There comes a time in the life of every family when the young
grow up, when they must leave their mother and father, get married and start
their own homes. This is the account of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac
and Rebekah.
How we had wished that they would present us with a godly picture and
model of marriage and parenthood. We
will be disappointed. Instead, we see a compromised and a divided home. We see a marriage that did not always work
well. Isaac distrusted God’s leading in
the matter of his sons. It is a recipe for trouble, when a
family head’s faith in God’s is
dysfunctional. As a result he distrusted his family. Isaac favoured Esau whilst Rebekah favoured
Jacob. The family dynamics are explained in
25:27,28 , “When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful
hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in
tents. Isaac loved Esau because he ate
of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob”.
Now we understand that according to
custom the oldest son inherited ‘the
blessing’ – the covenantal promise. However, it was made clear from the beginning, that Jacob the twin, (younger, by virtue of the fact that he was born a few minutes after
Esau) was the one destined to inherit the covenantal promises by way of a prophetic word from
God, “the older shall serve the younger” (25:23).
Rebekah knew this but dealt deceitfully with her husband in
order to obtain the outcome. Isaac refused to acknowledge this, because he,
according to his natural instincts favoured Esau. God ultimately sovereignly overruled in the matter, but all
this does not excuse the terrible behaviour of the family. This
dysfunctionality would bring trouble for
many years to come. Actions have
consequences and sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our actions
for the rest of our lives. Isaac and Rebekah sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind
(Hosea 8:7).
And so, we ought not to be surprised as we read the story of
the venture of their boys into married life. It is hair-raising! Esau
married two Hittite women. They made life
bitter for Isaac and Rebekah (26:34).
Esau was an unprincipled, rash and
worldly man. He had no desire after the God of His grandfather Abraham. He
doesn’t care about his birth-right. And yet, he becomes insanely jealous of his
brothers status and blessing. He
corrects his mistakes with another
mistake. In our text we
shall see that Esau, because he
knows that his parents are displeased with his choice of Hittite wives, shall take
yet another wife, and again, she shall not be from the line of the covenant, but from Ishmael’s family. More about that in closing...
As for Jacob, we shall see in the 29th Chapter that he lands up marrying two wives, Leah and
Rachel. This is another story of deceit,
controversy and betrayal. This is not a
story of sinning to begin with, but of being
sinned against. This is the nature of life in this world. We ought to be constantly amazed that God works out His
purposes amidst such messy and
sinful relationships.
Genesis
28:1-9
And so, with the encouragement of his parents, Jacob begins
his journey to Paddan–aram in North Western Mesopotamia,
to the place and home where his mother grew up. Sadly, he will never see his mother again.
When he returned from
Mesopotamia twenty years later afterwards, his mother lay buried in the cave of
Machpelah (49:31), whilst Isaac will
still be alive (35:27).
Jacob will now embark
upon a long spiritual journey in which
he will learn to trust God. He has yet a long way to grow into a man after
God's own heart. I am fascinated by the
story of Jacob the deceiver, who was later renamed Israel (35:10
“He strives with God”. There are so many valuable lessons from the life of Jacob for our own edification, and I intend to explore them with you. We begin with the first nine verses.
OUTLINE:
29:1-2: Isaac's
parting words to Jacob.
29: 3-5: Isaac repeats the covenant blessing.
29: 6-9: Esau’s
foolish response.
1. 29:1-2 Isaac's parting words to Jacob.
Isaac, finally persuaded and now and listening to Rebekah (see her concern in 27:46), strongly exhorts Jacob not to take a wife from among the Canaanites. Esau’s marriage to Judith
and Basemath, Hittite women (a part of the Canaanite race) had brought enough
trouble into their family.
In Genesis 15 we learned that the
Canaanites were a cursed race. We must
understand that the Canaanite were the
reference point for unspeakable evil in the Bible. So, when God instructs
Moses to write the holiness code
(Leviticus) for His people, it is with reference to the evil of these Canaanite people that God speaks and says repeatedly, “you shall not walk in the
customs of the nation that I am driving
out before you” (Lev. 20:23). The history of the Canaanites is hair-raising stuff, but Esau
disregarded all this. However, when he overhears the conversation of his father and
mother with Jacob, concerning their low view of Canaanite women, something
begins to dawn on him. But more of that later …
Isaac counsels Jacob to get a wife
from Paddan-aram near Haran in NW Mesopotamia, his mother’s home. She was the daughter of Bethuel, and
Jacob is told to marry one of her brother’s daughters. Again, we must emphasise that Jacob is not
going to find a perfect wife there. But
Isaac and Rebekah know that the fear of
the LORD, and thus a
sense of common grace, associated with a culture that fears
God, would be found there.
