1st April: Genesis 25:19-34
Esau
was a fool. He chose his own way rather than the Lord's way. Jacob was a
'heel'! 'Born with his hand holding on to Esau's heel..., he was named
Jacob (Heel)' (26). A crafty twister, a manipulating cheat, there was
nothing about him that merited God's blessing. He was not superior to
Esau. Like Esau, Jacob was a sinner. Esau was not inferior to Jacob.
Both were guilty before God. Why, then - in God's purpose - does 'the
elder' (Esau) 'serve the younger' (Jacob) (23)? The answer is grace, the
'amazing grace' of God. Grace lifted Jacob. The glory belongs to God.
Grace could have lifted Esau. By grace Jacob valued the birthright
(God's blessing). His way of seeking God's blessing was devious.
Nevertheless, he was seeking for God - and God, in His grace, found him
and made him a new man (32:28). 'Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than
all my sin'!
2nd April: Genesis 26:1-35
'History
repeats itself'. Sin has a 'like father, like son' quality about it -
Isaac is like Abraham (7; 12:13, 20:2, 12-13), Jacob is like Isaac (7;
25:31,27:19). Grace repeats itself. God is faithful. He gives
forgiveness and victory over temptation (1 John 1:9; 1 Corinthians
10:13). He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). Deceived by 'the father
of lies' (the devil), 'man' denies the truth (John 8: 44). 'Let God be
true, and every man a liar' (Romans 3:4). In verses 19-22, there's 'the
story of the three wells' - 'Dispute', 'Opposition', 'Room'. Things went
from bad to worse, then there was progress. There is room for both,
when there is no more quarrelling. Isaac worshipped God, and was
recognised as God's man (25,28). We are to be recognised as God's
people, but remember - verse 34 - even the Lord's people can make
mistakes!
3rd April: Genesis 27:1-40
The
deception of Isaac by Jacob (prompted by Rebekah) is a sad episode, yet
God - in grace - really bestows His blessing on Jacob. Beneath Jacob's
deceit, there was a real desire to be blessed by God. To Esau (the late
arrival), Isaac says, 'I have blessed him - yes, and he shall be
blessed. I blessed him, and blessed he will remain' (33). Once the
blessing had been given, it could not be recalled. The blessing could
not be undone. Power bestowed by God could not be removed. This had
nothing to do with 'Jacob's righteousness'. It had everything to do with
God's faithfulness. The good work begun by God, will be completed by
Him (Philippians 1:6). This was true for Jacob (28:15). It is true for
us - 'All the promises of God find their Yes in Christ'. To this, we say
'Amen' and 'To God be the Glory' (2 Corinthians 1:20)!
4th April: Genesis 27:41-28:9
What
a tangled web! Jacob has cheated Esau. Now, Esau is saying, 'I will
kill my brother Jacob' (41). What are we to make of all this? We must
look beyond the human scene. Behind it all, there is 'God Almighty' (3).
God will fulfil His promises. Nothing will distract Him from His
ultimate purpose of salvation. We look at the complex series of events
involving Rebekah, Isaac, Jacob and Esau. God looks beyond all of that
to Jesus Christ. He looks beyond the nation of Israel. His purpose
concerns 'the ends of the earth' (Acts 1:8). 'The blessing of Abraham'
refers not only to the 'land' (4). There is also 'the promise of the
Spirit' (Galatians 3:14). We are to live 'by the power of the Spirit',
and not 'according to the flesh' as Esau did when 'he went to Ishmael
(the child of Abraham's unbelief...)' (9; Galatians 4:29).
5th April: Genesis 28:10-22
Just
another night (11)? No! - this was a night to remember, a night Jacob
would never forget. God came to him with His wonderful promise of love:
'I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you' (15).
At Bethel ('the house of God'), powerfully transformed by the presence
of God - 'Surely the Lord is in this place' (16) - , Jacob consecrated
himself to the Lord. 'If' (20) means 'Since'. See Romans 8:31, 'If
(Since) God is for us, who can be against us?'. Giving the tenth (22) -
this is not legalism, a kind of repayment scheme. There can be no
'salvation by works'. We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our
giving must always be a heartfelt expression of thanksgiving to the God
of grace: 'Loving Him who first loved me'. We are saved 'to do good
works' (Ephesians 2:10) - not because we do good works!
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