17 July Genesis 36

Choose real life

Genesis 36:6-8 (AMP) “Now Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the members of his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his possessions which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he went to a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions made it impossible for them to live together ; the land in which they lived temporarily could not support them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom”.

Esau and his family looked like success by worldly standards, but he ultimately failed with God. Esau's family was quite successful by earthly standards. Not only did he have many descendants, but they were all awe-inspiring people because his family ultimately became a powerful nation and dynasty. They were called kings. They had power and influence, and his children and descendants became very influential, wealthy people.

Esau and his family are that Esau did not choose to walk with God. We read in Esau's life that there was never a tendency toward worship. Hebrews 12:16-17 (AMP) “and that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that later on, when he wanted his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance , even though he sought for it with tears”.

In this story, we see a man who probably seemed to achieve a lot but ultimately failed before God. The Bible says in Mark 8:36 (AMP)” For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world , and forfeit his soul?”.

Nonetheless, to gain the whole world is to receive all the world has to offer, money, fame, pleasure, power, prestige, etc. To lose one’s soul on the other hand, is to die without a right relationship with Christ. If a person rejects Jesus and becomes the wealthiest, most powerful person on earth, he has still made a poor decision. Sooner or later, earthly things will fade away. And that person will have lost the only part of himself that lasts forever. There is nothing more valuable than a person’s soul.

John 3:16 (AMP) “For God so loved and dearly prized the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”. Further confirmed by John 3:36 (AMP) “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him has eternal life ; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, will not see life, but the wrath of God hangs over him continually.”

In contrast Romans 6:23 (AMP) shows us the following: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

Choose life today; choose Jesus.