Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Have you ever thought when God told Abram, "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, go to a land that I will show you....THIS WAS NOT A WEAK LITTLE SUGGESTION.........IT WAS "GET OUT"!
Abraham moved from the place people knew him! He moved from the familiar. I am thinking it was important as we saw with Jesus.........familiarity was breeding contempt toward Him.(SEE MATTHEW 13) Abram was to become Abraham, he was the signal of movement from the ordinary to the extraordinary in God.
Genesis 12:1-9....................2:1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:
"Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father's house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. ............. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. NKJV
In reading the end of Genesis 11, we find Abraham needing to be separated from his father Terah. For Abraham needed to move to Canaan, the land of promise. We sometimes need to be separated to that which God has called us. And Abraham needed to be separated, as we see from Genesis 12...."get out of your country".....get away from that which is familiar! And told Abraham that he would make him a great nation. "I will bless you and make your name great."
Ever notice today how so many what to be famous? Ever see how many will take over a meeting and the podium to get their say in? AND the meeting is "not even about what these intruders come to speak about!!!!
Interesting how people want to speak, yet it makes no sense when they finally do get to do it. It certainly takes time with God, to see our place, what He has planned for us and how to get there by following and THEN BY LEADING OTHERS, AND THAT IS HOW IT WORKS AND BY NO OTHER WAY!!!
Then we read, that God went even further to remove Abraham from Lot. He was going to do a new thing in someone ready to run with the "God thing".
Genesis 15:1-21............15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." 2 But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
7 Then He said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." 8 And he said, "Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" 9 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."
17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates-- 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." NKJV
Genesis 17:5-22.......................5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
9 And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
15 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" 19 Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year." 22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. NKJV
Abram became Abraham. He moved from a place known for idolatry! The city of Ur.....was ..UNDER a kind of theocracy. They worshiped a diety of the moon. If you remember, he came from the same area where the Tower of Babel was built in Genesis 11:3-4. But Abram became a man of faith, and resisted the pollution of an idol based society.
Genesis 21:1-7........... 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him--whom Sarah bore to him--Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me." 7 She also said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age." NKJV
Isaac, was the promise, the "laughter" that God presented to Sarah. Long after, when all is done, then she too, inherited the promise of a child. The barren had become fruitful and produced a son. As Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah under the leadership of God, he became wealth under the same mighty Hand. Those issues of family life in Ur were gone. Isaac, the promised, now had life, and was to raise children of his own. Not under the idolatry of early years for parents in Ur, but become the separated unto God. Even in marriage, Isaac was given a wife. He would not intermarry among the Canaanites, but would have a marriage with someone from his own people. And we see Rebehak take her place. As Isaac came to wealth by birth, so too, his receiving did not stop there. Even his wife was given to him. When the servant was sent out to find the woman for Isaac, guidelines were furnished. The instructions from God were made plain. Isaac was in "receivership".
Genesis 24:19-47.....19 After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. 23 Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"
24 She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor." 25 And she added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night."
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, 27 saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."
28 The girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. 29........(she) had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31 "Come, you who are blessed by the LORD," he said. "Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels."
32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say."
Genesis 24:34-49....................34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. 36 My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.'
Genesis 24:34-49....................34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. 36 My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.'
39 "Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come back with me?'
40 "He replied, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father's family. 41 Then, when you go to my clan, you will be released from my oath even if they refuse to give her to you--you will be released from my oath.'
42 "When I came to the spring today, I said, 'O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring; if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar," 44 and if she says to me, "Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too," let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master's son.'
45 "Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'
46 "She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too.' So I drank, and she watered the camels also.
47 "I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?'........(she answered..) 'The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.'
"Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn." NIV
Genesis 24:50-51.............50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed." NIV
Genesis 24:62-67............62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?"
"He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. NIV
Isaac was the son of the covenant. It was his life that had the evidence of favor by God. In Isaac we see a child become that which was destined by God. He became a man of peace as we see in Genesis 26:20-22............20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, "Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land."
In devotion, we see him in verse 67 that Rebekah became his wife and loved her. He became devoted to his wife. To love her all his days, he was comforted by her in and after his mother's death! And of faith, we see Paul writing about both Isaac who was born of the free woman, Sarah in Galatians 4:21-23.........21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.
