DECISIONS, DECEPTION & DESTINY
Pastor Jamie Wright * Maranatha Fellowship Church
Genesis 25:21-28 The Person of Deceit
* Twins are born to Isaac and Rebekah:
Vs. 25 the first came out red and hairy and was thus named Esau
Vs. 26 the second came out after his brother and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was Jacob, meaning deceiver.
Vs. 29-34
*Jacob decides to deal with Esau over his birthright (vs. 31)
Birthrights are important. It is the family inheritance given to the oldest son. It’s the family business, the family farm, the family car etc….
* Esau despises and denounces his birthright. (vs. 34)
Esau was deceived into thinking he needed his immediate desire met rather than his future destiny fulfilled.
The devil has deceived us in the same way. Short term pleasure in exchange for missing our destiny.
Satan will always send someone a long to deal with you about your destiny. If you have an immediate desire or immediate need Satan will try to deceive you into giving up your inheritance so the immediate can be fulfilled.
The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
Don’t be deceived as Esau was and think instant gratification is more important than reaching your ultimate destination.
Genesis 27:1-29 The Plan of deceit
* Rebekah designs a plan of deceit (vs. 9-17) Deceiving her husband.
The plan always has an originator.
Be careful who you listen to. Who are you listening to?
* Jacob’s duty was to carry out the deceptive plan. (vs. 18-27)
He heard the plan of his mother, he pondered it, but he decided to do it anyway.
- Jacob’s decision was to follow the path of deception.
- Jacob’s deceit caused him to lie (vs. 19, 24)
- Jacob’s deceit caused him to trick his father. (vs. 23)
Your decisions will affect you the rest of your life. Jacob was called a deceiver from his birth. He now is sowing seeds of deceit. As you study his life you find out he reaped it his entire life.
Are you sowing seeds of deceit? Have you been deceiving people? Are you deceiving yourself?
*Isaac delivers the destiny of Esau to Jacob (vs. 28-29)
Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who cure you. The same blessing Isaac received from Abraham and that Abraham received from God.
So Rebekah devised the plan and
Jacob deceived his father.
Genesis 29:1-25 The Path of Deceit
• Jacob falls in love with Rachel (vs. 11)
• Jacob works 7yrs to receive Rachel as his wife (vs. 18)
• Laban deceives Jacob and gives Leah (vs. 25)
Rachel was the youngest she couldn’t be given first. Leah was he oldest she had to marry first. It’s that birthright thing.
The very thing that Jacob deceived his father to receive is now coming back to haunt him.
Jacob was the youngest he should have not received the birthright.
Rachel was the youngest and Laban sure he didn’t give her first.
Laban deceived Jacob. The deceiver was deceived.
The seed of deception he sowed was the harvest of deceit he received.
Have you be receiving deceit too long? Look at the path of deceit; have you sown it in the past?
Genesis 32:22-32 The Plunder of Deceit
• Jacob’s dispute (wrestling) with God (vs. 24) Hosea 12:2-4
• Jacob decided not to let go (vs. 25) We quit to easily
• Jacob dealt a crippling blow (vs. 25) Count the cost
• Jacob’s destiny is reveled. (vs. 28) There is something about a revelation
• Jacob the deceiver is now Israel the prince with God. (vs. 28) The name is changed. Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter, Saul became Paul; all after one encounter with God face to face.
Even though Jacob’s name was changed and he was no longer a deceiver, the seeds of deception continued to be harvest throughout his life.
Out of the deceiver came the dreamer Joseph
Out of the deceiver came the nation of Israel
Out of the deceiver came the chosen of God
How?
He arrived at his destiny. The revelation of who he was supposed to be instead of who he thought he was. He decided to hold onto God until he changed the circumstances.
When are you going to decide to stop being what you think you are and get out of that deceit and move into the revelation of who God says you are?
We’ve been deceived by the devil too long.
What he said was his has been ours all along.
We’re going to tear the devil’s kingdom down. Let’s go up.
