God could not use Esau because Esau was destitute of faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God.
Les Feldick teaches that Esau, despite being outwardly a better man than Jacob, had no faith in what God had said. Faith is the primary thing God looks for in a person, and without it, He cannot use them. Even though Esau wept and sought the blessing with tears, his unbelief remained, and therefore he could not be used in the line of God's purpose.
Hebrews 11:6 — This verse directly states that without faith it is impossible to please God, which is the core reason Esau could not be used.
The Bible consistently emphasizes faith as the essential requirement for pleasing God. Hebrews 11:6 declares, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." This principle is seen throughout Scripture, from Cain and Abel to Esau and Jacob. In Hebrews 12:16-17, Esau is described as a profane person who sold his birthright for a morsel of food, and though he sought the blessing with tears, he was rejected because he found no place of repentance. The Bible does not say Esau lacked morality, but rather that he lacked faith in God's promises.
Les Feldick teaches that the core reason God could not use Esau was his lack of faith. In the account of Jacob and Esau, Esau was "destitute of faith" and placed no value on the spiritual birthright, which was connected to the coming Messiah. Jacob, despite his flaws, had enough faith to believe in God's promises, which is why God chose him. Les emphasizes that God's selection of Jacob was not arbitrary or unfair; God, being sovereign, knew Esau's lack of faith and thus could not use him to carry out His purposes. Even though Esau wept for the blessing, his tears did not increase his faith, and his unbelief remained his downfall. Les also draws parallels to people today who reject spiritual things because they demand proof rather than exercising faith.
Esau's main problem, as Les Feldick explains, was his lack of faith. He had no belief in what God had said concerning the coming Redeemer and the spiritual birthright. He was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of soup because he saw no spiritual value in it. Les says, "He was destitute of faith. He had none."
Les Feldick acknowledges that from a worldly viewpoint, Esau might have been a better man than Jacob. He says, "Esau was probably a better man than Jacob so far as worldly view was concerned, but why couldn't God use Esau? No faith." This shows that even superior moral character cannot substitute for faith.
Esau wept and entreated Isaac for the blessing, but his tears did not increase his faith. Les explains that "he never got to the place that he could understand why he missed the blessing. And why did he miss it? Because he could not believe what God had said." His grief was for the loss of the blessing, not for his unbelief.
Les teaches that God's choice was not unfair because God is sovereign and knew Esau's makeup. He says, "God doesn't stop it, because He had mandated in the beginning that this is the way it should be." God had the right to expect faith, and since Esau lacked it, He could not use him.
Les uses Esau's example to warn against an overly intellectual approach that demands proof rather than faith. He says, "The world is operating in that vacuum of no faith." God hates unbelief most of all, and without faith, people cannot please Him, similar to how the world rejects Christianity today.
God's Sovereign Mandate
Les explains that God had mandated Jacob to be the line of the birthright, and despite the fleshly methods, God was sovereignly bringing it about.
Esau's Lack of Faith
Les contrasts Esau's glib giving up of the birthright with Jacob's faith, showing that Esau was destitute of faith.
Comparative Morality
Les uses Esau and Jacob to show that even a morally better man like Esau cannot be used without faith.
Repentance Without Faith
Les explains that Esau's tears were not repentance because he still could not believe what God had said.
Value of Spiritual Birthright
Les emphasizes that Esau saw no value in the spiritual birthright because of his destitution of faith, unlike Jacob who desired it.
Emotional Responses Lack Power
Les uses Esau's emotional cries to show that emotional highs do not produce true faith.
God's Hatred of Unbelief
Les connects Esau's no-faith condition to God's hatred of unbelief, which is the root issue.
The Birthright Explained: Why God Chose Jacob Over Esau
So if you don't remember anything else from this lesson in this half hour, Esau was a man of God.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
This verse establishes the foundational principle that faith is absolutely necessary to please God, which is why Esau could not be used.
Hebrews 12:16-17: Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
This passage directly describes Esau's rejection and shows that his tears were not accompanied by true faith or repentance.
Genesis 25:29-34: And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
This account shows Esau's disdain for the spiritual birthright, demonstrating his lack of faith in God's promises.
God could not use Esau because Esau was destitute of faith. He did not believe what God had said, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Even though he was outwardly a better man than Jacob, his lack of faith disqualified him from being used in God's plan.
According to Les Feldick, Esau never truly repented. He wept and sought the blessing with tears, but he never came to a place of understanding why he missed it. His tears were for the loss of the blessing, not for his unbelief; thus, he found no place of repentance.
No, Les Feldick teaches that God was not unfair. God is sovereign and knew Esau's makeup in advance, seeing that he lacked the faith necessary to please Him. God has the right to expect people to believe what He has said, and Esau's unbelief made him unusable.