And then we come to the twins born to Rebekah and Isaac. We see one loved greatly by Isaac and one loved greatly by Rebekah. That will cause problems, will it not? As we see in Genesis 25:23....the elder Esau, the favored by Isaac, would be declared to serve the younger. And Rebekah conspired, yes, to scheme, plot, get her own way, for Jacob to receive the blessing. We find Jacob running to Laban in Paddan-aram to get away from the violence that erupted between the twin brothers. Many years passed and the two were joined in peace finally to give respect to those to which it was due!
Genesis 35:27-29.................27 Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. NKJV
In Jacob, we find him gaining the birthright, that which is leader over the family, in giving the prayer, the teaching of the Word of God and in wisdom for decisions.........remember Esau sold that birthright for a cup of soup! YIKES! Jacob was the supplanter, a sure liar in getting his way. But amidst all the turmoil and trials, he left Esau, and ran into the waiting arms of Laban, that selfish person who was always grasping for what others had. In always taking what he wanted, he found that retribution ....that punishment or penalty came out of gaining a wife, not of his choice......again, what he wanted. But one thing showed an evidence that he was serving many years for two wives and then many years to tending Laban's flocks. He gain Leah and Rachel. Leah gave him....Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulin.......a daughter Dinah. Then Leah's maid, Zilpah, gave him two more sons...................Gad and Asher. (Genesis 30:9-13)
Leah was not loved like Rachel was, but Judah came through Leah. And out of the tribe of Judah came Jesus the Messiah.
Rachel had two sons, one Joseph and one who caused death for her, Benjamin.
Rachel was a liar as well....and it was interesting that she chose to take things that were not hers in .....regard to Laban & his covetousness. Her life depicted one toward God but she held superstitions of her country and in worshiping the teraphim....Genesis 31:19.
When God is not in the beginning of the plans, then we resort to odd superstitious things, but is in faith that we walk. And in so doing, that faith must grow, and we see it in Rachel. She was well remembered long after her passing as seen in Ruth 4:11-12......11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman." NKJV
Why do I write all this? Why do I see the importance for there to be generations mentioned.........? For we must have our beginning in God. Each had their own thoughts and processes going on, but each would fail until they hooked up with God and had HIS leading them to their future. That leading was not going to be in failures, and lack and disappointments, but in each, we saw a fulfillment of what was promised them.
WHAT has been promised to you? In Abraham, we see him receive direction and instruction from God. And when they did, he and his wife had much laughter added to them. They had to move away from idolatry and look to God, their source. In Isaac, we saw a young man receive his inheritance as a son. Because his parents believed, he gained life. We saw him act in fear of man much like his father did earlier in our reading of this great lineage. In weakness, Isaac too, told those that his wife was his sister......
Genesis 26:1-9................... 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws." 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful."
8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?"
Isaac answered him, "Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her." NIV
But in all this, we see a man pray for his wife to conceive a child.
Genesis 25:21-23.................21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
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." NIV
And came two individuals......twins who would be total opposites.
Genesis 26:34-35.....................34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah. NIV
AND IN JACOB, we saw the liar become the "one who contended with God". Yes, his polygamy was contrary to the original law. It was evil!!
In that which he left behind, the ignorance, the inexcusable, he gained a higher life in God.
Hosea 12:3-6.........3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he struggled with God.
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in Bethel,
And there He spoke to us--
5 That is, the LORD God of hosts.
The LORD is His memorable name.
6 So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually. NKJV
Isaac was to bless the elder. He was to bless his son Esau, and have him lead the "family", but Jacob wanted the blessing and in deceit he took it. He planned out how to do it and deceived an old, blind Isaac. AND WE READ in Genesis 26:35...we see Esau and his wives....Judith and Basemoth.......and they were grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
Jacob contended and God received that which Jacob had prayed for. Jacob received his name change "contender with God".....see Matthew 11:12."I will not let go except Thou bless me."......Genesis 32:26.
Jacob had been driving himself, to be what he believed was his. But now God would lead him. Now he would return to peace with his brother and live for God!
In the three generations, we saw one move from the land they knew (Ur) to move to Canaan. They would receive an inheritance in trusting God. In their plans, they failed, but God caused them to rise higher than before. Isaac received his wife without seeing her. Can we the children of God, do as much and receive what God has for us without first seeing it, but JUST READY TO RECEIVE IT? IT IS TIME FOR RECEIVERSHIP!!!!
