Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
-Hebrews 12:16
When Esau sold his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a morsel of meat (Genesis 25:29-15), he ignorantly threw away the blessing that should be given to him accordingly as the firstborn son. A tragic event that led his descendants to be denied to the inheritance that God had previously promised to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. Therefore, the once treasured birthright that he upheld was given to his twin brother Jacob (Genesis 25:33).
Fornicator
Fornication is one of the condemned sin in the law of Moses. It means having a sexual relationship before marriage, which God considered as an abominable thing to do. People who commits fornication are those who want to gratify their sexual urges for a considerable short period of time. The Bible, however, considered marriage as the most honorable thing and a bed undefiled (Hebrews 13:4). Thus, God hates any sexual relationship before or outside of marriage.
Spiritual fornication, on the other hand, is not anywhere far from what a literal fornication means. For it is also associated with forsaking the commandments and will of God by following their own ungodly lust. This illustration indeed is very true in the case of Esau, who unwittingly forsook a very important blessing that was exclusively intended for him. Although, he somehow gained something from it, yet the gratification he got only last for a very short time. An indulgence that he bargained in expense of his birthright. That is why Esau, in his folly, was branded as a fornicator.
Esau and Jacob
The story of Esau and Jacob was an Old Testament account that foreshadows a prophecy that was fulfilled in the days of the Messiah (Anointed One). Esau symbolizes the Jews, especially those who are members of the Sanhedrin who forsook their birthright as the firstborn and as the chosen people of God. For during the time when they have forsaken Jesus as their Messiah, became the day when the Father has disowned them as his own. Jacob, on the other hand, symbolizes the Jews and Gentiles who believed and accepted the Son of God as their Lord and Savior.
Isaac give his blessing to Jacob.
Birthright
In the old days, the birthright was usually given to the firstborn of the family. He was blessed to be the inheritor of much inheritance than his siblings. That is why Isaac, being aware of this truth wanted to make sure that Esau would received the right to be the successor of God's promises (Genesis 27:18-24). The birthright in the mystery of this prophecy symbolizes Jesus Christ. The fact that most of the Jews neglected to accept him became the cause of losing their right as the firstborn of the Father. Therefore, the Father also rejected them by giving to others their promised inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.
The birthright of Esau that was later given to Jacob was the shadow of transferring the first covenant made by God to Israelites to the second covenant which is given to the children of promise (Hebrews 10:8-10) through the Son of God. The children of the second covenant were not necessarily mean the Jews only but also the Gentiles. For the two separate group of people became as one blood through Christ (Acts 17:26) and both became partakers of the promise (Galatians 3:29). This promise nullified the Jewish Temple sacrifices as followed according to the law of Moses. For from the very beginning it failed to fulfill the will of God, that is to make the world free from sin. Nonetheless, Jesus fulfilled perfectly this covenant through his death in the cross and his resurrection from the dead.
Prophecy Status: Fulfilled
