Funerals, and the reading of wills, brings out the best, and worst, in folks. During those times true colors show. That’s when, at times, you want to ask someone you thought you knew, who are you? I don’t even know you.
Roxy and I have been blessed with parents
who had the foresight and wisdom to pretty much blow their kids’ inheritance before
they died.
However, Jacob and Esau, not so much.
Imagine you just cooked your old dad’s
favorite meal, because he asked you, his favorite child, to have lunch, and
then, he’d give you your inheritance; which is pretty much, everything. Oh,
and dad is rich, very rich; in his life he prospered and continued
prospering until he was very prosperous. (Genesis 26:13).
So, the meal's ready, the table’s set. You
wake dad from his nap. That’s when you see the toothpick
hanging from his lip, and the BBQ stain on his shirt… only to find out dad
already ate. Your trickster, heel grabbing, twin brother Jacob, snuck in,
deceived dad and stole your blessing!
What would you do?
Esau turned redder than he already was. (Genesis
25:25).
30 Now
it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had
scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother
came in from his hunting.
31 He also had made savory food, and
brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father
arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.”
32 And
his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”
Who are you?
Painful words to hear from someone you
know and love.
The question hangs in the air. Awkward. Out
of place.
Dad, how could you ask such a thing? (Esau
doesn’t know, yet, what just happened).
Isaac is old, and blind, and was just
duped by his son Jacob, pretending to be Esau.
So, naturally speaking there’s room for
confusion.
However, Spiritually speaking, there’s
room for the question to be, prophetically profound. Not just for Esau, but for
us, here and now.
2
Timothy 3:16-17
All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
All Scripture is relevant
to us, and good for us.
Who are you?
Reread those last couple verses again
(Genesis 27:31-32) and notice the wording, inspired by the Holy Spirit, over emphasizes
the relationship of father and son, (repeatedly
saying father over and over) and then, drops the question in stark contrast; who
are you?
When the Bible repeats words it’s an
attention grabber, not bad grammar.
So, let’s pay attention, as our
Father asks:
Who are you?
Are you Isaac?
Raised in a Godly environment. Familiar
with Church and Bible speak. Coasting through life, peacefully, sleepily…blindly.
Instead of standing in the gap, being proactive, you’re passive; now the spouse
disrespects, the kids are a mess, and those you know and love are speeding
toward hell, while you just smile and wave, God bless you, have a nice day.
Who are you? Are you Issac?
Lord, open our eyes. Help to wake up,
stand up and speak up.
Are you Rebekah?
You know what’s wrong, you know what’s
right, you know how to make things happen; but you just can’t wait, so you
manipulate. Behind your back folks might say you’re a control freak. But you
just figure, if it’s gonna get done, you’ve got to do it. The laid-back peaceful
people, are really just lazy. You think, it’s your job, to help God out.
Lord, help us to find peace knowing You
have everything under control—even without our help. We’re willing to work and
do our part, but Lord, here and now, we hand You the reigns.
Are you Jacob?
Heel Grabber.
A quick-thinking smooth talker, with a heart for God. You even feel His call, but
rather than humbly waiting to receive it, you reach out and grab it; even if it
trips your brother.
Who are you? Are you Jacob?
Lord, we ask for patience
and humility. We’re willing to wait as long as it takes. Help us to be
transparent, not tricky, a hand giver, not a heel grabber. Help us use our words
and wit, for You. Thank You for giving us, a new name.
Are you Esau?
That brings us back to our text.
Who are you? Isaac
used just two words in Hebrew, mî- ’āt·tāh; Who you (thou)?
However, a dozen or so verses ago, when dear
old dad asked Jacob who he was, he added a word, mî- ’āt·tāh ben (son).
(Gen. 27:18).
Isaac asks Jacob, who are you, son?
To Esau, he simply asks, who are you?
Isaac didn’t say it like that on purpose
to make a point for us to talk about today—he didn’t even know who he was
talking to. But that’s the way the Holy Spirit recorded it; and that is no
mistake.
Isaac, called Jacob, son; but he
asked Esau, “Who are you?”
Esau had to be shaking his head. What’re
you talking about dad? I’m your son. You know me.
Jesus tells us that not everyone who
confesses a relationship with Me actually has one: Matt. 7:21-23.
Not everyone who calls Me Lord,
Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who do the will of My
Father. Many will say, Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and cast
out demons in Your name, and do miracles in Your name, but I will say, depart
from Me, I never knew you.
Matt. 7:21-23.
In other words, mî- ’āt·tāh. Who are
you?
Jesus shows us in Matt. 25:1-12, that
dressing up and acting the part, doesn’t mean a change of heart. The ten
bridesmaids, looked alike on the outside, all dressed up and holding lamps. However,
only five were ready to go when the Bridegroom called them Home. To the others He
uttered the saddest words ever heard; I never knew
you.
In other words, mî- ’āt·tāh. Who are
you? I don’t even know you.
Jesus also teaches that real family is God’s
family: Matthew 12:50, For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My
brother and sister and mother.
We will see as we go along, according to
God’s family, Isaac and Jacob are family; Esau is not. The wording of Isaac’s
questions are a reflection of that.
So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
I’m your firstborn. Plus, we both know,
I’m your fav. So, c’mon dad, hurry up, eat up, let’s get this show on the road,
so you can give me, my blessing.
