Old Testament Reading: Genesis 28

“Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, ‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!’ Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, ‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,’ and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth. Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.’” (Genesis 28, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 1:43-51

“The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’” (John 1:43–51, ESV)

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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings found within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without proofreading.] 

Introduction

I think it is safe to say that most Christ-followers have, at some point in their Christian pilgrimage, felt a degree of uncertainty concerning the their relationship with God. Perhaps the uncertainty was the result of falling into some sin which wounded their conscience and grieved the Holy Spirit — living in sin will certainly have a negative impact upon one’s confidence in Christ! Or perhaps it was an attack of the evil one that caused the despair. It is even possible that there was no obvious explanation for the lack of assurance — sometimes these seasons of spiritual darkness are inexplicable. 

Now, it may be that you have experienced a season of uncertainty like this. It is even possible that you are experiencing one now! And if you have not in the past, and are not in the present, it is possible that you, at some time in the future, will feel as if God is distant. Brothers and sisters, please know that there is encouragement to be found in this little story about Jacob for the one who feels unsure. There is light for the sojourner who feels as if darkness has overtaken them, and as if God is distant.  

Let’s step into Jacob’s sandels for a moment. These must have been dark days for Jacob. He must have felt very unsure as he journeyed away from home in the promised land toward Haran, a land that was foreign to him. 

Remember that Haran was the place where Abram had settled for a time with his father Terah as they journeyed from Ur and towards the land of promise at first. Genesis 11:29 says, “Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there” (Genesis 11:31, ESV). The city of Haran was located to the north of Canaan, on the other side of the Euphrates River. Terah, for whatever reason, did not complete the journey. He stopped short of entering into the land of promise with his family. Abraham would complete that journey after his father’s death. 

The thing to notice about this story is that Jacob’s life seems to be going in the wrong direction. His desire was to have the birthright and the blessing. His desire was to inherit the promises made to his grandfather, Abraham, and his father, Isaac. These promises, remember, had very much  to do with the land of Canaan. The LORD spoke to Abraham repeatedly, saying, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7, ESV). He said the same thing to Isaac — “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father” (Genesis 26:3, ESV). Jacob was one of those offspring. In fact, he was the chosen offspring. And yet now he is leaving the land that was promised to him for Haran, that place where his great grandfather, Terah, had stalled out many years before. Jacob must have felt confused, unsure and afraid. 

It is impossible to know what exactly was going on inside of Jacob, but his soul must have been in turmoil. Think of what he had just done. He took part in a wicked scheme to deceive his own father. He took advantage of his frailty. He tricked him in his old age. The law of God says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12, ESV). This law was written by the finger of God and delivered by Moses to Israel many years after Jacob lived. But this law was not invented in the days of Moses. Indeed, it is a part of that moral law that was written upon Adam’s heart in the beginning (see Romans 2:14ff.). This means that even Jacob was bound to keep it. He was to honor his father and mother. And this principle would have also applied to him: “that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” Jacob violated this law, and now he is experiencing a kind of exile from the land, having been sent away to Haran. As I said, these were dark days forJacob. He dishonored his father, he participated in his mother’s sin, he swindled his brother yet again, and the result was separation from his family and from the land that he loved.  

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, sin has this effect. When we violate God’s law it brings division. It disrupts and disturbs the peace. It leads to dark places. And though it be true that your sins are washed away through faith in Jesus the Christ, we must remember that sin still has consequences — earthly and natural consequences.]

Here in this little episode we learn that Jacob reaped what he sowed. He sowed dishonor and deceit, and he reaped division. He was divided from his family and from his land. But in the same episode we also see that God was gracious to Jacob. The favor of the LORD that was set upon him even before he was born remained upon him, despite his sin. Clearly this favor was unmerited — Jacob was obviously undeserving. But God had set his love upon him, and nothing could change that. God spoke to his mother, Rebekah, while he and his older twin brother were still in the womb, saying, “the older shall serve the younger”. And elsewhere the scriptures say that God loved Jacob, but Esau he hated (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13).

That Jacob was chosen of the Lord, and Esau not, is apparent in this story. Let us briefly compare and contrast Jacob and Esau before getting to the heart of this text. 

Notice that after the family was divided by the deception of Isaac, Esau pursued an earthly and fleshly solution to his problem. He knew that his mother and father were displeased with his Canaanite wives. He heard that his mother had said,“I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46, ESV), so “Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had… (Genesis 28:9, ESV). He decided to marry in the clan, thinking that this would please his parents. But notice that he married into the the non-elect family of Ishmael. It was a big swing and a miss for Esau as he pursued an earthly and fleshly solution to his problem.

Esau pursued favor with his parents according to human wisdom, and to no avail. But note that in this story God pursued Jacob and set his favor upon him. God pursued Jacob to reassure him, to comfort him, and to call him to a constant and faithful walk with him. This is the thing that must be noted in —  God pursued Jacob and would not let him go, despite his flaws.

[APPLICATION:  Brothers and sisters, this is how God deals with his covenant children. If God has determined to set his love upon them then he is also faithful to pursue them, to win them, and to never let them go. And here is the foundation of our confidence in Christ Jesus. We are to know for certain that our right standing before God depends, ultimately, not  upon our work, but upon Christ’s. If our right standing before God depended upon our faithfulness, then never could we be sure. But because it depends upon God, and the work that Christ has accomplished on our behalf, we can have confidence in him even in times of darkness and difficulty, for God is faithful to keep his promises.]

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Remember The Promises That The LORD Has Made

Brothers and sisters, in times of darkness we must look to God and remember the promises that he has made. When life grows difficult and we begin to feel uncertain, we must look to God and to his word — it is there that we will find an immovable foundation on which to stand, for God is faithful, and his word is sure. This principle is clearly present in this narrative. 

Did you notice that twice in this story the LORD was gracious to remind Jacob of his promises concerning him? The first reminder came by way of the blessing that his father, Isaac, pronounced upon him. And the second reminder came by way of a dream. 

It is in verses 3 and 4 that we find Isaac pronouncing a blessing upon Jacob before he leaves for the region of Paddan-aram (and more specifically, the city of Haran). There Isaac speaks to Jacob, saying, “God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” (Genesis 28:3–4, ESV)

This was a very significant moment. It was significant, not only for Jacob, but also for Isaac. For here we see that Isaac was no longer determined to give the blessing to Esau, but had resigned himself to the fact that Jacob, the younger of the two, was indeed the son of promise, according to the revealed will of God. Isaac finally got it, in other words.  

And this moment was obviously significant forJacob, for in this moment he heard his father knowingly and willingly speak to him and pronounce upon him the blessings and promises that were given first to Abraham. Jacob had been blessed before, remember. But that first blessing was given to him, not willingly and knowingly, but by deception. It is not as if that first blessing didn’t count. Isaac clearly though that it counted. But Jacob must have wondered if he was really blessed of the Lord, given the way that he got the blessing. Here blessed by his father knowingly and willingly.  

Jacob was reminded of three promises as Isaac pronounced this blessing upon him. One, God had promised to make him into a great multitude — he would have many descendents. Two, these offspring of his would be blessed, and they would be a blessing to the nations. And three, these descendents would possess the land of promise — the land in which Abraham, Isaac, and now he, sojourned. These promises were not new promises. They were given first to Abraham, and then to Isaac. And in this moment Jacob watched his father — the father that he had not long ago deceived — knowingly and willing give these promises to him.

In verses 10 through 15 Jacob is again reminded of the promises of the LORD, but this time the reminder came in the form of a dream.  

In verse 10 we learn that “Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set [I think we are to feel the loneliness and uncertainty of Jacob as he finds himself without a place to stay as darkness overtakes him]. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep [this was common for shepherds to do as they slept in the open field]” (Genesis 28:10–11, ESV).

In verse 12 we read, “And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it…” What an awesome sight this must have been! The heavens were opened before Jacob. He saw a vision of the Lord. And traveling up and down on this ladder were angels. 

Now, what did this vision mean? Well, the words that God spoke to Jacob help to clarify the meaning of the vision.  Verse 13: “And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’” (Genesis 28:13–15, ESV)

Notice five things about this vision and the word of the LORD spoken to Jacob:

One, Jacob saw the LORD, who reveled himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac. Friends, nothing in our lives will be right until we know the LORD. We were created to know him, to live in obedience to him, and for his glory, for he is our Maker. Take special note of this: The LORD revealed himself to Jacob. And this is the way that it always goes. Now that we are fallen into sin, we do not search for the LORD, but instead the LORD graciously reveals himself to us, if we are one of his elect. Jacob was elect of the LORD — this we know.  He was not pursuing the Lord, but the LORD pursued him and revealed himself to him. 

