The Jacob before the encounter

 This message was preached by Manesh P at Word of Grace via zoom on the 11th of Oct 2020. For the audio please click here

“The Jacob before the encounter”

 

Scripture for the message

Birth of Jacob & Esau         -     Genesis 25:19 - 28

Esau sells his birthright     -      Genesis 25:29 -34

Jacob deceives Isaac          -      Genesis 27:1- 29

Esau plans to kill Jacob      -      Genesis 27:41-42

Jacob is sent to Laban        -      Genesis 27:43 – 28:5

Jacob’s encounter               -      Genesis 28:10 - 22

 

Jacob the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah deceives His father to get the blessings of His older brother Esau. When Esau comes to know about this, he plans to kill Jacob after Isaac dies. But Rebekah gets to know about Esau’s plan and sends Jacob to her brother Laban in Paddan Aram. On the way to Paddan Aram, while Jacob is sleeping, he has an encounter with God in a dream and God blesses him. Jacob later names this place Bethel which means house of God.

Who was Jacob before he had an encounter with God at Bethel?

1.      Jacob was the chosen one.

 

Genesis 25:23 NIV

The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

 

God said to Rebekah that Esau the first-born son will serve the younger son Jacob before she bore them.

 

Romans 9:10-13 NIV

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

 

Before Jacob was born, God chose Jacob over Esau even though both children were conceived at the same time and both were answers to Isaac’s prayer.

 

It is written in Malachi 1:2-3 that God loved Jacob and He hated Esau. Does that mean God didn’t love Esau? Once a Women said to Charles Spurgeon “I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.” Spurgeon replied “That is not my difficulty. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.”

 

In Luke 14:26, Jesus said “If anyone comes to me and doesn’t hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - Yes, even their own life - such a person cannot be my disciple. Does that mean we should not love our father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters? No. What Jesus meant is that we should prefer Jesus more than any other relationship. Jesus should be our first love. Similarly, when it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” It means God preferred Jacob over Esau in His election.

 

So, God chose Jacob before he did anything good or bad. The election was not based on his works. Similarly, we are saved by grace and not by works.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

God gave us the undeserved unmerited new life in Christ. This is Grace.

 

When we become Christians, we know we have got the salvation which we didn’t deserve. But as years pass, we think we have grown spiritually, and we have blessings because we deserve it. This is a dangerous state of pride. We never deserved and we will never deserve any blessings.

 

Even in our worldly matters, we cannot say we deserve to get anything. We cannot say we deserved to be promoted, we deserved the job, we deserved that money etc. All we ever deserve is hell. Every good thing in our life are a free undeserved unmerited gift from God.

 

So, we should always be thankful and grateful for salvation and the good things in our life.

 

2.      Jacob had flaws.

 

Why did Spurgeon say it is difficult to understand how God could love Jacob? Jacob had many flaws. The name Jacob means ‘Heel – catcher’. It also means ‘Supplant’ – One who uproots someone to take his place.

 

(a)    Jacob tricked his brother (Genesis 25:29 -33).

(b)   Jacob deceived his father (Genesis 27:18- 29).

 

Deception is Satan’s work. Satan is called the deceiver of the world (Revelation 12:9).

God detests deceitful (Psalms 5:6).

 

(c)    Jacob lied to his father.

 

Genesis 25:18-20,24 NIV

18 He went to his father and said, “My father.” “Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”20 Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” “The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied.

24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked. “I am,” he replied.

 

Jacob lied to his father multiple times and even took Lord’s name to lie.

 

Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). When we lie, we co-operate with the kingdom of darkness. God detests lying lips (Proverbs 12:22).

The world says it is okay to lie as long as it is white and does not harm anyone. There is nothing called a white lie in the bible. A lie is a lie and the source of all lie is Satan. When we believe that weakness is okay, we give that weakness permission to stay.

 

(d)   Jacob was impatient.

