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Sermons from the
Book of Genesis |
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In 1980 there was a reporter for the Washington Post that wrote a story that set off an unexpected chain of events in Washington. The reporter was Janet Cooke, assigned to do local stories, told her editor that she had heard of an 8-year old addicted to heroin. Her editor said to her, “Find that kid and it’s a front page story.” Cooke came back with a detailed account of how a ghetto woman had allowed her lover to inject and addict her young son. The story was entitled “Jimmy’s World.” It caused an immediate furor in Washington. Cooke refused to reveal her sources, so the mayor put the full resources of the police behind an effort to find the child. The board of education was bombarded with questions and complaints. Cooke was nominated by the Post for a Pulitzer Prize, journalism’s most prestigious award and she won.
But as reporters gathered biographical information for their story about her, they discovered she had lied about her background. She had told the Post that she had graduated from Vassar with honors and had gotten a master’s degree at the University of Toledo. When the Post’s executives learned this, they also discovered, to their horror, that Cooke had also fabricated the entire story of “Jimmy’s World.” Cooke, in tears, offered her resignation. The Post accepted it. The Pulitzer went to Teresa carpenter of the Village Voice, instead.1
When you come to the Bible there is not a more classic story of lying, cheating, deceit, and scam than in the passage before us. It is the tale of 4 people: Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau. You talk about family members pitted against the other, here is a classic. Each person in the story was committed to their own ends. This was a family that had been filled with resentment and rivalries for years. It has all been lying under the surface for years, but now it all comes out into the open. We see the deceptive moves of each member in this family and in what they were doing everybody was wrong.
Everything going on the story revolved around a birthright. The birthright involved special privileges and advantages that normally belonged to the firstborn son. This blessing, passed on from the father to the son, made him the priest of the family. It also allotted the son a double-portion of the paternal inheritance as well as inheriting the judicial authority of the father. In this case, the birthright involved the right to stand in direct line as ancestor of the promised Messiah.
Everything we see going on in this story involved a father doing all he could to see that his favorite son got the blessing and a mother doing all she could to see that her favorite son got the blessing. Let’s notice the story and learn some important lessons for our own lives.
First, we see:
1. AN ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE
The first character in the story I want us to notice is Isaac the father. He is a very important player in the whole story for he is the one who was responsible for passing the blessing or birthright on to the son. Notice his actions in the whole matter. First, notice:
A. A Personal Choice That Was Indicated
We read in Genesis 27:1-4, "And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. [2] And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: [3] Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; [4] And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die." It is believed that this was about the time Isaac’s brother Ishmael died. The death of his brother made Isaac start thinking about his own death. Isaac was around 137 and would not die for 43 more years, but we see him settling his will with concerns about his death.
Let me say, that all of us should be concerned about death and being prepared to die. Regardless of when we die, there are matters that need to be settled and preparations that need to be made. The most important matter that needs to be settled is where you will spend eternity.
As you see Isaac settling his will, it is very obvious that he wants to give the birthright to Esau. He gives certain instructions to Esau and the purpose was “that my soul may bless thee before I die” (Vs.4). Genesis 25:28 says that “Isaac loved Esau.” He favored him more than Jacob. That favoritism is evident when you now see him favoring Esau for the birthright.
Secondly, we see:
B. A Previous Choice That Was Ignored
There was a serious fault in Isaac’s actions. In normal circumstances the birthright would go to the firstborn which would have been Esau. But when these 2 boys were born God had made it plain that Jacob was God’s choice to receive the blessing. We read in Genesis 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." Isaac knew what God had said, but here he is in a sneaky and secretive fashion trying to give the birthright to Esau. His personal choice was Esau, but the previous choice, which was God’s choice, was Jacob. What Isaac is doing is an act of disobedience. When it comes to what we do in life, the issue is not what do I want, but what does God want. It is not our will, but God’s will. Whenever God has made His will known and we still try and do our own thing it is an act of disobedience.
A Religious News Service reported that in the new Church Of England marriage service a bride doesn’t have to say “obey.” A church spokesman said that while the word “obey” does not appear in the service, a bride can opt for it “on the clear understanding that she freely undertakes it, that it is at her request, and that she is not doing it because the vicar or her parents have bullied her into doing it."2
When it comes to obeying God there is no option. I think of what Mary said to the servants at the wedding of Cana: “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” When God tells us to do something, it is not for discussion or debate. Isaac preferred Esau but God picked Jacob. Case closed. End of story. Yet in an act of disobedience he defied God’s will and disobeyed God’s will.