Two, notice that the LORD promised to always be with Jacob. “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go”, he said. The LORD was seen in heaven, but the ladder signified the LORD’s presence and activity upon the earth. We must remember that though we cannot see the LORD, he is ever present with his people. This is a great source of encouragement to the people of God in every generation. God is with his people. He dwells in the midst of them. He will never leave them nor forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). And if this true (which it certainly is) then we can go anywhere and endure anything, for God is  with us. 

When the church in Rome was experiencing hardship Paul the Apostle encouraged them with these words: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35–39, ESV). The greatest source of encouragement for the Roman church was to know that God  was with them, and that nothing could separated them from his love in Christ Jesus. And this is what Jacob needed to hear in order to have courage for his journey — he needed to be assured that the LORD would go with him.

Three, the LORD reassured Jacob of his special plan for the land of Canaan, which he was about to leave. “The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring”, he said. And he promised, saying, I “will bring you back to this land”. The ladder had it’s top in heaven, but it’s base was set down in Canaan, indicating that that place was a special place. God’s would do a special work there in the years to come. The LORD would bring Jacob back to the land. 

Four, the LORD reassured Jacob of his special plan for his offspring. “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south.” The rest of the Pentateuch will show the initial fulfillment of this promise through the birth of the nation of Israel, who would come from Jacob’s loins. 

And five, the LORD reassured Jacob that  it would be through his offspring that all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. Of course, we know that this promise finds it’s ultimate fulfillment in the Christ, who would come into the world through the nation of Israel, and would die as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There is no greater blessing than to have your sins for given and to be reconciled to God. Christ came to give that blessing,  not only to the Israelite, but to all the nations of the earth.   

Understand this clearly, therefore. God plan for Israel, who would descend from Jacob, was, from the beginning, that they would serve as a kind of mediator between God and mankind. The God of heaven determined to make a way for the peoples of the earth to be reconciled to him, and this he would do in the land of Israel and through the people of Israel, who would descend from Jacob. Indeed, the ladder that bridged the gap between heaven and earth signified this very thing. 

At the beginning of this sermon I read from John 1:43-51. And I did so because there we find Christ’s interpretation of the vision that was shown to Jacob of the ladder to heaven and the angels ascending an descending upon it. We have asked the question, what  did this vision mean? And we would be wise pay carful attention to Jesus’ explanation. In John 1:43ff. we learn that a man named Nathaniel was amazed because Jesus knew that he was sitting under a fig tree when Philip had approached him. Nathaniel responded to Jesus, saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Listen again to Jesus’ response to him. “Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these. Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man’” (John 1:50–51, ESV).

Clearly, Jesus was referring to the Genesis  28 passage that we are considering today. Notice that Jesus spoke of heaven being opened and of angels ascending and descending. But strangely there is no mention of the ladder. And why is that? Notice, it is because Jesus claimed to be the ladder! To  Nathaniel he said, “you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on [me] the Son of Man”!

What did the ladder signify? The ladder shown to Jacob in the dream signified Christ. It revealed to Jacob that God would provide a way for man to be reconciled to him. God would provide a mediator — a Savior who would bridge the chasm of sin that had opened up between God and man. Jesus Christ is the door; he is the way; he is the narrow gate. Indeed, he is the ladder which connects heaven and earth, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6, ESV)

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, these promises made to Jacob and the vision shown to him apply to you and to me, but not in the exact same way that they applied to him. These promises were made to Jacob. God would be with him as he journeyed away from the promised land, and he would be faithful to bring him back. God would give him many descendents, and to them he would give the land of Canaan. These promises would be fulfilled in the formation of the nation of Israel and in their conquest of Canaan. Through Jacob’s offspring the nations of the earth would be blessed. Considered in this way, these promises belonged uniquely to Jacob, and not to us. But considered from the vantage point of their fulfillment in Christ Jesus, these promises are also ours. In Christ, God has reconciled us to himself. We belong to him through faith in Christ, and we are to rest assured that he will never leave us nor forsake us. He will bring us safely home into the new heavens and earth. Indeed, nothing can separated us from his love. 

You and I need to be reminded of these promises continually, don’t we? Just as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were frequently reminded of God’s promises to them, so too we must be reminded of God’s promises to us. Stated differently,  we must be reminded of the gospel. We must be reminded of that good news, that through faith in Jesus the Christ we find the forgiveness of our sins. We must be reminded of that good news, that though we were once children of wrath, now we are children of God. We must be reminded that the God has promised to never leave nor to forsake us. He will finish the work that he started in us. He will bring us safely home, for we are Christ’s beloved bride, if indeed we have been united to him by faith and cleansed by his blood. 

Friends, the gospel is not only something that we need to hear at the beginning of the Christian life, but always and until the LORD calls us home. The gospel  —  and no, I am not referring to that ultra simple, watered down version of the gospel that is often preached in our day, but the full, robust, Christ centered gospel that was preached from all the scriptures by the first disciples of Christ — that gospel is always something that we need to be reminded of. For that gospel is the very basis of our assurance before God.

In times of difficulty and darkness, this is what need more than anything — we must look to God and remember his promises and that he will be faithful to keep them.]

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Respond In Faithful Worship 

Having been reminded of the promises of God that are ours in Christ Jesus, it is only right that we then respond in faithful worship. Notice that this is what Jacob did. After being reminded of God’s promises to him he arose in faith and he worshipped. This, brothers and sisters, is medicine for a troubled soul. Instead of withdrawing from God, we ought to draw near to him in times of trouble, for he is what we most need. 

Verse 16: “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven’” (Genesis 28:16–17, ESV). 

Clearly, Jacob felt alone and distant from God as he sojourned. But in this dream it was reveled that God was with him and always before him. Jacob didn’t realize it at first, but now he knows. 

The scriptures say that Jacob was afraid. This is always the response of men when then behold the glory of the LORD. They often tremble with fear and fall down before the LORD as if dead. 

[APPLICATION: You and I would be wise to live life mindful of the fact that the God of glory is, in fact, ever before us. The radiance of his glory is typically hidden from our sight, but this does not change the fact that he is always before us. We live our lives before his face. He sees all. He knows all. He is everywhere present. And he is awesome. The fear of the LORD, brothers and sisters, is the beginning of wisdom.] 

Consider now the response of Jacob. Verse 18: “So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.’” (Genesis 28:18–22, ESV)

This stone that Jacob used for a pillow at night was turned into a memorial. Jacob turned it on  it’s side so that it  would stand out as unnatural and manmade. It pointed to heaven, perhaps as a reminded that the God of heaven had revealed himself to him. 

When Jacob poured out the oil upon the rock it was an act of worship.  He “sacrificed” some of the precious oil in  faith and out of gratitude to the God of heaven.

Jacob named the place “Bethel” which means “house of God”. This was an acknowledgement of the truth that had been revealed to him — that God would be present in this land in a special way. He would dwell with his people there. And through this land all the peoples of the earth would be blessed. 

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.’”

This vow was obviously a personal profession of faith uttered by Jacob. He vowed to have the LORD as his God. He would enjoy communion with the LORD in his house. He would worship the LORD by giving him a tenth of all. But this vow also anticipated the formation of the nation of Israel. Jacob would do all of these things, on a much larger scale, through Israel who would descend from him. The LORD would be Israel’s God. They would enjoy communion with the LORD in his house. And they would worship him by giving a tenth of all by bringing their tithes and offerings up to the tabernacle, and later temple.

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, having been reminded of the promises of God that are ours in Christ Jesus I ask you, will you respond in worship? Will you rise up, even in times of darkness and dispare, to give God glory? Will you honor him as your covenant Lord and God. This you decided to do at the start of  the Christian life, but may I suggest to you this is something you must decide to do continually, day by day, an especially Lord’s Day, by Lord’s Day. Will you  come into his house to enjoy communion with  him? Will you give of your offerings, willingly, thankfully and cheerfully?]

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, in times of difficulty and darkness, this is where we need to be. Many have a propensity to run and hide when the going gets  tough. Instead, we ought to draw near.  We ought to draw near to the Lord. We ought to come into his house to hear his word proclaimed and to be reminded of his promises. We ought to come and worship, for the LORD  is faithful and worthy of our praise. 

Psalm 100: “A PSALM FOR GIVING THANKS. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100, ESV).

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

1. Why would Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, put such a heavy emphasis upon the faults of the patriarchs of Israel, and of our faith?
2. Rebekah and Jacob were clearly deceptive, but why does this mess fall at the feet of Isaac ultimately?
3. How was Rebekah right? How was she wrong? What should her approach have been?
4. How does this story apply to you?

