Tag: Jacob and Esau
Grudges, pride and destruction!
Scripture reading for September 16: Obadiah
Jacob and Esau were twin brothers. Prophesy was given over them even before they were born that there would be conflict between each other. Esau was the first-born and Jacob came out holding onto his brother’s heel. A spiritual conflict ensued that caused these brothers and their descendants to be in a struggle that lasted for hundreds of years. Jacob got Esau’s birthright for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:32-34) Jacob stole his brother’s blessing from their father Isaac with the help of their mother Rebekah. Esau was furious and held a grudge against Jacob, plotting to kill him. (Genesis 27:41) Jacob fled to Paddan Aram, to Laban’s house to find a wife. (Genesis 28:1-3) Esau had upset his parents by marrying Hittite women who were idolaters! (Genesis 27:44) So this conflict between two brothers smoldered like a fire, particularly in the heart of Esau!
Now, over 500 years later, Obadiah the prophet is sent with a message for Esau’s descendants. They had become a nation that was dwelling next to Israel and Judah but still held a grudge! They had pride in their hearts that they in their own power and strength would make their own way. (Obadiah 3-4) They had violence in their hearts against their brother Jacob and stood aloof while Jacob was under attack. (Obadiah 10-12) They had looked down on their brothers when they were being overtaken by foreigners and actually rejoiced over their misfortune rather than helping to defend them. (Obadiah 12-14) God’s message was that as they had done, it would be done to them! Edom would reap what they had sowed and their pride would result in the destruction of the House of Esau! (Obadiah 15-18)
We can all learn from this sad story! A grudge held can infect a family which can eventually destroy a nation of people. Esau’s grudge was never fully dealt with! Esau’s focus on his own needs, appetites, and personal pride caused his family and eventually a nation that came from him to dwell in pride. This pride and despising of their brothers resulted in God’s judgment and their destruction! Unforgiveness is just as dangerous for us today! It will isolate us from our family and open us up to the enemy of our souls. It will cut us off from God’s grace! Jesus Christ died to heal our broken family ties and restore us to God’s family! Take time today to ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness! Humility always wins and defeats pride’s death traps!
Pride and grudges destroy a nation!
Scripture reading for September 17th: Obadiah
Jacob and Esau were twin brothers. Esau was the first-born and Jacob came out holding onto his brother’s heel. A spiritual conflict ensued that caused these brothers and their descendants to be in a struggle that lasted for hundreds of years. Jacob got Esau’s birthright for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:32-34) Jacob stole his brother’s blessing from their father Isaac with the help of their mother Rebekah. Esau was furious and held a grudge against Jacob, plotting to kill him. (Genesis 27:41) Jacob fled to Paddan Aram, to Laban’s house to find a wife. (Genesis 28:1-3) Esau had upset his parents by marrying Hittite women who were idolaters! (Genesis 27:44) So this conflict between two brothers smoldered like a fire, particularly in the heart of Esau!
Over 500 years later, Obadiah the prophet was sent with a message for Esau’s descendants. They had become a nation that was dwelling next to Israel but still held a grudge! They had pride that their own strength would make their way. (Obadiah 3-4) They had violence in their hearts against their brother Jacob and stood aloof while Jacob was under attack. (Obadiah 10-12) They had looked down on their brothers when they were being overtaken by foreigners and rejoiced over their misfortune rather than helping defend them. (Obadiah 12-14) God’s message was that Edom would reap what they had sowed and their pride would result in the destruction of the House of Esau! (Obadiah 15-18)
We can all learn from this sad story! A grudge held can infect a family which can eventually destroy a nation of people. Esau’s grudge was never fully dealt with! Esau’s focus on his own needs, appetites, and personal pride caused his family and eventually a nation that came from him to dwell in pride. This pride and despising of their brothers resulted in God’s judgment and their destruction! Unforgiveness is just as dangerous for us today! It will isolate us from our family and open us up to the enemy of our souls. It will cut us off from God’s grace! Jesus Christ died to heal our broken family ties and restore us to God’s family! Take time today to ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness! Humility always defeats pride’s death traps!
Discerning True Israel!
Scripture reading for July 25th: Romans 9:1-24
“For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” (Romans 9:3-5) The apostle Paul had great concern for his own countrymen. They had great privileges through being part of Israel and their heritage through Abraham.
