Genesis 28

Jacob Meets God at Bethel

Jacob had to leave home to escape the wrath of Esau.  Though Jacob didn’t deserve it, Isaac blessed Jacob before he left with the same blessing that God gave Abraham that his descendants would be numerous and they would receive the promised land of Canaan.  Isaac told him not to marry a Canaanite woman, but to go to Paddon Aram to the house of his mother’s brother, Laban and to take a wife there.

Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and was told not to take a Canaanite as a wife. Esau realized how displeasing the Canaanites were to Isaac so he tried to please his father by not marring a Canaanite.  Instead he married a woman from the family of his uncle Ishmael.  This was his second marriage.  He really didn’t understand God’s plan.  Maybe he didn’t want to understand.

Jacob probably felt guilty by cheating his brother.  He lied to his old blind father and used the name of God and even kissed him in his deception.  In spite of all that he was sent off with the true spiritual blessing from his grandfather, Abraham.  Now he is on his own facing an anxious and uncertain future.  God begins working on Jacob.

Are you at a place where you see your great need for God?

Are you like Jacob, out of schemes?

Are you feeling guilty about your past and uncertain about your future?

Jacob traveled east to the region where his mother Rebekah was raised.  He had no money and no friends.  He slept outside with no comforts of home and used a stone as his pillow.  During his journey he had a dream where God spoke to him.  This was a life-changing experience for Jacob.  In his dream he saw a latter going up to heaven with angels going up and down.  Above it stood the Lord, “I am the Lord, the God of your Abraham and the God of Isaac.  I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.  Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth…..All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.  I am with you and will watch over you where ever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised.” – Gen. 28:13-15.

He understood this dream as God breaking into his life.  He saw there was access to heaven which made God closer than ever before.  In John 1:51, Jesus made it clear that He was the access to heaven.  “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”  It’s through Him that heaven comes down to us and by which we can go to heaven.  Jesus is the ladder.  “I am they way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6.  God gave the same promises that He had given Abraham and Isaac.  Can you imagine how those words must have hit Jacob after all he had done? 

God always deals with us in grace.  When He breaks into your life, it’s not your doing, it’s His.  He is the initiator and comes to you.  He chose you.  It’s up to you to reject or accept Him.

God doesn’t say a word about Jacob’s failure.  Instead He assured him about his future.  Jacob promised that he, too, would serve God.  That’s why we call God the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.  Jacob really wanted this blessing even though he used wrong methods to get it.  God gives His blessings where He wants and to whom He wants.  We cannot earn it.

Principle:  God meets us where we are and leads us to Himself.

Have you experienced God pursuing you as a sinner? 

How has He shown you love? 

Can you say I’ve been redeemed? 

What is God revealing to you about Himself? 

Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for Him? 

How do you feel about Jacob getting blessings after he lied 5 times?  He didn’t deserve the blessings, but none of us deserve the blessings we get either.

Jacob got up in the morning and took a pillar of stone and poured oil on it.  He worshipped God and called that place Bethel and then made a vow to God.  (Gen. 281:20-22)  Some think he didn’t really understand God’s grace and made a conditional vow to God in response when he said, “If God will be with me and will watch over me…” – Gen. 28:20.  Others say the “If” mean “Since” God is doing this for me, I will do this for Him.  God’s promises to Jacob were all unconditional.  Even if Jacob was making a conditional vow, God didn’t take His promises back.  God let His promises stand and kept working on Jacob.  Thank God He deals with us on unconditional terms.

Was Jacob acting immature?  Was he trying to bargain with God?  He doesn’t act like he’s aware of any of his sins, let alone confess them.  It almost sounds like his focus is on himself and not on God.  Maybe he’s bargaining like he did with Esau to get his birthright.   I think he should have responded with praise and thanksgiving.

Have you ever bargained with God?

Is your faith conditional on what God can do for you?

How is God calling you to fully trust Him?

Are you holding back?  If so, why?

Some say Jacob put too much emphasis on the particular place.  For God to fulfill His promises to Jacob and to us, God had to be in every place.

Jacob promised to tithe in Gen. 28:22.  Jacob’s offering to tithe is his way of accepting the Lord’s Kingship over him.  He had faith that God would supply and that he vowed to be loyal and submit to the Lord as his King and God.  Tithing of income for Christians is a way of demonstrating our allegiance, our love, and that we serve God rather than money (Matt. 6:24).  All we have is God’s anyway.  It’s an indicator that we trust God and are committed to Him.  So it was for Jacob.

How do you show God you are committed to Him?

Do you tithe part of your income?