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Old Testament Reading: Genesis 27:1 – 28:5

“When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, ‘My son’; and he answered, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.’ Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, ‘I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.’ But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.’ His mother said to him, ‘Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.’ So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. So he went in to his father and said, ‘My father.’ And he said, ‘Here I am. Who are you, my son?’ Jacob said to his father, ‘I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.’ But Isaac said to his son, ‘How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?’ He answered, ‘Because the LORD your God granted me success.’ Then Isaac said to Jacob, ‘Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.’ So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, ‘The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.’ And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, ‘Are you really my son Esau?’ He answered, ‘I am.’ Then he said, ‘Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.’ So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, ‘Come near and kiss me, my son.’ So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, ‘See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed! May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!’ As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, ‘Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.’ His father Isaac said to him, ‘Who are you?’ He answered, ‘I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.’ Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, ‘Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.’ As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, ‘Bless me, even me also, O my father!’ But he said, ‘Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.’ Esau said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.’ Then he said, ‘Have you not reserved a blessing for me?’ Isaac answered and said to Esau, ‘Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?’ Esau said to his father, ‘Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.’ And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: ‘Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.’ Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’ But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, ‘Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?’ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, ‘I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?’ Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, ‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!’ Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.” (Genesis 27:1 – 28:5, ESV)

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Introduction

Let me begin by drawing your attention to something that I have pointed out before in our study of the stories of Abraham and Isaac, the fathers of Israel, and of our faith. When Moses wrote this history of the Israelite nation, he highlighted, not only the good and nobel qualities of Israel’s patriarchs, but to the contrary, their faults and their failings. This should strike us as unusual. This is not typically how histories are written. Certainly, this is not how histories are written if the objective is to foster a kind of national, religious or ethnic pride amongst a people. If that were the goal then the author would highlight the strengths and success of the forefathers. Histories are often written in much the same way that people post to Facebook and Instagram — everything looks rosy on Instagram, doesn’t it! I don’t see many selfies of people who have just gotten out bed in the morning, do you? Instead, we tend to draw attention to the very best aspects of our lives, while concealing our blemishes.  

Clearly the objective of the book of Genesis is not to foster pride within Israel concerning the patriarchs. Instead, the narrative makes it clear that these were men of faith who were flawed and prone to failure. Instead, the objective of Genesis is to give glory to God and to promote faith in the Covenant Lord. He is the one who is faithful, holy and strong. He fulfills his promises, despite our sin. Our hope must not be set in man, therefore, but in God who is faithful. And neither should we boast in man, but only in the LORD.

In Jeremiah 9:23-24 we read, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (Jeremiah 9:23–24, ESV)

Do you  see, brothers and sisters, how the Holy Scriptures from the very beginning establish this proper perspective. God is God. He is the creator of heaven and earth, sustainer of all things, and he is our redeemer. And we are mere men — fallen and sinful men. Whatever good that we have, therefore, is by the mercy and grace of our loving Lord. Certainly our redemption is only by his grace. We must set all of our hope and trust in him.

This story concerning the family of Isaac is a very sad story. Here we see clearly that the family of Isaac — Abrahams son of promise — was dysfunctional and divided. It is actually a bit surprising to learn after all of the hype concerning the birth of Isaac and the promises that were made concerning him. Isaac was the chosen one, remember? And so too, Rebekah seemed very impressive at the start. She was a hard working girl, hospitable, beautiful inside and out. She was portrayed as a female version of Abraham, willing to leave her father, mother and country for a foreign land. She walked by faith and not by sight. Hopes were high, therefore, concerning Isaac and Rebekah. But here we see a different side of things. In this narrative Isaac and Rebekah are divided and deceptive towards one another, and so too were their sons. 

Our approach today will be to consider each of the characters in this story — Isaac and Rebekah, Esau and Jacob — to understand where they went wrong. As we do we will be warned against going down the same path. And at the same time we will be comforted as we are reminded of the amazing grace of our loving Lord. How astonishing it is to think that the Lord determined to use sinners such as these. More than that, he set some of them apart as his own, despite their flaws. Brothers and sisters, God’s grace is truly amazing. It is astonishing to think that he would set his love upon sinners such and you and me. 

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Isaac Failed To Lead His Covenant Family In The Ways Of The LORD

It is clear in this narrative that both Rebekah and Jacob acted deceptively — and we will come to address their shameful deception of Isaac in a moment. But I would suggest to you that this messy situation actually originated with Isaac who failed to lead his covenant family in the ways of the LORD. Isaac was deceived in the end, but in fact much of the blame lands at his feet.

Commentators seem to agree that a careful analysis of the narrative of Genesis reveals that Isaac was a man with a  passive, non-confrontational temperament. Truly, it is good and virtuous to be a gentle-man. Paul urges this in Colossians 3:12-14, saying, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12–14, ESV). Men and women who are growing in godliness will manifest these qualities — they will be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, and patient, just as our Lord was. Christian men should be gentle-men.

But I am afraid that some think that to be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, and patient also means that we are to be passive and always non-confrontational. Friends, it should not be difficult to see that though our Lord was perfectly compassionate, kind, humble, meek, and patient, he certainly was not passive and non-confrontational. Do not conflate the two things, therefore. A godly person — male or female — ought to possess those humble and meek qualities, but they also should have the courage to do what is right, and to confront wrongdoing where it is present. It is easy to be harsh and judgmental. One only has to give in to to his or her sinful passions to do that! And it is easy to passive. Again, one only has to give in to his or her desire for personal comfort to so that! But it is difficult to be both humble, meek and mild and to at the same time bold, courageous and appropriately confrontational, as our Lord was. Both of things require self-control. Both of these things involve the denial of self. It seems that Isaac was meek and mild. But it also seems that this quality of his was accompanied by a propensity towards passive, non-confrontational neglagence.  

Consider these observations: 

One, notice the emphasis in the previous passage, and also at the end of this one, upon Esau’s marriage to Hittite women who made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah. Now granted, Esau was his own person. Perhaps he rebelled against the wishes of his parents in this regard. But Esau’s choice in marriage should be contrasted with the insistence of Abraham that Isaac take a wife, not from amongst the people of the land, but from his own clan. Abraham insisted, and he was also diligent to send his servant away to find a suitable wife for Isaac, and the servant returned with Rebekah, as you know. Why didn’t Isaac do the same for his sons? Why did he neglect to follow the pattern established by his father? We didn’t have all the answers. But it seems clear that Isaac was far less concerned to maintain purity within the covenant family when compared to the pattern established by his father Abraham.  

Two, notice that Isaac is portrayed in this narrative as being a man driven by his appetite and his love for pleasure, just like his son Esau. Food is mentioned a lot in this passage. Isaac is portrayed as one who really loves his food. In particular, he loves the food that Esau prepared from the game that he hunted in the field. In fact, we were told way back in Genesis 25 that “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” (Genesis 25:28, ESV) Now, please don’t misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with enjoying food with thanksgiving to the glory of God. But as we consider the narrative of Genesis in its entirety I think we are to connect Isaacs love for food, with Esaus love for food. Remember that earlier in the narrative Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red lentil stew. In that moment Esau didn’t really care about his birthright. He didn’t really care about being the heir of the promises of God given to Abraham and Isaac. He just wanted to be comforted in the moment. Esau was man controlled by his appetites. I believe that we are to see a connection between Esau and Isaac in this regard. Isaac, it seems, was like Esau. He was more concerned with his personal comfort, than with faithfulness to the word of God. 

Three, though it might be a little difficult for the modern reader to see, something is not right from the start of this narrative. Isaac was getting older. His health was clearly failing. And because he did not know when he would die, he acted according to the custom of the day and set out to pronounce blessings upon his offspring. Last words like these are always very important. But they were especially important in the case of the family of Isaac given the promises of God that were given to them. Now, I said that Isaac acted according to the custom of the day, but this is only half true. In fact, he broke with custom in a very significant way. Instead of gathering the whole family, including all of his sons, he called only Esau to himself.  Compare this with what Jacob would do when he knew that his death was drawing near. Genesis 49:1 we learn that “Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come’” (Genesis 49:1, ESV),  and afterward he pronounced his blessings (and curses) upon them. So there is something strange about this from the start. It doesn’t pass the smell test. Truth be told, Rebekah and Jacob were not the only ones guilty of acting deceptively here.

