Lentils are a very healthy and nutritious food; they contain fiber, protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals, so they can help you have a lot of energy. Lentils have as much protein as meat, or even more, so they were eaten a lot in biblical times. It was faster to make a lentil stew than to kill an animal, prepare it, and cook it. The meat was reserved for special occasions and prepared with time. However, lentils were soaked the previous night and prepared the next day as a stew with vegetables and spices, and many times the aromatic herbs gave it a red appearance.
The Bible says that Jacob was cooking a lentil stew one day when his twin brother, Esau, arrived from the fields hungry. As soon as Esau smelled the lentils, as hungry as he was, he told Jacob to give him some of that red stew. The Hebrew word for «red» is «edom»; that’s why the Bible says that Esau was also called Edom, which means «red» or «earthy,» like the red color of the earth. His descendants are known as Edomites.
If you know this story from the Bible you will know that Jacob asked for something very important from Esau in return: the birthright. If you don’t know it, you can read it in Genesis 25:19-34.
In exchange for a lentil stew, Esau lost something much more valuable: his father’s blessing and his inheritance as the eldest son.
Do you know how to value the things that are truly important? Would you exchange your principles or your values for something material?
Make a list in your Prayer Journal of the things that are truly important in your life and that you would not exchange for anything.