But Paul recognized that it was not just a blood tie that made a person part of the true Israel. “For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” (Romans 8:6-7) (Genesis 25:23) God sovereignly chose Isaac through election as the one to carry the blessing over Ishmael.
God has infinite knowledge of what was, what is, and what will be. From this knowledge He is capable of choosing who He will use and will fulfill His purposes. He is the ‘Potter’ and we are the ‘clay’. (Romans 9:20-21) We must trust by faith that God knows what He is doing.
Because of sin, we were all objects of God’s wrath. How come God shows mercy on some and not others? Paul offers a possible answer by posing two questions: “What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath–prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory know to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory–even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:22-24) God’s glory is related to His mercy. He has shown great mercy to those who have not repented and embraced Christ, particularly the Jews who were blinded. This opened the door for both Jew and Gentile to find God’s mercy! Praise the Lord for God’s patience towards us!
Pride caused judgment!
Scripture reading for September 15th: Obadiah
Jacob and Esau were twin brothers. Prophesy was given over them even before they were born that there would be conflict with each other. Esau was the first-born and Jacob came out holding onto his brother’s heel! A spiritual conflict ensued that caused these brothers and their descendants to be in a struggle that lasted for hundreds of years. Jacob got Esau’s birthright for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:32-34) Jacob stole his brother’s blessing from their father Isaac with the help of their mother Rebekah. Esau was furious and held a grudge against Jacob, plotting to kill him. (Genesis 27:41) Jacob fled to Paddan Aram, to Uncle Laban’s house to find a wife. (Genesis 28:1-3) Esau upset his parents by marrying Hittite women who were idolaters! (Genesis 27:44) So this conflict between two brothers smoldered like a fire, particularly in the heart of Esau!
Over 500 years later, Obadiah was sent with a message for Esau’s descendants. They had become a nation that was dwelling next to Israel but still held a grudge! They had pride in their own power and strength to make their own way. (Obadiah 3-4) They had violence in their hearts against their brother Jacob and stood aloof while Jacob was under attack. (Obadiah 10-12) They had looked down on their brothers when they were being overtaken by foreigners and actually rejoiced over their misfortune rather than helping to defend them. (Obadiah 12-14) God’s message was that as they had done, it would be done to them! Edom’s pride would result in the destruction of the House of Esau! (Obadiah 15-18)
We can all learn from this sad story! A grudge held can infect a family which can eventually destroy a nation of people. Esau’s grudge was never fully dealt with! Esau’s focus on his own needs. Personal pride caused his family and eventually the nation that came from him to dwell in pride. This pride resulted in God’s judgment and their destruction! Unforgiveness is just as dangerous for us today! It will isolate us from our family and open us up to the enemy of our soul. It will cut us off from God’s grace! Jesus Christ died to heal our broken family ties and restore us to God’s family! Take time today to ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness! Humility always wins and defeats pride’s death traps!
A Stairway to Heaven
Scripture reading for January 12th: Genesis 27-31
“Jacob left Beersheba and sat out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” (Genesis 28:10-12)
Jacob was the younger twin son of Isaac who had obtained the birthright from his brother Esau by shrewd trading and then connived with his mother to get his father’s blessing. Faith sees what is valuable in God’s economy and takes hold of it. Jacob was sent away from his home for two reasons: Esau was mad enough to kill him after the blessing incident, and Isaac and Rebbecca were distraught at Esau’s Hittite wives. They knew that for God’s blessing to come to pass, Jacob must marry someone of faith from their own family. It is not good to be unequally yoked! (2nd Corinthians 6:14-15) (Genesis 28:2-4)
As Jacob left to find his future wife, he stopped the first night to sleep. He had nothing but a stone for a pillow. God visited him in a dream and showed him a stairway to heaven. God spoke to Jacob from the top of the stairs, ” I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. . . .All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. . . .I will watch over you wherever you go. . . I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15) God was in that place! What words of assurance the Lord gave during a time of transition!
Bethel (House of God) was the name Jacob gave that place. Jacob made a vow to follow God, and set up a stone pillar as a memorial of his encounter. He vowed to tithe off of all that God gave him. When a man promises money, you know that his heart is in it! God is indeed with each of us. We have an open heaven and promised blessing through the descendant of Jacob, Jesus Christ who is our stairway to heaven! (John 14:6) Follow Him today up the stairway!