Funny Face

Funny Face is a joke, if not an understatement of Esau's countenance when he drove himself into an irreversible mess. Was his fate an accident? Or did it result from his careless decisions and indecisions? You be the judge.

Esau was Isaac's twin son. As the firstborn heir, he was entitled to a double share of his wealthy father's inheritance (Gen. 26:12-13; Deut 21:17). In addition, he was in line to pass down his grandfather Abraham's spiritual blessing for the arrival of the promised seed (Gen. 12:3). This painted a bright future for Esau.

Unfortunately, Esau took his extremely advantageous position for granted. He traded his birthright for one morsel of food (Gen. 25:29-34).

Some time later, Esau's reckless decision caught up with him. Jacob, with the assistance of their mother Rebecca, was able to snatch Esau's blessings. Isaac inadvertently blessed Jacob with heavenly dew (spiritual blessings), earthly riches, and authority over his brothers (Gen. 27:27–29).

When Esau realized what he had lost, he searched for it diligently with tears, but was unsuccessful. When he persisted, his father cursed him with hardship, strife, and servitude (Gen. 27:39-40).

Despite these curses, Esau saw a glimmer of hope. "But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke off your neck," his father added (Gen. 27:40). Esau appears to have taken this last utterance seriously and attempted to repair the damage he had caused himself.

About 20 years later, Esau had a memorable meeting with his runaway brother. In order to appease Esau, Jacob sent gifts ahead of him. When Esau inquired about the gifts, Jacob revealed his intentions. "But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself” (Gen. 33:9). Indeed, Esau was undoubtedly rich as evidenced by the 400 men who accompanied him.

Esau's life serves as a timeless lesson for everyone. If he was able to break free from the yoke of scarcity and bondage through resilience, it means that no one's mistake has the final say over his life. No matter how far you have fallen, with God's help, you can get back up when you are persistent in your pursuit.

Are you down and need help standing up? Come to Jesus now (Matthew 11:28-29). You can come to him when you believe in him (Rom. 10:10), repent (Acts 2:38), confess (Rom. 10:10), baptize (Acts 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21), join His church (Acts 2:47), and walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4).

Enjoy the grace of God!

Amen!