This teaching is our 24th session in our verse-by-verse study of the Book of Genesis by pastor Barry – given as part of our family service on 27th August 2017.
Genesis 27 serves as a great reminder to ‘trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”! (Proverbs 3-4-5).
Here we see Jacob capitulate to the ungodly advice of his mum – Rebecca – and set about trying to deceive Isaac into giving him ‘the’ blessing. The ironic thing is that God had already declared that Jacob would prevail and rule over Esau. In other words, all of this skulduggery, stress and tension (not to mention the resulting family feud) was absolutely avoidable.
How frequently do we think we have to intervene to help God out?!
Is God on the Throne or not? If He is not, He’s not God!
In this chapter we also face the question: ‘Has God foreordained our destiny’? Did Esau have a choice in being a ‘man of the world’, disregarding the things of God in favour of worldly pleasure? Or was it foreordained by God?
In Romans we read: “when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid”. (Rom 9:10-14)
Paul is therefore adamant! God is not unjust! Whilst Ephesians tells us that God has “predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph 1:5), God does not remove our free will! (Genesis chapter 3 is proof of that!). Esau’s heart was hardened through his own volition. God is outside of time and knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10), so could foreordain Jacob to rule over his brother without violating the free will of either Jacob or Esau.
The tragic conclusion at the end of this chapter is that Jacob will flee from home, never to see his mum again, and to return in fear 20 years later to face Esau. Those 20 years will be filled with yet more deception, intrigue, rivalry, and yet God’s hand will be on Jacob “being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph 1:11).
To be continued…
You can listen to the audio on this web page, or save it for listening to later. We have also made available the Powerpoint slides (in PDF format) that outline the key points of this study.
We hope and pray this teaching will bless you and encourage you to undertake your own personal study and adventure in God’s Word!