What about tithing of your time?

Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Genesis 27

 

Genesis 27: 1-29 – Deception in the Family

Isaac was getting old and believed he was close to death and wanted to settle his affairs.  His eyes were weak and he could no longer see.  He turned his eyes from God.  He focused on what he wanted in the flesh.  Esau was his favorite son so he planned a secret meeting with Esau telling him to go and kill some game for him to eat and he would give him a blessing before he died.  Isaac was determined to pass the blessing to Esau despite what the Lord said when the boys were in the womb, “the older would serve the younger”.  Remember Esau had already sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup.  The birthright belonged to Jacob with or without the deceit.  Esau had sold it to him and sealed the deal with an oath.  Esau was about to receive a blessing to which he had no right. 

Rebekah heard this and planned a scheme of her own.  She wanted her younger son Jacob not to miss out on Isaac’s blessing.  So she and Jacob planned to pretend that Jacob was Esau and Isaac would bless Jacob instead.  Rebekah is the instigator and Jacob is the accomplice.  Jacob tells one lie after another.  The last one is the worst when he was asked by Isaac how he found the foods quickly.  Jacob said, “The Lord your God gave me success.” – Gen. 27:20. 

Rebekah’s motivation for scheming was her unbelief.  She panicked and didn’t trust that God would fulfill what He had promises in Gen 25:23.  She didn’t pray, but took matters into her own hands.  God will not bless you for wrong doing to achieve good.  God’s blessing of Jacob was because He chose him to inherit the promises not by Rebekah and Jacob’s deception. 

The whole family suffered because of these deceptions.  The whole family didn’t trust each other and they didn’t trust God.  They all schemed and plotted against each other and against God.  Jacob suffered because he had to leave home in fear of his life.  Rebekah suffered because she would not see her son again.  Isaac could have given his blessing over and over, but it only mattered if God honored it.  They worked against God, but God still accomplished His purpose.

Have you ever panicked like Rebekah and took matters into your own hands instead of waiting on God?

Genesis 27:30-46 – Division in the Family

Isaac blessed Jacob thinking it was Esau.  He wasn’t thinking about God’s promise being fulfilled.  He ignored God’s Word.  Esau came in from hunting and Isaac realized who he had really blessed.  Verse 33 says “Isaac trembled violently”.  Isaac knew nothing could stop the plan of God.  He had made a mess with his own desires.  When Esau found out about the deception and asked if Isaac had a blessing for him, too.  “His father Isaac answered him, ‘Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above.  You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother.  But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.’” – Gen. 27:39-40.

Have you ever been deceived by someone? 

How did you handle it?

Have you forgiven those who have wronged you?  Life is not always fair, but God is.  Trust in His sovereignty.

Even though Isaac messed up, he was a man who loved God.  He blessed his two sons even though the blessings were not what he had planned.  They were as God had planned.  Isaac was grieved by the deception, but accepted what happened.  Can you do the same?  God is in control.  We can trust in that.

Esau regretted selling his birthright and missing the blessings.  Isaac regrets that he blessed Jacob instead of Esau, but he repented when he realized that that was God’s will.

Differences between regret and repentance (taken from https://kathycollardmiller.com)

Regret focuses on my outward behavior; Repentance focuses on my heart motives.

Regret is sorry I got caught; Repentance is glad I got caught.

Regret is motivated by the pain of consequences; Repentance is motivated by causing grieving of the Holy Spirit.

Regret wants to hide my sin; Repentance wants to be exposed and cleansed.

Regret is defensive and resists asking for forgiveness; Repentance takes full responsibility and asks for forgiveness.

Regret blames others; Repentance focuses only on myself.

Regret only changes enough for the appearance of image; Repentance continues to examine my life and be honest.

Regret downplays the sin; Repentance fully admits the sin.

Regret is embarrassed because my image is marred; Repentance is grieved for the pain my sin caused others.

Regret leaves open the door for further sinning; Repentance seeks the Spirit’s full power to fully change.

Regret is motivated by the pain of consequences; Repentance wants to be exposed

Isaac surrendered to God.  He reconfirmed his blessing to Jacob and gave a limited blessing to Esau.  He told Esau that he would live by the sword and life would not be easy.  He would serve Jacob, but it would not forever.  

Esau hated Jacob.  He was full of pride and envy, because his brother would enjoy greater prosperity.  He wanted to kill Jacob.  Rebekah told Jacob to run to his uncle, Laban in Haran to stay with him for a while until Esau’s anger passed.  It turned out that he stayed more than 20 years.

