In Genesis, chapter twenty-seven, verse thirty-eight, Esau changes his mind and wants the blessing with tears, yet his tears are tears of disappointment and anger, not of sorrow for his own sinful choices. Esau is sad. He is crying loudly before his old, blind father, Isaac, who gets tricked into giving his blessing to the younger twin, Jacob. As Esau points out, this fits with Jacob’s name: His name means the “one who cheats.” Even though Isaac has already said that he has blessed Jacob by making him lord over his brothers and giving him wealth in grain and wine, Esau repeats his desperate request to receive from his father Isaac in any way at all.
Esau’s brother Jacob was known as a “heel-grabber” from the very first day he was about to come out of his mother’s womb. In Genesis, chapter twenty-five, verses twenty-five through twenty-six describe the sequence. The birth activity of Esau and Jacob explains how Esau loses his birthright in a moment of recklessness and is now left cheated of his father’s final gift.
Esau’s experience warns us about wrong choices in life that bring terrible consequences. Wrong decisions lead to miss opportunities. The moves we make cannot overturn. According to the New Testament, Hebrews chapter twelve, verses sixteen and seventeen, Esau lost his blessing because he was a godless person who neglected the sacredness of that gift. If he had a heart for the things of God, maybe the sequence of events that transpired would possibly be different. However, we can only speculate because it already happened. Today, there are people like Esau that are in a position to receive a wonderful blessing from God through their parents or leaders that are true believers. However, if they do not acknowledge or have a heart for it, how do they expect to get it after God gives it to someone else?