December 28 - Genesis 27-32
I will try to be more brief and to the point today than I have been lately, even though this is a longer passage. Next month we will go through this section more slowly so we can concentrate on more of the details. However, I believe that it is very important to see the big picture, too. Therefore, let's think about the main truths we should learn from the lives of Jacob and Esau.
The first truth we see is that deception is wrong. When people make plans without seeking God's will first, those plans bring strife. God might choose to still work through those people as He did in this case, but the outcome is not what it could have been if they would have trusted Him all the way. Rebekah was wrong to deceive Isaac, as was Jacob. Laban was wrong to deceive Jacob. Rachel was wrong to lie to her father about the idols. There are many instances of deception in this passage. God was not pleased with any of them. He is not pleased with us today, when we try to do things our way, and we end up having to deceive people in some way.
Having said that, why did God bless Jacob and not Esau? Was there a reason, or did He just pick one over the other one randomly? I believe the evidence points very strongly to the fact that God had a reason for choosing to bless Jacob instead of Esau. God saw that Jacob had a heart to obey, to serve others, and to worship Him, so He chose to bless him, even with his weaknesses until he came to a mature faith in Him. Esau had a flawed heart of impulsiveness, rebellion, and rejection of God. Therefore, God did not bless him as He did Jacob. As you read the passage, look for all of the references to these character traits.
Take the way Rebekah told Jacob to fool Isaac and to receive the blessing as an example. Why did she do that? Could it be that she remembered what God told her at the birth of her sons in Genesis 25:23? I don't think she was just trying to get her way. I think she was trying to do God's will. However, by doing it her way, she brought strife and hatred. That is bad. She should have spoken to Isaac, prayed, and let God work out His will in His way. However, when Jacob deceived his father, what was he doing? He was being obedient to his mother. Are we to obey our parents when they tell us to sin? NO, but it does show his willingness to obey his mother, whereas Esau went against his parents to marry women they did not like. Do you see the differences? Do you see why Rebekah did what she did? There is no excuse for sin, but we can see that God worked to bless Jacob, because of his heart.
Finally, as Jacob was returning to meet Esau, he prayed. God answered his prayer. He wrestled with Jesus and was blessed. His name was changed, showing he had a mature faith. He was no longer the deceiver, but a "prince with God", because he had prayed, and he was trusting God based on his previous promises. That is why God had put up with his deception. God knew this was coming, because of His foreknowledge. He knew what was coming in Esau's life, too. Therefore, He chose to bless Jacob in his imperfection. What about you? What is in your heart? You can't fool God. He won't bless you, unless He sees that your heart is really seeking to do the right thing by trusting in Him and being obedient to what is right. You are the only one who can turn your heart to God. Then, when you do, He can change your heart.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 33-38.
The first truth we see is that deception is wrong. When people make plans without seeking God's will first, those plans bring strife. God might choose to still work through those people as He did in this case, but the outcome is not what it could have been if they would have trusted Him all the way. Rebekah was wrong to deceive Isaac, as was Jacob. Laban was wrong to deceive Jacob. Rachel was wrong to lie to her father about the idols. There are many instances of deception in this passage. God was not pleased with any of them. He is not pleased with us today, when we try to do things our way, and we end up having to deceive people in some way.
Having said that, why did God bless Jacob and not Esau? Was there a reason, or did He just pick one over the other one randomly? I believe the evidence points very strongly to the fact that God had a reason for choosing to bless Jacob instead of Esau. God saw that Jacob had a heart to obey, to serve others, and to worship Him, so He chose to bless him, even with his weaknesses until he came to a mature faith in Him. Esau had a flawed heart of impulsiveness, rebellion, and rejection of God. Therefore, God did not bless him as He did Jacob. As you read the passage, look for all of the references to these character traits.
Take the way Rebekah told Jacob to fool Isaac and to receive the blessing as an example. Why did she do that? Could it be that she remembered what God told her at the birth of her sons in Genesis 25:23? I don't think she was just trying to get her way. I think she was trying to do God's will. However, by doing it her way, she brought strife and hatred. That is bad. She should have spoken to Isaac, prayed, and let God work out His will in His way. However, when Jacob deceived his father, what was he doing? He was being obedient to his mother. Are we to obey our parents when they tell us to sin? NO, but it does show his willingness to obey his mother, whereas Esau went against his parents to marry women they did not like. Do you see the differences? Do you see why Rebekah did what she did? There is no excuse for sin, but we can see that God worked to bless Jacob, because of his heart.
Finally, as Jacob was returning to meet Esau, he prayed. God answered his prayer. He wrestled with Jesus and was blessed. His name was changed, showing he had a mature faith. He was no longer the deceiver, but a "prince with God", because he had prayed, and he was trusting God based on his previous promises. That is why God had put up with his deception. God knew this was coming, because of His foreknowledge. He knew what was coming in Esau's life, too. Therefore, He chose to bless Jacob in his imperfection. What about you? What is in your heart? You can't fool God. He won't bless you, unless He sees that your heart is really seeking to do the right thing by trusting in Him and being obedient to what is right. You are the only one who can turn your heart to God. Then, when you do, He can change your heart.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 33-38.