October 9, 2022

Esau – A man without hope

Preacher:
Passage: Genesis 27:30-28:9
Service Type:

Introduction

This morning we are looking at Esau – A man without hope

Hope is a wonderful word
All our hope will be realised when we are in heaven (if you are in Christ)
There will be no more need to hope and we will know joy unspeakable
We hope in this life – examples

We do not want to always think life will be full of troubles

The Christian looks to the final resting place – when we will be in heaven

No more suffering, temptation or sin

To live without hope is very sad

The unbeliever is separated from God and without hope in this world
We see this in an unbeliever on their death bed
No hope, only the fear of judgment to come

Today, looking at a sad case – a man who lived without hope

He never repented of his sin nor forgave his brother or mother
He lived in his carnal and fleshly lusts

Evidences and reasons for “hopelessness”

Our hearts go out to those who are hopeless

Examples of Thailand, Somalia, Russia, Ukraine
Abuse can make people hopeless

Esau initially had no reason to be hopeless

He had a good father
He had a covenant birthright – in the sense he was the eldest
He had great freedom
He had many advantages in life

He becomes a very hopeless man

Issac thinks he will die

He wishes to bless Esau …
… but realised he had been deceived by Jacob
Therefore, Issac trembled – v33

Esau cried out in bitter despair – v34

An “exceedingly great and bitter cry”

He suddenly realised he had lost all the blessings of God – with nothing left

He pleads with Issac
Is there no reserved blessing (v36), nothing else to give (v38)

His bitter cry leads to a bitter heart

It leads to anger and the desire/plot to kill his own brother

Imagine this!

There is no self-reflection, no repentance, no thought to sin
He feels entitled – that the blessing would automatically be his

Though God had already determined before his birth that Jacob would serve Esau

Hopelessness sets in

It can be through troubling and traumatic circumstances
Sometimes, it can be brought on by our own sinful actions and our neglect of God

Esau despised his birthright – he sold it to Jacob
He lived without God for so many years
His heart was becoming harder and harder
He was a wicked and profane person – Heb 12
He had no peace

We need to value eternal things

The blessings were part of the birthright

Esau did not search his own heart but became angry and bitter

When he lost the blessings, he could not control anything
He was angry over what he had lost

Application:

Do we live carelessly without any thought of God – examples

Hopelessness can set in – examples
Why? – because you have made yourself and not God the centre of your life

You have lived for self

Human Depravity

We see in Esau the depravity of the human heart

Examples of depravity
Without restraining grace – we are each capable of great wickedness

Esau’s parents never thought he would become a murdered in his heart – wanting to kill Jacob

We do not have a bias towards God but sin

Esau’s bitterness was rooted in jealousy and envy

He feels bitterness, jealousy and envy towards Jacob – v36

Yes there was a sense of injustice as Jacob had taken the birthright

He went on to hate Esau -v41
He had no love for his mother – it seems he hated Rebekah as much as Jacob

He need to be careful if bitterness comes into our hearts

It does damage to ourselves and others – Heb 12
Quote from Steven Diamond and other Psychologists

The ultimate remedy is forgiveness
To withhold forgiveness is destructive

We can only forgive when we have seen the forgiveness Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us

God tells us we must forgive others otherwise He will not forgive us
Jesus asked for forgiveness for the those who were crucifying Him

Once we see the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, we cannot but forgive others

This brings such freedom

Esau could not forgive

Our only hope is Jesus

Esau is a warning to us

Matt 12:43-45

Morality helps no one

There is hope in Jesus Christ

Jacob was to find this hope

Although he was a deceiver and supplanter
We will see this next week
He was prepared to deceive but he never despised the blessings and promises of God

The promises of God given to us

The promised land – the fulfillment is in heaven
The protection of God – we find this fulfilled in Jesus Christ

Abraham, Issac and Jacob went to heaven through the blood of Jesus Christ

Jesus was a Lamb slain before the foundation of the world

Jesus takes out our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh

People need to be born again
We need a new heart to love and follow Him

Jesus forgives our sin – past, present and future

Yes there will be a struggle against sin but Christ blesses us

Jacob found this hope but Esau never knew it

Do not be the person who knocks on the door but God says “I never knew you”
Do not live without God

Believe in Jesus today

He will forgive and save
Come to Him