@Etude- Selling One's Soul

UV @ Etude- Selling One ‘s Soul



Jacob said, “ Swear an oath to me today that you are selling it to me for this food”;so he swore an oath to him, and sold him his birthright.



Genesis 25 v 33



Esau in order to satisfy the need of the present, a physical need of hunger, was willing to sell his future- his birthright. Jacob tempted him with a meal of bread and lentils even as the enemy of our souls tempts us to sell our souls for something far less valuable- satisfaction of some physical needs in this world. We should not exchange eternity for anything earthly. Rather, we should value eternal life which is knowing Christ over every knowledge, riches, pleasures, powers of this world. We ought not to make the Faustian choice of mortgaging our souls for prominence, pleasure or power that we want to enjoy in this world. Instead, like the Psalmist we must find all our pleasures at the right hand of the Lord, implying that we will be content to enjoy only what the Lord has willed and purposed for us. Anything else would only bring long term pain, distress and unhappiness into our lives even as it brought the curse of sin into the life of Esau.





For a pot of food, Esau lost his spiritual inheritance that passed onto Jacob. He had not disciplined himself to obey the dictates of his soul or inner being rather than the desires of his appetite. This is the reason Daniel found value in preferring boiled vegetables over the rich feast of the king’s table. He trained his appetite through fasting and prayer to obey the higher calling of his soul. Due to such spiritual training and lifelong discipline, he was not tempted by the king’s offer of much wealth and reward if he interpreted rightly his dream. We too need to train our souls not to obey the baser instincts but chose the path of nobility, generosity, sacrifice and self discipline. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome our own baser instincts or lusts and pride. Since our own knowledge and wisdom is limited while His is not, we should listen to His voice every time and make a choice.



The Word of God tells us that we have a choice to make all the time, all the days of our lives of either life or death, success or failure, happiness or sorrow, blessings or curses. Like Daniel, Joseph and other biblical heroes, we need to make consistent choices in conformity with the pattern or model of the word and not that of the world. Sinful choices engender short term pleasure but long term and eternal pain.