A Pilfered Blessing

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 119:49-56

Psalm 119:49–56 ESV

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord. Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law. Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law. This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts.

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: James 1:2-18 (Gideon)

James 1:2–18 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Sermon:

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Speaker 1

00:00

Well once again, and as always, good morning church. I was glad when they said to me let us go and Worship in the house of the Lord. Well, this morning, we turn our attention to Genesis chapter 27, a long story, a famous story. A very interesting story, one that sort of grips your imagination.

00:24

Ultimately, I would say a very difficult. Story. As I was reading and studying this week, I felt struck sometimes. Not sometimes always. God speaks to us according to the scriptures, but sometimes. I think he causes us to feel. Certain things, as we're reading scriptures to, to communicate thoughts to us. And for me. I felt this week as I read and studied. Just the difficulty. When we read our Bible so often? We look for the good guys. It's we want to see the good guy. Truly won't read any story. We want the good guys to win.

01:08

The story of Jacob stealing Esau's blessing with the help of his mother from his brother, Esau. Is a story that has no good guys. In this story, no one is praiseworthy. To quote Paul, no one is righteous. No, not one. No one is worthy of imitation. No one is listed as praiseworthy. No one acts in a moral way. No one does the right thing. No one. Is good here. And yet, the story? Is a good story. Because you feel the weight and the difficulty that no one's good, but something else you feel in this story is. God is ensuring that the blessings flow.

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The way God intends the blessings to flow. To bring about goodness and salvation. To his people. God has already prophesied. God has already said to everyone involved here. That the older Shall Serve the younger. The blessings will go through Jacob. This has already been said, this is already known. And so this story. Brings about what God has promised. But it's still difficult. So, what do we do? How do we handle this story? Before we read it. Before we dive into it before we see the characters before, we understand what's happening in this narrative. There's two principles that I want to give you that, I believe, will help us in times, such as this.

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Two principles. One sort of just thinking through the Bible, one a little more particular to the Book of Genesis, though if you keep it in mind, I promise. It'll help you through all of reading the Bible. The first I, this is not mine. I stole this the first person I ever heard it say is vadibacham, who's one of my favorite preachers of all time? He has gone to be with the Lord. His sermon still exists. You can listen to him. He might have stole it from someone I don't know, but this is what vadi said.

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What the Bible describes? Is not necessarily what the Bible prescribes. Right. What the Bible describes the Bible tells what happens is not always what the Bible says we should do. There are countless stories in scripture where what is done is wrong and bad. It doesn't mean we should, well, that was in the Bible. You know, what's in the Bible? David used his power and authority to take someone's wife, had them killed. Should we all do that? No? What the Bible describes is not what the Bible prescribe. In the Old Testament, many many, many people had many wives Solomon, the poster child of having many wives.

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Is it okay for us to have many wives know what the Bible describes is not what the Bible? Prescribes. Abraham was called to offer his son as a sacrament. The Bible describes is not what the Bible prescribes. This is a principle that will help us. The second one more particular to Genesis. I hope we have this memorized by now. Genesis chapter 50, verses 19 and 20. But Joseph said to them, fear not, for am I in the place of the Lord? As for you, human evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that. Many people should be kept alive as they are today.

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Joseph is speaking to his brothers. They meant evil. They meant harm. They beat him up, threw him in a well sold him into slavery. We're going to get to all of these stories, but this is what has happened. They wanted him to be taken away. They wanted to never see him again. They intended evil. But God used all of that to bring about his beautiful and perfect purposes. In the case of Joseph that many people would be kept alive. In the case of our story for today to bring about his Plan of Salvation, that all who believe in Jesus will have everlasting life is the ultimate end result of this story.

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And so God will use even these broken sinful actions of those involved in this story to bring about his good purpose of Salvation for us all. With that being said, we're going to dive into Genesis 27, it's long. And the way I'd like to approach it is to allow the story to unfold for us to see. The wrong that everyone's doing? Maybe why it's wrong? Also understanding. How this goes against God's purposes? What God's purposes are just to understand low of the narrative? The difficulty to dwell in the difficulty keeping an eye? To better things. So before we dive in, let's open our time together with a word of prayer.

