People of the Promise (2)

Heidi Sang over me that I would learn how to drink where it’s dry God created for 6 days

God stopped and knew when to say enough. God gave Adam and Eve super abundance, but also gave them an opportunity to learn how to be like Him and say enough is enough. Upon the introduction of sin, God initiates a plan to redeem it all, and gives consequences and promises.

God gives a mark of protection to Cain.

God befriends Enoch. Before there was a law to follow to prove ourselves, God found a guy He liked. God purged the world, but Noah found favor. Noah did not know when to say enough was enough. He cursed his son in anger. The Babel story: Mankind grows in “filling the earth, subduing it, and having dominion” but wants to use their own strength to be like God. Abraham emerges as God’s choice. Abraham has faith to follow. Abraham choses the low things. Abraham prefers Lot. Abraham is willing to be circumsized. Children don’t come as expected. When children come, the one who was not after the promise antagonizes the one who IS. Abraham is generous and hosipitable at great expense. Abraham makes mistakes but turns from them. Abraham meets powerful leaders. Abraham receives a promise of a land to fill, and ultimately blessing the whole earth. Isaac is not to return to the land Abraham left Isaac is not to go down into Egypt. Isaac receives a wife who is exceedingly faithful, hospitable and seems to be a person of the promise. Children don’t come as expected. When they do, one is a child after the promise and the other isn’t. The one who isn’t antagonizes the one who is. The balance of power between people of the promise and people of Not the Promise is shifting. Isaac meets powerful leaders and is on even footing with them. Genesis 25:19-34 Jacob lives for the blessing. Esau lives for

Genesis 25:19–34 NASB95

19 Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 32:22–32 ESV

22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Jacob DOES go back to the land of His forefathers and its a hard road including treachery and idols Children of the promise don’t come easy They encounter a powerful family that finally DOES take one of the women and rapes her. They kill every man in that family. There is a picture being painted here if you can see it. Abraham has a promise to be many nations. One child carries that promise Isaac begins to see those promises produce fruit. Jacob lives in the promises even more (despite making many more mistakes along the way) Joseph ends up running Egypt.

The River flows, and the RIver gets deeper and deeper. Along with that comes a deepening and unfolding of the promises of God.