Jacob, The Man Who Learned to Adjust
(Genesis 25:19-34)
1. John went to visit his old grandfather in a secluded area of Georgia. After chatting all night John’s grandfather made a breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. However, John noticed a film on his plate, and questioned his grandfather, "Are these plates clean?"
His grandfather replied, "They’re as clean as cold water can get them. Just finish your meal!"
For lunch John worried that the plates had dried egg and asked, "Are you sure these plates are clean?"
The old man said, "I told you those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now I don’t want to hear any more about it!"
Later that afternoon, as John was leaving, his grandfather’s dog started to growl, not letting him pass. John yelled, "Grandfather, your dog won’t let me get to my car."
The old man shouted, "Coldwater, go lie down!" [Reader’s Digest]
2. Sometimes we suspect something is wrong, we confront it, but still fall prey to it.
3. I think our nation, communities, churches and families are tense; we are all afraid of the difficulties which are only beginning to emerge as a result of our economic meltdown, but we feel helpless to do much about it. The plate looks dirty.
4. I have been praying and contemplating the nature of our church’s ministry and mine in particular in light of these dark days that have engulfed our nation, and the impact to those in our church family.
5. When it comes to your financial situations, I must confess ignorance in most cases. I do not know how frugally you live, how much you make, how much you have saved, nor how much you owe. I am unsure about your lifestyle when it comes to money, and I am unsure about changes and sacrifices you will make or are already making.
6. I do not know if you will have your same job or any job 3 months from now. And I do not know how long our financial downturn will last. But I know one thing that makes it worse: fear.
7. Franklin Roosevelt once said, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." FDR was wrong. There is plenty to fear: denying reality is simply another form of lying.
8. We are living in changing times. Some people do better with change than others. Fighting change is often a function of control which is often a function of fear.
9. So today I would like to being a brief series on the life of Jacob, a man who learned to adjust to change.
10. Jacob was probably spoiled; as one of two non-identical twins, he was his mother’s favorite. He was not someone who was used to change, but he was forced to make changes against his will. Faith did not come easy to him. He relied on his wits, but, smart as he was, he found himself vulnerable time and time again, and fighting fear was a battle for him.
Jeremiah 10:23, "I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." This was the lesson Jacob would eventually learn.
Main Idea: Each of us is different, and each of us has a long way to go.
I. Esau Had Natural Advantages, Jacob Had DIVINE Ones (19-23)
A. Both children an ANSWER to prayer (19-21)
• they had been married 19 years
• According to the Talmud, Isaac and Rebekah went to Mount Moriah, where he had been bound, and prayed together there that they might have a son.
• Mt. Moriah is a ridge next to Mt. Zion; the temple was built there
B. ADVERSARIAL in the womb (22)
The Hebrew implies that they bruised one another in the womb; this gives a new meaning to the term, "infighting."
I have known some cantankerous people, but fighting it out while yet in the womb-- that takes the cake!
C. Jacob the ADVANTAGED (23)
Esau means “Hairy,” and he was also called “Edom,” meaning “Red.”
Jacob means the “supplanter,” or “the trickster,” or “the deceiver.”
In our day, we might call Esau "Red" and Jacob "Sneaky"
If we produce a modern-day version of this story, that’s what we could name it: "Red and Sneaky."
II. Esau and Jacob INHERITED Differing Personalities (24-28)
A. Seen at BIRTH (24-26)
They looked different, they fought in the womb, and one was grasping the heal of the other (a tag-along; he wanted a free ride).
Since it is obvious that we inherit different physical characteristics and different innate abilities (coordination, intelligence, etc.), why do some people fight the idea that we also inherit personalities?
The answer is probably this: sin has so corrupted us that we view ourselves as the standard by which others are judged; in a sense, we make ourselves into our own gods.
And by saying personality is inherited, that means we have to be open-minded toward differences; we’d prefer, instead, to condemn those who are different.
This is why Jesus statement in Matthew 7 is so relevant: ""Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
We all have deficiencies because of our personalities; although we need to confront willful sin, we have to practice a lot of what the Bible calls forbearance.
B. Different PREFERENCES (27)
WE ARE TO IMITATE THE CHARACTER OF JESUS, NOT HIS LIFE NOR HIS PERSONALITY!
Proverbs 17:21, "He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy."
The British have a clear understanding of these matters when they say, "There is no accounting for tastes." We like what we like, we gravitate toward what we gravitate toward, often without logical explanation, other than genetics.
Esau was a tough outdoorsman who loved to hunt; Jacob was an indoors-man who loved to cook. The Brits have another saying that is true: "Birds of a feather flock together."
Open-minded people find areas of commonality with others and can connect to people very different from them. Close-minded people want a whole lot of commonality or they will write you off as "weird" or "odd."
Peer pressure is an attempt to eliminate individual preferences and sort people into a flock of birds that socialize together. This reinforces the "in vogue" personality traits of the group. This is a double-edged sword: team players (good), lack of tolerance/acceptance (bad)
C. Gravitated to Differing PARENTS (28)
Isaac gravitated toward Esau, Rebekah toward Jacob. Why? Personality.
III. Jacob DEPENDED On His Schemes Rather Than God (29-34)
A. He exploited his BROTHER
1. Jacob was a cheat who took advantage of his brother. It is obvious. Yet, interestingly, the Jews, in the Talmud, justified what Jacob did by presenting Esau as very, very evil. This is simply not true. He may have been godless and immoral, but he had a good side to him, as we will see.
2. Yes, Esau is just as responsible for his poor choices. In the Bible, most sin is attributed to thinking of the short term, the near at hand. And no one exemplifies this better than Esau.
3. Hebrews 12;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."
4. The hallmark of maturity is considered "delayed gratification." If you look at kids in school who will probably live impoverished lives, one quality becomes evident: they are not concerned about long-term consequences.
5. The ultimate maturity level is to be focused on the future, even to the point of eternity.
6. Our nation is in economic trouble because too many of us said, "We’ll worry about that later. It’ll work out. Let’s enjoy ourselves today."
7. Esau enjoyed his lentil stew, but in the future, Jacob would have the rights of the first born.
B. He connived to get what GOD promised
God had already promised, before birth, that the older would serve the younger. Jacob did not need to make this happen, God would. God certainly did not lead Jacob into this deceit.
Applications
1. Faith runs contrary to the obsession for CONTROL
2. Faith is not PASSIVE, but it knows when to let go
3. HOW you do God’s will is as important as doing it
4. SELF-RESPECT must be coupled with respect for others
The Rabbi Hillel said, "If I am not for myself who will be for me? Yet, if I am for myself only, what am I?"
