Esau and Jacob
Book of Genesis Chapters 27 through 29
The one most important of things we deal with in our life is, that God has a plan, and it is a plan of salvation with great reward.
We can only be a part of this plan by being obedient to God's Word!
We can reject God's plan and live in a life of torment forever after our death and most of our life, in one way or another.
We can take God's plan and try to turn and twist it to satisfy our own needs and our own will, which God will not allow.
This is what Isaac tried to do.
We should also notice there is not much information saved by the Holy Spirit about the life of Isaac.
Remember Abraham was such a dynamic man in the Scriptures that he overshadowed his only son Isaac, and much is written about Abraham.
Isaac and Rebekah at first lived a happy life until the birth of twins, Esau and Jacob.
It is at this point where deception entered into this family and changed the relationship with Isaac and his wife Rebekah and their two sons.
This deception caused outcomes that we still see in our world today!
What had God told Rebekah?
Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Since the Lord had said these things, then it was appropriate for this mother to act accordingly in raising her children, but it should never have been done by deceit.
Just as it was for Sarah, the same for Rebekah, God does not need our help to fulfill His promises!
Most of the time the Lord is just telling us how things will be, so we do not get caught off guard.
In fact, this is the purpose of all the Scriptures to tell us how things are going to be in this world!
The end of the Book tells us, that believe in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the promises of God, that we are on the winning side and this is enough for me.
God does not need my help to make this happen, but He does invite me to be there when it happens!
It is a plain fact, that if we just accept what God has got to say and be a doer of the Word, our lives will be much more pleasant!
We cannot change the plan of God!
Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
In real words, the Bible must be our looking glass, our mirror.
We must dress according to the Word of God.
We must act according to the Word of God.
We must live according to the Word of God.
What do we see?
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
What must we realize?
Luk 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Luk 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
Luk 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
Luk 12:26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
What should we seek?
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
From the birth of these twins, Isaac knew the will of God and it was not in his power to change what God had commanded!
Gen 25:21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Gen 25:22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Gen 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
Though they were twins, Esau was the elder of Jacob by birth and in the culture of that day, the father's blessings were given to the eldest son.
Another problem that caused harm to this family was, that each parent had their favorite child, and this should never be the case in any family.
We are to love all our children equally, for they will see if we do not!
Gen 25:27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
Gen 25:28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
A family divided.
We should also understand that God is training us to be shepherds and not training us to be hunters.
What is favoritism? Giving preference to one above another.
Esau was a man of the world. He was addicted to his sports as so many men are today.
We already know that Isaac was a rich man, so Esau did not hunt to provide for food for his family.
It was a sport like so many others take part in today.
It is not a bad thing to be hunter. We can be hunters and shepherds at the same time.
It is just like anything else we put before the Lord. It becomes an idol!
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Isaac was deceived as he blessed Jacob thinking he was blessing Esau.
*****Gen 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
Gen 27:29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
We should be very clear, once we know the will of God, we must operate under the laws of God!
We must act according to God's will for us!
We must never use deception to try to obtain what God has promised.
All sin will bring the chastisement of God and it must be this way.
One lie will lead to a second lie.
Deception will lead to further deception.
We must work according to God's timetable.
if we want to have a close personal relationship with Christ Jesus then we must conform to God's Will for us.
Mar 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
The way of this world is by lies and deception, and we are not to be a part of that!
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
What do we know?
We know that because Sarah interfered with the will of God, Ishmael was born and by him many Arab nations that still to this day have a hatred for the children of Israel.
We know that because of this action by Rebekah and Jacob, the descendants of Esau also hated Israel.
These family feuds could have been avoided if the people involved had not tried to rush the promises of God to suit their own agenda.
This world would be a much better place if our forefathers had been patient enough to wait on God!
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
It was not time for Jacob to receive the blessings of his father and not time for God's will to be carried out through Jacob.
As we study the Scriptures, we will see from this time until he was taken care of by Joseph, Jacob had troubles in his life caused by his own sons.
Much like the things that happened to King David after his terrible error with Bathsheba.
If we could do all things with our own strength, we would not need God! This is the greatest hoax that Satan uses!
Most of the world fall into the category today and the world is growing darker!
Isaac for some reason did not give Jacob the full blessing that had been given to him by his father.
The blessings included:
1) God's material blessings.
