A year ago at Christmas I received a chronological daily
Bible. I had intended to read through it
last year but instead decided to take time and walk through the psalms, which
was a sweet, rich time. This year I have
finally made it to the Chronological Bible and may I just say that I love
it! The Lord has been speaking to me so
much through this so far this year (go figure, it is His Word afterall). I would love to share thoughts, comments,
and questions as I read through this with anyone who would like to follow
along.
I may go back next and update a few of the prior things that
I feel like God has taught me about earlier passages of Genesis, but what I
want to write on today is something fresh on my heart.
Yesterday and today I have been reading about Jacob and Esau
in Genesis 27-28. Honestly, after
yesterday’s reading where Jacob deceitfully swiped Esau’s blessing I felt a
little down and confused. I felt sorry
for Esau. His own mother betrayed him,
his brother robbed him of his birthright and his blessing, and clearly poor
Esau was still trying to win the approval of his father (Gen 28:8-9). Why did God stand for that? Why did he honor a blessing that was
stolen? Sure, I have heard explanations
of this passage before, but this morning as I came to the Lord I posed some of
these questions to Him.
I wrote this in
my journal:
“The story of Jacob and Esau is very sad to me, honestly,
and one I do not fully understand. Why
does God honor a blessing that was deceitfully taken? There is so much I do not understand here
Lord, but I trust you.”
Right after, I felt like God deposited an explanation in my
spirit. This is what I felt like the
Lord revealed to me about this rather complicated story that I wrote in my
journal next:
“If Jacob lied and still received the blessing, favor, and
covenant of God, then I must conclude that the reason for these things must not
be based on the actions of Jacob but on the goodness of God. And I am encouraged that if it is not by merit,
than the blessing in my life is also not merit based, but grace based. Thank you Lord, for the blessing and favor
you pour out on my life, and the covenant that you make with me, not because of
my own merit but because of the grace that is available to me in Jesus Christ.”
Later in Genesis 28:10-22 we see God renew His covenant that
He made with Abraham and Isaac to Jacob.
God says to Jacob in a dream, “I am Yahweh, the God of your father
Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will
give you and your offspring the land that you are now sleeping on. Your offspring will be like the dust of the
earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north and the
south. All the peoples of earth will be
blessed through you and your offspring.
Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will
not leave you intil I have done what I promised to you.”
Jacab wakes up, makes a little marker to consecrate the
place, and then makes the following vow:
“If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, if
He provides me with food to eat and clothing to ear, and if I return safely to
my father’s house, then the Lord will be
my God.”
Wow, 2 things strike me about this text that are in direct
contrast to one another. The first are
the words “I WILL” from God’s covenant.
The second are the words “IF…THEN” from Jacob’s vow. Jacob’s vow is conditional, but God’s
covenant is unconditional.
Our vows are so very weak, but God’s covenant is unbreakable
and unending. His covenant that He made
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was not based on them following through with
their end of the bargain. HE was the one
who made the covenant, and HE was the one who kept the covenant. Our “vows” will fall short time and time again. How many times did the Israelites, the people
of God, in all earnestness cry out, “We will be faithful to you this time
God! We will not sin against you…we will
not worship any other God’s but you!”
And sentences later they are back into full-fledged idolatry. And how many times do we, do I, make vows to
God and turn around and break them an instant later! This is why Jesus himself tells us very
clearly do not make vows. We can’t do
it, we may mean well, we may have the best of intentions, but we will fall
short every time if our vow is trying to be upheld in our own strength.
Ah, but thanks be to God that our relationship to God does
not rely on our own vow of commitment to Him, but rather we can rest in the
unbreakable commitment he Has sworn to us.
God has made a new covenant to all who believe in Jesus. Very simply, He offers to take our sin and
give us His righteousness if we will but believe. He takes our death and gives us life forever
in Him. He offers us a relationship with
Him not based on our goodness, not based on our promise to be faithful and true
to Him, not based on us doing enough good works to earn His affection… no, He
makes His covenant based on and sealed by the blood of Christ. As it says in 2 Timothy 2:13, “if we are
faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus rose again,
Jesus did it all.
Thank you, Lord, that my relationship with you is not based
on my fickle affections, but on your steadfast character and unfailing Name.
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