 

Jacob should have trusted in God for the fulfilment of a promise. Instead, he was impatient and took matters into his hand. He used trickery and deception to get birthright and his father’s blessings. When things don’t happen as promised by God, we should submit our worries to God and be still before God and wait patiently for Him (Psalms 37:7). God’s timing is always perfect.

 Even though Jacob had so many flaws, God blessed him. When he rested after all the plotting, deception and worrying, he heard from God. When he was sleeping in Bethel on the way to Paddan Aram, God visits him in a dream and blesses him. This is Grace.

 Genesis 28:13-15 NIV

13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

 

Jacob is changed after this encounter. In the encounter, there is a death. When we became born-again, we had an encounter with God and our old man died.

 

Like Jacob, we have received God’s Grace. God clothed us with His son’s righteousness. We can see this picture when Jacob deceives his father Isaac (Genesis 27:1- 29).  Jacob is clothed with Esau’s garment. We are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus. Isaac gives Esau’s blessings to Jacob. God gives His son’s blessings to us. The difference is Isaac didn’t want to give Jacob the blessings. God wants to give us His son’s blessings. Also, Esau didn’t want to share his blessings with Jacob. Jesus wants to give us His blessings.

 But does Grace give us the license to sin? NO

 Romans 6:1-2 NIV

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

 

After the Bethel encounter, Jacob is taken to the institute of Laban where he is tested and trained. The way Jacob deceived his father, Laban deceives Jacob and make Jacob marry Leah instead of his love Rachel. Jacob endures deception and waits and works patiently for 14 years to get Rachel (Genesis 29). Jacob handles deception and learns patience here.

Similarly, we should undergo training in righteousness. We became as holy as Jesus in the spirit when we became born-again. But our mind is still not renewed. It must be reprogrammed.

Grace not only saves us but trains us to live a godly life.

 Titus 2:11-12 NIV

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

 We must pursue holiness (Hebrew 12:14).

 How can we pursue holiness?

 

(i)     Know the Love - When we love God, we will obey His commandments (John 14:15). We love God when we know and experience God’s love.

 

(ii)    Know the truth - When we know the truth, the truth will set us free (John 8:31-32) and the truth is God’s word (, John 17:17).

 

Through God’s word: -

# Know the truth about our identity – Know that we are a new creation. Know that we don’t have sin nature. Does a lion eat grass?

# Know what is right and wrong – the world will say Homosexuality is okay, lying is okay, lusting is okay. Let bible be our reference for our right and wrong.

 

(iii)  Acknowledge the truth – If you are not able to overcome any weakness, acknowledge the truth to God. Pour out your heart to Him (Psalms 62:8). Seek God’s help to overcome areas of weakness.

 

3.      Jacob valued birthright.

 Although the way Jacob got the birthright was not correct, he valued birthright. For Jews, Birthright not only gives the double portion of the inheritance, but makes him the spiritual head of the family. It has spiritual significance.

 But Esau despised birthright (Genesis 25:34).

 God was not pleased with this. Esau is called ungodly because he sold his birthright for one meal (Hebrews 12:16).

 We have also received many birthrights. Not because we were born in an earthly family but because we were born-again in God’s family.

 We have following birthrights.

(a)    A New Image.

(b)   Authority.

(c)    Blessings (Co-heirs with Jesus).

(d)   Co-worker with God in expansion of His kingdom through sharing of Gospel.

(e)    Spiritual gifts.

We should value these birthrights. These are gifts from God. How would we feel if our spouse throws our gifts in a dustbin in front of you?

2 Timothy 1:6-7 NIV

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

 We should fan into flames the gifts God has given us. Do not let fear stop you from using the gifts God has given us to bless others. Don’t be like the servant who hid his talent in the ground because of fear (Matthew 25:14-30).

 To conclude, be thankful and grateful for your salvation. Seek God’s help to overcome areas of weakness. Value the word of God, the prophetic words spoken over you (1Thessalonians 5:20), the dreams God gives you and the spiritual gifts God has given you.

