What’s the difference?

INTRODUCTION

*turn in your Bibles to Genesis 32.

In All the Light We Cannot See, a blind French girl named Marie-Laure and a brilliant German boy named Werner grow up on opposite sides of World War II, each trying to survive while being pulled toward a mysterious and valuable diamond. Marie-Laure hides with her great-uncle in the walled city of Saint-Malo, secretly broadcasting messages through an old radio, while Werner is recruited by the Nazi army because of his incredible talent with radios and technology. Even though they live completely different lives, both are searching for hope, safety, truth, and a sense that their lives matter in the middle of chaos. As the war closes in on Saint-Malo, their stories finally collide in a tense and unforgettable way, revealing that they had been connected long before they ever met. The novel mixes suspense, hidden messages, treasure hunts, survival, and powerful questions about humanity in a way that keeps you wondering how all the pieces will come together.

I enjoy stories that are woven together throughout a book/movie all while not knowing how they intersect leaving a surprise at the end of the story. Many times stories like All the Light We Cannot See leave me thinking… “We’re all not that different.”

And as we come to the conclusion of several of the characters of Genesis, it leaves me thinking the same thing… They’re not that different from one another. I’m talking about Jacob and Esau.

Can someone tell me everything we know about Esau so far in Genesis?

Can someone tell me everything we know about Jacob so far in Genesis?

Tonight, we’re going to look at the Scriptures the same way that we looked at the different hues (our game from before). What’s the difference between Jacob and Esau?

But in order to see what’s different, I want us to notice what’s the same.

WHAT’S THE SAME? — BOTH BROTHERS WERE SUCCESSFUL

Remember, Jacob and Esau are twins. But, according to the descriptions of the two brothers in Genesis, they don’t seem to be identical twins. But as we get to the close of their stories, these brothers seem to share some identical traits.

*summarize where we’re at in Genesis and then read Genesis 32:1-5

Genesis 32:1–5 KJV 1900

1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: 5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

MANY POSSESSIONS

From what we know about previous passages concerning Jacob and Laban, and then chapter 32, it would seem that Jacob has amassed many possessions.

Although on different paths, the concluding description of Esau sounds similar.

Genesis 33:8–11 KJV 1900

8 And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. 9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. 10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. 11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

So what’s the same? They both have enough. It would seem that although through different life trajectories, both have achieved a wealthy status as seen through their flocks and herds.

Notice in Genesis 36:6-8

Genesis 36:6–8 KJV 1900

6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. 7 For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle. 8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

They both had some much cattle that they could not share land because the land could not support their two families.

But the similarities don’t stop their. Notice they both had…

MUCH OFFSPRING

Genesis 33:1–7 KJV 1900

1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. 2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. 3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. 5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. 6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. 7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

Since Jacob’s time with Laban, his family had continued to multiply through his two wives, handmaids, and their children. While not quite as many as the sand of the seashore (Abrahamic covenant), Jacob’s offspring was much.

But this is not dissimilar to Esau. Notice with me Genesis 36:1-5

Genesis 36:1–5 KJV 1900

1 Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. 2 Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; 3 And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth. 4 And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel; 5 And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.

Both Jacob and Esau bore much offspring. Even so much that their descendents became great nations (another similarity).

MIGHTY NATIONS

Genesis 35:11 KJV 1900

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

God again affirms his covenantal blessings upon Jacob. He promises that Jacob’s offspring will become a might nation.

But again, while we know that Jacob’s descendents become a mightier nation, the initial understanding here in Genesis is that both Esau and Jacob’s descendents develop into great and mighty nations.

Genesis 36:10-19 and Genesis 36:40-43 describe the flourishing of Esau’s descendents to become the mighty nation of Edom (the Edomites).

To a quick glance of the Scriptures, these twins are looking pretty close to identical.

How many of you have siblings and you’ve ever been told that you look alike?

Maybe you’ve come back and said what’s different between you… more handsome/better singer/smarter/parent’s favorite/etc…

Let’s notice what’s different between the two:

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? — BUT ONLY ONE PURSUED GOD

So far tonight with our conversation concerning Jacob and Esau, we’ve left out one major character — GOD. And this is the difference between the two… their relationship with God. Notice Esau’s relationship:

APATHETIC RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

By chapter 36, we’ve gotten to the end of Esau’s life. We’ve found that he’s been prosperous, he’s gathered possessions and property, and he’s even pursued peace with Jacob (chapter 33). But there is nothing to be found concerning Esau and God.

