Stewing Over Stew

O.T. #49  "Stewing Over Stew"
May 17, 2013
Genesis 25-Part 2
And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him : and he sold his birthright
unto Jacob.  Genesis 25:33

LET IT GLOW

When deer season comes, our son goes, out to the woods, that is. He puts on all his garb and gear
and takes off walking across the fields. Of course, before it is time to go, he prepares the gun, purchases amo, scouts the area for signs of the game activity, clears his schedule, and then goes.
He spends hours just sitting, quietly waiting for the deer to cross his path or deer stand. Sometimes all
this pays off and he brings home the kill, sometimes not. Either way, he brings home an appetite.
I think this particular day in chapter 25 was similar for Esau. Shall we see what happened?

The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was
a quiet man, staying among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but
Rebekah loved Jacob. (NIV verse 27-28)

These twins were totally opposites in personality and interests. Here we have one who was an outdoors man, a muscular expert marksman, while the other was a chef, indoors type,
experimenting with various foods and spices.

Let's zoom in on the boys this particular day. Jacob is stirring the pot of stew outside the tent, on a campfire. He tastes it with a spoon. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good. Here comes Esau trapesing into
camp, He is hot and tired from the day or two of hunting, only no wild game over his shoulder this time. He hadn't eaten all day so Esau was famished, weak in the knees, hungrier than all get out.
Perhaps this had happened before, but today was different.

 I wonder if Jacob had plotted a plan for the next time Esau came in demanding a bowl of stew
that he had slaved for hours over the hot fire cooking and stirring. Maybe Jacob's mind was
stewing over stew, getting angry at his brother always taking advantage of him. Keep in mind that Jacob's name means schemer.

At any rate, it was Esau that tells Jacob to feed him; he is faint, famished, hungry. Jacob didn't
offer the stew before Esau demanded it, this time, anyway.

Do I find myself stewing over stew? Rehashing an insult, words exchanged, a problem, a
situation, while cooking, stirring the pot; getting angrier at someone by the minute? Been there,
done that, as they say.

Where is the forgiveness in my heart? Isn't the love of Jesus down in there? Do I let my emotions
get the better of me? More times than I care to think about.

So where's the encouragement in all this? I think it's a good thing to see it in others so we can see
it in ourselves. Then we can prevent or deal with it. At any rate, I know I need to turn to the Lord
Jesus for help. I think Jacob allowed jealousy to rule his heart and head.

LET IT GROW

Zooming into the boys, we find the twins hovered over the stew pot. Jacob is a schemer. He tells Esau, the first-born son of Isaac, to sell him Esau's birthright. Esau considered himself about to
die so the birthright would do him no good. Esau took an oath, selling his birthright to Jacob.
(verse 33) After that, Jacob gave Esau some bread and stew. He ate and drank and got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.

(That doesn't settle things between the twins. We will hear about them later concerning this
birthright, only their parents are involved then.)

Do we know of any schemers? Am I one? How about you?
Is it hard for us to accept things as the Lord's will? Do we manipulate others in order to get our
way?

LET IT GO

Keep the past in the past. Forgive and live.

Ask God for wisdom in situations. Accept or change according to His leading.

Don't stew over stew.

Do things God's way, not my way.