Esau had a special, strong desire for a particular article of food, and he had so long gratified self that he did not feel the necessity of turning from the tempting, coveted dish. He thought upon it, making no special effort to restrain his appetite, until the power of appetite bore down every other consideration and controlled him, and he imagined that he would suffer great inconvenience, and even death, if he could not have that particular dish. The more he thought upon it, the more his desire strengthened, until his birthright, which was sacred, lost its value and its sacredness. He thought, If I now sell it, I can easily buy it back. He bartered it away for a favorite dish, flattering himself that he could dispose of it at will and buy it back at pleasure. But when he sought to buy it back, even at a great sacrifice on his part, he was not able to do so. He then bitterly repented his rashness, his folly, his madness. He looked the matter over on every side. He sought for repentance carefully and with tears, but it was all in vain. He had despised the blessing, and the Lord removed it from him forever. You have thought that if you should sacrifice the truth now, and go on in a course of open transgression and disobedience, you would not break over all restraint and become reckless, and if you should be disappointed in your hopes and expectations of worldly gain you could again interest yourself in the truth and become a candidate for everlasting life. But you have deceived yourself in this matter. Had you sacrificed the truth for worldly gain, it would have been at the expense of life everlasting. {2T 38.2}

Esau var særlig glad for en bestemt slags mad og han havde dyrket selvet så længe at han ikke kunne se at det var nødvendig at give afkald på den dejlige ret som fristede ham. Han tænkte nok på det, men han gjorde ingen særlige anstrengelser for at holde appetitten i tømme. Til sidst fik appetitten fejet alle andre hensyn væk og gjorde ham til sin slave. Han bildte sig ind at han ville komme til at lide store kvaler, ja endog dø, hvis han ikke kunne få sin livret. Jo mere han tænkte på dette, desto stærkere blev hans madlyst og den hellige førstefødselsret mistede til sidst både sin værdi og sin hellighed for ham.] Han tænkte, Hvis jeg nu kan sælge den, kan jeg let købe den tilbage. Han byttede den væk (39) for en livret og smigrede sig selv med at han kunne skille sig af med den når han ville og købe den tilbage når det behagede ham. Men da han prøvede at købe den tilbage, selv med et stort offer fra hans side, var han ikke i stand til at gøre det. Han fortrød da bitterligt sin ubesindighed, hans tåbelighed, hans vanvid. Han så sagen fra alle sider. Han søgte omhyggeligt efter omvendelse og med tårer, men det var altsammen forgæves. Han havde foragtet velsignelsen og Herren fjernede den fra ham for stedse. Du tænkte, at hvis du skulle ofre sandheden nu og fortsætte med åbenlys overtrædelse og ulydighed, så ville du ikke bryde alle bånd over, men dog være hensynsløs; og skulle du skuffes i dine håb og forventninger til verdslig vinding, kunne du igen interessere dig for sandheden og blive en kandidat til evigt liv. Men i dette har du bedraget dig selv. Du har ofret sandheden for verdslig vindings skyld, det kunne have været på bekostning af evigt liv. [Råd og vink side 117]