by Mike Benson

Esau returned home exhausted from his hunting excursion in the field. Driven by hunger, his first thoughts turned to the all-you-can-eat buffet at "the Tent Dweller's Restaurant" (Gen. 25:27). The Record says, "And Esau said to Jacob, 'Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary'" (v. 30). The Hebrew phrase translated, "feed me", means let me swallow or let me gulp. Table manners didn't matter to Esau; he simply wanted his usual /1 hearty meal of red lentil soup. /2

According to the waiter, the "current market price" for the soup of the day was one birthright. "But Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright as of this day'" (v. 31). The hunter's need for sustenance was so intense that he agreed to the exorbitant price (v. 32). Jacob offered his elder sibling a bowl of soup on the condition that Esau would make an oath /3 before God as to his intentions. Esau consented and the two brothers exchanged destinies over a single meal. Call it a Patriarchical "power lunch".

The birthright referred to the right of the first (born) or "primogeniture". It was typically /4 bestowed upon a man's eldest son and included at least three factors: 1) a double-portion of the father's estate (Deut. 21:17), 2) the responsibility of providing for the families' physical welfare, and 3) spiritual oversight of the entire clan (Gen. 18:19; cf. 22:9; 26:25; 35:1).

Sadly, the only aspect of the birthright that absorbed Esau's thinking was the double-portion (cf. Gen. 27:31). He was a man of "the here and now" and attached no value to the eternal aspects of his inheritance. Note: "And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright" (Gen. 25:34). It is interesting to observe that Scripture judges Esau's conduct — not Jacob's. /5 The word "despise" means to disesteem. It is elsewhere rendered disdain or condemn. Esau underestimated his heritage. It would have not only given him possession of Isaac's property, but it would have put him in the ancestral line of the Promised Seed (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; 17:1-8; Gal. 3:16)! /6 Commenting on this occasion, the Hebrew writer said, "Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright" (Heb. 12:16—emphasis mine, mb). To "profane" something is to make that which is sacred common or temporal. This is exactly what Esau did; he bartered away his hallowed birthright for a simple bowl of red soup.

"How foolish," you might say. How foolish, indeed. Brethren, how many of us are guilty of quite the same thing today?

. How many of us trade time with our wives and children for our vocation? We exchange our eternal lineage (cf. Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:1; 2 Tim. 1:5) for temporal wealth and prestige.

. How many of us trade a thorough study of the Sacred Word for hours of watching television?

. How many of us trade Sunday evening communion with the Sovereign God of the universe for a football game (i.e., the Super Bowl) on Sunday night? (Ironically, some "shepherds" of the local flock even move or cancel worship services for such an event)! Shades of Esau!

. How many of us trade Lord's Day morning worship for late-night activities Saturday evening?

. How many of us exchange entertainment and recreation for the opportunity and privilege of serving needy saints?

. How many of us trade involvement in secular service organizations (e.g., Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.) for the honor of teaching a Bible class in our home congregation?

. How many of us trade the blessing of a generous contribution for excessive credit card debt?

Beloved, we like Esau, have a sacred birthright (Rom. 8:16-17; Heb. 12:23). And when we fail to live up to its demands and privileges, we forfeit the inheritance our Father wants to bestow upon us (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9).

Esau paid far too much for the soup of the day. What about YOU, dear child of God? Will you cherish your right of the first, or will you despise it (Matt. 16:26)?

/1 Evidently he had eaten Jacob's soup before. v. 29 /2 Lentils referred to the edible seeds from a plant pod. /3 An oath was a promise made with a solemn appeal to God to render judgment in the event the promise was not accomplished. /4 Exception—1 Chron. 5:1,2 /5 Jacob had the right goal, but not the right method. He tried to "help" God (v. 23) along by his own actions. /6 Note: "Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob..." (not Esau). Matt. 1:2

by Barry Newton

I walked into the living room and dropped down onto the couch after a long day. From across the room a popular psychologist was busily chattering away through my tv set. My wife seemed to be engaged in listening to the program as she worked on a project. This was not how I was hoping the evening would unfold.

