But we have all been a Jacob - cheating, lying, using half-truths to get our way. Later in the Torah,Jacob memorably dreams of a ladder to heaven. He does not wake up to a new start, but he does wake up with a different awareness, which slowly changes his character, although his wily behaviour continues into his old age.
That is the point. Jacob is not perfect, he does not attain a perfect start or complete change, and neither will we. Instead, we are reminded that real personal change happens slowly, with small goals and gradual progress.
Hello, sometimes I have doubts and questions. Would it be possible to ask you when I do?
Right now, for example, I wonder something about Jacob.
I heard pastors say before, that he was a liar and a manipulator. I looked in Genesis from the time he was born, until he got married and cant find anything other than how he (at the request of his mother) deceived Esau by giving him a bowl of soup for his birthright. But nothing else. Does this one action make him someone like what the pastors describe?
It seems coincidental or strategic how the second in order ( going against the norm.) would be what seems to be where the blessings are.
Start with the first Adam and second Adam. The births throughout the patriots. Ishmael and Issac. Jacob and Essau. Ephraim and Manasseh. we have the 2 covenants, and the flesh and the spirit.
This chapter shows how despite the machinations of man God's will still stands. It was Isaac's duty; according to custom; to bless each son before his day of death. A secondary note is that he lived for a considerable number of YEARS after this event; it is plausible that he may have thought more clearly about things had he sought the Lord BEFORE he did this.
Isaac always favored Esau; but Divine Providence determined from the beginning that the "elder would serve the younger." Whether Isaac was privy to the information the Lord gave Rebekkah on this when she was pregnant is unknown; as also is the reason it was revealed to her by the Lord and not (as far as we know) to Isaac. At any rate; Isaac simply did what he thought was appropriate for Esau; and it seems that there was some supernatural covenental event that transpired when such blessings were given; or alternatively; the Holy Spirit somehow intervened (as we see with the declarations regarding the nation of Israel as a whole upon the death of Moses; for instance). Once that binding event occured; the real Esau incurred what was previously predicted to Rebekkah; namely subjugation until a certain time when he and or his descendants would overthrow the authority determined to rule over him. This demonstrates the intention of Isaac through the deception was overthrown according to God's will; it does NOT justify the sneaky tactics his wife did in this case; nor the manipulation Jacob incurred with the earlier pottage incident to get what he wanted.
Therefore; the results were Jacob running for his life; and not coincidentally to Laban where he would be manipulated much in the same way as he had done previously; being tricked after seven years servitude to marry Leah; then working another seven years for Rachel.
In the process; the positive aspect of the tenacity of Jacob was shown with the wrestling and contending with the Angel of God (probably Christ); and amazingly prevailing.
Hi Gigi That was why Jesus Christ said those who have seen me I.E. senses have seen the fathers words and works on display John 1:18 made Him known. Its interesting to me that many times in the gospels after they witnessed the miraculous still didn't believe or with absolute blind defiance and hatred didn't believe[ religious leaders] and desired to eliminate him. No wonder our Saviour said blessed are those that have not seen and believe. Without the senses we could never enjoy Fathers created works.
However, Jesus did come in the People experienced Him with their five senses. He used real life, five sense explanations to highlight spiritual truths. I agree that we are to learn spiritual truth through the Spirit. I also believe that God gave us our physical five sense existence to experience him and He is plainly known through what he has made.) Without the work of the Holy Spirit, none of us can come to God for salvation. But it is through hearing the gospel that we believe. We do not come to the knowledge of the gospel simply by inner intuition.
Hi Gigi One of the many challenges to me when understanding scripture it is God communicating how he works and how he wants to work for and in us via His Spirit. We live in pardon my unique analogy a five senses matrix that works against our spiritual man. To just say I'm not going to walk by the senses to me doesn't fit, it is a lifetime of determined focused change of thought into action, walking by faith not by sight. In the old testament when the prophet Samuel went to Jesse 1 Samuel 16 God even had to tell his man verse 7 I don't see things the way you do and he isn't the one then when he showed him seven sons Samuel ask the question is this it then Jesse sort of like well there is one more but he's sort of the runt, sends for the boy verse 7 this is he anoint him. Fantastic example, even the prophets who were human just like us fought the five senses. So we do our best and let God do the rest.
It is interesting that Jacob grabbed Esau's heel at their birth. They may have been side by side in the womb and wrestled to be first out. Jacob was a wrestler from the start, it seems.