Esau felt entitled. He thought being born
in the right place, at the right time, on the right branch of the family tree
was good enough. I’m born in the US, good person, good to go, Christian heading
to heaven.
But Jesus says not so fast. He told Nick
at night, unless you’re born again, you won’t
even see the kingdom of heaven. John 3:3.
Esau didn’t understand that the blessing
he was asking for came from God, not dad.
Dad can’t give him rain, bumper crops or
victory over enemies.
Only God can do that.
James
1:17; Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, in whom
there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
Esau, wanted the blessing without
acknowledging the Blesser.
But it doesn’t work like that. Jesus says
it like this: “Seek first the Kingdom of God,
and His righteousness, then, all these other things, will
be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.
But Esau’s in for a rude awakening.
Okay, are you ready? It’s about to get
scary with Hairy (Esau means hairy).
33 Then
Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who
hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before
you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.”
Isaac trembles exceedingly. You
know what that’s like—the moment you realize you’ve been scammed.
However, God wasn’t shaken. The
Spirit of God came upon Isaac, to give the prophetic blessing to Jacob.
God knew it was Jacob, even though Isaac
thought it was Esau.
The Holy Spirit can never be fooled and
can never be mocked.
Galatians
6:7
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man sows, that shall he
also reap.
Jacob and Rebekah will pay severe
consequences for this deceit.
For the next two decades Jacob will taste
his own medicine. He will be mistreated and repeatedly cheated.
He will be separated from his dying
father, aging mother, and angry brother.
Rebekah will probably be dead, before
ever seeing her son Jacob again.
34 When
Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and
bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”
If your only hope, your only blessing, is
in this life, it’s an exceedingly great and bitter sorrow.
35 But
he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”
36 And Esau said, “Is he not rightly
named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my
birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have
you not reserved a blessing for me?”
Jacob means “Heel Grabber” or, supplanter,
trickster. One who grabs your heel to
trip you up. That’s what Esau is referring to.
An honest fact-checker (is that an
oxymoron?) might correct Esau and say, Jacob didn’t take your birthright,
you despised it, by foolishly selling it for a bowl of tomato soup. Genesis 25:34; Heb. 12:16.
Esau mentions, birthright and blessing.
The son of the birthright received
a double portion of the inheritance, he became head of household upon passing
of the father. (Deuteronomy 21:17; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2).
The blessing could be given to anyone, not
just firstborn. It was a gift, a blessing, given prophetically, thus, God given.
In the lineage of Christ, it includes the Abrahamic
Blessing of carrying the seed, that would lead to the Seed (Christ
Jesus), that would bless all nations of the earth. Genesis 12:2-3.
Which would make Esau the Spiritual leader
of the house, and God knew, he wouldn’t do.
Notice, Esau never brings God into the
equation. Have you, not reserved a blessing for me.
37 Then
Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Indeed I have made him your master, and
all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I
have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?”
38 And
Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me
also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
39 Then
Isaac his father answered and said to him:
“Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of
the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
Some commentators say, “of” actually
means, “away from”.
Your dwelling shall be away from
the fatness (fertility) of the earth and dew of heaven.
40 By your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
And it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
Perhaps a better name for Esau’s “blessing”
would his prophecy. It basically prophecies the opposite side of the blessing
of Jacob.
He told Jacob, “May God give you
of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine.”
Whereas to Esau he says, your dwelling
shall be “of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.”
Jacob will own the fertile well-watered fields
and vineyards.
Esau will work them, be a servant to them,
serving Jacob in them. Living by the sword; fighting for everything he owns.
And it did indeed come to pass. Year after year, Esau’s descendants were subject to Jacob’s. Continuously fighting.
Under
king David, they revolt and break free. 2 Kings 8:20-22.
None of Esau's descendants remain, as spoken by the Lord through the prophet Obadiah.
Obadiah 1:18: The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,” For the Lord has spoken.
We are somewhat familiar with one infamous descendant of Esau. Herod
the Great. He was a puppet of Rome, installed as king of the Jews. He feared rivals to his
throne, and had multiple people murdered, even family, if he felt they were a
threat. They said it was better to be his dog, than his son.
Matthew chapter two records his horrific
slaughter of all male children two years old and under, in Bethlehem and the
surrounding region, for fear of Him born King of the Jews. Matthew 2:16-18.
We know Herod’s effort was unsuccessful, just
as every plot to thwart God’s plan is unsuccessful. We know that Babe in a
manger, survived Herod’s slaughter, and grew to become the Man, Christ Jesus,
our Lord and Savior.
Shortly after that, Herod died, and the Edomites faded from HIStory.
41 So
Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed
him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my
father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
Rather than remorse for living foolishly,
sinfully, for willingly despising his birthright, he shows no repentance, but
plans vengeance.
Who are you? Are you Esau? We are warned
not to be.
Hebrews 12:16-17; See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears.
Who are you?
In a world reeling in identity crisis, we
can and should know exactly who we are.
Just to be sure, the Bible makes it clear, if you’re in the family of God, this is who you are:
1
Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who
once were not a people but are now the people of God, who
had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
That is who you are.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for taking us, and
waking us, and showing us who we are, so we can show others who You are.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
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27:30-41
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s
Seed for you to sow.
Thank you for sharing.
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