2 NATIONS ARE IN YOUR WOMB (SOUL)
Gen. 25:22-27
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: PASSWORD TO HEAVEN
1. A Woman died & went to the pearly gates. Peter was there & said, “To come in you have to correctly spell a word.” “What word?” “Any word.” “Ok, I’ll spell LOVE – L O V E.” “Great,” Peter said, “You can come into Heaven!” She went in.
2. Peter then asked her if she could take his place for a moment. That if anyone came up, she should follow the same procedure of admittance. “Okay.”
3. In a few minutes she sees her ex-husband coming toward the gates. She said, “What are you doing here?” He said, “I just had a heart attack. Wow! Am I in heaven?” She said, “Not yet. You have to spell a word correctly.” He said, “What word?” There was a long pause and she said, “Spell ‘Czechoslovakia.’”
B. STRANGER THAN FICTION
1. The Bible is the seedbed for so many interesting themes! Have you ever heard of a reality TV show which featured pregnant women who were pregnant with twins? On this imaginary show, imagine that they only feature women whose twins are fighting in the womb! So they set up a sonogram on the motion picture set and have the spectators watching on a large screen as the twins shove, wrestle, and punch! How crazy is that?
2. Think how the betting community would get involved and billions of dollars would be on the line about which baby would win the fight! That’s precisely the kind of weird scene the Bible portrays in Genesis 25:21-26.
3. Isaac married Rebecca when he was forty years old (25:20); she was probably 18 or so. They had no children for 20 years (25:26). Isaac prayed for her and she became pregnant; you might say the offspring was conceived by prayer – it was a sign from the Lord, a lesson for all generations. She never had any more children. The scripture gives us some other interesting tidbits.
C. TEXT
22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau [“hairy”]. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob [“grasps the heel”]. 27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.” Gen. 25:22-27.
D. PRIORITIES OF THE 2 PEOPLES
1. Esau was counted the firstborn, therefore all the spiritual heritage of his grandfather Abraham was legally his by right. But Esau loved this world and had no appreciation for spiritual things.
2. Jacob on the other hand, who was born second, coveted spiritual blessings far above all else and eventually persuaded Esau to sell him his spiritual inheritance and stole Esau’s blessings.
3. Title: 2 NATIONS ARE IN YOUR WOMB (SOUL)
I. 2 BABIES IN THE WOMB WRESTLING: 3 SYMBOLIC MEANINGS
A. JEWS VERSUS ARABS
Prophetically these two “nations” [Jews & Arabs] have been warring in the middle east for thousands of years. THERE WILL NEVER BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST UNTIL THE PRINCE OF PEACE – JESUS CHRIST – COMES!
B. BELIEVERS VERSUS UNBELIEVERS
1. This struggle – two nations or two worldviews – struggled inside Rebecca like the same two destinies struggle together in this world for the hearts and minds of people.
2. One worldview appreciates spiritual things above physical, and the other values physical things above spiritual. The Lord Jesus indicated that it’s extremely difficult to for the monetarily rich to inherit the kingdom of God.
3. The prophecy about the two babies will also come true – “The older will serve the younger.” It wasn’t fulfilled immediately, but eventually, those who chose God ruled over those who chose this world. It’s a future prophetic certainty.
C. CHRIST’S NATURE (IN US) VERSUS THE FALLEN NATURE
1. A third struggle goes on, in microcosm, in our hearts – 2 divergent natures clash. Paul says, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you don’t do [what] you want” Gal. 5:17.
2. Paul says, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” Rom. 7:19-20. John confirmed that even though we’re Christians and desire to serve God, there’s still the desires of our flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life that attempt to lure us away from complete devotion to God (1 Jn. 2:16).
3. Have you ever wondered why you have turmoil in your life? Seek the Lord! Rebecca asked and God revealed why there was inner conflict: there were two nations fighting each other inside her. This same battle is going on in every one of us. There are two natures inside each struggling for dominance.
II. OVERCOMING THE FALLEN NATURE
A. THE WATER SPIDER
1. A person who is "sanctified in Christ" living in this evil world is like the water spider. This insect lives in a hostile environment, but it carries its own environment with it. The water spider lives at the bottom of muddy pools. It must have air.
2. Before it descends it surrounds itself with a tiny globule of air. Thus enveloped it descends to the sludge and ooze at the bottom of the pool and remains there until the air is exhausted. Then it rises again to the surface and the process is repeated.