Hi Gigi What I'm seeing is that Rebekah was shown by the lord Gen. 25:22+23 that the one child Jacob was by promise and the other was indeed going to serve jacob. The interesting scripture to me is Jacob came out second and took hold of his heel why would God mention that if there wasn't a specific point perhaps Jacob was supposed to come out first. Esau being the first born by birthright eastern culture naturally would get the blessing but when Esau sold out so to speak for just food that told me he had no commitment. There are a number of things Esau did which showed his motives weren't right, also Rebekah knew what God was telling her and made sure the birthright went to whom God was telling her. The promise was already made to Jacob God gave Rebekah and Jacob revelation Gen. 27:5-27 to be sure His will would be carried out. I don't believe Jacob or Rebekah were deceptive I believe God was showing them what to do.
I see that they are mutually exclusive. 'Birthright' being the expected rights & privileges that come to someone because of his/her birth; in the Bible seen given to an offspring because he is the firstborn ('a right by birth'). See also 1 Chronicles 5:1,2 for passing on, or conferring that birthright because of the Will of the father.
'Blessing' being the verbal expression of love, care, appreciation, praises & prayer for the one being blessed. Genesis 24:60; Genesis 31:55; Joshua 14:13; Leviticus 9:22 as some examples.
...It was Isaac's poor vision that allowed for this deception to be successful. God's will was accomplished despite the sins of many in the family. Esau, in the last hour, desired what he had not cared to have prior to this moment. He wanted the blessing even though he most likely didn't live his life in God's way. It seems that Jacob always had his eye on the prize, knowing its worth and perhaps the responsibility that accompanied it, having seen these in his father's life.
Since Isaac was 60 when the twins were born, the sons were probably at least 40, since that is the age that Esau was when he married the Hittite women and it was said that this plural marriage to non-kin aggrieved both Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac was over 100 years old at this time, but he did not die right away. He lived through all of the years that Jacob served Laban to purchase his wives Leah and Rachel, and for all of Jacob's 12 sons to be born. He lived to be 180 years old.
Esau hated Jacob for receiving the blessing instead of himself. He vowed to kill Jacob after his father has died. Luckily, Isaac lived decades longer after this event. When Esau heard his father instruct Jacob to not take a wife from the Canaanites, but from kin of Rebekah's brother, he went out and married Ishmael's daughter, Mahalath, knowing that his father was displeased with the Canaanite women. I think he tried to please his father by marrying one of Abraham's descendants through Ishmael, even though he kept his Canaanite wives.
Rebekah sends Jacob away to her brother, Laban's home, to escape what she heard Esau say about killing Jacob. She expected Isaac to die very soon and didn't want to lose both Isaac and Jacob together. She is weary, perhaps from trying to keep the family on the path that she knew God wanted for them. She was acting in the flesh, trying in her own strength and wisdom to keep God's plan intact. She was a wonderful, godly woman, but , like all of us, we fail, strive with God at times.
This is truly an interesting chapter, in that so much is revealed about the weaknesses of these members of this chosen family. I agree with many who said that God's will and prophecy will come to pass despite the sins of the very people directly involved with the fulfillment.
Isaac knew the prophecy that Jacob would be the son of promise, not Esau, but he favored Esau , and wished for him to receive the blessing of the firstborn. Perhaps he believed God would still bring about His will in this matter, even as he performed his duty as the father to bestow the blessing on his first-born. The men were twins. One was born first, but both were conceived at the same time. They were the exact same age.
Rebekah knew the prophecy, but saw that Isaac intended to give the blessing to Esau. She did favor Jacob, but she also wanted God's will to be done, too. Jacob probably knew the prophecy, and having easily bargained for the birthright from Isaac, he went along with his Mom's plan in order to fulfill the prophetic word concerning him being the son of promise, not Esau. Esau, did not value his birthright, and probably not the blessing so much until this time, when his father was about to die. He wanted one last good thig from his dad, something that was better than what Jacob would receive. He wanted to please his father with perhaps his final meal. He and his Dad had a close relationship, but now Isaac was nearly blind.
It is interesting that as fraternal twins, there was such a disparity between their physical resemblances. The differences were prominent and obvious. One was hairy, and red; the other not hairy and fair. Did one resemble their father more than the other? We do not know. But when it came down to this exact moment in this families history, these physical differences played a big part in the story. God made them so physically different so that Isaac, old, feeble and almost blind, would be able to tell them apart by feel...see more
Apparently, there was both a birthright and a blessing to be received from the father to the son he chooses. Can anyone describe for me the difference?
