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| Jacob |
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Today, we are going to learn about another great person, whom God chose to fulfill his promises that he made to Abraham that to his offspring I will give this land.
Genesis 24:7
"The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'--he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.
This person’s name was Jacob which means, “he deceives” and true to his name, he became a “deceitful man in God’s family”.
Let’s see from his life and character and learn 4 things, which we need to reject and avoid.
1. Avoid emotional decisions
Genesis 25:27-34
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents.
28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.
30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.)
31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."
32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"
33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
What were Isaac’s son’s names? (Esau and Jacob) Who was older? (Esau - v25)
Whom did Isaac love more (Esau) Who did Rebekah love more? (Jacob).
Is right when parents favour one child over another? (No, it hurts)
C: For many of us, we may have come from a family where a brother or a sister or even we were the favourite child. This kind of favouritism really hurts us.
Q: One day Esau came back from hunting very hungry (v29).
What did he ask his brother for? (Some red stew).
Did Jacob give him? (Yes, but he asked for Esau’s birthright as the oldest son)
Did Esau give it to him? (Yes)
C: The oldest son has the first rights in the inheritance and also in getting his father’s blessings.
Hebrews 12:16-17
16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
God thought Esau’s decision was stupid.
Should we make emotional decisions? (No)
Jacob did not make quick emotional decisions even though he deceived his brother by getting his father’s will and blessings.
Like Esau, avoid emotional decisions when you get married, move away from the house, fall away from God, quit job or make friends.
Make decisions only after prayer and getting advise from Godly people. That saves a lot of pain later.
2. Always give to God.
Genesis 28:16-22
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."
17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.
19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear
21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God
22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
Year’s later Jacob had a dream in which God promised that he would bless him.
Jacob greatly feared and respected God. In Vs. 22 what did Jacob vow?
Why did he say this? Jacob had immense gratitude towards God.
How are we in the area of giving? Are we sacrificial on a daily basis?
Are we serving on a daily basis? When we give are we cheerful?
How much do we give to God and others today?
Be sure to give our very best to God.
3. Ask God for help
Genesis 32:6-12
6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."
7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well.
8 He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."
9 Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,'
10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups.
11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.
12 But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"
When Jacob learnt Esau was coming, how did he feel?
When he was afraid, what did he do? He specifically asked God to help him.
In the below passage, God sends an angel to wrestle Jacob and in the process gives Jacob a new name, Israel.
Genesis 32:22-30
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.
24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
27 The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.
28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
Sometimes, when we are in trouble, we run away from God and the church.
We drink, smoke, gamble, become idle, and worry etc.
But Jacob did what was right - he asked God for help.
We should develop the attitude of not giving up with the Lord. We should tell God to help us and not give up till he helps us.
Let us decide to become like Jacob, and wrestle with God.
4. Avoid favouritism
Genesis 37:1-4
1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.
2 This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him.
4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons and he made a special robe for Joseph.
He listened to Joseph whenever he had any complaints.
How did his brothers feel about this? They were filled with jealousy and hated him.
Just like his dad, Jacob makes the same mistake of showing favouritism.
In our own families, we should avoid showing favouritism with our kids.
SHARE: an incident of favouritism you have seen in your family or relatives.
In the church, we must love everyone. Not just those who are racially or socially or economically like us.
Who are your friends at church? Why are they your friends?
Let us decide to avoid favouritism in our families and in the church because it causes a lot of damage.
Challenge
Make a new friend who is different in many ways from you.
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