What is more however is that these parents shall set Jacob on
a journey that is ultimately going to be very good for his spiritual
development. That is why I would like to trace this journey with you in terms
of a series of sermons, which may sound a little like John Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress. It is going to be a journey with many ups and
downs, a journey of joys and fears and sorrows. But in all these things God works to make
him into a godlier man. The Lord often works the same way in our own lives to conform
us to the image of Christ.
Many of Jacob's problems, and indeed our own problems can be
traced to his and our own sin. But there
is a difference between the sin of an
Esau and a Judas, and
the sin of a Jacob and a Peter.
In the case of an OT Esau and
a NT Judas their sin
leads them away from God. In the case of an OT Jacob and a NT Peter, both are called by God and both are covenant
children of God, and therefore the LORD turns their
sins into opportunities for growth and
blessing. James, the brother of Jesus reminds us in this regards that trials of
various kinds (i.e. induced by our own sinfulness and otherwise) are not designed to destroy us, but to further our growth
in spiritual maturity (Jas. 1:2,3).
That is what we shall see in Jacob's life. And God, like a wise and loving
Father will not necessarily keep us from making mistakes. He shall not necessarily keep us from our wilful want to sin. But, He will lead us, refine us, mature
us and sanctify us through and in it
all.
2. Isaac confirms the blessing to Jacob. (28:3-5)
Now, Isaac is also learning from his own mistakes. And here Isaac confirms that covenant
blessing, which God first had made with his father, Abraham, and
which he had first given to Jacob, sadly in the context of deceit. However, by confirming this promise to Jacob, Isaac affirms the legitimacy of that blessing, despite the fact that it was originally obtained through deceit.
This covenant blessing will make all the difference in Jacob’s journey
from now on. Covenant means that God is
holding on to Jacob, even when Jacob will at times feel
abandoned and alone. And in those
times he has to remember God's word- God’s promise, for that is the only
thing that he has to hold on to at times.
Remember and internalise the Word of God! Feed on
it and let it sustain you when there is
nothing left. We all experience times such as these. The God of the
covenant shall carry you, dear believer, when you have no hoarded resources
left. I know. I have also been there. This
is the way in which God grows us. This
is the way in which we gain assurance of faith. In the proverbial lion’s den we
learn the nearness and the
presence of God.
The covenantal blessing
“May God Almighty (El Shaddai) bless you. No-one less than
the Almighty, the Everlasting God was
promised here to be with Jacob.
…and make you fruitful
and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.” This is in line with the Abrahamic promise, in
which God told Abraham that he and his family would become a blessing to all
the nations of the earth. Well, in this blessing to Abraham, Isaac and now
Jacob, the promise of God continues. The phrase “company of peoples” (Hebr. qahal)
is the root word for the Old Testament word for ‘church’ or ‘assembly’.
This is the first time it is used in the Bible. This is a great promise, and the fulfilment of it is found in
the continual line of the covenant of
grace, becoming the ekklesia the church of the
NT and eventually the assembly of God’s people from every tribe and
tongue and people and nation will be
found before the throne in heaven (Rev.
5:9; 7:9). What an incredible promise is being given to Jacob.
May he give you the
blessing of Abraham to you ... Isaac is confirming that Jacob has now become the new head of the covenant line. Jacob the deceiver!
Imagine that. But that just shows you what
Paul shows us also in the NT. God’s grace is truly amazing. If you are a struggling Christian, then reflect on the life of Jacob. The race is not yet finished for you, my dear brother and sister, and God may yet make
more out of you than you think. Try not resist God in this process.
...that you may possess
the land of your sojournings which God gave to Abraham. This is Canaan, the promised land of the Hebrew people, but
it is more. It is the promise of a better country ( Hebr. 11:8-10
28:5 With these words Isaac sent Jacob away. And now this interesting phrase ... "And he went to… the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother .” Birth order is not followed here, and it shows
us the sovereignty of God in reversing the natural order of things. God's
electing love doesn't work according to man- made laws. God’s election is always
sovereign and free, and we see it time
and again in the Bible (i.e.the way in which David is chosen as king over
Israel)
3. Esau's
continued folly. (28:6-9)
Esau has overheard
this conversation between his parents and he heard Isaac repeating the blessing to Jacob. And so
he attempts another route to please his parents. Whereas, Esau ought to have
repented, and submitted to God, he now
attempts to correct
the matter of his marriages to
Canaanite women, now marrying Ishmaelite wife. Maybe that was better than a
Hittite, but it wasn't the answer to correct his sinfulness. He needed to flee
to God for grace.
So, there we are. We put our hands before our mouths. The apostle Paul in Romans 9-11, reflecting on the
electing grace of God (and in particular with respect to the story of Jacob and Esau) ends his reflection with these words,
33 Oh, the
depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his
judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of
the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift
to him that he might be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and to
him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
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