To the onlooking world, Esau’s life would have been considered a success. He has achieved the American dream.

But the writer of Hebrews12:15-17 reflects on Esau in this way:

Hebrews 12:15–17 NLT

15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

The writer of Hebrews describes Esau as godless.

Think about it: Esau was the son of the promised child of the patriarch Abraham. He was kin to the father of Isreal in Jacob. He was intimately connected to the chosen people of God. He could have been included in the nation of Israel, been a part of God’s chosen people, and received the rich blessings promised to his family.

Yet, he was godless. He had the physical blessings with out the spiritual blessings.

“Though he ended up prosperous and peaceful, his lack of concern for the things of God meant that the end of his life was marked with sadness, not success.” — Alex Duke

Here’s a word of caution to each of us — we can pursue good things while neglecting the best thing. Yes, you can pursue a successful career, but don’t neglect God. Yes, you can pursue a large and wonderful family, but don’t neglect God. Yes, you can determine to live the American dream, but don’t neglect God.

Here’s my encouragement to each of us — In whatever decision you make, determine that a thriving relationship with God will be your priority. Simply put, pursue God in all of life.

Imagine, Esau gets to the end of his life and realizes that all of his possessions, all of his prosperity, all of his property, all of his children, and all of his relationships were meaningless because he didn’t pursue God. Teenagers, your relationship with God is the most important thing about you. Don’t neglect to pursue God above all else.

But I want you to notice Jacob’s relationship with God.

PURSUING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Jacob continually attempted to have a relationship with God.

Yes or no. Was Jacob’s relationship with God perfect?

Did Jacob struggle in his relationship with God?

Turn to Genesis 32:9-12 and notice Jacob’s prayer to God:

Genesis 32:9–12 KJV 1900

9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

Notice even further in Genesis 32:24-30

Genesis 32:24–30 KJV 1900

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Even more in Genesis 33:17-20

Genesis 33:17–20 KJV 1900

17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. 18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money. 20 And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.

And finally in Genesis 35:6-15

Genesis 35:6–15 KJV 1900

6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Beth-el, he and all the people that were with him. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8 But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth. 9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth-el.

What’s the difference? One brother lived their life without thought of God, the other attempted to live in relationship with God.

As we look at Jacob’s life, we should leave with feeling two emotions — feeling hopeful and encouraged.

Jacob’s life was far from perfect. Actually Genesis 34 records an awful event with his sons that demonstrates how out of hand Jacob and his family could be. But even with his imperfections, Jacob pursued God and had a relationship with God.

Did you know? God wants to have a relationship with you. Yes you, the one who messed up and sinned several times today. The one who sometimes struggles to believe that God is real. The one who struggles to pursue God. God wants a relationship with each of us in this room. There is never a time that God does not want a relationship with you.

*Gospel Call

Jacob also encourages us to pursue God at all moments in our life. He pursued God on the run. He pursued God when he was scared. He pursued God when he prospered. He pursued God throughout the entirety of his life.

Make the pursuit of God the highest priority of your life. What would it look like for you to pursue God intentionally this week? Maybe you’re around God. Maybe you experience the blessings of God. Maybe your family is into God. But you aren’t pursuing God. What would it look like for you to pursue God intentionally this week?

CONCLUSION

As each of us in this room lives our lives, we’re all going to turn out different. Some of us may have a career marked by financial gain. Others of us may have many children and a large family. Others of us will go to school and get degrees and write books. Some of us will serve the church vocationally as a pastor. The point is, at the end of our lives, each of us will be different. There will be many differences.

But it’s my prayer that there’s one similarity — Each of us pursued God as the highest priority of our lives.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Why do you think it’s possible for someone to look successful outwardly but still neglect God inwardly? What might this look like for teenagers?

Have you ever found yourself being “around God” (church, youth group, Christian family) without personally pursuing Him?

What are some signs that a person’s relationship with God is becoming apathetic like Esau’s?

What does it practically look like for a teenager to pursue God intentionally during a normal week?

If your life continues in the same direction it’s going right now, what will matter most at the end of your life?

PRAYER PROMPTS

Pray for forgiveness for the ways we’ve neglected God this week.

Pray that God would give us a greater desire to spend time in His Word and prayer.

Pray that our youth group would be known for loving and pursuing God sincerely.

Pray that years from now, we would be able to look back and say that pursuing God was the highest priority of our lives.