2) God's political blessings. Nations were to be under his authority and rule.
3) God would bless those nations that blessed Israel and God would curse those nations that cursed Israel.
What is not mentioned is that "and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" as was given to Abraham.
No sooner than Jacob had left then comes Esau.
*****Gen 27:30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
As for Esau, the blessing as given to Abraham had no real meaning to him, but he did want to be blessed as the elder of Isaac's two sons.
Esau wanted God's will to match his own will instead of his will to match God's will.
This is the problem that still exist today and is growing throughout the modern Church!
The Church wants God to bow to the ways of the world and this will certainly not ever happen!
This is the thing that is destroying our world today!
We cannot be guided by our own will and receive the blessings of God!
We cannot fulfill the desires of our flesh and be in the will of God!
Isaac made an attempt to bestow God's blessings upon Esau, and we hear nothing more of Isaac in the Scriptures.
Esau knowing that he had sold his birthright to his brother, still tried to receive it from his father.
Esau did not love the Lord enough to make Him a priority.
Esau then entered into a mixed marriage with the world and its women.
This in itself would have disqualified him from receiving God's blessings
It was the hand of God that had stopped Isaac from making a terrible mistake.
As usual we see that it is Jehovah who sits in control of this world!
We are not to live as Esau lived and still claim the blessings of God!
The results brought another family feud that is still raging between some Arab nations and Israel.
*****Gen 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
We immediately see that all those that are blessed of God are hated by those who reject the Will of God!
Those who reject the Will of God, are making plans to destroy those who have received the blessings of God!
We see this play out in our world today.
Notice that Esau would be pretending to mourn for his father as he planned to murder his brother.
How is Esau described by the Lord?
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
We are not to seeking the blessings of this world as was Esau!
Heb 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
We are seeking the City of God!
Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Isaac knew the thing he had tried to do was against the will of God, so he sent his son away to avoid the wrath of Esau.
*****Gen 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
Gen 28:2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.
Gen 28:3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
Gen 28:4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
Rebekah knew that it was important not only to preserve the life of Jacob, but also for Jacob to find a suitable wife and we already know that the Canaanites were a cursed people.
We should notice another important thing, it is at this time that Isaac gave Jacob the blessing of Abraham, which he had withheld earlier.
This was very important!
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Gal 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
We know that as Jacob journeyed God came to Jacob in a dream.
*****Gen 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
Gen 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
Gen 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Gen 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
The vision of what is called Jacob's ladder is one of the great stories in the Bible.
It is also overlooked by many.
As Jacob had begun his journey, he traveled as a lost man, unsure of himself and unsure of his future. Remember Jacob may have been a young man, maybe no more than twenty.
The vision of a great ladder reaching from earth up into Heaven. Some say a better translation would be a stairway, but they basically mean the same thing, but remember not all people can climb a ladder as easily as they can a stairway.
The way to Heaven is a narrow pathway!
What did Jesus say to Nathaniel?
Joh 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
The phrase the "Son of Man" means the Messiah of Heaven and Earth.
In Jacob's dream the Lord stood above the ladder.
What the Lord Jesus said was that the work that He came to do would link all that believed to His Heavenly Father.
In other words that ladder is a type of Christ, the only true connection from Earth to Heaven!
We know that the Angels of Heaven are sent to watch over us.
We should also realize that there is great gulf between Heaven and Earth, and Jesus provides that only pathway to Heaven!
It is only by Jesus the Messiah we can get to Heaven!
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
It is only by Jesus that our prayers can reach into the throne room of God.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Even the Angels ascend and descend by means of Jesus Christ!
The Lord Jesus then verifies the promises given to Abraham and Isaac, are the same promises given to Jacob.
Then the Lord tells Jacob ", I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of"
This is the same promise that is given to everyone who has faith, faith like that of Abraham.
Before the Messiah came sin separated us from our Heavenly Father.
Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Since the Lord completed His work by the cross on Mount Calvary, that sin has been removed to all those who believe.
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
Jesus has assigned His Angels to watch over us until we go home!
Psa 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
We might ask ourselves just what does Jacob's Ladder mean to you?
Jacob said this reminds me of the Bethel of God.
*****Gen 28:19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
Bethel means "House of God".
Luz means a nut bearing tree. Luz was a royal city of the Canaanites when Moses wrote these words and later became the city of Bethel.
