Bible Summary:

After Sarah died, Abraham married again and had six more children.  He gave them presents and sent them east, away from Isaac.  Abraham died at 175.  Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave next to Sarah.

Ishmael had twelve sons who were ancestors of twelve tribes that lived east of Egypt but away from Isaac’s descendants. He lived to 137.

Isaac was forty when he married Rebecca.  She became pregnant with twins that fought each other in the womb.  She asked the Lord why and he said two rival nations were within her.  The twins, Esau and Jacob, were born.

Esau became a hunter who loved the outdoors.  Jacob was quiet and stayed at home. Isaac preferred Esau and the food he brought home.  Rebecca preferred Jacob.

One day Esau returned home famished and demanded some soup from Jacob. Jacob agreed in exchange for Esau’s vow to give him the first-born rights.  Esau agreed, ate the bread and soup, and left, which was all he cared for his birthright.

My Thoughts:

Carelessness: I believe Esau is the main point of this story.  Esau’s carefree ways are in stark contrast to Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob’s concerns with preparing for a vast nation of descendants.  Esau is more interested in hunting, which as we learned during Cain and Able is not the family business of tending sheep, and is willing to give up his birth-right for some bread and a bowl of soup.  I am sure the storytellers of old emphasized how Esau’s carelessness cost him greatly.

Borrowed Future: This story rings true today.  Most people are more interested in a bigger house, a better car, and the latest technology than caring for future generations. The politicians have run the United States and many other “developed” countries into a hole.  They care more about trading favors and “what’s in it for me” than truly solving our countries’ ills.

The U.S. National Debt is quickly approaching $15 trillion (see National Debt Clock.  Note: click the World Debt button there for other countries), which does not include coming Social Security and Medicare shortfalls.  Who’s going to pay for this debt?  Not the people that used it.  They are dead, retired, or soon retiring now.  The federal debt really started to grow around 1980 (see Debt Graph) – about the time the carefree hippies of the sixties reached their forties and started running things.  Hmm?

Sorry for getting off the Bible.