Genesis 25-35 Appreciating God's Discipline – A Living Commentary

Understanding Jacob's Sins

The parents' sins greatly affect their child's life. The worse situation occurs when a seed of a sin in a parent is joined with a child's predominant moral weakness. This is what happened with Isaac. Sin in a parent can grow enormously out of proportion in the child's life.

Note on the chart to the right that this area of deceit grew out of control in Jacob. Because of Laban and Abram's relationship, it is very possible that their forefather also worked deceitfully in some matters.

1) Deceitful Scheming

Disrespect, scheming and deceit go hand and hand. It ultimately is a sign of a person trying to get what they need by their own self-designed tactics.

Abraham & Sarah schemed

(Hagar-Ishmael)

Isaac tried to ‘trick' God by blessing Esau, his favored son, but he was himself deceived.

Rebekah schemed.

Jacob deliberately showed disrespect by deceiving his father and cheating his brother.

Jacob was deceived and taken advantage by Laban.

Jacob's sons deceived his father by killing/selling Joseph.

How should Jacob have responded to his mother's suggestion? How could Isaac have handled the situation any better?

Appreciating God's Discipline
Genesis 25-35

A) Influence of Sins
B) God and Man's Sin
C) Understanding Man's Sin Nature
D) Understanding Jacob's Sins
Assignment

We should understand that God's way is always best but often unknown because His people including Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob, did not call upon the Lord for help. We must never use devious means to carry out 'God's work.' Rebekah seemed to be more in tune with God's purpose but her means of deceit was not the way God would wanted her to carry things out. They all suffered.

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2) Divided Devotions

A person's love for God can not go beyond his love for his spouse. Marriage problems reveal more than spouse-spouse friction; they also have ‘God' problem.

Abraham schemed Gave wife away (2X)		Isaac schemed by giving his wife to others for protection.		Jacob took four wives. Many problems.
Marriage problems; Much arguing		Marriage problems Isaac and Rebekah tension

Anytime a husband is willing to pawn off his wife for protection, the wife is unloved and gets very insecure. We can see this marriage instability start with Abraham passed to Isaac and later explode in Jacob. Spiritual principle: One can only love God as much as he truly loves his wife.

C. The Results of Impure Devotion

Isaac had a love for earthly things (food). Isaac liked the earthy. Although he knew that he should have blessed Jacob (25:23), he was willing to violate God's revelation. He was willing to mix spiritual blessing with earthly desires.

The father's slightest compromise gives provides sufficient excuse in the sons to extreme responses.

His son Esau was lost to the world.

His son Jacob was lost but rescued by God's grace.

Next: Assignment

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