Rebekah was worried that Jacob would marry a Canaanite woman while he was there, so Isaac told him not to marry a Canaanite.  Instead he was to go to his own people for a wife.  When Esau heard that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac, so he went to Ishmael and married from among his family in addition to the wives he already had.  Remember Ishmael’s first wife was an Egyptian.  Esau did this for just for spite. (Gen. 28:1-9)

Lessons/Principles: 

When we seek our own way, we never get what we wanted and we pay a high price. 

Sin always promises more than it delivers and costs more than we imagine.

Actions have consequences.

Deception can cause separation between family members.

The results of deception can hurt others and last for years.

Despite our sins, we can expect grace and forgiveness when we repent.

God uses broken people to bring about His will.

God is sovereign and we can’t stop His ultimate purpose.

God is faithful and keeps His promises.

How do you describe your faith?

Are you suborn or submissive?

Jacob received Isaac’s blessings but by methods that were dishonest and he left Canaan with few possessions.  He received an even better blessing.  The blessing he received really came from God.  God himself spoke to Jacob as we will see in Genesis 28.

Hebrews 11 commends Abraham and Isaac for how they submitted to God.  They are not remembered for their mistakes just as God does not remember ours.

Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Genesis 25 - 26

  

Genesis 12-50 shows the spiritual life of four men chosen by God and through them He would reveal His purpose for all of humanity.  God chose Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.  They were not perfect, but God gives them grace as he gives us today.  God chose Abraham to receive His great promise.  This promise was passed on to his son, Isaac.  In this post our lesson focuses on Isaac.

Genesis 25:1-18 – The Will of Abraham

Abraham’s Obituary – He lived to be 175 years old.  He walked with God for 100 years.  He was a friend of God.  His life wasn’t easy, but he walked by faith.  He was real and made mistakes, but God used him.  He gave all his possession to his son Isaac.  He left something for each of us – An example to live by faith; an example of living and walking by faith; a savior – Matt. 1:1.  Ishmael and Isaac together buried Abraham with his wife Sarah.  Ishmael lived to be 137 years old and Isaac lived to be 140 years old.

Principle:  Our trust in Christ today impacts our faith for the future generation.

How does your life impact others?

Are you living by faith or fear?

Are you living by example that you would like others to follow?  As we live each day we are preparing our last will and testament. 

Genesis 25:19-34 – Submissive Faith Prays

Isaac’s life is characterized by submissive faith.  He knew from the beginning his birth was a miracle.  He knew his parents were devoted to the Lord.  He knew God had special plans for his life even as a small boy.  We saw Isaac was submissive to Abraham in chapter 22.  To be submissive is an act of accepting or yielding to authority.  Being submissive is like being humble or meek. 

There are many scriptures on how God views the humble and meek:

Numbers 12:3 – Moses was more humble than anyone on earth.

Psalm 25:9 – God guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.

Psalm 37:11 – The meek will inherit the earth and enjoy great peace.

Psalm 149:4 – God crowns the humble with salvation.

Matthew 5:5 – Blessed are the meek, they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 11:29 – The humble will find rest for their soul.

1 Peter 3:4-5 – A quiet spirit is a great worth in God’s sight.

How would you describe your faith?

Are you submission?

Will others say you are humble?

How can you be more humble in your life?

How would this change your relationships with others?

God made promises to Abraham and his descendants.  He had many sons, but God’s promises were for Isaac alone so it was important for Isaac to have a son.  Isaac and Rebekah prayed to God because Rebekah was barren.  They waited 20 years before their sons were born.  Then Rebekah became pregnant with twin sons and they jostled within her so she asked the Lord why this was happening.  The Lord said, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” – Gen. 25:23.   God knew the character of each son even before they were born.  Esau was born first then Jacob.  As they grew they were very different.  Esau was hairy and became a skillful hunter.  Jacob was quiet and stayed among the tents.  Isaac favored Esau because he liked to eat wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Prayer reveals our heart.  It shows our fear, our desires, our priorities, our hurts, etc.  Isaac’s prayer is submissive faith in action to God’s authority and dependence in His power.

What do you pray about?  Prayer is a privilege.  It cost Jesus His life so we can approach God with in prayer with confidence.

What is missing in your life that is God’s will? 

Is it self-control, freedom from bondage, a life of debt, serving the body of Christ, tithing, forgiving, or submitting to authority?

Will you pray for what is missing?  Ask God to grow you.

What promise could you pray on behalf of someone else?

What is going on in your life that you don’t understand?  When you don’t understand, go to God.    