Just as I was planning my creative exit, something pleasantly surprised me. Essentially, this counselor acknowledged that injustices, neglect and other problems can leave their scars upon people, but people still are responsible for what they do! The psychologist then informed a guest on his show that although his guest had not enjoyed the advantage of a positive male role model, this did not relieve him from the responsibility of fulfilling his role as a husband. He then began to hammer away at what it meant to be a husband. This is not what I was expecting to hear from a popular psychologist. I do not know about his other shows, but he got this one right.

Consequences do exist. If we were raised in a dysfunctional family setting or within a homelife crippled by the spiritually impoverished air of secularism, chances are that as adults we will find ourselves grappling with trying to manage the damage in order to live as God intends. When strong godly role models are replaced by dysfunctional or inept ones, this can leave scars.*

In a world filled with abuse, neglect, self-centeredness, self-destructive patterns and every other form of sin, it is easy to blame others for our own inadequacies. The blame game began in the Garden of Eden and it seems to remain a favorite.

It is so easy to try to shirk the responsibility for our actions by blaming someone else. But have you noticed that Jesus never inquired into someone's past experiences as a guide for prescribing what standard should be fulfilled in their life? Jesus may have addressed how certain individuals should deal with specific issues of sin, but consistently Jesus called people to be accountable in living up to the very same standard.

While some might find it harder to do what is right, we are all responsible for whether we fulfill our various roles. If such thoughts make us angry, should not our anger be focused at the terribleness of sin and not at God? Knowing what is good for us, God's anger burns against sin.

In Jesus' parables, just because someone was a servant of the Master did not guarantee that he would hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

How do we get past the blame game? It is a matter of realizing that regardless of what might have happened in the past which can make today more difficult, ultimately I am responsible for what I choose to actually do.

*Because there are consequences for how children are raised, the importance of providing a strong godly nurturing environment for a child is irreplaceable. Every mother with young children who chooses to stay home for the purpose of raising those children should be highly praised. You may not bring in an income, but your work will have repercussions for decades to come.

by Mitchell Skelton

One beautiful, sunny afternoon two baseball teams met to play a game. Although it was expected to be a good game, one team was assured of victory. The teams dressed in their respective uniforms, the White Sox in white and the Black Sox in black. Game time approached and the Black Sox were ready, all of the team was there and ready to play, not at all discouraged by the fact that the best player to ever play the game was on the opposing team. The White Sox, however, were having some problems. Chris, the greatest player to ever play the game was ready to play but some of the other players were not moved by his enthusiasm. The first basemen as well as the third baseman were missing in action. The catcher finally showed up, seconds before game time. All three outfielders attended, yet two of them had not bothered to show up for practice in a while. Chris took the mound, yet had to pitch to the outfielder. He and the catcher were forced to switch positions because of the catcher's tardiness. Finally, the game started and the Black Sox showed that they came to play. Chris lived up to his billing. He covered first and third bases as well at the pitching duties. Outfield play was a disappointment with the tardy catcher and the two who had not bothered to practice. They were rusty and not at all able to withstand the barrage of hits that came their way. Chris was able to muster two outs on his own while the catcher turned outfielder and second baseman combined for the third. It was going to be a long game.

The church is much like a ball team. Christians, as the body of Christ, function like a team. In order to achieve victory, all the players must be practiced and ready come game time. When members of the team fail to play their part then the entire team suffers. Christians who shirk their responsibilities toward the team find themselves in danger of "losing their position". Yes, our team is assured victory. Chris or Christ, the greatest to ever play the game, is on our side. Those who are part of the team at the end of the game will be granted eternal life. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the church as the body of Christ and gives some factors we must consider.

We All Must Play Our Part

Just as the human body is made up of many parts that together make the whole, so too the body of Christ has many parts. "Now the body is not made up of one part but of many . . . in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body" (1 Cor. 12:14,18-20). Each member of the body of Christ must perform his God-given function. "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us" (Rom. 12:4—6a). Every member of the body must give their best effort in the area of service God has gifted to us. Just like our beloved White Sox, if the outfielder must play catcher then the team is not putting forth its best effort. Without each member doing their part, the body of Christ suffers.

