Genesis 25:19-34 ESV
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.
Rev. Dwight Yoo
Sincere faith
Abraham was living in Canaan. Among a foreign people in this foreign land. He was promised this land by God, but this land already had inhabitants. There is a gap between what God promised and what Abraham experienced. Abraham was living as a foreigner decades later after the promise. But faith is not what is seen, but rather believing in the unseen.
We can tell that Abraham is sincere because of how he conducts himself. He remains in Canaan in spite of the circumstances. Not only that, but he refuses to allow his son to return to his homeland. Even in the search for a bride, he makes his servant go on a search for a wife for a son. But neither he nor his son will go in this search. What a ridiculous search, from a worldly point of view.
The servant brings home a wife against all odds. But Isaac's wife was barren. So they prayed for twenty years, before God allowed his wife to conceive. Twenty years of prayer.
Serious flaws
Even with all this faith, there was plenty of flaws in them. Fear of men makes them lie and endanger the purity of their wives. They had faith, but they have made plenty of mistakes. They were fearful during times of uncertainty.
Sovereign grace
God is creating a symphony of salvation with crooked pencils and out of tune instruments. Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of stew. But Jacob is no better. He is a manipulative, conniving man. He may have decided that the birthright was of worth, but he went along the worse path to acquire it.
Sovereign mercy from God is good. It is good because of two reasons. Firstly, nothing you do can place you beyond the reach of God. We are all in equal standing before God. And even after becoming a believer, nothing we do can make God love us less. No matter what highs and lows, God still loves us the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment