Nothing but God's Promise - Libertas 28 July

22 The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.”

I imagine elbows and knees sticking out of Rebekah’s belly as they wrestle in the womb. And wake her up at night wondering if this is all worth it.

And finally when they are born its like Jacob was trying to tackle Esau as he crossed the try line - hanging on to his ankle.

As in the womb the battle continues in life -

The Trickster & The Blessing

With his mother’s help Jacob tricks Isaac into blessing him with the blessing he had in mind for Esau.

This blessing - that Isaac passes on - is the blessing that Abraham had received… A blessing not from man - but from God.

The promise - the Covenant that God had made with Abraham:

Genesis 17:4–8 (NRSV)

4 “...You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations...

7 I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations...

8 And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.”

And in the words of Isaac - the blessing he now gives to Jacob:

Genesis 27:28–29 NRSV

28 May God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

When Esau comes to repent and ask for a blessing the blessing that Isaac gives is one of being a wanderer. Always at risk:

Genesis 27:40 NRSV

40 By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you break loose, you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Genesis

Genesis is the word for the beginning.

And Genesis is a book of the beginnings of the conflicts and struggles that the Israelites experience.

Jacob - Judah Esau - (Edom) Idumeah

Here in the contest between Esau and Jacob we see the seeds of the conflict between Judea and Idumea.

Esau is considered to be the ancestor of the Edomites. Or the Idumeans. A people who will contest with the Jews and with Judah for power in the land of Israel for thousands of years.

At the time of Jesus - a famous Idumean is King Herod - who orders the massacre of the infants.

His descendants who see to the beheading of John - and eventually play a role in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Matthew 26:51–52 NRSV

51 Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

These events - 2,000 years before the time of Christ - and 4,000 years before our time - point to the fulfilment of this great promise to Abraham - to Isaac and to Jacob - and its coming true in Jesus.

Just as Isaac predicted - Esau plots to kill Jacob.

Genesis 27:41 NRSV

41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Just waiting for his father to die - so he can kill Jacob and take the inheritance for himself.

Again Rebekah makes a plan… Sending Jacob away to find a wife. She engineers it carefully - so that Isaac will send him on his way...

Genesis 28:2–3 NRSV

2 Go at once to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may become a company of peoples.

So this is where we find Jacob in Chapter 28...

On his way from Beer-Sheba to Haran. And it seems that he is travelling alone.

Fleeing his brother - off to Haran to find himself a wife.

Beer-Sheba is right at the bottom of Israel - Haran is right up at the top. Its a long journey - About 700km.

He makes a stop for the night at a place which was then called ‘Luz’.

Just a few km North of what would later be known as Jerusalam.

SLIDE (Luz / Jerusalem)

About 65km from Beer-Sheba - where Jacob was travelling from.

Following the scripture time line - Jacob would be about 77 years old by now.

Jacob.

At this point I’m not sure how much I like

He is - a usurper. A scallywag.

Fighting with his brother in the womb.

Tricking his dad into blessing him.

Esau.

But then again - I’m not sure how much I like Esau either...‌

Esau, just waiting for his dad to die so he can kill his brother.

Rebekah.

My favourite in the story is Rebekah. She seems to be the brains of the operation.‌

I like the way she complains to God about the children fighting in her womb.

I guess she rightly sees that Isaac’s legacy is best kept in Jacob’s hands - as she plots for him to receive Esau’s inheritance.

Esau is a bit rough around the edges.

She even hatches a plan for Jacob to get away from Esau and find a wife.

And that is a whole other story… where Jacob is tricked into working for Laban for 7 years and then another 7 years - to pay the dowry for two wives.

The trickster gets tricked!

God’s Promise

So Jacob is running away from Esau.

Esau is brandishing his sword.

Isaac - Jacob’s father is dying.

Jacob is on his own - in the wilderness.

Having left his father’s house.

He is reduced to nothing.

Nothing at all -

Except God’s promise.

Imagine if all your security disappeared.

Your family.

Your house.

Your home.

Your wealth.

Your security.

A refugee - heading off in the wilderness. On foot.

70km from home - 600km from your destination.

With a stone for a pillow.

This abandonment is the catalyst for a holy moment.

Everything surrendered. None of his hopes and dreams matter any more.

Jacob lies down in the wilderness with nothing:

Genesis 28:11–12 NRSV

11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Angels descending Bring from above Echoes of mercy Whispers of love

This is my story this is my song

Praising my saviour all the day long.

Angels descending

Genesis 28:13–15 (NRSV)

13 And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring;

14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.

15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

...for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jacob’s Vow

Genesis 28:20–22 NRSV

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one-tenth to you.”

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