Will we grow and become those who will contend for the faith?
In this day and time, I am what you would call the spiritual mother. As that spiritual leader, I am to speak words of wisdom, that comes from a heart that is the throne of God. We must know our leading, and that it must come from Him and His wisdom. We must know that we are there to encourage those like Isaac..........that laughter is good, but you need wisdom as well. In those moments of laughter, we look to the future and we see the choices that can be made. But we must expect to receive with faith that which God is wanting to entrust to our keeping. We can see the Jacob or the Esau.......we can see the liar, the one who appears peaceful but always attracts other covetous men and women. Or we can also look to the robust type in Esau, who looks like someone out of FIELD AND STREAM. BUT.....we must look to God, the beginner of all things. It is in Him , that we live and move and have our being. If we like, Jacob submit to authority, we too, can have that name change that will be one of respect and honor and NOT one of shame and dishonor.
In closing: in the time of Jesus, he too, faced the familiarity......and this is what occurred.
In Matthew 13:53-58......NKJV.....53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. In this we see familiar was breeding contempt toward Jesus , the Messiah. These people were so familiar with HIM, they could not understand how He spoke with wisdom and did mighty works. "Is this not the carpenter's son"? "Is not His mother called Mary"? ....."and His brothers James, Joses, Simon and Judas"? AND THEY WERE OFFENDED AT HIM! THEY COULD NOT RECEIVE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT LOOK ON THAT HE WAS THE CALLED.......HE was just Jesus, the carpenter's son. But those who would receive, called Him the Son of God! He was the anointed, Bread of Life...... John 6:32, Dayspring ..........Luke 1:78, Good Shepherd.......... John 10:11, Holy One of God...Mark 1:24, Horn of Salvation....... Luke 1:69, The Life....John 14:6, Light of the World....John 8:12, Lamb of God.....John 1:29, and Prince of Life.....Acts 3:15.
Jesus went on to say,............ " a prophet is now without honor except in his own country and in his own house."
For that which we deem not useful to us, not gain, will be like those in Jesus' hometown disdain the prophet, the man or woman with the wisdom of God who speaks with authority? Will we be those who " are so familiar" just cast off the good and remain with the mundane and mediocre life?
Mine is to chase after the Spirit of Prophecy Who is Jesus! I hope it is yours as well!
Father, thank You for the Spirit of Prophecy that is Jesus. (Revelation 19:10) It is that testimony of faith just like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had! I pray that any who read this would be captivated by the love God had for each successive generation and how God wanted to guide them through to health and wealth. We desire to be hooked into the vine, that place of the Lord that will increase our lives. We desire to hear His directives for our lives. Like Paul, we too, desire to be those who will be the intimately acquainted with You.
Wherever we stand in our walk with You, may we be ever moving toward You and hearing You give us the plans for our lives. May we be those "faith" people who exercise that faith like the generations before us. It is in YOU that we live, move and have our being!
Father, may we look to You and hear all that is being spoken about what we must need to know about for our families and communities. Help us to see those who speak with wisdom and have a relationship with You that we will be receptive to hear all that You speak to us through Your word and through those men or women you send on our pathway. May we always look out for the other's best and may we be those men and women of honor and not of the dishonored. May we be fruitful in delivering words of wisdom to those who are in need of guidance today. We thank You for filling us with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that we may walk worthy of You Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of YOU. We thank You for past and present relationships. We learn from those who oppose us and from those who are for us. We also give thanks for discernment and spiritual understanding. We enter Your gates with thanksgiving in our hearts. It is Jesus' name we pray and give thanks. Amen and Amen.
AND IN JACOB, we saw the liar become the "one who contended with God". Yes, his polygamy was contrary to the original law. It was evil!!
In that which he left behind, the ignorance, the inexcusable, he gained a higher life in God.
Hosea 12:3-6.........3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he struggled with God.
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in Bethel,
And there He spoke to us--
5 That is, the LORD God of hosts.
The LORD is His memorable name.
6 So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually. NKJV
Isaac was to bless the elder. He was to bless his son Esau, and have him lead the "family", but Jacob wanted the blessing and in deceit he took it. He planned out how to do it and deceived an old, blind Isaac. AND WE READ in Genesis 26:35...we see Esau and his wives....Judith and Basemoth.......and they were grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
Jacob contended and God received that which Jacob had prayed for. Jacob received his name change "contender with God".....see Matthew 11:12."I will not let go except Thou bless me."......Genesis 32:26.
