Misleading Cries of Hunger

A Lesson From Esau's Hungry Belly

Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. — Genesis 25:29-34

Despised his birthright? Seems kind of harsh; doesn’t it? The man was hungry, and when a person is hungry, exhausted, or tired, they don’t think correctly. Furthermore, when a person is hungry, exhausted, or tired, they are susceptible to manipulation… and manipulators.

Yet, the Bible does not teach us to not be like Jacob, who manipulated his brother; rather, it teaches us to not be like Esau.

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal” (Hebrews 12:15-16).

If we would increasingly obtain the grace of God, it will require us to keep God, and the life he brings, before our eyes; it will require us to be focused, and purposeful. This is important because life is filled with so many distractions — important ones, too! — so many opportunities to mistake what is urgent — like hunger of different sorts, for what is vital — our destiny in God.

This is no easy task, for the hungers of life are loud; they roar like banshees, arresting our attention. They come partnered with versions of fear, like lack of security, scarcity, anxiety, loss of reputation, etc. Sometimes they come as responsibilities, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father… Let me say farewell to those at home” (Luke 9:59, 61). The urgency with which they come can cause us to think, “This is most important, I must attend to it above all else.”

So [Esau] swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Meanwhile, God’s voice comes quietly. A thought, a gentle suggestion from a sister or brother in Christ, a remembered scripture, a whisper. Why?

Why does the world scream while God whispers? Certainly, God would win in a shouting match. So why doesn’t he force our hands by dominating our senses?

Because he is interested in who we are becoming; he is interested in us. A yelled command does not respect the person’s right to decide; it cries for resolution NOW! But when a person whispers or speaks softly, the person being spoken to must quiet themselves; they must lean in and pay close attention if they want to hear. That’s what God desires, our willful attentiveness. So, instead of shouting, he instructs us to pay attention to his words.

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. — Proverbs 4:20-22

When attentiveness to God’s word becomes a regular part of life, we will be equipped to listen even when life’s pangs of hunger begin to scream. We will be enabled to hear through the cries for immediate response and, instead of responding from fear, we can respond in faithful obedience.

Heavenly Father, it is your word that called creation into being, and your command that sustains all things. Grant that we, who live in a noisy world, filled with competing voices, might become like those sheep who hear their shepherd’s voice, and respond with joyful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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