1. Now these things are central to our lesson for today. Because our Bible Story today is about a man named Esau who impulsively indulged a short-term desire and would live to regret it in the long-term. Consider the story. Esau was one of twin sons born to Isaac and Rebekah. (Isaac was the son of the first Jew: Abraham. So Esau was Abraham's grandson.) Esau was born with lots of hair. That's why they named him Esau. It means "hairy". Afterward Esau's younger twin brother was born, hanging on to the heel of his older twin. (Our expression "coming on the heels of something" comes from this story. Because Jacob was born on the heels of his older brother Esau.)

2. Now it is very important to the story to know that Esau was born first and then Jacob. Because in that day, as it is to some extent still today, the oldest or first born son is the one who gains the privilege of "birthright". Now a birthright is a right or privilege considered to belong to the first-born son in a family, and not shared by his younger brothers. For it was tradition that the oldest son that would inherit his father's rank and position as head of the family and as the representative of family line. By being the first born too, the oldest son's birthright entitled him to inherit a double portion of his father's property. And so because Esau was the first-born, to him belonged this birthright and all the blessings that came with it.

3. And now is where the plot thickens. Esau and Jacob grew into young men. And one day Esau came home from hunting, tired and hungry, and he found his younger twin had cooked a stew made from lentils. And Esau wanted some stew. And so Jacob offered a deal with his older brother. "Sell me your birthright and I will feed you the stew". It is then that Esau did something he would long regret. In order to satisfy his short-term appetite, Esau sold the long-term blessing of his birthright to Jacob. Yes, just to satisfy a moment's hunger, Esau sold his rank as the future head of the family, his position as the representative of family line and his double portion of his father's inheritance. And indeed this was an impulsive act that Esau would forever regret. For because of his rashness, his younger twin Jacob would receive the family heritage. For to this day it is through Jacob that Jews trace their lineage, not Esau. It would be Jacob's twelve sons, not Esau's children, who would become the twelve tribes of Israel. It is the God of Jacob not the God of Esau that the Psalms praise. And it was Jacob, not Esau, who would struggle with an angel all night and receive the new nickname “Israel”. Yes, God gave “Jacob” the nickname "Israel" which means to strive with God. And we all know that that is the name by which the entire nation would be called. All this Esau lost. And why? Because Esau sold his long-term blessings for a short-term desire for bread and bean soup.

4. Now such is the story of Esau and Jacob. And what lesson is there in this story for our lives today? Well I believe the story of Jacob and Esau can be summed up in a warning that says to us: Be careful. Do not sell your long-term blessings for short term desires. Yes, I look around me at our nation today and I see many Esau's. That is, I see many people who are willing to sacrifice the joys of their future for a moment's pleasure today. And just like Esau, many of these people will live to regret it down the road.

5. For consider just a few areas of our lives where we must be careful not to sell our long-term blessings for short-term desires. For instance, the Environment. We as a nation must be careful that we do not sell the long term blessings of clean air and water for short term desires for economic growth. If, for the sake of a few points on the Dow Jones or a few cents less at the gas pump today, we scar the land and pollute our oceans, rivers and streams, will America the beautiful be America the beautiful for long? Esau stands and warns us: Be careful. Do not sell the earth's long term blessings for short-term gains today.

6. Then again, another area of our lives that we must be careful not to make Esau's mistake. And that is: We as husbands and wives must be careful that we do not sell the long term blessings of marriage, for short term desires and affections. Too many marriages end because husbands and wives give in to short-term desires without counting the long term loss. A husband has a temporary desire, a wife has a fleeting romantic attraction for someone else, and so they throw out-long term blessings for a momentary fling. But Esau would tell us, be careful not to do this. Because a moment's appetite is not worth the long term loss. Listen. The long term blessings of marriage, blessings like living you're your best friend your whole life through, sharing joys and sorrows side by side, remembering through life things done together and memories of places you have gone and people you have met, together, watching your children grow, and one day sharing together the joy of grandchildren on your knee... these long term blessings of marriage far outweigh any momentary, fleeting desire.

7. Yes, there are many other areas of our lives that we must be careful not to make Esau's mistake.

For instance we must be careful that we do not sell the long term blessings of financial security for short term wants. Far too many people today are throwing away their future by amassing debt to buy things they do not need. People need to see the long term benefits of saving.

Then again we must be careful not to sell out our long term health for short-term appetites and desires. For how many years do we lose from our lives, because we give in to desires today for foods we should not eat, cigarettes we should not smoke and drugs and alcohol we should not abuse.

Or then again, another area that Esau has a message for is our young people and their education. Esau's message to them is not to sell out their future by a desire to drop out of school today. For though it may be tempting to quit high school and get a job, to do so would be to miss out on better jobs, better incomes and a better life down the road.

And on and on we can imagine the things Esau might tell us. For Esau was one who learned the hard way that we must not sell our long-term blessings for short-term desires.

C. Remember Esau. He is the brother who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. And so let us be careful, not to sell our long term blessings for short term desires. For our Lord God does not want any of us singing a sad song about “Regrets.” Amen.