So what exactly was Isaac up to here? Well, the issue becomes clear when we remember the oracle of God that was given to Rebekah years earlier. When the twins were still at war within her womb “the LORD said to [Rebekah], ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger’” (Genesis 25:23, ESV). Now, it is hard to know what exactly was going  on within Isaac’s mind and heart, but when all things are considered it is clear that he was preparing to act contrary to the revealed word of God by blessing Esau as if he were the one who was blessed of the Lord.

Listen carefully to the blessing that Isaac prepared for Esau. Now, as you know, he ended up pronouncing it upon Jacob, but he prepared it for Esau. In verse 28 we hear Issac say, “May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” (Genesis 27:28–29, ESV).

Two things must be observed: One, the blessing that Isaac had prepared for Esau was rooted in the promise that God made to Abraham. To Abraham it was said, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV). You here the same language being used in the blessing  that Isaac had prepared for Esau. Understand, therefore, that Isaac was determined to pass the promises made to Abraham on to his eldest so n Esau. 

Two, notice that this blessing also addresses the question of who will rule over who. “Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you”, Isaac said. When Isaac prepared to pronounce this blessing upon Esau instead of Jacob it is clear that he was acting in direct contradiction to the revealed word of God. God spoke to Rebekah revealing that the older would serve the younger, but Isaac determined to say that the younger would serve the older. It is no wonder that he was seeking around and planned to  exclude the involvement of Rebekah and Jacob in the pronouncement of this blessing.

It is hard to know what exactly was going on in Isaac’s mind and heart that would lead him to take such a course of action. Was Esau simply his favorite? Did Esau distrust Rebekahs testimony concerning the word of God delivered to her while the twins were in her womb? Or did Isaac simply lack the courage to follow through on doing what was countercultural in obedience to the word of God? Blessing Jacob as the one with the birthright and the one to receive the promises would have required great courage and faith. We may never know. But what is clear is that Isaac was out of step with what God had revealed, and his sneakiness indicates that he knew it. 

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, there is a lot that we can learn from Isaac’s shortcomings. In particular I am remind of the fact that there are sins of commission, and there are also sins of omission. You know what sins of commission are. They  are the sins that we commit in violation of the law of God. We sin a sin of commission when we do something that the law of God forbids. A sin of omission is a bit different. We sin a sin of omission when we fail to do that which God has required of us. We sin a sin of commission when we telling a lie, but we sin a sin of omission when we fail to tell the truth.

It seems to me that sins of omission can be a little harder to detect. Brothers and sisters, have you loved your neighbor as you ought? Fathers, are you raising your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Husbands, are you loving your wives as Christ has loved the church? Wives, are you honoring your husband as the church does Christ? Children, are you respecting your parents? 

When we think of sin we often think of sins of commission. Repent of things that we have thought, said, or done. We strive to not do that which is forbidden in God’s law. And all of that is good! But I would exhort you to also be mindful of sins of omission — to ask the Lord to reveal to you the ways in which you are failing to do that which God has required. It seem’s to me that Isaac’s flaw was that he was passive and negligent. May we learn from his failings and take a different path, seeking to always do that which is pleasing to the Lord.  

We have asked our children the question, “what is sin?”  And how have we instructed them to answer? They are right to answer, “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God” (Baptist Catechism 17). Did you hear it? Did you hear it? Did you hear the teaching that there are sins of omission and commission? “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God”. 

When we come before the Lord in our daily prayers we should ask him to reveal to us all of the ways that we falling short of his law. We ought to say, Lord, is there anything that I am doing that is sinful in your sight? And we should also, Lord, is there anything that I am failing to do which you have asked of me? Perhaps the Lord will speak to you by his word and the promptings of the Spirit, saying, yes, child. You have failed to forgive that one who sinned against you. Or, you have failed to loving exhort that brother who is living in sin. Or, you have failed give unto me of your tithes and offerings. Or, you have been negligent in the your family in the ways of the Lord.] 

*****

Rebekah Was Right, But Her Method Was All Wrong

This sermon is very imbalanced — I’ll  admit it. I’ve taken almost all of my time to talk about Isaac. What I have to say about Rebekah, Esau and Jacob will have to be very brief. But I think it is alright, for the gist of the story has been communicated in our consideration of Isaac.   

What shall we say about Rebekah? Well, I think we must admit that though Rebekah was right to want the blessing to fall upon Jacob, her method in bringing it about was all wrong. Rebekah was deceptive, dishonoring and manipulative towards her husband. She should have honored him, despite his faults and failures, and trusted that the Lord would sort it out in the end. 

[APPLICATION: You’ve heard the expression that “two wrongs don’t make a right”, haven’t you? There is a lot of truth to that! I have seen Christians stumble in this regard. When they are mistreated they reson within themselves that they are justified treat the person badly in return. But didn’t Christ say, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…” (Luke 6:27, ESV)? And remember Peter’s words to Christian wives: “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct…” (1 Peter 3:1–2, ESV) And a little laters he said, “For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening” (1 Peter 3:5–6, ESV). It is worth noting that Sarah is put forth as a model in this regard, but not Rebekah. Both women were married to flawed men, but Sarah excelled in honoring her husband despite his failures. And notice that she was able to do so because she trusted in the Lord. She “hoped in God” and therefore did “not fear anything that is frightening”.]

Rebekah fell short in this. It was right for her to want this blessing for Jacob. She was correct to think that Isaac was taking the wrong course. But her solution was wrongheaded. She should have trusted in the Lord, put away her fears, and honored her husband, in obedience to the Lord.  

Instead she was deceptive. She decided to get the appropriate blessing forJacob through trickery. It was a bold plan that she concocted, wasn’t it!

But the plan was dishonoring towards her husband. She took advantage of him in his old age. Clearly, Isaac was very frail. Rebekah knew that the vitality oof his senses was greatly diminished. He could hardly see. His sense of touch must have also been impaired. So too his hearing, and probably even his sense of taste — Rebekah knew that she would be able to substitute goat for venison and get away with it! It is a really sad scene, isn’t it, to see Rebekah take advantage of her husbands frailty in this way.   

But in this story we learn that she was quite manipulative. Even after the deception was discovered and Esau burned with anger, Rebekah manipulated Isaac to send Jacob away. She spoke to Isaac saying (verse 46), “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46, ESV). Yuck. She is overly dramatic. She refused to address the real issue, which is Esau’s plan to kill Jacob. And pushed Isaac around to get her way. 

[APPLICATION: I’ve come into contact with some very manipulative people during my time in the ministry. They are difficult people to deal with. At the core of the manipulative person is this characteristic: they refuse to deal with the real issue, whatever it may be, but instead that exaggerate, tell half truths, lie and deceive inorder to get what they want. What they lack is honesty and directness. Let us learn to be honest and direct, brothers and sisters. Let us put away all of our manipulative tactics, no matter if they be passive or aggressive. Our supreme goal in life must not be to get what we want, but to do what God wants, and to love our neighbor.]

Notice that Rebekah feared loosing her sons, Esau and Jacob. In verse 45 she spoke to Jacob saying,  “Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?” (Genesis 27:45, ESV) Ironically, she ended up getting what she feared — she lost both of her sons, not to death, but to division. Her relationship with Esau was certainly greatly damaged. And Jacob would be sent away to preserve his life, not for a short time, but for many, many years. 

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, sin makes a real mess of things. This is true of both sins of commission, but also sins of omission. And though it is true that we don’t know much about Isaac and Rebekahs relationship, one gets the sense that it was a neglected relationship. They were divided. They loved their children, but maybe to the neglect of one another. To the married couples I says this — pursue intimacy with your spouse. Make the marriage relationship the most important of all human relationships. There is no other human relationship as close as the one shared by husband and wife, for the two become one flesh, till death do them part.]   

*****

Esau Is Again Proven To Be A Man Driven By His Passions

I now have very little time to say anything at all about Esau and Jacob. 

I will be content to say that this about Esau — he is again proven to be a man driven by his passions. 

Notice how giddy he is to receive the blessing from his dying father. Commentators have noted that he seems a little too excited about the blessing, when he probably should be grieving his fathers poor condition. 

Notice also the way that he responds after he discovers that the blessing was stolen from him. Verse 34: “As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, ‘Bless me, even me also, O my father!’” (Genesis 27:34, ESV). Isaac didn’t have a blessing for him, but said instead, “By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck” (Genesis 27:40, ESV). These words would prove true in the history of the Edomite peoples who would descend from Esau. They would be in perpetual conflict with Israel, who would come from Jacob. They would be under Israels yoke. But when the time would come for Israel to go into captivity the Edomites would break Jacob’s yoke from their neck and help to overthrow them. 

