Esau The Fornicator

Have you ever wondered why Esau was called a profaner and a fornicator? To start with, fornication is a very heavy word. On one hard day, Esau was so hungry and he decided to sell his birthright to his brother Jacob for bread and a bowl of lentils stew. At the moment when Esau wanted the morsel, it was the most important thing in his eyes. Nothing else had value to him at that moment – not even his birthright.

Later we see in Heb 12:16 Esau being portrayed as sexually immoral, godless, unholy, profane, debauched. Why, because, Esau valued temporary satisfaction above his birthright his future inheritance and it turned out to be the most foolish transaction anyone can venture into.

 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.  Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done. Hebrews 12:16-17

NIV

Coming back to Esau, he came home with a legitimate need to eat. Feelings of hunger are natural and innate. But Esau is referred to as a fornicator because he behaved like one. A fornicator’s mind suggests that the sexual urge cannot wait till approved time. It gives the impression that it’s now or never that’s the reason why a fornicator will not wait till marriage as God prescribes it. Esau’s mind was telling him he can’t wait till his own food as cooked.

Immediate pleasure often does not have its eyes on the future, but on the experience of the present.

There’s a strong character of patience and self-control that should accompany everyone who calls themselves a child of God, but many of us make some eternal mistakes just because we are in haste. It is very easy when we see something we really want, to give into our first impulse and get it. In that moment we push or argue for something which we feel we deserve now, without giving due consideration to the long term costs involved. When we take shortcuts where God expects us to wait, we give up our rights as God’s children and instead we accept crumbs from Satan. We lose our authority as believers, we lose our voice in the Courtrooms of heaven, we lose our access to God, and what do we gain instead?

A night out with a girl. A sum of money gained through an illicit deal. A new car gained by scheming against someone or even through adultery.

If Esau had persevered, he would have kept his birthright. Nothing in this world is worth losing your position in Christ. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Let’s live our lives worthy of our calling as sons of God.