Esau was the oldest, but Jacob was desperate to gain the benefit of God’s promises.  This benefit or birthright was usually given to the oldest son.  Esau acted as if this special blessing of birthright and God’s promises were not important to him so Jacob took advantage of Esau when he was weak.  One day Jacob was cooking stew and Esau came in very hungry and wanted to eat the stew.  Jacob made him swear that he would sell his birthright before he would give him anything to eat.  Esau despised his birthright so he agreed.

As Christians we have a birthright that comes directly from our God.  Instead it being in material possession, our inheritance lies in an identity from God.  We are children of God and participate in His blessings as our spiritual birthright.  Our birthright is to inherit all that Christ offers.  We are heirs of God (Rom. 8:17) and we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ (Eph. 1:3).

Principle:  Living for instant gratification will rob you of spiritual blessings.

In what ways are you selling your birthright?

Are you living for good feelings and missing God’s purpose for your life?

Genesis 26:1-35 – Submissive Faith Perseveres

There was a famine in the land and although Isaac lived in the land God had promised, it didn’t mean life would not be challenging.  So Isaac went south to Abimelech’s land.  Abimelech was the king of the Philistines in Gerar.  The ruler of Gerar was called Abimelech as a title, not his personal name.  The Lord appeared to Isaac and told him not to go any further but to say there for a while and He would bless him and keep the oath He had made to his father, Abraham.  He would make his descendants as numerous as the stars and give them all these lands and through his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed.  God commends Abraham although he was not perfect.  (Gen. 26:1-6)  Isaac obeyed God and stayed in Gerar.

We all face a famine.  Maybe it’s a loss of a job, disobedient child, sickness, or problems in the family.  But God is always with us in it all.  How is God helping you respond to your famine?  What does God’s presence mean to you?  God’s presence brings immeasurable blessing, but does not stop the famine.  The enemy is trying to steal, kill and destroy.  God blesses people even though they may be undeserving.  Sometime we hang in there and sometime we don’t, but God’s presence is always with us.

Isaac was blessed with a beautiful wife like his father.  Isaac lied just as Abraham had in chapter 20 by telling the king that his wife was his sister, because she was beautiful and he was afraid they would kill him because of her.  Then the king found out that she was his wife and gave orders to all the people that no one was to molest Rebekah. (Gen. 26:7-11)  The sin you think was hidden is often obvious to others.

Had Isaac’s father warned him, maybe he would not have lied.  Isaac couldn’t learn from his father, if his father did not share this with him.  Lying is a sin and can never truly help us.  God is gracious and slow to anger, but He doesn’t overlook sin.  There will be consequences to our sin.  Your sin will find you out just as Isaac’s did.  Abraham should have taught Isaac better.  He should have told him that he himself learned a hard lesson when he lied.  He should have explained that he made a terrible mistake long ago so Isaac could learn from his father’s mistakes and not make the same one.

What bad habit have you learned?

How well are you sharing your mistakes with your kids?

In humility are you willing to share your regrets?

Isaac was not perfect.  He took matters into his own hands when he was afraid of Abimelech.  How have you taken things into your own hands?  What were the results?  What mistakes have you made that you would like to take back?  God was still there for Isaac.  He is still there for you.  God is faithful to His promises.

Isaac became very prosperous and powerful so the king told Isaac to move away.  Isaac didn’t want to argue.  He wanted peace so he moved to the valley of Gerar.  Isaac stayed in the land and the Lord blessed him.  He planted crops and became very wealthy.  There he dug new wells, but the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with him saying the water was theirs.  Isaac moved on and dug another well and no one quarreled over it.  The Lord appeared to Isaac and told him not to be afraid and that he would be blessed.  Isaac then built an altar and worshipped the Lord.  Abimelech realized that the Lord was with Isaac and they swore an agreement together. (Gen. 26:12-33)  

Isaac lied to the king about his wife, but God still blessed him.  Why?  That is a glimpse of the mercy, grace, forgiveness, and the faithfulness of God.  He blessed him although he didn’t deserve it just as He blesses us when we don’t deserve it.

Principle:  Submissive faith that perseveres in adversity reveals the faith fullness of God.

When Esau was forty years he married a Hittite.  This was against Abraham’s wishes that his descendants should not marry the women of Canaan.  This grieved his parents, Isaac and Rebekah. (Gen 26:34-35)

Abraham didn’t want his sons or grandsons to marry Canaanite women because they  were considered to be corrupt and immoral.  They were pagans and didn’t worship the true living God.  The Bible says to not be unequally yoked together.  “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?” – 2 Cor. 6:14.

Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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