"God's Will, God's Way," Genesis 27

Berean Bible Church, October 16, 2005

Bill Allison, a Christian educator, wrote, 'We have an absolutely adorable four-year-old daughter… who is testing out her ability to lie. (Did I mention that all of my children have their mother’s sin nature? It’s uncanny!) The other day I loaded the oldest five kids into the car for a Mother’s Day shopping trip… to Farm and Fleet. (I wished I made that part up, but that is really where we went shopping—but these are strange but true stories.) Of course, when we purchased the obligatory Mother’s Day chocolates, I bought more than my wife would want… so the five kids and I could enjoy the chocolate malted balls on the ride home in honor of the great mother God has given us. Shortly after I passed out two malted milk balls per kid (those beautifully large Farm and Fleet chocolate malted milk balls), my four-year-old Libby (who is almost addicted to chocolate to the same degree as I am), cutely and persuasively said, “Dad, can I have another chocolate ball? One of mine accidentally fell on the floor.” Being a certified chocoholic and thinking that I might still be able to eat that fallen heavenly hunk of chocolate, I said to my ten-year-old son, Billy, “Would you please look around on the floor back there and hand me the malted milk ball that Libby lost?” About a minute later, Billy said, “I can’t find anything down here dad.” That’s not too tough to believe. He’s a boy—which is nothing but a young man—which translates into the fact that he will never be able to find anything for the rest of his life! So I asked my oldest and most detailed daughter, Emily, to help find that elusive drop of heaven. If Emily could not find it, then that malted milk ball had probably rolled away to sock heaven. That’s when Libby slickly spoke up: “Dad, I was just joking. I wanted another chocolate ball so I just kidded you about losing one so I could get another.” The other kids in the car made an audible gasp—not at the fact that my four year old had just lied—but at the great concern that this lie would launch me into one of my well honed family lecture series talks: “Lies Are of the Devil.” Seeing the importance of this teachable moment (hey, I’m a trained educator), the car got strangely quiet as I looked directly at Libby (not a great idea if you are driving) and spoke firmly God’s truth into the life of my daughter: “Libby, you just lied to me. Do you know who the father of lies is?” I said—emphasizing the word “father.” She smiled shyly and with great sincerity did her best to compliment me when she said, “You are, dad!” Alas, the teachable moment evaporated into thin air as the other four older kids were all on the floor of the car… laughing their heads off. I waited until the laughter subsided and I said, “No, I am the father of liars—not the father of lies!”' (Bill Allison, Cadre Connection email, 5-16-03).

Like little Libby, we learn pretty early in life what it takes to reach our goals. We are tempted to figure out “creative” ways (AKA shortcuts) to get what we want. Even when our goals and desires may honor God, sometimes our creative methods to reach those good goals do not honor God. The end result may be right and good and within the will of God. Sometimes the process to reach that end goal is not aligned with the will of God.

Consider: You are here . . . . . goal is here. There may be a variety of available pathways to reach the goal, and the easiest route may not be (probably is not) the easiest, most direct route. God's ways are not our ways. If you are creative, like Rebekah and Jacob were, you can create pathways that God never intended you to take. We will look at a story today, about trying to acheive God's will, but through means that were not aligned with God's ways. Please read Genesis 27:1-45.

I. The Deception for the Family Blessing

A. 27:1-5a – Rebekah overheard Isaac's plans to bless Esau in secret.

Isaac was disobeying the oracle of God (from the time of their birth), and was privatizing what should have been a family event. And Esau was not qualified to receive this spiritual blessing (he sold his birthright, he had Canaanite wives; he wasn't interested in God). To Rebekah, it looked like God's clear will wasn't going to happen, so she had to take matters into her own hands.

B. 27:5b-17 – Rebekah and Jacob planned a deception so Jacob would receive the family blessing.

Notice, Jacob was concerned about the feasibility of the plan, not about whether it was right or wrong. (And notice how she later shifted responsiblity solely to Jacob for the deception; vs. 45).

C. 27:18-29 – Jacob stole the blessing through deceit and blasphemy.

Isaac's senses were dulled and he was easily deceived; and he was driven by his physical appetite for tasty meat, which he loved (repeated several times). Once again, Jacob takes advantage of someone else's weaknesses. His blindness is symbolic of his spiritual blindness. He not only deceives his father, he uses God's name in vain, which is blasphemy (Exodus 20:7).

D. 27:30-40 – Esau begged for a blessing, but all Isaac could give was the opposite of what was given to Jacob.

The blessing is binding. There was great power in these words because of God's promises to Abraham and his family. Esau missed out and Isaac could do nothing about it.

E. 27:41-45 – The consequences for their behavior were painful and would last for years.

Esau held a grudge, and so Jacob's life was in danger. Rebekah sent her son away, and he would never see her again. Jacob would go to his uncle Laban and be deceived and taken advantage of for 20 years. Jacob would live in fear of his brother. Later in his life, he sons would deceive him about the fate of his favorite son. To sum up: broken family relationships, greater conflict, danger, separation, and the deceived becomes a victim of deception.

II. What do we learn about doing God's will, God's way?

A. [The lesson from Isaac and Esau:] Value the things that God values.

Esau couldn't see past today, and did not honor God or honor the values of his family (evidenced by his Canaanite marriages, and selling his inheritance rights for a meal). Esau is described as “godless” in Hebrews 12:16-17. Food was more important to Isaac than following God and passing along God's promises to the right son.

Make sure your goals, plans, and solutions to problems fit with God's values and will for your life. Submit your goals to the Word of God and prayer and the counsel of others.

B. [The lesson from Rebekah and Jacob]: Your strategies and solutions should honor God and value people.

Your goal or problem may seem so important to you, that you will be tempted to do “whatever it takes.” But whatever God's goals for your life, whatever problems you are trying to solve, be honest, be clear, be humble, be kind, as you pursue your goals. Otherwise, you needlessly complicate matters and relationships, and you will miss out on some of God's surprising little blessings.

Finances and work – when you are trying to earn money and make a living or get ahead in your job, do your methods conform to Christ's values, and do they honor other people?

Marriage – when you try to convince your spouse to see or do things your way, do your methods honor Christ and conform to his values? Do your methods honor and value your spouse?

Other relationships – when you try to get others to adopt your viewpoint, do your strategies honor Christ and value people?

C. God is working out his plan, even through flawed people and the circumstances they create or experience.

God would still bless Jacob and bring abouth is blessing through Jacob. Indeed, he is merciful and compassionate to people who have faith in him, even when they fail him.