Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Esau did everything in his power for 43 years to remind his dad that he had been deceived by his wife Rebekah and his other son Jacob.
Even though his own personal feelings and love was hurt and wounded, it did not hinder Isaac into reversing a correct and doctrinal decision which was to give the family blessing to Jacob and not to Esau.
HEB 11:20 By means of doctrine resident in the soul Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.
“things to come” = the Abrahamic Covenant which defines the race, the Palestinian Covenant which defines the land, the Davidic Covenant defining the dynasty, and the New Covenant which defines the restoration of the client nation Israel.
Isaac the man of failure emerges as Isaac the supergrace hero, the spiritual champion with noble courage as a man of doctrine.
Heb 11:21 = we no longer have a wimp like Isaac but a chiseler known as Jacob and how a man can go from being a con-artist to spiritual maturity and visible heroship in one lifetime.
1. Jacob was the son of Isaac, and the twin brother of Esau and an ancestor of TLJC. He was nicknamed Jacob because, at the birth of the twins, “his hand took hold of Esau’s heel”, Gen 25:26.
Jacob continued to “take hold of” the possessions of others, such as his brother Esau’s birthright, Gen 25:29‑34, his father’s blessing, Gen 27:1‑29, and his father‑in‑law’s flocks and herds, Gen 30:25‑43; 31:1.
You often heard that the name Jacob means supplanter or swindler.
Webster’s Dictionary says it means, to overthrow by force or treachery or deception.
Jacob had a nasty habit of deception and he handled it magnificently with the habit of lies.
2. Jacob also is known for purchasing his brother Esau’s birthright and blessings for just one bowl of beans.
MAT 26:16 And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.
EPH 4:27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
3. Jacob took advantage of his brother’s time of weakness and then he deceitfully obtained his father’s blessing.
4. Esau then sought to kill Jacob and so Jacob ran and escaped to Paddan‑aram = the place of pride and arrogance while running away from the plan of God.
5. God turned a curse into a blessing and Jacob received the vision of Jacob’s ladder where God confirms the covenant of Abraham to Jacob – one of the most dramatic moments in Jacob’s life which occurred at Bethel in Gen 28:10‑22.
This experience at Bethel, which means the house of God, occurred when he left the family home at Beersheba to travel to
Haran, the residence of his uncle Laban.
He was so impressed by the words of the Lord, promising him inheritance of the land, and his descendants “as the dust of the earth” that Jacob dedicated the site as a place of worship, calling it Bethel (literally, House of God).
6. He lived in Haran with his uncle Laban for over 20 years.
7. There he served his uncle Laban for fourteen years for Leah and Rachel, the two daughters of Laban.
Laban said, “Be my servant for 7 years and you can have her at the end of the seven years.”
“Alright and then seven years later uncle Laban gave him the surprise of his life on his wedding day, he tricked Jacob and behind the wedding veil was his homely daughter Leah and not Rachel.
8. After being deceived by Laban concerning his first daughter, he deceived and stole all of uncle Laban’s flocks and herds.
9. He became dissatisfied with Laban’s treatment of him and he returns to the land of Canaan.
10. On his way back to the promise land Canaan, he dreads meeting his brother Esau so he sends ahead presents to try and buy him.
11. Then on his way back to Canaan, he wrestles with an angel, namely TLJC, and his name is then changed to “Israel”.
In this match, the socket of Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he struggled with this mysterious stranger, but he refused to release his grip until he was given a blessing.
For the first time in the narrative of Genesis, Jacob had been unable to defeat an opponent.
When asked to identify himself in the darkness, he confessed he was Jacob, the heel‑grabber.
For his struggle “with God and with men” in which he had prevailed, his name was changed to Israel, literally, Prince with God.
In return, he gave a name to the spot that marked the change; it would be called Peniel‑‑ which means “For I have seen
God face to face, and my life is preserved”, Gen 32:30.
EXO 33:20 “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”
That is talking about our Lord’s deity not his humanity or when he appears in the Old testament as a Theophany!
12. Then we will see Jacob’s reconciliation with Esau.
13. Then his daughter, Dinah, is raped.
14. Then there is the incest of his son, Reuben, with his concubine, Bilhah.
15. He then loses his favorite son Joseph and his grief over the loss of Joseph causes him to age.
16. Then he hears that Joseph is still alive so he moves to Egypt.
17. Pharaoh then receives him, and is blessed by Jacob.
18. The land of Goshen is assigned to Jacob and there he prospers.
“Don’t you ever go by any verse which says “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” without thanking God for the glorious grace He has given to us.”
MAL 3:6 “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
Mar 12:30 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
If Bible doctrine or the words of Christ are not abiding in you, you do not have love for God, this is according to Joh 5:38-42.
If a believer really loves God, it will be manifested by his desire to hear God’s doctrines, Joh 8:47.
“hears” is the pres-act-ind of akouo which is akouei meaning to hear in an audience, to listen, to concentrate, to understand, to learn, to give a hearing.
Not only will you hear doctrine but “if you love the Lord” you will keep His doctrines, Joh 14:15.
“keep” is the aor-act-imp of tereo which is teresate which means to guard something that belongs to you.
If you guard or keep God’s Word in you, God’s love will be in you, Joh 15:10.
Having God’s mind or Bible doctrine is that which produces God’s love in the local assembly, PHI 2:2
PHI 2:2 make my happiness complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
keeping doctrine is the only way to love with God’s love, 1Jo 2:5.
“perfected” is the perf-pass-ind, teleioo which means to complete or to reach maturity. It also means to come to the place where it can be released.
Loving God is also revealed with impersonal love toward one another, 1Jo 4:7.
“knows God” is the pres-act-imp of ginosko and the present tense means the more we love reveals the more we are progressively getting to know Him.
Since God is invisible and the object of category one love, we must see and love Him through doctrine in the soul.
You cannot love God unless you know God, and you cannot know God unless you have metabolized enough pertinent doctrine, 1PE 1:8, Eph 3:18‑19, Heb 6:10, 2Ti 1:13‑14, Col 3:1‑2.
1PE 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe Him [His doctrine,