 

  

God's Plan, The Pot, The Plot and God's Prevailing Plan

 

This message was preached by Navaz D via zoom  Word of Grace Church, on Oct  11th 2020. For the audio please click here.

GOD’S PLAN, THE POT, THE PLOT, THE PREVAILING PROMISE OF GOD

Gen 25, 26, 28.

GOD’s PLAN

We are in a series going through major events in the Old Testament. We saw how God made big promises to Abraham, that his descendants would be more than the sands on the shore and stars in the sky. God did it in His time. Isaac was born. A son of promise.

Now the son of promise, Isaac has no heirs. He prays to God and God hears his prayer 20 years after marriage(Gen25:26). He saw God as one who answers prayer in His time. God’s plan was on course.

However there are not only two babies in Rebecca’s womb, but they are two boys from whom two nations will also be birthed. (Gen25:23)

Personalities.

The two boys were born and were very opposite not only in looks but in personality as well. One was red and hairy and a man of the wild. He loved to hunt, he was hot-headed and impulsive. The other was smooth-skinned and more domestic who preferred to the indoors and cook. He was cool but calculative and cunning.

Prophecy.

 Even before their birth, their destiny was marked out for them. The older would serve the younger (Gen25:23). God had a plan and a purpose. It was his sovereign will (Rom 9:11)

In the same way, God has a plan for your life. 

Today because we are Christ-followers, we have come into Abraham’s blessings. 

 Also, I am sure Rebecca had shared this with Isaac and the boys and they must have grown up with this knowledge. 

This is an oral culture that passed down family genealogy, history and stories from father to son. 

THE POT- Passing pleasure leads to perilous pain.

The boys are now young men. One day Esau goes out hunting but comes back with no game and is famished. His brother happens to have just cooked some delicious stew. (Gen25:29). He asks his brother to share his stew.

 He asked for his brother’s birthright. At a human level look at this ask! Was it an equal exchange? Stew for in exchange for a Title deed and inheritance?  Shocking, right?

This is exactly what happened. Esau exaggerated his need. Could he not have gone into the family kitchen and got something to eat? 

 He was driven by his senses that needed to be satisfied in that instant. 

Esau did not have a long-term look on life. He did not see that he too was Abraham’s descendant and in that, he too would be blessed.  Was serving his brother was such a bad thing?

He gave into the old lie of it will not be enough, and that one had to be in competition with your brother and be at the top. He did not think of the repercussion of his decision on future generations.

Esau too was a child of Abraham. We are all in Christ but we can live as carnal Christians. We can live for the moment, with no thought to our eternal destiny nor to the generations that follow us. 

 Our choices have consequences, as we will see. A momentary pleasure can cause us to lose something of eternal value. Passing pleasures can lead to perilous pain. We get to choose our sin but not the consequences.

Do not invoke grace because the right application of Grace is that grace would have empowered you to do the right thing. Grace is not a license to sin; rather, grace keeps you from sin. 

Predestination.

We see the same mistake of Abraham repeated here. One would have thought that they would have learned that God has his way to make it happen and He does it in his time.  Jacob felt he had to grab it rather than waiting for God to give it to him and did not wait for God’s timing to work things out. 

Some of us can feel were not the scales tipped in Jacobs favour from the start. Yes, God chose Jacob over Esau.

A woman once said to Mr. Spurgeon, ‘I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.’ ‘That,’ Spurgeon replied, ‘is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.’” 

THE PLOT.

Chapter 27

Now Isaac is old and his eyes have grown weak. He was about 137 years old. He thought he was going to die but he did not. He lived another 43 years and died at the age of 180 years. (

Verses 1-5

He asks Esau to make him some food so he could eat and then confer on him his blessing.

Let us stop and think about this. What is strange about this verse? Isaac knew of God’s prophecy over Jacob but insists on blessing Esau !!! How strange is that? Why was he trying to subvert God’s plan?  Surely, he also saw the consequences of taking matters into one’s own hands and how that turned out for his dad!

