Genesis chapter 28

Esau overhears Rebekah and Isaac discussing Jacob and the Canaanite women and he realises, how upset his parents were at his choice of wives. So to please his parents, he marries one of the daughters of Abrahams's son, Ishmael.

I wonder though, why it took Esau so long to realise this - after all, surely he knew from the things Isaac and Rebekah had said and done over the years that they did not approve of the Canaanites? Maybe he was so enamoured of each of his wives that he married them regardless of what his parents thought. Maybe he was more concerned with his own wants and desires than in respecting his parents wishes and it was not until he actually overheard Rebekah and Isaac talking that he fully appreciated what he had done.

Esau's third marriage is, to me, somewhat like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. After all, Esau could not undo his marriages, the two wives were there living with him and the rest of the family, and now he has a third wife to contend with. But then, don't we all do this? When we do something wrong, we try and put it right in the simplest and quickest way, but this is not necessarily what God would have us do, or at least not in the way we try to do it.

It is easy to carry on our lives regardless of others, giving no consideration to what they are thinking or feeling, how they are reacting to the things we have done or said. Then when we find out we have hurt them disappointed them to try a quick fix to out things right. But as believers, we have a responsibility here on earth to live our lives as God would have us live them, to be an example of the love of Jesus and to be his disciples. Everything we do is liable to be held up to scrutiny by others when they know we are a Christian. I know my children and husband watch the things I do and say, and they will pull me up if they think I am not behaving as a Christian should - which is both a help and a hindrance! It keeps me on my toes, but means I must always be aware of what I am doing or saying, of how my behaviour will effect others and whether or not I am really displaying the love of Christ when I get cross and crabby or moan and grumble. I'll admit, there are times I would do or say something I shouldn't but the knowledge that my children are watching stops me. Yet I know God is always watching too, whether my children are there or not, but there are times when I ignore God, when I just go ahead and do what I want rather than what I should do but He always gives me a nudge, and brings it to my attention. And I should be giving God the priority here, knowing that He is always there watching me, caring for me, and putting Him first in my life.