I.
This week’s Scripture jumps us ahead to Abraham’s grandchildren and something of their place in the Abrahamic covenant to be blessed, to bless and to be a great nation.

Are they ready to take their place in the fulfillment of the covenant?

II.
Genesis 25:19-34 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other;
    the elder shall serve the younger.”

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle, so they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he was fond of game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.) Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” 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.

III.
Are they ready to step fully into working out the details of the covenant?

Of course, maybe that is a “loaded” question – is anyone ever ready to fully step into such?

And maybe that is in part our best answer.

We learn as we go. We may have the vision, even the promise, but it’s in the details that we find the going hard sometimes.

Reread this passage, notice the lack of perfection you see in these folk and remember that there is more to come. The Lord does not abandon us even as we might falter in working out the details.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}