Esau and Jacob

하나님은 쌍둥이의 이야기를 통해 무엇을 말씀하시기를 원하시는가?

What does God want to say to us through this story?

1. He encourages his people to pursue His will although He already decided His way.

Rebekah couldn’t have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lordfor her. And the Lord answered his prayer. His wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:21

이삭이 그의 아내가 임신하지 못하므로 그를 위하여 여호와께 간구하매 여호와께서 그의 간구를 들으셨으므로 그의 아내 리브가가 임신하였더니

Do you remember the decree of God?

He elected Jacob to give him the birthright before Jacob’s birth. God promised a number of descendants because He already decided His will before the beginning.

God has a plan to bless Abraham’s family through his children and descendants, however, he does not give the blessing without the effort of Issac.

From God’s point of view, He will finally give children to Issac in accordance with His promise and plan because He knew and planned everything in advance.

However, from Issac’s point of view, he knows nothing if he can give birth his son or not.

So we can learn one thing that God works through your prayer. Even if He is infinite, eternal and powerful God, although He can change the world, He want to change the world through your prayer. He works and accomplishes his plan with your faith and prayer.

Why didn’t God give Issac his children at the first stage, before his prayer?

Why does he want us to pray and seek Him?

In our seat we cannot see anything the future. He does not show us the future, so we cannot make sure anything and avoid the fears.

1. He is God who trains us to seek him, rely on Him and pray to Him through difficulties.

2. He is God who makes His people resemble His characteristics to be saved.

- We don’t have to judge others even if you find their bad personality because God can love them. We don’t know if he is elected or not.

- We have to figure out the grace of God in our lives. In His good plan, we are experiencing a lot of things, even in trials. We should confess you are my God, I cannot live without your, I am here to glorify you.

2. Why God gave the birthright to Jacob?

Genesis 25: 23

The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your body. Two tribes that are now inside you will be separated. One nation will be stronger than the other. The older son will serve the younger one.”

여호와께서 리브가에게 말씀하셨습니다. “두 나라가 네 몸 안에 있다. 두 백성이 네 몸에서 나누어질 것이다. 한 백성이 다른 백성보다 강하고, 형이 동생을 섬길 것이다.”

In the Bible, the birthright is interpreted as election of God.

Rome 9:13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

Is God still fair with His election? Yes, it is definitely.

The reason that we can find in the Bible is that God chose some to show His great anger and chose some to show the riches of glory to others.

We don’t have qualification to say. why? This is because He is still holy, infinite, unchangeable, eternal God.

In His good plan, He shows his riches of glory to others by saving elected people without condition.

Also, God did not compel Esau and Jacob in order to accomplish His plan(decree). Rather, Esau and Jacob had walked in the way following God’s plan in a long period of time and they decided themselves to get the birthright and throw it out. In a result, Jacob walked the way of faith while Esau walked the way of no faith. The responsibility of deeds is on them. 하나님이 은혜를 주신 것이 놀라운 은혜인것이지, 주지 않은 것이 불공평은 아니다. 원래 받을 가치가 없는 존재이기 때문이다.

This story describes well the decree and His providence. Once He elected you, you must finally follow the way that God wants, even if you have your freedom to do something.

3. we confess that I don’t have any worth to receive His bless of salvation. The birthright was not decided when Jacob bought his birthright with his food, but it was decided before his birth by God’s plan. Accordingly, God’s election for salvation depends on only Him, but not our deed. God is the one who predestined and accomplishes everything.

하나님의 어메징한 사랑과 은혜에 감사하며 예배하는 친구들이 되기를 바란다.

However, in Jacob’s point of view, he knew nothing about God because he does not have faith. He deceived his brother to get the birthright, avoided from Esau, he was greedy to get wives, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, Zilpha, again he deceived his uncle to possess cattles, and he flew away because his sons killed people in Shechem. He considerably suffered due to his personality. Despite of his personality, God’s will and election is unchangeable. This is because Jacob’s life was intended in God’s good plan.

So when you decided many things in your life according to your greed, you can use your freedom of decision. However, we should remember that it is intended in God’s good plan.