, ask forgiveness from who we hurt and from God in Jesus Name, requesting help from God to be transformed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit to avoid repetition of the sins our anger produces.  We cannot do this alone, but with God all things are possible! 

God’s Word reminds us that anger will well up within us, especially when we see injustice with no mercy being shown, but we must not sin in our anger.  Paul writes to the church;

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:25-27

Anger can quickly escalate to hurtful hate—the “devil’s way in” to gain access to our hearts.  I don’t know which one comes first but hate and anger can join forces to tear down relationships in a flashfire of emotions that destroys everyone around the hater.

In the same chapter to the church, Paul writes of ways to avoid sinning in our anger by changing our thoughts, words, and actions;

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  Ephesians 4:29-

We can’t change yesterday but our reaction to yesterday can change.  We cannot change the past; but our response to our past can change. Avoid bitterness and grudge holding as this is a cancer to our being and hinders our health physically, emotionally, mentally, and most of all spiritually.

Anger. Is this our immediate response? Are we known for our quick temper? For our grudge? Are we known for desiring revenge?  Let us ask God to help us change our response to past hurts.

Forgiveness diffuses the anger in our hearts.  Getting rid of anger and all sins that accompany anger, brings the peace of Christ to rule our hearts, minds, and souls.

Lord,

Hallowed is Your Name.  May your Kingdom come, Your will be done in all the details of our lives in which you delight.  Give us this day all you know we will need to be first responders of your love, mercy, and grace.  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us—and you.  Lead us not into temptations of evil but deliver us from evil and his schemes to destroy our relationship with you and with others.  May we love like you love us, devoid of hate.  To you be the glory for your continuing transformative work in us.

In Jesus Name, Amen