Jacob had been driving himself, to be what he believed was his. But now God would lead him. Now he would return to peace with his brother and live for God!
In the three generations, we saw one move from the land they knew (Ur) to move to Canaan. They would receive an inheritance in trusting God. In their plans, they failed, but God caused them to rise higher than before. Isaac received his wife without seeing her. Can we the children of God, do as much and receive what God has for us without first seeing it, but JUST READY TO RECEIVE IT? IT IS TIME FOR RECEIVERSHIP!!!!
Will we grow and become those who will contend for the faith?
In this day and time, I am what you would call the spiritual mother. As that spiritual leader, I am to speak words of wisdom, that comes from a heart that is the throne of God. We must know our leading, and that it must come from Him and His wisdom. We must know that we are there to encourage those like Isaac..........that laughter is good, but you need wisdom as well. In those moments of laughter, we look to the future and we see the choices that can be made. But we must expect to receive with faith that which God is wanting to entrust to our keeping. We can see the Jacob or the Esau.......we can see the liar, the one who appears peaceful but always attracts other covetous men and women. Or we can also look to the robust type in Esau, who looks like someone out of FIELD AND STREAM. BUT.....we must look to God, the beginner of all things. It is in Him , that we live and move and have our being. If we like, Jacob submit to authority, we too, can have that name change that will be one of respect and honor and NOT one of shame and dishonor.
In closing: in the time of Jesus, he too, faced the familiarity......and this is what occurred.
In Matthew 13:53-58......NKJV.....53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. In this we see familiar was breeding contempt toward Jesus , the Messiah. These people were so familiar with HIM, they could not understand how He spoke with wisdom and did mighty works. "Is this not the carpenter's son"? "Is not His mother called Mary"? ....."and His brothers James, Joses, Simon and Judas"? AND THEY WERE OFFENDED AT HIM! THEY COULD NOT RECEIVE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT LOOK ON THAT HE WAS THE CALLED.......HE was just Jesus, the carpenter's son. But those who would receive, called Him the Son of God! He was the anointed, Bread of Life...... John 6:32, Dayspring ..........Luke 1:78, Good Shepherd.......... John 10:11, Holy One of God...Mark 1:24, Horn of Salvation....... Luke 1:69, The Life....John 14:6, Light of the World....John 8:12, Lamb of God.....John 1:29, and Prince of Life.....Acts 3:15.
Jesus went on to say,............ " a prophet is now without honor except in his own country and in his own house."
For that which we deem not useful to us, not gain, will be like those in Jesus' hometown disdain the prophet, the man or woman with the wisdom of God who speaks with authority? Will we be those who " are so familiar" just cast off the good and remain with the mundane and mediocre life?
Mine is to chase after the Spirit of Prophecy Who is Jesus! I hope it is yours as well!
Father, thank You for the Spirit of Prophecy that is Jesus. (Revelation 19:10) It is that testimony of faith just like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had! I pray that any who read this would be captivated by the love God had for each successive generation and how God wanted to guide them through to health and wealth. We desire to be hooked into the vine, that place of the Lord that will increase our lives. We desire to hear His directives for our lives. Like Paul, we too, desire to be those who will be the intimately acquainted with You.
Wherever we stand in our walk with You, may we be ever moving toward You and hearing You give us the plans for our lives. May we be those "faith" people who exercise that faith like the generations before us. It is in YOU that we live, move and have our being!
Father, may we look to You and hear all that is being spoken about what we must need to know about for our families and communities. Help us to see those who speak with wisdom and have a relationship with You that we will be receptive to hear all that You speak to us through Your word and through those men or women you send on our pathway. May we always look out for the other's best and may we be those men and women of honor and not of the dishonored. May we be fruitful in delivering words of wisdom to those who are in need of guidance today. We thank You for filling us with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that we may walk worthy of You Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of YOU. We thank You for past and present relationships. We learn from those who oppose us and from those who are for us. We also give thanks for discernment and spiritual understanding. We enter Your gates with thanksgiving in our hearts. It is Jesus' name we pray and give thanks. Amen and Amen.
You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV
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