3. Those "in Christ" must also keep a bubble of heaven’s air around them to stay alive spiritually. Then they won’t be overwhelmed by the hostile environment around them.
B. FALLACIES OF MODERN SOCIETY
1. We have many sociologists who think that science/knowledge can change the fallen nature. But Jesus is the only answer!
2. You cannot "educate out" the fallen nature. You cannot reform the sinful heart! The only remedy: the fallen nature must die and be replaced with the nature of Jesus Christ!
3. The true solution is not Reformation, NOT Education, NOT Renovation, organization, or reclamation, BUT TRANSFORMATION THROUGH REGENERATION! Conformity to Christ is accomplished by the death of one life and its replacement by a new life.
4. You are in danger every moment that you don't get control of your areas of weakness! If you don't put down the old carnal man, there's something coming alive in you!
5. That old fibrous root of rebellion and unbelief has come alive again, and if you don't do something, you're going to backslide and go to hell. Many of you are dead or dying. Examine yourself whether you're in the faith!
C. SCRIPTURAL DIRECTION
1. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” Rom. 12:2.
2. Eph. 4:23 says, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds and put on the new self, created to be like God....” Col. 3:10 says, “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” We’re supposed to “put off” our old nature and “put on” the new nature of Christ.
III. KEY TO A GODLY ENVIRONMENT: There are at least 4 keys to a godly environment:
A. THE WORD OF GOD
1. The Word of God is what started your spiritual life and what will maintain it. “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God” 1 Pet. 1:23.
2. The Word teaches us God’s thoughts which are God’s version of reality – which is the true one. “You will know the truth & the truth will set you free.”
3. Rom. 10:17; "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." The Word is one of our resources to keep an atmosphere of heaven with us.
B. PRAYER
1. “If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” John 15:4-5. A branch can’t live if it’s disconnected from the tree trunk. Communion with Christ in prayer is essential. Prayer is our spiritual oxygen.
2. Someone said, “All things happen by prayer and nothing without it.” Prayer is our lifeline to God, just like an underwater diver.
C. EMPOWERING OF THE SPIRIT
1. The Holy Spirit INDWELLS us; He gives us the NEW NATURE of Christ. He helps us UNDERSTAND God’s Word.
2. He CONVICTS us of sin, brings us to repentance, COMFORTS us and REVEALS CHRIST to us. He works to TRANSFORM us from sinners to Saints/ holy ones.
3. He gives us POWER TO live the Christian life and to witness. Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” Acts 1:8.
4. Paul said, “Instead, be filled with the Spirit... Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” Eph. 5:18-19.
D. FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS
1. SAME FAITH. “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” Amos 3:3. Christians can try to walk with lost people, but either the Christian will conform to them or we will force them to think like us.
2. A PART. We are all part of the same Body of Christ, and just as one part of a body can’t exist without the others, nor can we.
3. PROTECTION. Wolf packs always try to separate one animal from the herd, because there’s strength in numbers. “Two are better than one…If one falls down, his friend can help him up” Eccles. 4:9. It’s easy to overwhelm a single person. Satan uses that same method. Stay in the herd!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUS. Be an Imitator of God
1. One of my favorite PGA players is without a doubt Phil Mickelson. During an interview with late-night talk-show host Conan O'Brien, Phil was asked what he would do to celebrate winning the Masters. Would he be drinking a lot? Mickelson said, "I'll spend time with my family. I don't need alcohol to help me have a good time."
2. Mickelson is known as Lefty because ...well, because he plays golf left-handed. But did you know that Lefty serves tennis balls right-handed? He writes right-handed. He holds a fork with his right hand. In fact, the only thing Lefty grabs with his left hand first is a golf club. The reason is most interesting.
3. When he was one and a half years old, Phil learned the game by standing across from his father and watching him swing. His father plays right-handed. Mickelson simply mirrored his father's swing.
4. In Ephesians 5 we are told to do exactly that. "Be imitators of God.. . As dearly loved children." [Phil Callaway, Golfing with the Master]
B. THE CALL
1. What areas of weakness do you see in your life? 2 natures are wrestling within you; you decide which one will win. Will it be Christ?
2. If you need special prayer tonight, then stand up. How many want to make a new effort to be conformed to the image of Christ?
3. LET’S PRAY!
