March 4, 2008
Bible Study:
Genesis Chapter 28
A Picture of God’s Grace
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Open my eyes that I may see Your endless grace bestowed upon me. Then teach me, Father, to follow Your lead in bestowing grace to those in need. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Introduction:
Stuffed animals (mostly ducks), many of which were unexpected gifts of encouragement, encircle my office. Each toy is a token a person’s love and faith in me. As I did nothing to earn the gift, I did nothing to deserve the support of my friends. I’m not putting myself down, just being realistic. What can any of us do to deserve true friendship? It is only by the grace of God that it exists through human contact.
Our relationship with Almighty God is more amazing any other relationship we can possibly have. Not one of us can earn His favor. However, as a token of His love and faith in us, He has given us grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
The Lesson:
Abba Father demonstrated His grace in the life of Jacob. The deceptive son of Isaac did nothing to deserve the privilege of becoming the recipient of the Abrahamic inheritance/covenant.
Apparently, Isaac finally submitted to God’s plan and sent Jacob away with the completion of the blessing traditionally reserved for the elder son. Unlike the blessing in chapter 27, this blessing was deliberate and heartfelt on Isaac’s part. Because Jacob believed in the promise, he obeyed his father and mother and departed to seek a wife from his mother’s family.
Meanwhile, Esau realized that his wives from the Hittites were unpleasing to his father. Our poster child for the fail-to-plan-plan-to-fail campaign attempted to right the wrong by marrying one of Ishmael’s daughters. Esau was a spontaneous person caring more about the moment’s pleasure than about the obvious consequences to follow. Had he sought his father’s advice before taking these wives, he would have saved himself, as well as his mother, a great deal of grief.
Esau represents the apostate church in its dealings with Abba Father. These misguided people think they can work out their lives their way totally disregarding God pre-ordained standards. As they realize that they are not pleasing to Him, instead of seeking His good counsel, they attempt to rectify their behavior by embracing pagan philosophies and religious practices that fulfill their fleshly desires. They excuse their actions with reassuring words that claim to Christianize the very ritual, which God constantly forbids us to participate in. The LORD warns His people, Take heed to yourself that you be not snared by following them [heathen nations], after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it (Deuteronomy 12:30-31a).
Chapter four of Galatians explains that the son of Hagar, Ishmael, represents bondage of the flesh and Sarah’s son represents freedom or the spirit (vs. 22-31). The flesh drew Esau to the flesh. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:5-8).
As Esau compounded his nonconformity, God extended His hand of grace toward Jacob. Not that Jacob was any more deserving than Esau was. The only thing Jacob had going for him that his brother didn’t was his faith in the promise, and that alone awarded Jacob God’s favor. The author of Hebrews writes, But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (v. 6).
At this point, Jacob was not seeking God’s favor, but avoiding from his brother’s wrath. On his way to Haran, Jacob laid on the ground to rest using a rock for a pillow. God chose that moment to appear to Jacob and renew the covenant with Abraham’s grandson. It was not by Jacob’s bidding or even his desire that God give him the promise. It was solely up to God. Jacob did not seek the Lord’s presence nor did he anything to deserve the Lord’s blessing. He wasn’t even praying or meditating or seeking God in any way. He was sleeping!
Throughout Scripture, we find God speaks to many of His chosen servants in their sleep. This might be to prevent any false assumptions that humans can manipulate God into revealing His revelations to them. It is God who decides the who, what, where, and when of such matters.
We are to seek Him, but not a new revelation of Him. He has already revealed Himself through Jesus Christ and the only way to know the Father is through the Son. All things are delivered unto me of my Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him (Matthew 11:27).
Genesis 28:14b—and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed—is a prophetic promise concerning the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Only through His sacrifice on the cross are all the families of the earth blessed.
After his breathtaking dream, Jacob acknowledged the Living God and vowed to give Him a tithe of all the Lord blesses him with. This passage was not a plea-bargain with God, rather it was Jacob expressing his devotion and faith in the God of his father and grandfather.
Conclusion and Challenge:
Grace is a word we like to throw around like a basketball. Nevertheless, I wonder how many of us stop to consider the meaning of the word. Grace means to give what is not deserved. God’s grace gives us eternal life with Him in heaven when we deserve eternal separation from Him in hell’s fire. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).
