Isaac’s twins, Jacob and Esau, grew up to be two very different men. Esau was a hunter and a man’s man. Jacob, it seems, was a mama’s boy and a homebody. Each of their parents favored one son over the other. Their favoritism would lead to serious issues in the family. But Esau had bigger problems. With complete disregard for the blessings of God, he would give away his birthright for some instant gratification. How can we be sure we never do the same thing?
Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here. This year I’ve added a couple of new features. First, check out the “Free Resources” tab at the top. You’ll find a downloadable, printable PDF with “Going Deeper Study Questions” for each day’s post. And … this year you’ll find the daily “Bible in a Year” posts on YouTube. The daily emails now have a link to both the Soul Survival posts here and the YouTube videos. I hope you’ll sign up. (If you already receive them, no need to sign up again.)
Today’s Readings:
Genesis 25 & 26
Psalm 7.6-8
Proverbs 3.9-10
Matthew 9.18-38
Have You Failed to Appreciate God’s Blessings?
Genesis 25 & 26:
The Death of Abraham
In these two chapters, we see Abraham’s remarriage to Keturah after Sarah’s death and the record of other children. Then after Abraham’s death, we see Isaac and Ishmael reunited. It appears that their love for their father was greater than any differences they might have had.
We also see the confirmation of God’s promise to make Ishmael the father of twelve princes. Ishmael and his twelve sons were the forefathers of many of the Arab peoples. Ishmael plays an important part in Muslim tradition, where he is considered a prophet. While there are differences of opinion about Keturah’s identity, her sons were probably the forefathers of other Arab tribes.
Two Sons & Two Nations
In Genesis 25.19 Isaac and his family take center stage in the Genesis narrative. And once again God uses barrenness to work His purposes. After twenty years, Isaac prays for God to open Rebekah’s womb and God answers with the conception of twins. And when the pregnancy is difficult, Rebekah prays and asks God why. He answers:
Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger (25.23).
This was contrary to cultural norms but such norms do not bind God as He fulfills His purposes.
Parental Favoritism
As the sons grow up, they are very different. Esau is a hunter and outdoorsman while Jacob is a homebody. And sadly, Isaac and Rebekah each have a favorite (Gen 25.28). Even though God will use all of it for His divine purposes, their favoritism will drive a wedge through the family.
Tomorrow we’ll read more about the consequences of that favoritism and how favoritism can affect our families. But it wasn’t the only issue in Isaac’s family.
Poor Discipleship
Ezekiel 18.20 tells us that each person is, ultimately, responsible for his or her own behavior. But we can be a help or a hindrance to the growth of others, especially our children. They will often do what they have seen lived out in our lives, rather than what is right.
In Genesis 26.7 we see that truth at work when Isaac tells Abimelech’s men that Rebekah is his sister just as his father had done with Sarah. As parents, we’re not, ultimately, responsible for our children’s choices, but we are responsible for the example we set.
Selfishness, Impatience & Birthrights
But for now, let’s look at Genesis 25.29-34:
29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”
32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”
33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.”
So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
The writer of Hebrews had this to say about Esau:
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears (Heb. 12.14-17).
I don’t know about you, but, on the surface, that sounds pretty harsh to me. So, what was it that Esau had done?
Despising the Blessings of God
The Hebrews passage says he was a “fornicator” and a “profane person.” I decided to dig a little deeper into those two words. According to Strong’s Dictionary of the Bible, the word translated “fornicator” means “to roam from safety, truth or virtue; to go astray, deceive, err, or seduce. And the word translated “profane person” means “heathenish or wicked.”
I started to get a picture of a man who despised the blessings of God. He had no respect for what was good, honorable, or holy, including his birthright. He cast it aside for a bowl of stew and lived for what felt good to him at the moment.
In tomorrow’s reading, after he realizes the consequences of his choice, instead of trusting God, he determines to kill Jacob (Gen. 27.41) and, spitefully, marries two women he knew would displease his parents, further demonstrating his lack of respect for the blessings of God (Gen. 28.8-9). This time by dishonoring his parents.
Our Birthright
As believers in Christ, we too have a precious birthright because we are “in Christ,” who is God’s firstborn Son.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3.29).
We need to be equally careful not to take His blessings lightly or to despise them in favor of any earthly pleasure or treasure.
Can We Lose Our Salvation?
So, does all of this mean we can lose our salvation because of our sinful choices?
I believe the answer to that question is “no,” but it’s “no” with a qualifier if you will. Let me explain.
Jesus said:
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand (Jn. 10, ESV).
If we have been genuinely converted, we cannot lose our salvation. But the bigger question is, are we saved? Often, if we can walk away from God or live a sinful lifestyle over an extended time, we may have intellectually assented to the gospel but never truly embraced it in saving faith.
Jesus said:
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’ (Matt. 7, ESV).
He was not talking about works-based salvation. He was saying that while we are saved by grace through faith, genuine salvation will result in good works.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph. 2, ESV).
Just believing “in” God isn’t enough. James said even the demons believe and tremble (Jas. 2.19) but they have not submitted to Christ’s authority.
Some people say, “If saved, always saved.” Perhaps a better statement might be “If saved, always saved.”
You can read more on this subject here:
“Can We Really Have Eternal Security?”
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 7.6-8:
God Our Righteous Judge
The LORD shall judge the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me (v. 8).
God is a righteous judge. We must come to Him based on Christ’s righteousness and not our feeble attempts at self-righteousness. In truth, while we may deceive ourselves into thinking we can, we really have no righteousness of our own (Rom. 3.10, 23).
Proverbs 3.9-10:
The Blessings in Faithful Giving
Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
This passage reminds us that when we obey God and give Him the firstfruits, often considered to be the first 10%, and we do it out of a desire to please Him, He will do more with the 90% than we ever could with 100%!
Just a note, the New Testament does not specifically command the 10% tithe so theologians have different views on it. But it does talk about the blessings of giving out of a desire to please and honor God. Luke 6.38 is one example.
Matthew 9.18-38:
Unless the Father Draws Him
This passage contains two well-known stories: the healing of Jairus’ daughter and the story of the woman with an issue of blood (see also Lk. 8.40-56).
Luke 8 tells us this woman had suffered from a constant flow of blood for twelve years. That means she was barred from worshiping in the temple because she was considered unclean. She spent everything she had to get relief, probably going from physician to physician. Then she heard about a “rabbi” who was healing people, casting out demons, and preaching everywhere. When she saw Him, her faith came alive and she was made whole. Immediately, the flow of blood stopped!
Her story is a great picture of the spiritual truth I mentioned above. Look at Ephesians 2.8 again:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.
Just as her faith was the means through which she received her healing, so our faith is the means through which we receive ultimate healing, the healing of our souls. But just as her faith alone could not save her, neither can anything we do save us. It must be faith opening our hearts to receive what only God can do!
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk more about the consequences of favoritism, about the kind of reality and full disclosure that God offers us in the Bible, and ask the question “If we act badly because of hormonal issues, is it biology or sin?”
I hope you’ll join me and, if you haven’t already, take the challenge to read through the Bible with me this year. Even though we may do it imperfectly or miss a day here and there, I find when we set it as a goal, we read far more of God’s Word than we would otherwise. I know we all get far too much email these days but having the daily devotion pop up in your inbox each day can serve as a general reminder to get into God’s Word. It goes out at 6 a.m. MST.
You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, and now listen on YouTube. Just click on the social media icons or go to my YouTube channel.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
I recently read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.
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