06:15

Dear Lord, we do. Thank you. For your goodness and your grace. We thank you for your kindness that leads us to repentance. We thank you that you are Sovereign over all things that you hold all things. You know all things you control all things? And so we place ourselves in your care. May you work in our hearts and lives, conform us into the image of your son, give us ears to hear, give us eyes to see. May you work in our hearts? And you work in our lives. I asked this morning that you would speak through your servant. It's in Jesus name that we pray.

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Amen. And amen.

06:55

To set the groundwork, we are in the end stages. Of the time of Isaac. We're in the patriarch portion of Genesis, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham is gone. We've been in Isaac's life. We're getting towards the end, and so it's important we wrap up his Affairs before we move on to Jacob. And one of the ways we need to wrap up the Affairs is, well, what's going to happen? Who is going to receive the blessing and how does this flow? Isaac's thinking these things? Genesis chapter 27, verse 1 when Isaac was old and his eyes were dimmed so that he could not see. He called Esau, his older son.

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And said to him, my son. And he answered here. I am. And he said, behold, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. Now, then take your weapons, your quiver, and your bow. Go out to the field and Hunt game for me. And prepare for me. Delicious food, such as I love. And bring it to me so that I may eat that. My soul May bless you before. I. Can we read that? And you might think, well, this is a story of a dad, a father. Who knows, his time has come, and he wants to bless his son.

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But that's not exactly what's happening here. Instead, what we need to understand is this is Isaac. Plotting. The story opens with Isaac. Plotting. What is he plotting? He's plotting to give the blessing. To his older son. In general. In principle, that would not be bad. However. When your goal is to bless the older child in spite of and over against the younger? Now, it's a little problematic. When your goal is to bless the older over and against the younger whom God has commanded, the blessing should flow through.

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Well, now it's a real problem. Again, Genesis chapter 25, verse 23, the Lord said to. This is Rebecca when Rebecca's pregnant. It's a difficult pregnancy because it's twins. And as the two children are struggling against each other within her womb, she is rightfully freaking out. So, she goes to the Lord and the Lord says to her verse 23 of Genesis 25, two nations are in your womb, two peoples from within, you shall be divided. The one shall be stronger than the other. The older shall serve. The younger. We're going to get into the blessing that Isaac thinks he's giving to Esau in a little bit.

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But for now, just realize. Did that blessing that he's trying to give to? Esau goes counter to the prophecy that God gave to his wife. And it is inconceivable to inconceivable to me to think that Isaac did not know the prophecy given to Rebecca. Isaac knew. The blessing should go through. Jacob Isaac knew the older shall serve. The young Isaac knew these things. So, here he is devising a plan to give a blessing to the older. In ways that he should not. It starts with Isaac plotting. The ground is laid, and we see all of the things that are going on. Isaac wants a meal of delicious food, prepare for me, delicious food. This phrase, a delicious food. We read it over and over and over again.

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He wants food to warm his soul, so that from that comes the blessing that he wants to give to Esa. He's already plotted. Notice. This story. There's millions of times this story could have gone very differently. Could have called both his sons Sons I'm dying. I'd like to bless you both before I go. Might have been better. Might have found a way to be able to bless Esau and Jacob, such that the blessings of God flow in the correct way to Jacob. But Esau can still have some blessing. Here's an off ramp, but instead Isaac plots and schemes.

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He schemes because he loves the older son. Isaac loved Genesis 25:28. We can't read Genesis 27 apart from what what's already happened. Genesis 25, 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game. Isaac has a favorite son Isaac wants to bless the favorite son, and so Isaac plots. How will I bless the favorite son? The story starts with Isaac plotting. Genesis 25, 28. Isaac loved Esau because he ate his game, but Rebecca loved Jacob. There's the groundwork Isaac plots, his wife Rebecca she counters. She's a schemer, and it turns out she's a better schemer.

