Genesis 27
Family
Last week we talk about our inheritance from our parents (politically, psychology, behaviorally, and Spiritually). Looking at the relationship between Isaac and his parents.
This week we are going to talk about Birthrights and Blessings in the relationship with Isaac and Rebekah; and their sons Esau and Jacob.
In Chapter 25 Esau comes in from the field hungry. Gives up his birth right to Jacob for some soup. Impulsive personality. Makes some emotional decisions.
Birth Right is the share of the family inheritance. It was the middle eastern practice that the eldest son would have a double share, 2 sons spilt it 3 ways and give the older son 2 shares. Some people use similar birth rights. Every Child gets a Car, every child get College paid for, birthday presents is part of our culture of birthrights. My parent bought me a 1976 Toyota pick-up poop green, baby ran great on 3 cylinders. I knew they would get my sister a car (younger sister) I just never dreamed it would be a Mazda 626. I might cal that a double birthright. In other cases you can think of a birth right as what happens with the WILL.
Now the main reason I wanted us to understand a birth right is so that we would not confuse it with a blessing. Birth rights are a part of being in a family and they are obviously bigger and more substantial in different situation. This is how families say in control and power for years and centuries.
A blessings affects every person and every family. And out ineptness at understanding blessings is killing many families.
To bless is to impart good favor, to make our feelings and hopes Verbal known: Life, Fertility, vocation, success.
I want us to work through two categories of Blessings: The receiving & the giving. We will start with the receiving so we can see how important it is to Give.
Every person desires their parents blessing. I was in Governors Cup with Shawn Sloan and we were having a cup of coffee talking about what God was doing in our lives. This man with Cerebral Palsy named Russell asks us if we are Bible Scholars so we start this fascinating conversation, and during it out of the blue he starts talking about how his Mother was not a Godly woman, but her blessing upon his has been incredible important to him.
I was talking to another friend of mine this week, and he started talking about how he was struggle with the disagreements he was now having with his father. They are both incredible gifted and confident men, and he has always been in his fathers graces, and it is bothering him, how much he and his father are now disagreeing.
I have to admit that I have the blessing of my Family, and so this is not in my mind very much, but this week my eyes were opened to the pain and unhealth that comes without our parents blessing. I want to talk for a minute about Esau, but first I want to mention that it got my attention this week that Jesus, the son of God, Lord of all, needed his Fathers blessing. Several places illustrate this, but a clear one is at his baptism. This is my son in whom I am well pleased.
Esau helps us see the pain and confusion that comes without our parents blessing. When we pick up the story in Chapter 27 Esau should have already received a blessing or two. He is a child who has chosen to do his own thing. He went against his parents wishes a married two Hittite women, probably out of a desire for political power in the area. First, he didn’t get his parents blessing on the marriage or the fertility of his wives. He tries to make his own wealth rather than receiving the blessing of wealth and prosperity from his father. Jacob is not the source of all Esau problems.
Even though he has done it his way he cry’s when he finds out Jacob has received a mighty blessing. In Chapter 28 he will find that his parents have blessed Jacob to marry a woman of their heritage, and he goes an find himself a similar bride, but again without asking for a blessing. He is constantly seeking approval, but he can’t make himself and his parent happy.
So all of us are children
What are the barriers to us receiving their blessing?
[Selfish ambition, Jealousy, power, Lack of Respect, Rash decisions]
Now lets look at Jacob. The receiver of the parents blessing. It is easy to see him as a thief, but I want to draw your attention to Chapter 28 when Isaac calls him back: Blesses his pursuit of a wife, adds to his blessing, fertility, becoming a community of People, inheritting the promise of Abraham, and God’s blessing. As I read about this part of Jacob’s life it became obvious to me that it was his obedience that put him in a place to receive his parents blessing. He listened to his mother, he listened to his Father when he told him where to find a wife. He seems to understand that there will be a time when he is the Blesser who makes the decisions, but that has not come yet. His brother who is one body length older than he is, already has two wives, and is going on a third.
