“Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.’ Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, ‘Sell me your birthright as of this day.’ And Esau said, ‘Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?’ Then Jacob said, ‘Swear to me as of this day.’ So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25:29-34).
This must have been some really good stew! I say this in jest. However, to Esau this stew was worth, at the moment, his birthright.
What was this birthright? Certain privileges and responsibilities came with being the firstborn. Later, under the Law of Moses, the birthright came with a double portion of inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17) [Note: Some have suggested that this double-portion was to set one up as the head of the family with the responsibility to care for the rest of the family. However, these specifics are not mentioned in Scripture].
Esau, no doubt, exaggerated when he said, “Look, I am about to die…” (Genesis 25:32). However, he was ready to trade. He was so focused on his immediate desire that he was willing to trade his future.
Many are like Esau. They are willing to trade the heavenly inheritance for their immediate desires. I may be for money, possessions, power, position, fame, a man or a woman, pleasure or some other desire.
The Bible warns us. “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:14-17). Esau came to regret his choice. So will we, if we sell our birthright. It is not worth the price (Mark 8:36-37).
Look at the Fields
“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for the harvest!” (John 4:35).
The Context
Jesus had spoken with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, near Sychar. She left her waterpot and went into the city and said, “Come, see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:29). This caused many of the city to come to Jesus and hear for themselves (John 4:30, 39-42).
The reference to four months until the harvest seems to be a time reference. The grain harvest occurred in about the month of April. This was probably December or January. The fields of grain were not yet ready for harvest.
However, there was a spiritual harvest that was ready. “The fields were then ‘white already unto the harvest,’ ready now to be reaped. At that very moment, throngs of people from Sychar were streaming out to see Jesus as the result of the testimony of the Samaritan woman.” (Guy N. Woods, A Commentary on John, p. 87 The Gospel Advocate Commentary Series). One commentator speculated on the reference to white, “Multitudes of Samaritans are coming… probably they had a kind of white garment” (Adam Clake, Clarke’s Commentary, John, p. 543). It is possible that some were wearing white garments. However, this is not necessary to the meaning. The meaning is that there was at that time an opportunity to harvest souls. The white may simply refer to the white appearance of heads of grain when ready for harvest.
I wonder if this work among the Samaritans had a lasting effect. Later, the Gospel would be proclaimed in Samaria (Acts 8).
Application
God’s people should lift up their eyes. They should look upon others and their needs. They should look for opportunities to sow seed. They should look for opportunities to harvest souls for the Lord.
Some, I am afraid, never look upon others this way. Consider – (1) Some are so wrapped up in their own lives that they miss opportunities. They never even see the opportunities before them. The disciples were thinking about food, not souls (John 4:31-ff). (2) Some are hindered by prejudices. The Jews ordinarily had no dealings with the Samaritans (John 4:9). Moreover, men ordinarily did not talk with women (John 4:27).
Are we looking for opportunities? Are we looking on souls as Jesus did? Each person we meet has a soul worth saving. Think about all the people we meet each day (the server at the restaurant; the checker at the grocery store; the teller at the bank; the person who cuts the grass; the person who cuts your hair; the people with whom you work; the classmate or roommate). Are we lifting up our eyes? Are we missing opportunities?
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