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Then her husband, starting in verse 5. Now, Rebecca was listening when Isaac spoke to his son, Esau. Which note? He's old, and he can't see. She might have just been standing there. We don't know, but Rebecca was listening. So, when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, Rebecca said to her son, Jacob. I heard your father speak to your brother, Esau, bring me game and prepare it for me. A delicious food that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die. Now. Therefore, my son obey my voice. As I command, you go to the flock and bring me two good young goats that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves.

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And you shall bring it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies. But Jacob said to Rebecca, his mother, behold. My brother, Esau, is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. Perhaps, my father will feel me. And I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing. His mother said to him, let your curse be upon me. My son only obey my voice and go bring them to me. So he went and took them and brought them to his mother. And his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved.

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Then, Rebecca took the best garments if he saw her older son, which were with her in the house and put them on Jacob, her younger son, and the skins of the goat she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck, and she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared into the hand. Of her son. Jacob. Here is Rebecca Isaac is plotting. How can I get my favorite son a blessing? Rebecca says, I know how I can get my favorite son a blessing. Again, there she is listening to this story, and she repeats it word for word. She's not lying to Jacob.

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But this is what I heard your dad said. Hey, Esau, go hunt, some food, bring it back, prepare me food so I can bless you. So, this is what we're going to do. We are going to lie to your father. That's her plan. Hey trickster, it's Jacob's name means. Hey trickster. Let's trick your father. Let's lie to him. He sent Esau out to go get goats to go get some game. This is what we're gonna do. We're just gonna go out to the barn and kill some goats ourselves. Esau was to prepare the soup. I'll prepare it.

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I'm his wife. I know what he likes, probably even better than anyone else in the world. I'll do this. And then you're gonna go in. You're gonna lie to your blind old man. You're gonna go lie to your father, and you are going to take the blessing Rebecca counters. Jacob is not concerned about the morality of this plan. Jacob is concerned that he might get caught.

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Hey Mom! One problem here. Esau is a hairy beast. I can't grow facial hair to save my life. That's the way this goes. How hairy was Esau? He was so hairy that his father would not be able to tell the difference between petting a goat. And touching Esa. It's pretty hairy dude. I am a smooth man, Jacob says. He doesn't say. We shouldn't lie to Dad, he says. I might get caught, and he might curse me instead.

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Kind of makes sense. If you were Isaac and you found out that Jacob was trying to steal a blessing from the son that you love, you would be mad. Maybe you curse him? What's Rebecca say? I'll take whatever curse. All I will bear the curse. Let's just do this. Let's just steal this. Let's just trick your father. I'll do this. And so they start to go through with their play.

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Rebecca. Doesn't go speak to her husband. And remind him of what God has said. She doesn't go remind. Go to her husband and say, you know, we have two sons. Make sure you bless them both. Isaac loved Rebecca, we've read. He cared for her. He would have listened to her.

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Instead because she loves one child over the other she's willing to. She's willing to even bear a curse risk a curse upon herself just so she can get what she wants for her child. The one she loves. She's plotting. It's just like Isaac is, she comes back. She counters with her own thoughts. How can we steal? How can we trick? How can we usurp what's supposed to be happening? Instead of looking to God saying, you know, God made this promise. She. She should have cherished us if she loved Jacob, the prophecy given to her. The older shall serve the younger.

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She could have rested in God's promises. Instead, she tries to scheme. She tries to plan. She tries to do things in her own way. She counters the plotting of Isaac with her own plotting.

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Isaac, he's not praiseworthy. He's plotting. How can I figure out how to go around what God has said and give to Esau this blessing, Rebecca. She's not doing the right thing. Her solution to Isaac's plotting is to repay evil with evil. Shouldn't do this. Story Goes On, Jacob bentrix. Jacob lives up to his name, and he tricks his father. Tricks is nice. He lies and deceives just outright lies. To get what he wants. Verse 18, so he went into his father and said, my father. And he said, here I am. Who are you, my son?