Lastly, notice that Esau burned with the passion of hatred towards his brother. Verse 41: “Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob’” (Genesis 27:41, ESV).

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Jacob Is Again Proven To Be A Deceptive Heal Snatcher

Lastly, let us recognize that Jacob is again proven to be a deceptive heal snatcher.

Jacob went along with his mothers plan to deceive his father. He did express some hesitation, but only out of  fear of what would happen to him if he were found out. Verse 11: “Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.’ His mother said to him, ‘Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.’” (Genesis 27:11–13, ESV).

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Conclusion 

What a mess. So much division and dysfunction! And yet what do we see? Jacob was indeed blessed of the Lord! All of this dysfunction did not thwart the plans and purposes of God!

Notice that in 28:1 Isaac blesses Jacob again. He seems to have his head on straight now — he seems to have resigned himself to the word of God spoken to Rabekah concerning the older serving the younger. For here he clearly gives the promises make to Abraham to Jacob, saying, “‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!’ Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother” (Genesis 28:1–5, ESV). 

Clearly, the writer to the Hebrews had the end of the story in mind when he emphasized the faith of Isaac, saying “By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20, ESV). The blessing that Isaac pronounced, though misguided and misdirected at first, were uttered in faith knowing that God would fulfill the promises made to Abraham. And in the end Isaac did get it right. He set the promises made to Abraham down upon Isaac.  

Brothers and sisters, though our sin and rebellion might bring upon us all manner of discomfort, one thing it cannot do is thwart the purposes of God. For the LORD is “God, and there is none like [him], declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isaiah 46:9–10, ESV). Indeed, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13, ESV). 

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Genesis 27:1-28:5
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

• How do the promises made to Isaac apply to us?
• What did fear drive Isaac to do? How does living in fear reveal a lack of faith? What is the difference between living  wisely and living fearfully?
• Every Christian is richly blessed in Christ Jesus and ought to be thankful and content. Discuss. 

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Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups Joe Anady Genesis 26
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Old Testament Reading: Genesis 26

“Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.’ So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, ‘She is my sister,’ for he feared to say, ‘My wife,’ thinking, ‘lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,’ because she was attractive in appearance. When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife. So Abimelech called Isaac and said, ‘Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?’ Isaac said to him, ‘Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’’ Abimelech said, ‘What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.’ So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, ‘Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.’ And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) And Abimelech said to Isaac, ‘Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.’ So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, ‘The water is ours.’ So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, ‘For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.’ From there he went up to Beersheba. And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.’ So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well. When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, Isaac said to them, ‘Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?’ They said, ‘We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.’ So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, ‘We have found water.’ He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” (Genesis 26, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Acts 3:11–26

“While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: ‘Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.’” (Acts 3:11–26, ESV)

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Introduction

If you are paying very careful attention in our study of the book of Genesis you may have thought to yourself, this story seems to be a bit out of place. But it would only seem out of place if your expectation is for the narrative of Genesis to proceed chronologically. In the previous chapter we were told of the birth of the twins, Esau and Jacob, to Isaac and Rebekah. But here in this passage we encounter a story which seems to have happened in the days prior to the birth of the boys. Notice that the twins are not mentioned in this story. And even more significantly, it is difficult to immagine all of this happening if Isaac and Rebekah were sojourning with twins in tow. Certainly, it would have been impossible for Isaac to say that Rebekah was his sister, and not his wife, if children were in the picture. They are married but without children in this story. 

A question we should as is, why this non-chronological organization to the book of Genesis? The answer is that Genesis is sometimes organized thematically. In other words, it is structured,  not so that you might have chronological understanding of historical events, but so that you might get the point that is being made in the passage.

This non-chronological organization of Genesis forces us to  compare and contrast the story of Issac with the story of his father, Abraham, for the two cycles, or stories, mirror one another in their thematic organization. In other words, if you were to set the story of Abraham alongside the story of Issac (which we are now considering) you would see that they follow a similar pattern. The pattern is easy to see even in the first two scenes of each of the cycles. 

If you were set the first scene of the Abraham story (11:27 – 12:9) alongside the first scene of the Isaac story (25:19-28) you would notice that they mirror one another thematically. In those introductory passages promises are made concerning the offspring of Abraham and the offspring of Isaac. And do you remember the way that the second scene of the Abraham story began? Genesis 12:10 reads, “Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife… Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake’ (Genesis 12:10–13, ESV). Does that sound very familiar to you? It should, for it is very much like the story that we have just read concerning Isaac. In the second scene of the Isaac story  we learn that there was also a famine in his day. And he behaved like his father did when he sojourned, saying that Rebekah was his sister, when she was really his wife.  

The point is this: The story of Abraham and the story of Isaac are meant to be set side by side so that they might be compared and contrasted. They are structured in the same way so that we might do this.  And as we are faithful to consider this text in this way three things become clear. One, the promises that were made to Abraham were also made to Isaac. Two, the fear that plagued Abraham also infected Isaac. And three, the blessings that fell upon Abraham were also showered upon Isaac. 

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The Promises Made To Abraham Were Also Made To Isaac

First,  let us consider that the promises made to Abraham were also made to Isaac.

In verses 1 we read,  “Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines” (Genesis 26:1, ESV). Here we are clued in to the fact that we are supposed to compare Abraham’s famine story with Isaac’s famine story. “There was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham”, the text says. 

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, we should remember that “famines” do sometimes threaten and plague the people of God as they sojourn in this world. Belonging to God does not mean that we are immune from the famine experience. Life will have it’s ups and down. There will times of plenty, and times want, times of sickness and health . May we be like Paul who  said, “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11–13, ESV) 

Our spiritual parents, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecka, endured famine. But when we compare the account of the famine in Abraham’s day (12:10-20) with the account of the famine in Isaac’s day (26:1-11) we see a difference. Whereas Abraham left the land of promise to go down into Egypt, Isaac was told to remain. Verse 2: “And the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt [as Abraham did]; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands…” (Genesis 26:2–3, ESV). Isaac was to stay. 

This would have required great faith. Egypt was not as vulnerable to famine as Canaan was, for the crops of Egypt were watered by the ever consistent flow of the Nile. The crops of Canaan depended upon rain from heaven. Droughts were not uncommon. But Isaac was warned not to run off to Egypt. He was to remain in Canaan, trusting ever in the LORD. The lure of Egypt was undoubtably very strong. Quite literally, the grass looked much greener on the other side. 

[APPLICATION: And I would bet that you also have felt the alure of Egypt. Obviously I do not mean that a literal famine has prompted you to consider a litteral move to that place. But perhaps a “famine” of another kind has prompted you to consider a move to Egypt, spiritually speaking. Following Christ in this world is sometimes difficult, friends. And sometimes the grass does look greener on the other side. But what does the LORD say to you and me? He says, remain in the land and trust in me. Indeed the scriptures say, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12, ESV).

Now, remember that the LORD did not explicitly tell Abraham to go to Egypt. He decided to do that on his own. But the LORD commanded Isaac, saying, do not leave Canaan because of the famine — stay in this land, for it is this land that I will give to your offspring. More than that, the LORD also promised Isaac, saying in verse 3, “I will be with you and will bless you…”  

[APPLICATION: Friends, there is no greater comfort in life than for God to say to you, “I will be with you and bless you.” If God is with us, who can be against us? If God is for us, then what can man do to us. If God is with us, then even the most difficult and trying circumstances will be laced with his grace. His love will comfort us in our affliction. His presence will uphold and sustain us through the trial. Brothers and sisters, be reminded that if we are in Christ Jesus the God has promised to be with us always. This is why James exhorts those who have faith in Christ saying,   

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV). The one who has faith in Christ is not to find his or her security in material possessions. The Christ follower is to be content with what they have, no matter if it is little or much. And we are take courage and comfort in the fact that God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us in Christ Jesus. 

When the LORD called Isaac to remain in the land of promise that was at that time plagued by famine, he reassured  him with these words —  “I will be with you and will bless you…” After this the LORD reminded Isaac of the promises made to his father Abraham and made them to Isaac also, saying, “for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…” (Genesis 26:3–4, ESV). Isaac was to remain in the land knowing that the LORD would be with him to bless him. And he was to remain being mindful of the promises made to his father, and also to him. This land — the land of Canaan — would belong to his offspring. His offspring would be as the stars of heaven (though Rachael was at this time barren). And through his offspring all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. And then the LORD added these words to move Isaac to obey (verse 5): “because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Genesis 26:5, ESV). God would surely accomplish his purposes and fulfill his promises, but it would come about through the obedience of Isaac and his descendents. 

Why does this matter? Why does it matter that the promises made to Abraham were made to Isaac also?

