The Man Of God

The Man of God by Alan Vaughn

Obadiah 1:17

Obadiah 1:17 (New International Version, ©2011)

17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy,

and Jacob will possess his inheritance.

Intro: Last Sunday we talked about the Godless man named Esau, you remember Jacob’s twin brother.

We talked about the wrestling match that went on in the womb of their mother Rebekah.

We talked about the fact that Esau was by today’s standard a good person.

We also discovered that by the reading of God’s Holy Word, that Esau was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

This morning we are going to talk about the other brother, the good brother named Jacob.

So let’s look into the Scripture and see what it has to say about the righteous brother Jacob and his mother.

Another words what kind of person was he in the eyes of the world.

Last week we decided that Esau was a man’s man.

But what about Jacob:

Genesis 25:26 (New International Version, ©2011)

26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.[a] Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

Jacob, one who follows on another's heels;

Well we know what he was doing when he was born he was being a little heel grabber.

ILL. Have you ever went to someone’s house and they have this little dog and he thinks he is the great avenger or something. He runs up and barks at you just to run away when you reach down to pet him.

Then you think he has run away and he’s not paying any attention to you and you turn your back and Wham! That’s when he reaches out and grabs you by the ankle. Man that smarts.

That’s when being a Heel grabber, takes on a whole new meaning.

Genesis 25:27 (New International Version, ©2011)

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.

So here was Jacob your stay at home kind of guy, the quiet kind of man who was a home body.

Maybe that’s what put him in the good graces of God.

Probably not, I believe that God likes the view from upon the mountain in the open country.

Remember in the book of Exodus where Moses always seemed to be having his conversation with God upon the holy mountain.

Exodus 3:1 (New International Version, ©2011)

Moses and the Burning Bush

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Well that rules out being a homebody.

So we can safely say that being a homebody is probably not going to get us to heaven.

What else do we know about Jacob from the scripture?

Well we know his mother loved him.

Genesis 25:28 (New International Version, ©2011)

28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Is a mother’s love a sure ticket to salvation? No as much as we all need the love of our mothers it will not get us to heaven.

Well we know that Jacob was a good business man, another words he knew how to close the deal.

I know you are wondering how I know this, well the biggest and best reason I can give you is that I read the book.

Look at the following verses:

Genesis 25:29-34 (New International Version, ©2011)

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom. [a])

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

So we see that Jacob was a shrewd business man.

Is that the reason God blessed him?

NO!

You ask, “How do I know?” I read the book.

Look at what the bible says about the pursuance of wealth.

Matthew 19:24 (New International Version, ©2011)

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

So we can rule out earthly wealth. Once again not my words they are God’s words. You’re going to say well Jesus is the one who said them.