Top X August 2, 2025 Devotional
August 02, 2025
GENESIS 27:34-38 | 34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, me also, father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and look, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have already made him your lord, and I have given him all his brothers as servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, father? Bless me, me also, father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
We tend to think of theft in terms of stealing tangible property or possessions. But there are many forms of theft. For instance, when you exclude someone from participation or an opportunity, you are stealing their dignity and worth. When you seduce someone you are stealing their innocence, and possibly their opportunities for healthy future bonds.
There are footnotes and acknowledgements in books, lest we steal someone’s ideas, claiming credit for their intellectual property and innovation. Jacob stole Esaw’s blessing, and also displaced him from the position of eldest son.
How do you picture stealing?
Gracious God,
Save us from narrow views of the Ten Commandments that limit their scope and their power to shape our decisions.
Amen.