[APPLICATION: It matters because it advances the story of redemption that is told in the pages of Holy Scripture. Promises were made to Abraham concerning land, offspring, and their being blessed of God, and the blessings of the nations through them. And here we those promises being inherited by the next generation. Later in Genesis the promises will be passed along again, and then again, until they are fulfilled in the Exodus event, and after that in the conquest of Canaan, and finally in the life, death, and resurrection of the Christ, the Son of Abraham, the Son of God. Here we are witnessing the unfolding of God’s plan for the salvation of the world. 

These promises made to Isaac also matter because they are yours in Christ Jesus. And how are they yours in Christ Jesus? Well, clearly they do not apply to you in the same way that they applied to Isaac. God has not said to you “to your offspring I will give all these lands”, or “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven” or I will give to your offspring all these lands [meaning Canaan]”, or “in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” Those promises were for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Those promises were fulfilled in the arrival of the Christ! But these promises do belong to you if you are in Christ Jesus, for in him you will partake of the fulness of the rewards that he has earned as the faithful Son of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. 

In Christ we are not waiting to inherit a small sliver of land called Canaan, but, as Peter says, “according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV). For this is what Jesus the Christ has earned — not Canaan only, but a new heavens and new earth. And this he has earned, not for one people group only, but for all the nations of the earth — for all peoples who have faith in his name.] 

The promises made to Abraham were also made to Isaac, advancing God’s work of redemption. 

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The Fear That Plagued Abraham Also Plagued Isaac

But notice that though Isaac remained in the land in obedience to the word of the LORD, he still struggled in the faith. In this story we learn that the fear that plagued had plagued his father Abraham also plagued Isaac.

This part of the story should also sound familiar to you. Verse 6: “So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, ‘She is my sister,’ for he feared to say, ‘My wife,’ thinking, ‘lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,’ because she was attractive in appearance” (Genesis 26:6–7, ESV). Isaac lied about his wife just as his father Abraham lied about his, saying only that she was his sister. Both men were driven by fear to do this unholy thing. Both men lacked faith when they took the road of self protection rather than trusting in the LORD.   

Do not forget that the LORD had promised to be with Isaac and to bless him, but here he  seems to have forgotten those promises. Here he seems to have forgot that the LORD had set his love upon him. Had he remembered the lovingkindness of the LORD he would not have allowed fear to drive him, for “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18, ESV).

It is important to notice that in both the story of Abraham’s deception and the story of Isaac’s deception, the pagan nations are portrayed as having more integrity that the patriarchs. Think about that for moment. When Abraham lied in Egypt and then again in Gerar, those kings were appalled by his actions. They were astonished that Abraham would lie, and they were furious that he would put them in a position where they might sin by taking Sarah as wife. And the same is true here. Verse 8: “When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing [being flirtatious] with Rebekah his wife. So Abimelech called Isaac and said, ‘Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?’ Isaac said to him, ‘Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’’ Abimelech said, ‘What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.’ So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, ‘Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death’” (Genesis 26:8–11, ESV). 

Isaac thought that the men of Gerar were thoroughly wicked. Instead he was humbled to discover that in this instance they were more righteous than he. This is an  important theme. Abraham and Isaac were the fathers of the Israelite nation. The message being communicated to them through this history of their people is that they were chosen by God from amongst the nations, not because they were better than the rest, but by the grace of God alone.    In other words, with the election of Abraham and Isaac a particular people were set apart in the world from the rest. The Israelites would belong uniquely to the LORD for a time,  whereas the nations would remain in darkness. But the beginning of the history of the Israelites makes it plain — it was by grace that they were set apart, and not the result of works, lest anyone amongst them should boast.  

[APPLICATION: This too is our heritage, brothers and sisters. Abraham and Isaac are our forefathers spiritually speaking. And by considering  their imperfections  we are reminded that that our election in Christ is by the  free grace of God alone, and not because of something deserving within us. I have said it before, and I will say it again, there is nothing more humbling than the doctrine of unconditional election when it is properly understood. Remember and never forget that  God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” (2 Timothy 1:9, ESV). 

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The Blessings That Fell Upon Abraham Were Also Showered Upon Isaac

Lastly, let us see that the blessings that fell upon Abraham were also showered upon Isaac. 

No sooner do the scriptures finish describing Isaac’s sin of deception and the righteous actions of Abimelech king of  Gerar, do we read in verse 12,  “And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him” (Genesis 26:12–14, ESV). Indeed,  the LORD was faithful to be with him and to bless him despite his shortcomings. 

The Philistines envied his wealth and so  they began to drive him away. Isaac would dig a well and the Philistines would quarrel over it and claim that it was theirs. This happened repeatedly. It should be noted that this section which runs from 26:18-22 mirrors the story of Abraham’s separating from Lot. Remember that Abraham’s wealth was so great that the land could not support the two of them, so Lot  and Abraham went their separate ways after their herdsmen began to quarrel (Genesis 13). But in the story of the separation of Lot from Abraham, Abraham was blessed of the LORD. And similarly  in the story of Isaac being driven from Gerar, it was Isaac who was blessed of the LORD. 

Verse 23: “From there he went up to Beersheba. And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.’ So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.” (Genesis 26:23–25, ESV)

Why all the talk of well digging? It should be remembered that there was a famine in the land of Cannan, most likely due to a lack of rain. Having a source of water in the Canaan was essential to survival in the land. Here is a clear  sign  of the LORD’s blessing upon Isaac — he provided  water for him in a dry and thirsty land. Isaac was blessed of the LORD, and the provision of water was a clear sign of this blessing.  

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, our sojourning is not physical, but spiritual. And so too our thirst is not physical, but spiritual. Those blessed in the LORD are those who have faith in Christ. And what does Christ say? “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35, ESV). And, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37–38, ESV).]

In verses 26-33 we learn that even the Philistines, as they are called in this passage, recognized that Isaac was blessed. Abimelech,  Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army came to Isaac and said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you…” (Genesis 26:28, ESV).

[APPLICATION: Friends,  I ask you, when the world looks in upon your life can they tell that you are blessed in Christ? Can they see something distinguishing about you — love, joy, peace? Do they see someone who’s hunger and thirst has been satiated? Do they see one who is thankful and content? Oh that we would walk with Christ in such way that the world around us would take notice and come to us to ask “for a reason for the hope that is in [us] (1 Peter 3:15, ESV). When the world looks in upon your life do they see someone who I shape  and blessed in the Lord? They should! And if they don’t, then something needs to change. 

Friends, if you are in Christ then you are  truly blessed. Isaac was blessed with earthly things, and the kings of Gerar took note of it.  But if you are in Christ you are blessed in the spiritual realm. God has blessed us “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:3–12, ESV).]

Perhaps you noticed that this passage ends rather abruptly and strangely in verses 34 and 35 with this little remark about Esau, Isaac and Rebekahs oldest son — “When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah” (Genesis 26:34–35, ESV). And with that we are prepared to consider the lives of Esau and Jacob again in chapter 27. Clearly, the LORD favored Jacob the younger over Esau the elder. Esau married from amongst the Hittites. And bad marriages can make a real mess of things. 

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Conclusion 

As we move to a conclusion, let us remember that the LORD is faithful to keep his promises. He was faithful to Abraham and to Isaac, and he will be faithful to us. It is “impossible for God to lie”  and that is why it is right for us to flee to him “for refuge” and to take “strong encouragement” in him. Indeed, “we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:18–19, ESV).

Let us put away all  fear, therefore.  “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18, ESV).  Are you convinced that God loves you in Christ Jesus? Then there is no room for fear. Let us walk  by faith and not by fear as Isaac did when he lied about his wife.

And let us see clearly how very blessed  we are in  Christ Jesus. Do you rejoice in this, brothers and sisters? Are you thankful and content? Are joyful and at peace? It is only right for us to be if we are indeed blessed in Christ Jesus.  

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Genesis 26
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

• Why would the Lord permit Sarah and Rebekah to struggle for so long with barrenness? What does this teach us about God’s ways as it relates to our sufferings? Consider James 1:2-18. 
• What does the theme of the Lord choosing the younger over the older teach us about the ways of the LORD? 
• What do we learn concerning the grace of God and human merit as we consider the stories of the patriarchs?