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Jacob said to his father, I am Esau, your firstborn, I have done as you told me. Now, sit up and eat of my game that your soul May bless me. But Isaac said to his son, how is it that you have found it so quickly? My son, he answered, because the Lord, your God granted me success. Then, Isaac said to Jacob. Please come here that I may feel you my son to know whether you are really my son Esau or not. So, Jacob went near to Isaac, his father, who felt him and said, this voice is Jacob's voice. But the hands are the hands of Esau.

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And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy. Like his brothers Esaw hand, so he blessed him. He said, are you really my son, Esau? He answered, I am. He said, bring it near that. I may eat of my son's game and bless you. So we brought it near to him and he ate, and he brought him wine and he drank. And his father, Isaac, said to him come near and kiss me, my son. So he came here and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said.

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The smell of my son is as the field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you of the Dew of heaven and all the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let people serve you and Nations bow down to you. Be Lord over your brothers, and may your mother's Sons bow down to you cursed. Be everyone who curses you and blessed be everyone who blesses you.

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As soon as Isaac finished blessing Jacob. When Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac, his father, he saw his brother came in. From his hunting. Jacob just lies. You start to read? He goes into his father and says, my father, no lie yet, he said. Here am I, who are you? Jacob said to his father. Here was a chance he could have been honest. He could have also just not fully lied. All deceit is wrong. There's no sort of.

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All sin is in affront to a holy God, a little white lie, and a bald-faced lie are both bad. Well, come on. Did you have to be this vile Jacob? I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done, as you told me, actually, hasn't his father said, go out and Hunt. We just got two goats from the the barn. As well as you prepare for me, prepared his, his mom, did he did nothing that his father asked. I did, just as you asked me is what he says. Now, eat that. You may bless me. I want my blessing.

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Look. Don't forget why we're here. I didn't just bring you a meal. I have a purpose. I am here to get a blessing.

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Isaac's already a little bit suspicious. I just sent you out like, there's no way. There's no way you went out, found the game, killed it, field dress. It brought it back, prepared the stew, and brought. There's just not enough time. How did this happen? Jacob lies invoking God. Because the Lord your God granted me? Success!

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He told on himself. God did not Grant you success.

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He's also speaking the truth. This plan works because God is orchestrating these things to bring about his purpose. Though, no one here is praiseworthy. Though he is lying, God did not Grant you success in your hunting. And, but God did not do that. This plan's gonna work. Because God means good to come. That many people will be kept alive. Not for the goodness of Jacob. Before the goodness of God. Jacob tricks. He lies. Jacob was right to think this would not work because it. It sounds like it's not going to work. Um, you need to come here, and I need to feel you because.

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You don't sound like Esau, you sound like Jacob? I've been your father your whole life. I know what your voice sounds like, why you lying?

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Turns out, Rebecca was a better plotter. She and Jacob thought of this. They have placed the goat hairs on the smooth of his neck and on his arms. So he feels it feels like Esau. So he blesses him. Just to make sure this plan works, we give him food and a little bit of wine. That'll help. It'll help you get away with some lies. And then the fullness of Rebecca's counter plot is seen here. She has dressed Jacob and Esau's clothes so that he even smells like Esau. And as Jacob approaches and kisses his father to receive the blessing.

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He smelled him. It smells like Esau, and it feels like Esau, it must be Esau. Like a duck and quacks like a duck well. Here's actually not quacking like a dog. It's quacking like a Jacob, but it walks like an Esau. It smells like an Esau. It must be an Esau. And here we have the blessing. And the important thing we see about this blessing. Why this is we see this difficulty, but yet God is working, but it's still difficult, but God is still working. Note that the blessing given to Jacob is exactly what God predicted.

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25, the older Shall Serve the younger.

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If Isaac knew that God had said that, why would he think, even if he thinks he's speaking to Esau like, this is the part of this story, Isaac, thinks he's talking to Esau, and he says, let people serve you Nations bow down. Be Lord over your brothers. That's not what God said would happen. God said. The older self sure shall serve the younger. Why would you bless the older and say your brothers will serve you? You're going against what God has said? Willfully going against what God has said. Isaac's not good. Rebecca's not good. Jacob's not good. He's lied to receive this blessing.