We All Must Be in the Game

For the body of Christ to function effectively Christians must show up for practice. Personal and organized study prepares us for the game. "Be diligent (Study, KJV) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:14—17).

As important as study is for the Christian, if we fail to show up for the game then we are merely performing an exercise in futility. The game is not worship, as some suppose, but standing against sin and standing up for the Lord daily. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Eph. 6:10—13).

The most important key for victory is being on the team. Everyone is welcome to join the team (John 3:16,17). Those "in Christ" are on the team or part of the body. "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection" (Romans 6:3—5).

by A. A. Neale

Nosiree, I didn't commit a grammatical error in the title. A litotes* is a figure of speech, and a common one at that. It is, according to a Webster clone, an "understatement for effect", especially when expressed by a negative to the contrary. In plainer words, you use a negative when you mean a positive.

An example: You say, "I have not a few regrets." You mean, "I have many regrets."

Another example: You say, "That's not bad." You mean, "That's good!"

A third example, and I'll get to my point. You say, "He's no dummy." You mean, "He's intelligent."

The Bible uses litotes as well, as we might expect.

We know that when the angel says to Mary that "with God nothing will be impossible" (Lk. 1:37, NKJV), he means to say that with God all things are possible.

Paul calls his hometown of Tarsus "no insignificant city" (Acts 21:39, NASB), meaning quite an important city.

To the Galatians, Paul says, "You have not injured me at all" (4:12, NJKV), and he wanted them to understand, "You treated me very well."

So this contrary understatement shows up not infrequently (oops! another litotes, there) in the Bible.

I suspect Romans 13:10 brings us another case.

"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Paul had a reason for putting this in the negative. He has just cited several of the ten commandments, "Thou shalt not." So Paul continues the idea of the negative when he sums up. But the studied apostle knows that the commandments just cited aren't mere "don't-do" orders. They go beyond the prohibition to give life to how one is to love neighbor as self.

So his "do-no-harm" affirmation is understatement. Between him and his readers, everybody understands that love does much more than refrain from injuring others.

There are plenty of people who will tell you God must like them because they don't steal, murder, rape, or set fire to the neighbor's poodle. Aren't they wonderful people? (Especially the last class.)

Love is a positive. Love not only does no harm to one's neighbor, but actively promotes his good. Love searches for ways to serve, is on 24/7 guard duty for opportunities to do a fellow right. Love is good will in action.

But you didn't need a litotes to tell you that, now did you?

*Most people pronounce it LIGHT-uh-tease.

by J. Randal Matheny

"[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Cor. 13:6, ESV).

Find the truth and sell it not, urges the Wise One. And once you find it, applaud it, praise it, acclaim it, says Paul.

Love is pained when others do wrong and teach falsely. Love may rebuke, admonish, and even expose evil, but it will never gloat over another's fall nor take pleasure at another's failure, to assume a posture of superiority or self-righteousness.

Love searches out the good. It encourages those who do right. It celebrates what is true and sound and virtuous and genuine. It discovers those things "worthy of praise" (Phil. 4:7) and not only ponders them, but praises them.

Many versions translate Paul's second phrase as "rejoices in the truth." But the verb "rejoice" (Greek, "sugcharei") in the second phrase is not the same as that in the first. The second comes attached with a prefix, which can be an intensifier of the verb action or indicate active participation, or, here, perhaps both.

Evil has more than its share of supporters. They will also reproach those who would insist on the truth. They are quick to tear down efforts to show where truth is being tramped upon.

Silence, with eyes only for one's own pot, will open the way for evil to prevail. The great need, then, is for the righteous to hold up and encourage and, yes, support financially, when appropriate, those works which bring glory to God by their respect for the truth and its proclamation.

Will you be one who loves like this?

Slow to censure, loathe to bite, Quick to praise the good and right. Flesh and blood to truth object, Pious saints rejoice unchecked.