Title: The Power of Unforgiveness
Theme:
Text: Genesis 27:34-40
Introduction
In chapter 27 we jump in the middle of a bitter rivalry. Two twins in a battle for the blessings for their father. Isaac is around 160 years old. He is blind and feeble. He is not expected to live much longer. So as tradition goes he decides it is time to call in the eldest son to pass down the family property blessings.
It seems that Rebekah, as did her late mother-in-law, had become skilled in the art of eavesdropping. She had always had a desire to look out for her youngest son Jacob. When she heard that Isaac called for Esau to bless him she cuncocketed a plan to deceive Isaac and take away Esau’s blessing. Jacob was to go and kill two goats to be prepared for his father.
Next he was put on Esau’s clothes and place goat skin on his neck and arms to deceive Isaac into thinking he was Esau. As you can tell Rebekah had been waiting on this moment for a long time.
So it works. Jacob goes into Isaac and fools him. Isaac is doubtful at first but finally he is convinced by the smell. Isaac lays his hands on Jacob and he receives the blessing of the eldest son. The blessing of the land and the head of the family.
To Isaac’s shock just as Jacob leaves the room here comes Esau. Esau has done all his father has asked and he comes prepared to receive the blessing. Yet this is not possible it has been passed over to Jacob. What a shock!
We pick up in verse 34 and see Esau’s reaction and Isaac’s last prophecy.
“ And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, [even] me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, [even] me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.” (Genesis 27:34-40 AV)
Let us pray.
This bitterness between the brothers had been going on all their lives. The Bible tells us in Genesis 25 that Rebekah was barren. So Isaac prayed and God intervened and she conceived. Yet “the children struggled together within her”.
There was a bitter rivalry forming in her womb.
This became even more clearer as they were born, Esau came our first but Jacob was not to be out done so he held onto the heel of his twin brother. Esau came out red and ruddy and hairy and Jacob came out the opposite.
Sadly each parent chose a child. Because Esau like the woods and hunting Isaac chose him. And because Jacob was a plain man who like to stay at home Rebekah chose him.
Let me tell you there is nothing worse than parents showing favoritism to their children. It happens all the time. One parent shows favoritism over another and it causes a bitter rivalry between the children. I understand it is hard to keep a balance between giving attention between more than one child but it must be worked at. It causes a terrible affect on the child. Especially the one who feels they are always competing for their parents attention.
But this is what happened. Sadly Jacob didn’t learn his lesson from this incident. Later on in his life we read that he showed favoritism to Joseph and Benjamin over the other 10 brothers which we see again caused a bitter rivalry.
Well the competition was on and the stakes was set. The goal for Jacob was to achieve the attention of his father. And he began to fulfill the prophecy of his name. Convening and doing whatever it took to become the eldest son. He knew that Esau had an inside track on it so he stooped to treachery to get this back.
The story goes on that one day Esau came back from the field. Jacob had been cooking for some time and planning the great smelling stew. Esau came in and he was famished. Yet Jacob takes advantage of the situation. He tells him, “I will feed you if you will sell me your birthright”. The birthright was the right to be first born. Esau gives up so easy.
This is another sad tragedy in the life of the boys. Esau’s birthright meant so little to him. The birthright was the right to carry on the blessings of the Lord. It was the right to be in the lineage of God’s chosen family to create God’s chosen nation. It was the right to be blessed of the Lord. Yet Esau chose his own path and gave up his heritage. This would mark him for life. For the rest of his life and for his family they would chose their own path which would lead them away from God.
So many people give up their heritage so easy. Oh I hear so much about peoples family. I hear about their godly father or mother but that is not what is going to get them to heaven. When they give up that gift is when they miss out on eternity with the father. I say again “Devil, You Can’t Have My Vineyard”.
Well this brings us back to where we started. This bitter riverly has grown strong. There is hatred and deception between the two. Yet it goes deeper, it is also between Isaac and Rebekah. They began to play the kids against one another. According to tradition the eldest son was suppose to receive the heritage. Since Esau sold his birthright he no longer had the right to be the eldest son. Yet Isaac ignored this. He still was going to bless Esau. Rebekah was going to see that this did not happen.
Now let me take you back to Esau’s so-called blessing. Read with me again verse 40
“And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt thou serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck”.
As I read this scripture I began to get curious. I had this question that kept ringing in my ears, “When did this prophecy come true?” When did Esau become Jacob’s slave? Right after this the Bible says that Esau hated Jacob and Jacob became afraid for his life and left. He would stay gone for 20 years. So how could this happen.
Then it hit me. To me this is not a prophecy that would be fulfilled as slave and master but it would be fulfilled as the controlled hatred and unforgivness that Esau had for Jacob.
Esau had built such a hated for Jacob that it began to cause him to be a slave to his own emotions. I could imagine night and day Esau would plan his revenge on Jacob. Every day there would be something that would remind him of what Jacob did and he would began to once again dwell on what happened. Over and over again he would rehash this in his mind.
Oh how it must have hurt. But you see that is how hatred and unforgiveness is. If we carry it in our heart we become slaves to it. It begins to control us. We cannot get on with our life because we are allowing the events of the past to control us. Freedom is non-existent. Our life is in turmoil.
Unforgiveness causes us to change our life and miss the blessings of the Lord. The Bible tells us that
“ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24 AV)
“ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15 AV)
In the Lord’s prayer we are to pray
“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”. It is interesting that word debt. The word debt means “that which is rightfully owed”. In other words we are to pray for forgiveness of those who rightfully owe us something whether it is an apology or reconciliation. We are not to wait on their reconciliation to forgive but we are to forgive.
I have heard some people say, “Oh, I have forgiven them, but they still owe me this.” Or I will not have anything to do with them if they don’t do this.” You see this is not forgiveness.
Forgiveness is not rehashing old memories. It is forgetting and moving on. Now again as I said it doesn’t mean that we are required to put these people in our lives but we must give forgiveness as the Lord has forgiven us.
Steps to forgiveness
1. seek forgiveness for the sin of unforgiveness
In this we must be honest with the Lord of our unforgiving spirit.
2. seek forgiveness of the oppressor
Even though we may have done nothing wrong we must still ask for forgiveness.
3. ask God to help you forget
It is such a hard process because we want to forget but it is not easy.
4. If possible work to reconcile the situation
