As a pastor's son, I have seen Christian families and individuals turn away from God and miss out on so many blessings. The one thing they had in common was wrong priorities. As Christians, we should focus on eternal priorities, even if we do not see rewards now.  When we lose that focus, we become like Esau, and our priorities are in the here and now. God's blessing for Esau was withheld because he did not believe God would give him the blessing until it was too late. God wants us to believe he will bless us when we do right and have faith.  (Matt.6:32-33, Luke 12:30, Phil.4:19)

In Numbers 20, Moses was commanded to speak to the rock, not strike it with his rod like he did the first time (Exodus 17). Moses decided to use the rod his way rather than doing it in God's way. In his anger, he disregarded eternal priorities. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 10:4 that "...they [Israel] drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."  Christ was smitten once for our sins, not multiple times, and Moses had ruined that picture. God chastised him, "…Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." (Num.20:12)    

 Israel repeatedly forgot eternal priorities. In Numbers 21, the nation was forced to take a different path because Edom (Esau's descendants) refused to let his "brother Israel" pass through the land.  Israel's detour took a toll on their bodies and attitudes.  Discouraged and dissatisfied with God's provision, they complained to God and Moses saying, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" In their discouragement, Israel stopped believing that God would fulfill His covenant. So God sent fiery serpents to judge the people and tried to renew their faith. If they looked to the brass serpent that Moses lifted up, they would live; this became a wonderful picture of Christ's work on the cross. Hebrews 3:15-19 tells us that, unfortunately, this unbelieving generation of Israel did not enter God's rest.  

The writer of Hebrews warned believers to focus on eternity in Hebrews 12. He appeals to all Christians not to sell God's blessings for this world's pleasures because they will not last. God rejected Esau because he did not have faith, and without faith, we cannot please God. (Heb.11:6, Heb.12:14-17) God wants our complete trust, believing we will enter into His rest. Ask God to help your unbelief and renew your focus.