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.
Genesis 27:35
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty (deception), and hath taken away thy blessing.
Genesis 27:36
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Genesis 27:38
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
Genesis 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.
Comment by Mishael:
Esau gave away his birthright for a bowl of stew.
Just thinking about his stomach...also, it angered God that he did that.
Rachel engineered the taking of the Blessing.
Esau planned to murder Jacob. God saw that.
Later, Esau left the family and married a non-Jewish woman and lived amongst her people.
I read something earlier this year that indicated that his descendants still live outside of Israel. I have no opinion on that, even tho I read a ton of Google following his descendants.
I do not know if modern American culture follows ancient customs of Israel. Perhaps in Jewish communities?
The bible never speaks of infant baptism. You can be baptized again as an adult. Just a couple of things to know. Baptism (Water baptism) has no part in your salvation. A person is baptized after they get saved as an outward expression of an inward change. In other words, it shows a testimony that that you have received Christ, that you died of your sin, was buried with Him, and rose to a new life in Christ.
We believe, according to the Word, that God is an Omniscient God; that He is All-Knowing. Otherwise, He wouldn't be God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. In the case of Gen 27, Jacob supplanted his brother Esau by impersonating him and receiving the blessing of the first-born. Isaac was fooled by Jacob's trickery, Esau was broken and angry, but God, in His Wisdom, had a special plan for Jacob, who was later named Israel. God's Will & Purposes are never thwarted even if we sin and let Him down in our lives. Yes, we will suffer for our wrong, as Jacob did, but God's Plans are perfect and far-reaching and beyond the scope and imagination of our finite and fickle minds.
So maybe someone can clarify something I cant seem to find online..... God gives us free right. Which has me wondering how he knows predictions like this? In some stories he gets hurt due to others actions that he did not forsee. So how did he know Jacob would come to rule over Esau?
Remember in GENESIS 25: 23 The Lord said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER Jacob even was holding onto Esau's heel as if to hold him back. Before their births, God knew that Esau's descendants would become enemies of Israel for generations to come and He knew Jacob was a man of integrity. He had preordained that Jacob would be in the lineage of Jesus.
I am sure that God could deliver the birthright, which did belong to Jacob by being the firstborn, without the deceptions brought on by Rebekah and Jacob. But that is something we will not be able to know. If God had been trusted, Rebekah would not have lost Jacob.
Jesus was first .He wasn't rejected. But I get what you are saying once we are born again second birth we are accepted. And you may even say Jesus was born again the third day after he was buried.
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
Jacob meaning "heel-catcher" i.e. supplanter"
Genesis 32:28,
Hopefully these are helpful in your study
That is the point. Jacob is not perfect, he does not attain a perfect start or complete change, and neither will we. Instead, we are reminded that real personal change happens slowly, with small goals and gradual progress.
Right now, for example, I wonder something about Jacob.
I heard pastors say before, that he was a liar and a manipulator. I looked in Genesis from the time he was born, until he got married and cant find anything other than how he (at the request of his mother) deceived Esau by giving him a bowl of soup for his birthright. But nothing else. Does this one action make him someone like what the pastors describe?
Great work.
It seems coincidental or strategic how the second in order ( going against the norm.) would be what seems to be where the blessings are.
Start with the first Adam and second Adam. The births throughout the patriots. Ishmael and Issac. Jacob and Essau. Ephraim and Manasseh. we have the 2 covenants, and the flesh and the spirit.
Thank you and God bless.
Isaac always favored Esau; but Divine Providence determined from the beginning that the "elder would serve the younger." Whether Isaac was privy to the information the Lord gave Rebekkah on this when she was pregnant is unknown; as also is the reason it was revealed to her by the Lord and not (as far as we know) to Isaac. At any rate; Isaac simply did what he thought was appropriate for Esau; and it seems that there was some supernatural covenental event that transpired when such blessings were given; or alternatively; the Holy Spirit somehow intervened (as we see with the declarations regarding the nation of Israel as a whole upon the death of Moses; for instance). Once that binding event occured; the real Esau incurred what was previously predicted to Rebekkah; namely subjugation until a certain time when he and or his descendants would overthrow the authority determined to rule over him. This demonstrates the intention of Isaac through the deception was overthrown according to God's will; it does NOT justify the sneaky tactics his wife did in this case; nor the manipulation Jacob incurred with the earlier pottage incident to get what he wanted.