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Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups Joe Anady Genesis 25:19-34
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Old Testament Reading: Genesis 25:19-34

“These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, ‘If it is thus, why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.’ When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful 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. Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!’ (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, ‘Sell me your birthright now.’ Esau said, ‘I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?’ Jacob said, ‘Swear to me now.’ So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25:19–34, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Hebrews 12:1–17

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:1–17, ESV)

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Introduction

A theme that has been developing in the book of Genesis ever since the account of the fall of man into sin is that God will accomplish his purposes in the world, not through the strong and powerful, but through those who are weak. Put differently, God determined to provide a way of salvation for fallen humanity, and this he would accomplish, not though those people and institutions that seem strong and impressive from the point of view of the world, but in and through those that the world esteems as small and insignificant. God’s established mode of operation is to use “what is foolish in the world to shame the wise… what is weak in the world to shame the strong… what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in” his presence… (1 Corinthians 1:26–31, ESV).

Consider the story of Cain and Able. Cain was the firstborn. According to the way of the world, he should have been the favored one. But God was pleased with Able, the younger of the two. When Cain rose up out of jealousy and pride and killed Able his brother, God rose up Seth to take his place so that the righteous line would be preserved through him. God used “what [was] weak in the world to shame the strong.”

Consider Noah. He alone was righteous in his day. He must have seemed so small and insignificant to the world around him. In fact, he must have seemed a bit odd as he invested so much into the construction of that ship, being warned by God of the impending watery judgement. They mocked him, I’m sure. He seemed like a fool to them. But it was through him that the human race was preserved, as well as the righteous line. God used “what [was] foolish in the world to shame the wise.”

Abram and Sarai were also unlikely candidates to be used of the LORD to fulfill his plans for redemption. They too were small and insignificant. They lived in the midst of an idolatrous people. Sarai was barren. And yet God choose them as his conduit of blessing to the nations. Through them and though their offspring the Savior of the world would come. God used “what [was] low and despised in the world, even things that [were] not, to bring to nothing things that are.”

If we were look ahead a bit in the story of redemption we would notice that this theme continues. It would be through Joseph, the youngest of Jacobs 12 sons that Israel would be preserved. Moses was to be put to death as an infant because he was a male born to the Hebrews while they were in bondage within Egypt. But God preserved him, raised him up, and used him despite his weakness to bring about that great act of deliverence that we now call the exodus. Consider King David. He too was the youngest of his brothers. He, unlike King Saul, was small in stature. And yet he was chosen by the LORD to be king.

And finally, consider Jesus the Christ himself. He was born to poor and insignificant parents. He lived a very common life. In fact his life was marked by trial and tribulation. When it came to his death, he died in a most inglorious way. Of course, here I am speaking of Christ as he seemed to the world. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3, ESV).

It is very important that we recognize this paradigm, friends. This is God’s way. When God carries out his purposes concerning the salvation of sinners, his mode of operation is to do so in and through the weak and the lowly. This is to show that it is he who is at work. This is to show that what he does, he does by his grace, and not because of something deserving within the creature.

And the very same thing is true in this New Covenant era. This is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians, saying, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong…” etc. This was not a new idea that Paul came up with. Instead, he noticed that God’s way of operating in ages past was being continued in the last days. “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God…” Indeed, this exhortation stands true: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:26–31, ESV).

This theme is clearly at the heart of the story of Jacob and Esau which we are beginning to consider today. What we will discover is that neither of these men were paradigms of virtue who were worthy, in and of themselves, to serve as conduits of God grace to the world. Esau was a man driven by fleshly passion. Jacob was crafty and cunning. But the Lord, by his grace, determined to fulfill his redemptive purposes through Jacob, who was the most unlikely of the two, as it is written, “the older shall serve the younger.”

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Twins Born To A Woman Once Barren

Let us begin by considering the story of the brith of Esau and Jacob. As we do we will learn that these twins were born to Rebekah, who was once barren.

In verse 19 we read, “These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife” (Genesis 25:19–20, ESV).

The words, “These are the generations of…” indicate that we are entering into a new section of the book of Genesis. After the prologue, Genesis is organized into ten family histories. A prolonged section was devoted to the family history of Terah, Abraham’s father (11:27-25:11). After that the family history of Ishmael, Abraham’s first born son, was briefly presented to us (25:12-18). And now we are considering the family history of Isaac, the son of promise. This section begins at 25:19 and will run all the way through to the end of chapter 35. The thing to notice is that Genesis highlights the righteous and chosen line through whom Israel, and ultimately the Christ, would come, and minimizes the non-elect lines. Their family histories are very brief, whereas the family histories of those chosen of God are expanded. Clearly, the point of the book of Genesis is to reveal our origins — the origin of the heavens and earth; the origin of men and angels; the origin of sin; and the origin of our redemption in Christ Jesus. This is why the book is called Genesis. It is a book about beginnings. Again, verses 19 reads, “These are the generations of Isaac…”, and there we learn that “Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah… to be his wife.” It would be through Isaac, and not Ishmael, that the promises of God concerning salvation for the nations would be fulfilled.

In verse 21 we read, “And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived” (Genesis 25:21, ESV). It is important to remember that Sarah, Isaac’s mother, was barren. She struggled with her barrenness for many years. It wasn’t until she was 90 that she conceived and bore a son to Abraham. Great attention was drawn to Sarah’s barrenness in the Abraham story. Here we learn that Rebekah was also barren. And in verses 26 we learn that here barrenness lasted for 20 years! Moses does not give us the details, but we are to assume that those were difficult years, and that Isaac and Rebeka struggled to believe that God would keep his promises, just as Abraham and Sarah struggled with their barrenness.

A question that we should ask is, why the barrenness? Why did God ordain that the patriarchs marry women who were unable to bear to children? Certainly, the LORD could have had them marry women with fruitful wombs. And certainly, the LORD could have overturned their barren condition much sooner than he did — either immediately, after a month or two, or perhaps after a few years. But take special note. The LORD’s will was that Sarah remain barren until she was 90, and he left Rebekah in her barren condition for 20 years after her marriage to Isaac. Why did the LORD choose to do things this way?

Well, we should begin by admitting that the plans and purposes of God are oftentimes mysterious to us. When we ask questions like, why did God allow this or that to happen? The answer is often, we don’t know for sure. God has clearly revealed many things to us, but there are some things that remain a mystery.

But in this instance I believe it is safe to say that we know something of his purpose for the barrenness of Sarah and Rebekah. On a personal level, I’m am sure that the trial of barrenness was a test to their faith. We know this was the case for Sarah and Abraham, and it is safe to assume that the same was true for Isaac and Rebekah. Their faith was tested as they awaited the fulfillment of the promises of God concerning offspring. And when I say that their faith was tested, I mean that it was strengthened by the testing over time. These couples were drawn into a closer dependence upon God as they waited long for their promised offspring.

But it seems that the barrenness of Sarah and Rebekah were also permitted by God in order to send a message to those who would look in upon their stories. They were barren, so that their barrenness might be overcome by God. They were barren so that the power of God might be put on display as the he overcame their weakness.

When Sarah gave birth to Isaac after being barren till the age of 90, it was abundantly clear that it was the LORD who was at work. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for her to conceive. And yet the LORD visited her and enabled her to conceive so that his promises might be fulfilled. And the same was true of Rebekah. After 20 years barrenness in the marriage relationship, “Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife… And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” This was to show, among other things, that it was indeed the work of the LORD.

And this is purpose of miracles, isn’t it? To demonstrate that God is at work? When Christ made the lame to walk and the blind to see, it was to show that he was from God. When the Apostles healed the sick, it was a validation of their authority. They were uniquely sent from the LORD and their miricele workings testified to this. Miracles were signs indicating that it was God who was working in and through his people, and such was the case with Sarah and Rebekah. They were barren, but the LORD gave them offspring, in fulfillment to his promises.

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, in some respects you and I are not at all like Sarah and Rebekah. They had a very special role to play in the outworking of God’s plan of salvation. Through them the nation of Israel, and ultimately the Christ, would come into the world. But in other respects we are very much like them. We, like they, know what it is to experience difficulty in this life and to ask the question, why, LORD? Why have you ordained that this thing happen? Or, why have you permitted this suffering? And while many of our questions will likely go unanswered in this life, one thing we can know for sure — if we belong to God through faith in Christ, our suffering, whatever form it may take, is not for nothing.

For one, it will be for God’s glory. Concerning some suffering Paul once wrote, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10, ESV). God is glorified when we rely upon him in the midst of hardship.

Two, it will be for our ultimate good. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). This is why James says that we are to “Count it all joy… when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, ESV).

Trials and tribulations are not naturally pleasant and joyful. But the one who is in Christ is able to step back from the tribulations of life to consider them with eyes of faith and in light of what God has revealed to us in his word. And having considered the trial from God’s point of view, the Christ follower is able then to count it joy, knowing that God will use the trial for his glory and our good.]