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But he receives it.

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Because God will bless whom God will bless.

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There's this difficulty in this story when humans are acting. And we also think through God who's Sovereign over all things. Why would Isaac bless a trickster he wouldn't? Why would Isaac bless a liar? He wouldn't. Why would Isaac bless a cheat? He wouldn't. But he does those things because he doesn't know. Why would God bless a liar? Because he wants to? Why would God bless a cheat? Because he wants to. Why would God bless a deceiver? Because he wants to God's not tricked. God can't be deceived. And so here is God bestowing this blessing upon Jacob?

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Though, Jacob meant to trick and Jacob meant to deceive and Jacob meant to lie. God will use this God means it to bring about his purpose and ultimately, his purpose is salvation for God's people. Though, here it's seen in fatness and plain and wine in the Dew of Heaven. The blessings that flow from Jacob? Who will have his name changed to Israel? We'll then have a son named Judah. Who will then have a prophecy. There will come a lion of the tribe of Judah. Who the blessings will continue to flow to him? Because God will bless how we bless us. What Jacob means for evil God means for good to bring about salvation for his people.

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The many people should be kept alive. Jacob tricks. No one's been good. But what about the victim in all of this? The one who? I mean, Isaac. In some ways, we could say he's a victim. He's being lied to, but there's someone who had his stuff stolen while he was out doing what his dad asked him to. What about Esau? He says, no good. He saw them schemes. And he schemes with murderous intent. As soon as Jacob had finished blessing, Isaac has finished blocking Jason. Let's try verse 30 again as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob.

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When Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac, his father, he saw his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, let my father arise and eat of his son's game that you may bless me. His father, Isaac, said to him who are you? He answered. I am your son, your firstborn Esau. Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me? And I ate it before you came, and I blessed him. Yes, and he shall be blessed.

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As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, bless me, even me also, O Father. But he said, your brother came deceively. He has taken away your blessing. Esau said, is he not rightly named Jacob, for he cheated me these two times? He took away my Birthright. And behold, now he took away my blessing. And he said, have you not reserved a blessing for me? Isaac answered and said to Esau, behold. I have made him Lord over you and all his brothers, and I have given for him servants with grain and wine. I have sustained him. What can I do for you, my son?

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Esau said to his father. Have you put one blessing? O My Father, bless me, even me also. O My Father, Esau, lifted up his voice and wept. This is a tragic, heartbreaking story, and we will read the rest of this. But just remember this right now. Isaac thought he was blessing Esau with all of this. And so, even if Isaac's planning had gone right, Jacob would be left with nothing. This is not a good or right plan by Isaac in the first place, and it was not right for Rebecca to counter with her upon. He wasn't right for Jacob to trick and steal this from his father.

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An Esau will not act right, even though he was wronged and he was harmed. He receives a blessing, Isaac's father answered and said to him, blessing in quotation marks. This is for the grace group for Grace point this week, it talks about compares these blessings and what's going on here. But here's the blessing, behold, away from the fatness of the earth, shall your dwelling be? Doesn't sound great away from the Dew of Heaven on high. Doesn't sound great by your sword. You shall live doesn't sound great, and you shall serve your brother. That's what we're trying to get away from. Doesn't sound great, but when you go Restless, you shall break his yoke from your neck honestly, even still not great.

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Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, the days of mourning for my father are approaching. Then I will kill my brother Jacob. But the words of Esau, her older son were told to Rebecca. So she went and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, behold. Your brother, Esau, comforts himself by planning to kill you. Now. Therefore, my son obey, my voice arise free to Laban, my brother in haran, and stay with him a while until your brother's Fury turns away until your brother's anger turns away from you.

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He forgets what you have done to him. There's irony there, Rebecca says. And he'll forget what you did to not, not what we, no, no, what you did, Jacob? Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of both in one day? Then, Rebecca said to Isaac. I loathe my life because of the hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the hittite women like these, one of the women of the land. What good will my life be?