One of the evidences of the Spirit of God in our lives is patience, and we are going to see that Jacob is a man of patience.
Maybe some here can see other things in Jacobs life that help him receive his parents blessing, but two I see are: Obedience and patience.
That is not the complete guide to receiving a blessing, but I want to have time to talk about giving blessings, we have lots of parents and soon to be parent among us.
Catch me if you can 26:45-28:30
Isaac loves his son Esau who hunts with him. He is a mans man strong and skilled. They share many hunting trips together, and their hunting is usually finished with a fantastic BBQ, or a meaty stew. Isaac shares a powerful bond with his son. This son has let him down, but maybe Isaac blames himself. Maybe he wasn’t clear enough about his desire for his son to marry a woman of faith, a woman from their background. But he had married two women without even asking Isaac. Isaac wondered if he son even believe in the God of his grandfather Abraham. Isaac was broken by his affection for his son, and the way he had turned from his upbringing. Then he figured it out. If I pass on the responsibility of carrying God’s blessing to the next generation, he will turn from his ways and embrace his calling.
First of all I want us to realize we shouldn’t wait until we are blind to start blessing our children. They need to know they have our favor way before our death bed.
Second, A False Blessing won’t help anyone
This is the space we are going to look hard at what it means to be a Father. I know very little about being a father. All I know right now is about a fathers love for his child. Beyond that I have some book knowledge.
Here is what I think I know and what seems to be true in this story.
Children need to know what there parents desire.
They need to be told clearly what You as a parent desire for them
Blessings are not meant to be a secret, and I believe Isaac was in the wrong for leaving his wife out of the original conversation.
My whole life I had talked about becoming an engineer. I felt it was what God wanted me to do with the mind he had given me, and I loved the idea of have allot of money for myself and to give away. When I went to school at Letourneau university the debt for each semester was going to be about 10G’s that would add up to be 80 thousand dollars, but engineers unusually pulling in 60 G their first year out of school. During that first year when I felt called to be a pastor my parents pulled me aside and made it clear to me that if I chose to be a pastor they would always be their for me financially. I needed to make the decision God was calling me to regardless of funds.
Looking back that blessing of vocation was powerful, and I needed the blessing at that time and that place. Children with Words of blessing spoken over them receive an incredible gift, one that grants them lifelong peace and confidence.
What are the life situation or decisions that Children that benefit from a parents blessing?
[vocation, school, spouse, residence]
Rebekah loves her son Jacob. Jacob was a man of thought and dignity. He spent time talking with his mother and learning from others. He was quick to listen and slow to speak. He was the opposite of his brother Esau. He showed interest in the faith and God of his grandfather Jacob. Maybe Jacob’s most enduring quality was his willing ness to listen to his parents, and he gave great weight to their advice and wishes. When Rebecca found out Isaac was going to bless Esau, she was terrified at the thought of being under his control, or the control of his foreign wives. Rebekah felt in her heart that Jacob would be a better bearer of God’s blessing and plan. At this point Rebekah decided any means necessary would be worth Jacob’s future. She is willing to have a curse fall upon her. And Jacob following his pattern of obedience does as his mother instructs.
This is the space where I want to talk about a mothers gift and a mothers responsibility. It seems to be that a mother sees many things that a Father does not. Jacob was the better choice to carry on the Family blessing. But the way she used her knowledge was destructive to the family. She drove a wedge between her and her husband by working one child’s interest without his knowledge. I imagine this lack of communication and presence of deception has happened a time or two in our homes.
Secondly, she was robbing her child of a duel blessing Father and mother. A blessing from just one parent leaves the Child in doubt about their place in the family and or worth.
Over at the pray station on family we have a tree, representing the family tree, and dishonesty and deception are represented in the clippers, and you are to clip off a branch to help us realize the serious ness of these actions. However this is a place of hope, and there are band aids on the table to help remind us that truth and love can bring healing to our families.
I pray for God grace upon the families of Emmaus daily. I pray that as your family comes together over Christmas you would be aware of the blessings you need to receive. The blessings you need to give, and God would bring healing a wholeness to many families this year.
