Being Spiritual Minded
(Gen 25:27 KJV) And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
Esau was an avid hunter, while Jacob was a “home body”. Jacob learned to cook, and was seemingly a “mama’s boy” while Esau was a “real man.” This is the way the world looks at these things today too, but God sees differently than man. Isaac loved Esau, the “mans man,” while Rebeckah loved Jacob, the “home boy.” It is easy to see the contrast in the lives of these two.
Though hunting is not wrong in the sense of “evil”, it is worldly when it occupies all of our time; it represents the world. Esau’s pride would swell as he returned home with evidence of a successful hunt, only to find Jacob reading a book, or mending something as his mother had taught him to do, or perhaps cooking for him! Can you see the picture here? The one was amused by the worlds activities, while the other sought the solitude and bliss of home and service. Where is your heart, dear reader? Is it caught up in the things of this world? Maybe that is why we see such weakness in the church today, it is too busy enjoying the things of this world that are not considered wrong, but unnecessary. Esau was concerned about the glory of the hunt, and not about the birthright of the family unit, he was caring more for the flesh than the spirit. Esau was looking at the present, the immediate, and not at the future. Be careful of too many amusements, they pull your attention to the world and not to the things of God, to the flesh, and not to the spirit. Sports, hobbies, entertainments, all are world directed, and, in many respects, ungodly. One must not become “bogged down” by the weight of them. (Heb. 12:1). All these things are what the world seeks after, and they consider important in their lives. Christ gives a similar warning to us in Mt. 6; 31, 32, where He admonishes us to trust God for our needs, and not seek after the things that the Gentiles seek after. When we play sports, we play by the world’s rules: when we hunt, we hunt according to the worlds standard; hobbies are centered around the world, and are usually used to waste time and help them forget their miserable life without Christ. Amusements are just that; “a” means “no” and “muse” means to “think”, and the mere name implies that these things take no, or little real thought to accomplish. They “steal” our hearts all too often away from the time we owe to our God; they snatch away our allegiance, and promote pride and self satisfaction. Be careful of too much of this world’s activities, and look more to the things of God.
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