Jacob could not have known these things, so we can be sure he meant "House of God".
Jacob became a believer and he prospered from that day forward, but he was still not perfect. He still had the sin nature passed down by Adam and Eve.
In typology we can see that many a believer came to know the truth of Jesus Christ at the House of God and still do.
We are still to gather at the House of God!
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Again in typology we must pledge our life to the Lord.
*****Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed 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 raiment to put on,
Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
Gen 28:22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
As we read Jacob's vow, what is our Christian vow?
When we ask the Lord Jesus to come into our heart and save us, we must also make a vow of repentance.
Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
1) The Lord will be with us throughout our lifetime.
2) The Lord will keep us in the Jesus way.
3) The Lord will provide my food.
4) The Lord will provide my clothing.
5) The Lord provide that peace of knowing salvation.
Then shall the Lord be my God!
That "Stone" is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The House of God must be built upon the Lord Jesus Christ!
It is this same place where we will give at least a tithe. That word tithe means a tenth of these things that the Lord has given to us.
We see we are not much different from Jacob the day he met the Lord.
But the deceiver also gets deceived.
*****Gen 29:25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
We should understand that even if we belong to the Lord we will suffer for our sins.
Jacob had deceived his father Isaac into giving him the blessing of the first born, even after from his birth our Heavenly Father had said he would rule over his brother.
Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
I believe the Lord chose to show Jacob how deception felt to his father.
We must learn from our mistakes!
You know God still says to honor our parents and will reward us for doing so.
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
It was bad enough to deceive but to deceive his father was sin.
For the reason of greed, Laban deceived Jacob.
Jacob had worked seven years for the hand of Rachel but in the darkness of the tent at nighttime Laban had provided Leah.
We live in a world where lights are everywhere, but the darkness of sin is also everywhere!
Laban had been unrighteous, but the Lord remained righteous in providing a wife for Jacob.
Laban offers up his excuse because, he knew God had prospered Jacob, and Laban had been the receiver of that prosperity, and he knew Jacob would do almost anything to gain the hand of Rachel.
*****Gen 29:26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
Gen 29:27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
Gen 29:28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
Gen 29:29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
Gen 29:30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
There can be little doubt that Laban had planned his deceit of Jacob for some time.
We must understand God's rule of law. We will reap what we sow!
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
God had not needed for Jacob to deceive his earthly father.
God had already given his plan to Rebekah and we can be sure that Isaac was aware of it.
God's plan will continue to work no matter how we accept it! He does not need our help.
We can be a part of God's plan willingly or not at all.
Jacob had given himself to the Lord at Bethel.
He was so hungry for Rachel that Laban was able to fool him easily.
Abraham and Isaac had settled in their minds that they were to have only one wife at a time.
For Jacob to get Rachel, the one he desired, he would have two wives and be against the wishes of God.
Laban took advantage of the covetousness and lust of Jacob for Rachel.
It would seem to us, that Jacob would have come to know his bride to be, enough to realize this deception.
Pro 5:18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Pro 5:19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Pro 5:20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
We do not know how Jacob was deceived but he was.
When we try to see great differences in Rachel and Leah, we actually see that they were only different in their faces which was covered by a veil.
Gen 24:65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.
The truth is, had Leah so desired, she could have stopped what was happening, but she saw this as a means to escape her deceiving father for a new life and we know she began to pray to Jehovah over her children.
Jacob did not ever love Leah for his love was for Rachel, but Jacob continued with Leah and she bare him many children including Judah who would be the son who would carry on with the covenant given to Abraham.
As far God was concerned, Leah was the wife of Jacob though Jacob never loved her.
Gen 29:31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
Again, we see that we need to very careful as we seek a wife.
The world is full of deception.
Jacob was so caught up in his lust for Rachel, he was easily deceived by the world!
We live in a world full of deception as we see all these things going on around us with this climate change hoax, the handling of the virus plague, the elections, and the loss of our freedoms every day.
Just recently saw where our politicians would rather help foreign governments who have proved to be our enemies rather than help the American people. What a joke they are.
The Church is under attack more in America than it ever has been.
It is not time to quit on God in fact it is time to stand up for what we believe while the laws are still on our side!
Those laws will change to be against us!
The laws of God will never change, and the greatest law is the law of "faith"!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Where is our faith today?
Amen