The plot thickens

Rebecca hears Isaac talking to Esau and decides to thicken the plot. She plots on how this plant should be prevented.

 She like her mother-in-law tries to help God bring the prophecy to pass.

She schemes with Jacob to trick the father. Jacob, who snatched once, was ready to take it all – lock stock and barrel.

 (v18- v17 )He cooks a meal, wears his brother’s clothes to smell like him, and puts goat’s skin on his hands to feel like his brother.

Jacob doubts and asks several times, “is it you my son Esau?” The tragedy in this is all four of them did not trust God, nor was there trust between each other.

It is only later when Esau comes in that Jacob realizes that he was truly deceived. The Bible tells us he trembled (27:33). It does not mention why he trembled. I suggest two reasons for you.

He may have realized he should have followed through with his doubt and called Rebecca in on this. It could be the fear of God fell upon him because he well knew that this was God’s intent all along and he was trying to prevent it from happening.

He recognizes and resigns himself to God’s plan when he says to Esau “And indeed he shall be blessed.” V33. And Hebrews records it as faith !! Heb. 11:20 by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. What amazing grace!!

Gen 28

We see Rachel continuing to scheme. She knows that Jacob is no longer safe around his brother’s murderous rage. She uses a ruse of wanting to find a wife for Jacob among ‘their own people’, to send him off to her brother Laban.

We know how that turns out for Jacob. He met his match in his father-in-law. 

In spite of his scheming God does not go back on his promise. He speaks to Jacob in a dream and reminds him of the unconditional covenant.

Gen28:15-22

I am with you

I will watch over you

I will bring you back

I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised. (Gen28:15)

Jacob unfortunately still has trust issues. And he wakes up and makes a conditional promise to God

Verse20

If God will be with me…

Then God will be my God

You see the grace of God here. God still chooses to be known as the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob – all 3 deceivers. His call on our lives is a covenant call, no matter how much we mess up. The promise will not be revoked.

If you have messed up and tried things in your own strength, look at these three and take heart. Come to God who is ever willing to forgive and put us back on track. Jacob could not rely on heritage but he had to forge his own history with God.

My story – how I have had to wait for promises of God with regard to songwriting etc. God made it happen and is still making it happen in His time.

CONCLUSION

GOD’S PREVAILING PROMISE

So we see that all four messed up but God’s purpose prevailed but not without consequences.

Thank God, we have one greater than Isaac and Jacob.

Jesus in the dessert was tempted to give up His birthright, His identity as a son is questioned and God’s promise of protection was mocked. If you are the son of God, throw yourself down. If you are the son of God bow to me. If you are the son of God make these stones bread. Thank God, Jesus did not sell his birthright for a piece of bread, or for a counterfeit title and inheritance to Satan who had not the power nor the authority to give them to Jesus in the first place.

Praise God, Jesus overcame and we can overcome by the blood of the lamb.

In addition, Jacob made a feeble attempt to cover himself in the robes given to a first-born. We today are covered or clothed in Jesus’ robes of righteousness, which qualifies us to receive an inheritance that will ever spoil not fade. Amen.

 

   Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

All in the Family- Jacob | Colin D

This message was preached  by Colin D'cruz at Word of Grace Church on November 5th, 2017. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here.

We’ve been going through the key people in the Old Testament, we looked at Abraham, Isaac and the subject for today is Jacob.

In Gen 12 God appears to Abraham. He gives him a promise. Abraham heard God and followed God. We need to do the same. And it was not all rosy. We see the struggles that Abraham goes through. At the time he received the promise, he had no children. But Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Finally they had one child, Isaac. God was working through Abraham and he blessed all the families

Genesis 25

“This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.”

It’s very important who we marry.

Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren.

There are things that challenge our faith even after we receive the promise. Isaac prayed. The time gap between Isaac praying and Rebekah becoming pregnant was 20 years. We need to persevere in Prayer and in due time it will happen.