Therefore; the results were Jacob running for his life; and not coincidentally to Laban where he would be manipulated much in the same way as he had done previously; being tricked after seven years servitude to marry Leah; then working another seven years for Rachel.
In the process; the positive aspect of the tenacity of Jacob was shown with the wrestling and contending with the Angel of God (probably Christ); and amazingly prevailing.
However, Jesus did come in the People experienced Him with their five senses. He used real life, five sense explanations to highlight spiritual truths. I agree that we are to learn spiritual truth through the Spirit. I also believe that God gave us our physical five sense existence to experience him and He is plainly known through what he has made.) Without the work of the Holy Spirit, none of us can come to God for salvation. But it is through hearing the gospel that we believe. We do not come to the knowledge of the gospel simply by inner intuition.
It is interesting that Jacob grabbed Esau's heel at their birth. They may have been side by side in the womb and wrestled to be first out. Jacob was a wrestler from the start, it seems.
'Blessing' being the verbal expression of love, care, appreciation, praises & prayer for the one being blessed. Genesis 24:60; Genesis 31:55; Joshua 14:13; Leviticus 9:22 as some examples.
Since Isaac was 60 when the twins were born, the sons were probably at least 40, since that is the age that Esau was when he married the Hittite women and it was said that this plural marriage to non-kin aggrieved both Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac was over 100 years old at this time, but he did not die right away. He lived through all of the years that Jacob served Laban to purchase his wives Leah and Rachel, and for all of Jacob's 12 sons to be born. He lived to be 180 years old.
Esau hated Jacob for receiving the blessing instead of himself. He vowed to kill Jacob after his father has died. Luckily, Isaac lived decades longer after this event. When Esau heard his father instruct Jacob to not take a wife from the Canaanites, but from kin of Rebekah's brother, he went out and married Ishmael's daughter, Mahalath, knowing that his father was displeased with the Canaanite women. I think he tried to please his father by marrying one of Abraham's descendants through Ishmael, even though he kept his Canaanite wives.
Rebekah sends Jacob away to her brother, Laban's home, to escape what she heard Esau say about killing Jacob. She expected Isaac to die very soon and didn't want to lose both Isaac and Jacob together. She is weary, perhaps from trying to keep the family on the path that she knew God wanted for them. She was acting in the flesh, trying in her own strength and wisdom to keep God's plan intact. She was a wonderful, godly woman, but , like all of us, we fail, strive with God at times.
Isaac knew the prophecy that Jacob would be the son of promise, not Esau, but he favored Esau , and wished for him to receive the blessing of the firstborn. Perhaps he believed God would still bring about His will in this matter, even as he performed his duty as the father to bestow the blessing on his first-born. The men were twins. One was born first, but both were conceived at the same time. They were the exact same age.
Rebekah knew the prophecy, but saw that Isaac intended to give the blessing to Esau. She did favor Jacob, but she also wanted God's will to be done, too. Jacob probably knew the prophecy, and having easily bargained for the birthright from Isaac, he went along with his Mom's plan in order to fulfill the prophetic word concerning him being the son of promise, not Esau. Esau, did not value his birthright, and probably not the blessing so much until this time, when his father was about to die. He wanted one last good thig from his dad, something that was better than what Jacob would receive. He wanted to please his father with perhaps his final meal. He and his Dad had a close relationship, but now Isaac was nearly blind.
It is interesting that as fraternal twins, there was such a disparity between their physical resemblances. The differences were prominent and obvious. One was hairy, and red; the other not hairy and fair. Did one resemble their father more than the other? We do not know. But when it came down to this exact moment in this families history, these physical differences played a big part in the story. God made them so physically different so that Isaac, old, feeble and almost blind, would be able to tell them apart by feel...see more
Genesis 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.
Genesis 27:35
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty (deception), and hath taken away thy blessing.
Genesis 27:36
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Genesis 27:38
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
Genesis 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.
Comment by Mishael:
Esau gave away his birthright for a bowl of stew.
Just thinking about his stomach...also, it angered God that he did that.
Rachel engineered the taking of the Blessing.
Esau planned to murder Jacob. God saw that.
Later, Esau left the family and married a non-Jewish woman and lived amongst her people.
I read something earlier this year that indicated that his descendants still live outside of Israel. I have no opinion on that, even tho I read a ton of Google following his descendants.
I do not know if modern American culture follows ancient customs of Israel. Perhaps in Jewish communities?
Maybe it's a perspective of when others around you sin.
Romans 8:28 - 30
What other brethren did Jacob have besides Esau?