These twins, Esau and Jacob, were born to Rebekah who was once barren. But the barrenness was for a purpose. She and Isaac were tested and strengthened in the waiting, and the power of God was put on display, as he demonstrated that he is able to bring life from death, something out of nothing.

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The Older Shall Serve the Younger

Let us now briefly consider the description of the birth of these twins, for what is said of them here sets the stage for the rest of the story of Esau and Jacob. As we do we will learn that older of the two was predestined to serve the younger.

In verse 22 we learn that “The children struggled together within [Rebekah]”. By the way, the word struggled is a strong word. It means to break, crush, or oppress. And so she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?’” The NET Bible translates this odd phrase a little differently, saying, “But the children struggled inside her, and she said, ‘If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!’”. Either way, it is clear that the pregnancy was unusual and extremely uncomfortable for Rebekah. It felt as if there was a war raging within her womb! Snd so she went to inquire of the LORD.

And when she did, she received this oracle (verse 23): “And the LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23, ESV).

Notice that this was determined before the children were even born. As you know, Paul highlighted this fact as he presented his teaching on unconditional election. In others words, as he taught that God does in fact chose to save some and not others, and this, not on the basis of what those people will do or be, he used this passage to illustrate his teaching.

Listen carefully to Romans 9:6-16: “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: ‘About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” This little remark, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated”, is a reference to Malachi 1:2-3, where the LORD speaks to Israel through the prophet saying, “‘I have loved you,…’ But you say, ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the LORD. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert’” (Malachi 1:2–3, ESV). The teaching is plain. God set his love upon Jacob and his disfavor upon Esau before they were even born — before they themselves had done any good or evil. In other words, they were predestined. Paul anticipated the protest that would come from sinful men and women when he wrote in verse 14, “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part?” In other words, was it wrong for God to predestine in this way — that is, not on the basis of what the twins would do, but according to his will only? Paul’s reply is very strong. “By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:6–16, ESV). God was merciful to Jacob when he set his predestinating love upon him. But he determined to leave Esau to himself and in his sin, to act according to his own desires only.

I would imagine that being pregnant with twins is always a bit uncomfortable. But Rebekah was especially uncomfortable because these twins were at war with one another even in the womb. This she learned, not by ultrasound, but by the word of the LORD. And she also learned that this conflict would not come to end at birth. These two would continue to have conflict. They would become two nations. One would be stronger than the other. Strangely, and contrary to the way of the world, the older would serve the younger.

This little prophesy concerning Jacob and Esau, and the older serving the younger, is very important to the rest of the story contained within holy scripture. The nation of Israel would come from Jacob, and the nation of Edom would come from Esau. And these two nations would be locked in perpetual conflict with each other.

Notice that the twins wrestled with one another even in the moment of birth. Verse 24: “When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them” (Genesis 25:24–26, ESV).

Esau was red in color and hairy. The color red will be important to the narrative that follows. Esau, the red one, will be driven by a craving for his brothers red, red soup and will sell his birthright for a bowl of it, and, in due time, will become the people of Edom, which comes from the root of the word meaning “red”.

Jacob, though he is the second born, is a heal snatcher. He emerged from the womb second, but right on Esau’s heals, as if he were attempting to wrestle Esau from the first born position right up to the moment of birth. In the narrative that follows we will learn that this characteristic of Jacob remained even unto adulthood. He was a heal snatcher, a wrestler, a cunning and crafty fighter all the days of his life.

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Esau, A Man Driven By His Appetites

Verses 27 through 34 provide us with a glimpse of the twins in adulthood. Their character in adulthood is typified by the story that is told here.

Let us briefly consider the character of Esau. Notice that Esau is portrayed as a brutish man, one who was driven by his appetites.

Remember that Esau was red and hairy, and here we learn that he was a man of the field. He was animal like.

He was the favorite of his father, for Isaac loved to eat of his game.

The story that is told in verses 29-34 portrays Esau as foolish man who lacked self control. His fleshly appetites went unchecked, and drove him to do foolish things.

Verse 29: “Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!’ (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, ‘Sell me your birthright now.’ Esau said, ‘I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?’ Jacob said, ‘Swear to me now.’ So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:29–34, ESV).

In this story we learn how it was that Jacob came to be heir over his older brother, and how the prophesy given to Rebekah at the time of their brith came to be fulfilled: “the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Notice also that though Esau was predestined to this, he did in fact despise his birthright freely and from the heart. Predestination does not turn men into robots, friends. Though it was predestined that Esau the elder would serve Jacob the younger, it was the free and willing choices of the boys that got them there.

Esau was a fool. In that moment he cared more about satisfying his hunger than for living as the firstborn heir of his father.

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, there is application for us here. We must learn from Esau and be sure to develop wisdom and self control. To gain wisdom we must give attention to God’s word. We must ingest it and believe it to the heart. And self controle is developed as we learn to obey the LORD day by day, little by little, in thought, word, and deed. We must learn to say no to the cravings of the flesh, and yes to God’s word and the prompting of his Spirit.

Too many who profess faith in Christ are like Esau. They think little of their inheritance in Christ Jesus, and are driven by their appetites, passions and cravings, instead of by Christ, his word and Spirit. This is why Paul exhorts us, saying, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:5–10, ESV). And this is why the writer to the Hebrews said, “Strive for… holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears” (Hebrews 12:1–17, ESV).

Friends, though it is that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, the scriptures also exhort us to make our calling and electing sure. The one who has true faith will turn from sin, progressively put to the death the deeds of the flesh, and will grow in the knowledge and love for our Savior.]

This moment here was a watershed moment for Esau. By selling his birthright for a bowl of red soup he showed that he cared more about satisfying his physical cravings than for being the one through whom the promises made to his grandfather Abraham, and father Isaac would be fulfilled. Because he was “immoral” and “unholy” he “sold his birthright for a single meal.”

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Jacob, The Crafty Heal Snatcher

We already know that Jacob would be the one to inherit the promises of God given to his father Isaac, for this was prophesied concerning him before his birth. But here we see clearly that this favor was shown to Jacob, not because of some good in him, but by the free grace of God alone. In other words, Jacob doesn’t come off much better than Esau in this narrative. Whereas Esau was man driven by his fleshly appetites, Jacob was a crafty and cunning heal snatcher even into adulthood. Jacob was ruthless towards Esau in this episode. He took advantage of his hunger. He capitalized upon his brutishness.

Esau came in from the field and said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red, red [that is what the text says in the Hebrew], for I am exhausted!” Jacob could have shown kindness to his brother in that moment. Instead, he dealt treacherously with him. “Jacob said, ‘Sell me your birthright now.’ Esau said, ‘I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?’ Jacob said, ‘Swear to me now.’” When Esau swore, this made the matter legal and binding. “So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob” (Genesis 25:31–33, ESV).

The narrative of Genesis will focus upon Jacob from this point all the way until the end of chapter 35. We will learn a lot about Jacob in those chapters. One thing we be clear: he too was a flawed individual. Not only did he wrestle with his brother, but also with God. He would remain a crafty, cunning, and deceptive heal snatcher for many years after this, until the LORD would humble him.

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, the book of Genesis describes to us the beginnings of our redemption in Christ Jesus. And one thing is very clear. It is all by God’s grace. God showed unmerited favor to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And he worked in a through them in such a way so as to prove that it was he who was at work. He brought life from barren wombs, and choose that which was weak according to the world to shame the powerful.

Jesus the Christ would not be born into the world for another 1,900 years from the events that are recorded for us here. But when he was born, he came into the world in like manner. He was born, not to a barren women, but to a virgin. His parents were poor. He was utterly unimpressive according to the standerds of the world. When he died, he died a brutal and humiliating death. But note this: on the third day he rose again.

Friends, let us learn from the scriptures how it is that God works in the world. He works, not through what seems powerful and wise, but through what many might consider weak and foolish. And let us not be ashamed to identify with those things. Let us not be ashamed to identify with Christ and with his gospel, which the world calls foolish. Paul knew that this was a temptation, and so he wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV). And let us not be ashamed to identify with his church, though she might seem so very unimpressive to the world. “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord… but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…” (2 Timothy 1:8–10, ESV).

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

• How are we to understand Abraham’s polygamus practices?
• What role does Genesis 25:1-18 play in the narrative of Genesis? 
• In what way is the gospel of Jesus the Christ present in this passage?

Tags: Gospel Community Groups

Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups
Comments Off on Discussion Questions for Sermon on Genesis 25:1-18 Posted by Joe