“God answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. But the children tumbled and kicked inside her so much that she said, “If this is the way it’s going to be, why go on living?” She went to God to find out what was going on. God told her, Two nations are in your womb,two peoples butting heads while still in your body.One people will overpower the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Rebekah had twins in her womb. This is an amazing verse. Before the children were born, God’s prophetic word about the children is this- the older will serve the younger.

“When her time to give birth came, sure enough, there were twins in her womb. The first came out reddish, as if snugly wrapped in a hairy blanket; they named him Esau (Hairy). His brother followed, his fist clutched tight to Esau’s heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.”

Jacob means he takes by the heel, or he cheats. We see the amazing birth of Jacob. Before the twins were born, God decides to choose one and not the other.

Q. Does God love you? Why do you say he loves you?

Malachi 1: 2-5 “God said, “I love you.” You replied, “Really? How have you loved us?” “Look at history” (this is God’s answer). “Look at how differently I’ve treated you, Jacob, from Esau: I loved Jacob and hated Esau. I reduced pretentious Esau to a molehill, turned his whole country into a ghost town.””

The way that he loved us is that he has chosen us above everything else. God chose Jacob and rejected Esau. It is not because of anything Jacob has done. It is just his amazing grace in choosing people.  The promises are coming to you through Jacob.

“The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he loved his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.”

We see a bit of a dysfunctional family. The father loved one son and the mother the other.

“One day Jacob was cooking a stew. Esau came in from the field, starved. Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stew—I’m starved!” That’s how he came to be called Edom (Red).  Jacob said, “Make me a trade: my stew for your rights as the firstborn.” Esau said, “I’m starving! What good is a birthright if I’m dead?” Jacob said, “First, swear to me.” And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That’s how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn.”

A birthright is a spiritual blessing. It is very important in those days. This is was rightfully Esau’s but he despised it. His heart was not on spiritual things, but on his physical needs.

“When Isaac had become an old man and was nearly blind, he called his eldest son, Esau, and said, “My son.”“Yes, Father?” “I’m an old man,” he said; “I might die any day now. Do me a favor: Get your quiver of arrows and your bow and go out in the country and hunt me some game. Then fix me a hearty meal, the kind that you know I like, and bring it to me to eat so that I can give you my personal blessing before I die.”

Isaac began well, but in his old age he lost it. He disregarded the prophecy of God. He wanted to give the blessing to Jacob, but he wanted to give it to Esau because he liked him better.

“Rebekah was eavesdropping as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. As soon as Esau had gone off to the country to hunt game for his father, Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob. “I just overheard your father talking with your brother, Esau. He said, ‘Bring me some game and fix me a hearty meal so that I can eat and bless you with God’s blessing before I die.’ “Now, my son, listen to me. Do what I tell you. Go to the flock and get me two young goats. Pick the best; I’ll prepare them into a hearty meal, the kind that your father loves. Then you’ll take it to your father, he’ll eat and bless you before he dies.””

“But Mother,” Jacob said, “my brother Esau is a hairy man and I have smooth skin. What happens if my father touches me? He’ll think I’m playing games with him. I’ll bring down a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” “If it comes to that,” said his mother, “I’ll take the curse on myself. Now, just do what I say. Go and get the goats.”

So his mother cooks the meal, and then covered Jacob with the goat’s skin. Jacob is lying through his teeth. Is Jacob a good person? NO!  