It is possible that Isaac argued within himself that since Esau was the firstborn, he was rightly his. It is possible that he had convinced himself that it was the proper thing to do. We often do the same; talk ourselves into believing that a certain action is God’s will. We are often like an overweight business man that decided it was time to shed some excess pounds. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving route to avoid his favorite bakery. One morning, however, he arrived at work carrying a gigantic coffee cake. We all scolded him, but his smile remained cherubic. "This is a very special coffee cake," he explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window was a host of goodies. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed, 'Lord, if you want me to have one of these delicious coffee cakes, let me have a parking place directly in front of the bakery.' And sure enough," he continued, "the eighth time around the block, there it was!"
Let me give you an example. God has made his will know about Church attendance and no matter how you look at it, when you miss Church you are disobedient to His will. Someone say’s, “The family is in and haven’t seen them in years.” If you do what God wants you will bring them to Church with you or plan your activities with them after Church. Another says, “I just needed to get away for the weekend.” Nothing wrong with getting away for the weekend but wherever you go, at Church time you are to be in Church. The same thing is true about tithing, service, soulwinning, etc. What God has plainly told you to do is to be obeyed. No exceptions. No excuses.
Not only do we see and act of disobedience, but we also see:
2. AN ACT OF DISTRUST
The second character in the story I want you to notice is Rebekah. The difference between Isaac and Rebekah was that Isaac knew what was right and disobeyed God. Rebekah knew what was right and distrusted God. Notice how in Rebekah there was:
A. An Understanding Of God’s Plan
We read in Genesis 27:5-7, "And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. [6] And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, [7] Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death." Rebekah was listening at the keyhole and heard everything Isaac had said to Esau. The one good thing you can say about Rebekah was that she knew what Isaac was planning wasn’t right. She knew what God had said. She remembered that God’s choice was Jacob.
One of the chief concerns of our spiritual life ought to be to always know what God’s will it. We are told in Ephesians 5:17, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." A priority of life ought to be to always understand God’s will and undertake God’s will.
Rebekah knew God's will, yet there was manifested in her life:
B. An Unbelief In God’s Providence
We read of her instructions to Jacob in verses 8-17, "Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. [9] Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: [10] And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. [11] And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: [12] My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. [13] And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. [14] And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. [15] And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: [16] And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: [17] And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob."
Immediately she came up with a plan of her own. She would disguise Jacob as Esau. Someone has said that Rebekah had to choose between two bad unavoidable courses of action; do nothing and let the blessing go to Esau or do wrong to achieve a greater purpose. There was one other course of action she could have taken and that was putting the whole affair in the hands of God. She should have realized that since God chose Jacob He could take care of the situation. She forgot that God was Sovereign and could and would over-ride and over-rule any situation that did not fit His will. She demonstrated an understanding of God’s plan but also demonstrated unbelief in His providence. Here is where many of us often make mistakes. Some situation arises and we think we have to take things in our own hands. We have the ideal that we have to make things happen.
Here is something we need to remember and that is we don’t have to take care of God’s business. We don’t have to stand watch over his plan and purposes. He is God and will take care of His own business. The only thing we have to be concerned about is just trusting Him and leaving things in His hands. It is true that what Rebekah did involved God’s will, but in doing her way exacted a heavy price. Jacob would spend the next 20 years in exile.
Thirdly, notice that there was:
3. AN ACT OF DECEPTION
The third character in the story I want you to notice is Jacob and how he deceived his father. Jacob means “cheat” and he is living up to his name. Notice first:
A. Jacob The Deceiver
We read in verses 18-20, "And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? [19] And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. [20] And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me." Jacob’s actions may have been excused by his mother, but the simple fact is it was plain downright dishonest and deceiving. What he was doing may have been his mother’s ideal, but Jacob was just as guilty for doing it.
The whole thing at the first bothered Jacob. Notice again verse 12: "My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing." When his conscience bothered him, that was when he should have said, “No way Jose.” Yet we see Jacob yielding to the pressure put on him by his mother.
May I say, that it doesn’t matter what others are doing, you have to stand your ground and say no. Furthermore, notice:
B. Isaac The Deceived
We read of Isaac's deception in verses 21-23, "And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. [22] And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. [23] And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him." Do you want to know why Isaac was deceived? He went by what he felt and not by the word. Here is where many people make a mistake. They go by their feelings and not by the Word.
What do we learn in all this? We should obey God in all things. We should leave things in God’s hands and always go by the Word and not your feelings.
1. Uncle John’s Second Bathroom Reader 2. Encyclopedia of 77000 Illustrations |