Wednesday 07/05/17
Message – A Case of Identity Theft
Series: Thru the Bible – Genesis 27
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:33:20 — 44.9MB)
A Case of Identity Theft
Chapter 27
As I said last week, when a parent favors one child above another it will divide the loyalties inside the marriage itself!
What should these two parents have done – knowing God’s word concerning their sons?
Honesty and seeking God would have been the right answer – not conniving, and underhanded deception!
Rebekah told Jacob that if Isaac were to discover their treachery and curse him, his curse would fall on her. I’m not convinced that this would have worked. Rebekah technically did not have such authority but due to ignorance God may have “winked at it” as He did many sins in Israel’s early years – Romans 3:25 tells us that certain sins were overlooked due to God’s forbearance/patience.
In any case, Jacob paid the price for his treachery in years with Laban.
(Gen 27:12) Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
(Gen 27:13) But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.”
She was disloyal to her husband and so was not a virtuous woman – at least in this instance…
Prov. 31:10-12 “(10) Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. (11) The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. (12) She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.”
(Gen 27:15) Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.
(Gen 27:16) And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.
(Gen 27:17) Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
This passage ought to wound our hearts. Lying, deceit and treachery runs COMPLETELY counter to our new nature in Christ and it stands prominently in the list of things God hates!
Prov. 6:16-19, “(10) These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (17) A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, (18) A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, (19) A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”
Jacob willingly participates in the treachery and deception…
Gen 27:18-29 “(18) So he went to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” (19) Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” (20) But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the LORD your God brought it to me.“ – He involves God IN HIS lie!
(21) Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” (22) So Jacob went near to 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 did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.”
This is the treachery and treason – Rebekah and Jacob used their intimate knowledge of Isaac and his ways to deceive and betray him. It was a high-handed sin which was deliberate and premeditated and executed without any outward sense of remorse!
(24) Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.”
(25) He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
(26) Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” (27) And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: “Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. (28) Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. (29) Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!”
Isaac was completely betrayed and came to trembling anger over the deceit.
Gen 27:32-36 “(32) And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” (33) Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.”
(34) When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”
(35) But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”
(36) And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times.
Esau plays the victim:
He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!”
And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
Gen 27:37,
“Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?”
The profane character of Esau manifested itself in his act of selling his birthright to satisfy a physical appetite, that of hunger. The birthright consisted of the honor and privilege of being the next family priest at the death of the father. Esau had no appreciation of the spiritual side of life. His life centered about the gratification of the desires of the body. The birthright had been given by God to Jacob.
After having despised the birthright to which he laid claim, and after having sold it for the gratification of a physical desire, Esau, finding that Jacob had received it, desired it. But he was disqualified (rejected, adokimazo).
The reason why he was disqualified is that he found no place of repentance.
There are two words translated “repent,” one means “regret or remorse one’s actions because of the consequences.” It is the word used of Judas (Mat_27:3). The other means “a change of mind a reversal of moral purpose.”
Esau’s repentance was the former. While he was quite able to feel remorse over the consequence of his actions, he was incapable of feeling remorse for the action itself as being morally wrong.
God is said to “grant repentance” in 2Tim 2:21-26, meaning it is at His discretion to give or withhold…
“(21) Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (22) So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (23) Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. (24) And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, (25) correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, (26) and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
The result of Esau’s lack of repentance was hatred and a spiritual blindness which obscured his understanding and interpretation of Isaac’s words, “By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
Rebekah gives reason to Isaac for Jacob’s departure, again using her intimate knowledge of him to her own advantage…
Gen 27:46,
“Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
There is much more information in the audio/video of the actual message. I hope you listen, learn and enjoy!
…Blessings!
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