Verse of the day: Genesis
27:36 And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has
supplanted me these two times. 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?”
As
we read this text, Esau makes an interesting statement about Jacob. He says
that Jacob supplanted him two times, and took away his birthright. However,
Jacob took his birthright because he (Esau) readily gave it away. Regardless of
what Jacob may have asked in return for feeding his brother with the lentil
soup he made, Esau could have refused to trade his birthright. Instead, the
Scriptures tell us that he despised his birthright (treated it as worthless;
Genesis 25:34). Sadly, failing to take responsibility for one’s actions is
nothing new, and is something that still exists in today’s society even more
rampantly. This issue of failing to take responsibility for our actions goes
back to the Garden, when Adam failed to take responsibility for making sure the
neither he nor Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as God
commanded (Genesis 2;17). The Bible is clear that when we fail to take
responsibility for our actions, especially our sinful actions, we will not
prosper (Proverbs 28:13). Why do we, who are in Christ, forget that someday we
will stand before the Lord, and that we will give an account for all that we
have done, or failed to do (Romans 14:12)? Trying to excuse our actions, rather
than take responsibility for them will only complicate our lives, and cause
bitterness between us, and those we blame for our decisions and actions. On the
other hand, we see that Jacob used deception to obtain his father’s blessings,
and deception is never the answer to gaining what it is we desire. As people
who are in Christ, we are to be different from the world in our approach to obtaining
what we desire while here on earth. Our first step should always be to pray and
seek God’s will and plan as to whether or not what we are seeking is truly what
God wants for us, and if we cannot obtain it in honesty, then we have no
business going after it. Proverbs 12:22 tell us that lying lips are an
abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight. Sadly,
both these parents contributed to the enmity that will exist between these two
brother because of their favoritism (Genesis 27:41). Isaac sought to bless
Esau, even though he grieved his parents by marrying Canaanite women (Genesis
26:34-35). It is obvious that Isaac failed to hold his son accountable for
marrying into an idolatrous culture, and still desired to give Him the
blessings that God planned for Jacob, even though Jacob was the younger son;
going against what was traditionally done, culturally speaking. On the other
hand, Rebekah, knowing that the Lord had already said that Esau would serve
Jacob (Genesis 25:23), convinced Jacob to use deception as a means to obtain
his father’s blessing, instead of Esau. This resulted in Esau plotting to kill
his brother, and Jacob having to flee to his Uncle Laban in Haran. In the end,
both Isaac and Rebekah brought grief upon themselves because of their own
failure as parents. Regardless of this, God’s plan was not hindered in any way,
as God will accomplish His will and plan for us, no matter how much people plan
and scheme in order to accomplish their own plans and desires, or in their
attempt to hinder His plan for us.
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