“Jacob answered his father, “I’m your firstborn son Esau. I did what you told me. Come now; sit up and eat of my game so you can give me your personal blessing.” Isaac said, “So soon? How did you get it so quickly?” “Because your God cleared the way for me.” Isaac said, “Come close, son; let me touch you—are you really my son Esau?” So Jacob moved close to his father Isaac. Isaac felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice but the hands are the hands of Esau.” He didn’t recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s. But as he was about to bless him he pressed him, “You’re sure? You are my son Esau?” “Yes. I am.” Isaac said, “Bring the food so I can eat of my son’s game and give you my personal blessing.” Jacob brought it to him and he ate. He also brought him wine and he drank. Then Isaac said, “Come close, son, and kiss me.” He came close and kissed him and Isaac smelled the smell of his clothes. Finally, he blessed him, Ahhh. The smell of my son is like the smell of the open country blessed by God. May God give you of Heaven’s dew and Earth’s bounty of grain and wine. May peoples serve you and nations honor you. You will master your brothers, and your mother’s sons will honor you. Those who curse you will be cursed, those who bless you will be blessed. And then right after Isaac had blessed Jacob and Jacob had left, Esau showed up from the hunt. He also had prepared a hearty meal. He came to his father and said, “Let my father get up and eat of his son’s game, that he may give me his personal blessing.” His father Isaac said, “And who are you?” “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Isaac started to tremble, shaking violently. He said, “Then who hunted game and brought it to me? I finished the meal just now, before you walked in. And I blessed him—he’s blessed for good!” Esau, hearing his father’s words, sobbed violently and most bitterly, and cried to his father, “My father! Can’t you also bless me?” “Your brother,” he said, “came here falsely and took your blessing.” Esau said, “Not for nothing was he named Jacob, the Heel. Twice now he’s tricked me: first he took my birthright and now he’s taken my blessing.” He begged, “Haven’t you kept back any blessing for me?”Isaac said to him,You’ll live far from Earth’s bounty, remote from Heaven’s dew. You’ll live by your sword, hand-to-mouth, and you’ll serve your brother. But when you can’t take it any more you’ll break loose and run free. Esau seethed in anger against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him; he brooded, “The time for mourning my father’s death is close. And then I’ll kill my brother Jacob.” When these words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she called her younger son Jacob and said, “Your brother Esau is plotting vengeance against you. He’s going to kill you. Son, listen to me. Get out of here. Run for your life to Haran, to my brother Laban. Live with him for a while until your brother cools down, until his anger subsides and he forgets what you did to him. I’ll then send for you and bring you back. Why should I lose both of you the same day?”Rebekah spoke to Isaac, “I’m sick to death of these Hittite women. If Jacob also marries a native Hittite woman, why live?””

1.      We’ve been chosen by God: God chose Jacob- Jacob is not a good person to be chosen. God chooses us because he is a sovereign God who rules over the Universe and he does as He pleases. Romans 9:10-13 “When she became pregnant by our one-of-a-kind ancestor, Isaac, and her babies were still innocent in the womb—incapable of good or bad—she received a special assurance from God. What God did in this case made it perfectly plain that his purpose is not a hit-or-miss thing dependent on what we do or don’t do, but a sure thing determined by his decision, flowing steadily from his initiative. God told Rebecca, “The firstborn of your twins will take second place.” Later that was turned into a stark epigram: “I loved Jacob; I hated Esau.”” This is the doctrine of Election. If you are a believer in Jesus, you’ve got to prize that above everything else.

Q. Is that unjust?

By no means- because he says, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. We saw it operating in the life of Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau... God chose the younger. God is sovereign.

2.      We’ve been placed into Christ: We see the picture of Salvation- Isaac is the father and Jacob is trying to get the blessing of Esau, so he covers himself to be like Esau. We go into the Father’s presence clothed with the righteousness. There is a great blessing given to Jacob because he was in Esau’s clothes. That is the same with us. But Jacob is deceiving the Father, but we have been placed there by the righteousness of Jesus. He is for us and is going to bless us. 2 Cor 5:21 “In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”

May our eyes open to the great plan and promise of God. All the promises of the Old Testament have come down from the Nation of Israel, to us. We are like one of those patriarchs. Will those promises end with us or will it be passed on to generations. It is not just through Physical children. Esau was a profane man and didn’t care about the things of God. He went and married where their parents didn’t want him marry. The promise of God passes on spiritually and physically.

Q. When we leave this earth, what are we leaving behind?

We hear about Timothy’s ancestry.

Q. Can we say that at the end of our lives that we have passed on the spiritual things in our life to others?

Let’s pray. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.