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Esau. Forms his own plane.

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He he's already. We need to understand that Esau is not a praiseworthy person. We read the story. Did Jacob take advantage of Esau when he took his Birthright? Yes. Did he trick him? Did he take away his Birthright? No, Esau, sold it. The writer of Hebrews tells us he sold it because he didn't care for it. And in doing so, he showed what kind of man he was? And so later, when he wants to receive this blessing even with tears, he seeks it. He's not going to get it.

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Instead of coming a blessing. If Esau wanted a blessing? Well, what was Jacob's blessing curse? Be everyone who curses you and blessed be everyone who blesses you. Do you want a blessing Esau? Bless your brother! It'll be tough. I'm not saying this is easy. Forgive him. Look past this, maybe? Care for him. Realize that the goodness that flows from your grandfather, Abraham, to your father, Isaac, has now been promised to him. But if you align yourself with him, if you bless him. If you do, serve your brother. If you swallow your pride, you can still be blessed.

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He's filled with anger and hatred rage. As soon as this happens. Jacob Esau hates Jacob. They're gonna bless him. He hates him. So, what do we do when we hate someone I know what's gonna happen? My dad's about to die, and as soon as my dad dies, the moment my dad died when my dad breathes his last. And everyone's mourning and everyone's crying. I will kill thy brother. The same murderous intent that beat in Cain's heart back in Genesis 4 beats in Esau's heart. And there, he said, Cain proved that he was not the seed of the woman that he was not the one through who God's promises would flow, that he was the seed of the serpent hear Esau with his murder's intent. I will kill. My brother proves.

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The right son got the blessing.

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Even. It was not praiseworthy or right how the people in the story brought it about.

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Season knows all is Sovereign overall. Here, you saw schemes. Here's what Matthew Henry writes of this passage. As we draw to the end. This is what for me made this passage make sense.

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Although. God overruled. The bad actions recorded in this chapter to fulfill his purposes. And there was bad purposes and bad actions recorded here. But God needs them for good, even though God overruled the bad actions record in this chapter to fulfill his purposes yet. We see his judgment of them in the painful consequences to all the parties concerned.

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No one in this story is praiseworthy, and no one in this story ends up with what they want.

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Isaac. Once the son he loves Esau to receive a blessing, he receives curses. Rebecca wants only good for her son. It turns out because of this. Who would have thought if we steal Esau's Birthright? He's going to have murderous hatred in his heart. I might have thought that, but who would have thought that she's gonna have to send him away? So, she loved her son, and he gets his Blessing. But now, he has to go away. She won't get to see him enjoy this blessing. Jacob thought he was going to get this blessing in life would be smooth, sailing nothing but good nothing but awesome.

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We're gonna get to deal with for a few weeks. Jacob's trials and troubles, while he's visiting his Uncle Laban in Haram. Should say it doesn't go as well as he planned. And the trickster gets tricked. There's judgment for Jacob's tricking. Esau, it's no blessing, he's no goodness. And he will not be given the chance to get it, even though he will seek it with tears. The writer of Hebrew tells us. There will still be judgment. God's purpose is to bring about salvation, will take place. Yet, we are responsible and culpable for our actions and our hearts. And there are painful consequences often to the parties.

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Concerns. This is the point that I want us to get from this story. There's a lot here and again, we will dive into. How exactly does this work in the Grace point? You can read it about how the blessings flow and why this is important. What's going on here? That's part of it.

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But here's my heart today.

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God is good all the time. And all the time God is good. And in spite of my own striving. And my own sinful heart and my own failing and all of my stuff and all these things that I try to well up in my own heart and mind. And all of this stuff.

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God is God?

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Dave says, who is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you would care for him?

37:18

I don't know the full answer to that. But I know that God is mindful of us and then God cares for us. Or made in this image, there's part of it.

37:32

I plot. A counter, a trick I scheme. I do all of these things.

37:39

God's still gracious, and God is still good. It's not up to us, it's up to God. Praise the Lord! For his goodness and Grace. Let's pray.