We’ve all seen it happen.
A young adult makes a big life choice, and their family watches on with mixed reactions. Maybe it’s a relationship, or a career move—or a major purchase.
Sometimes the reaction is joy. Sometimes heartbreak.
Parents know the burden of watching their child walk down a path they know will end in trouble. Yet, parents also know they can’t decide for their adult children anymore.
This isn’t a new feeling. At the close of Genesis 26, we see an adult child making a decision. This decision brought pain to his parents.
34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
Genesis 26:34-35, New International Version
Two Bible verses…but they say so much.
Esau’s decision to marry women who didn’t share his family’s faith in the Lord caused his parents deep pain. Isaac and Rebekah knew the path Esau was traveling down would only lead to pain.
This wasn’t about cultural differences. It’s about spiritual direction. Esau was joining himself to people who were not the people of the Lord. And that decision not only brought pain to his family, but it reverberated painfully in his legacy.
In one sense, Esau was just marrying the women he wanted. But these decisions impacted his parents, his home, and set the trajectory of his future. Esau’s marriages reveal the strain and pain that come when two lives don’t share the same spiritual direction.
This isn’t because our Lord is trying to make us miserable. Instead, He knows that intimacy is built on trust, values, and vision. And when His people align themselves with those who are not His people, intimacy can’t exist.
It’s just as true for us today. All those choices we make—especially in relationships—don’t just affect us. They ripple across the oceans of our lives. They affect our families, friendships, and even our faith communities.
Esau’s story is a reminder. Our decisions not only shape our futures, but they also affect the lives of those around us. Ensuring our faith is aligned isn’t old-fashioned or outdated: it’s Biblical wisdom.
Esau’s marriages remind us that our choices can either bring joy or grief to those we love. The good news is that we have wisdom and power in Jesus. We can make decisions that bless and not break those around us.
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