Transcript [00:06] Hallelujah. It's fun to worship the Lord [00:08] together, isn't it? [00:10] >> It is good to have Mike and Melissa [00:12] back. [00:13] >> We missed you guys. [00:16] So fun. Also, we have several in the [00:18] house we want to honor tonight as well. [00:20] So, welcome uh welcome home all King of [00:23] Kings family, all of our members. [00:24] Welcome back. Welcome our visitors. You [00:26] look lovely tonight. Welcome everybody [00:28] watching online around the world. Kings [00:30] Community Live, Facebook Live, YouTube, [00:32] Alpha Omega Ministries, and other [00:33] platforms around the world. We're so [00:35] honored that you would join us tonight [00:37] at King of Kings here in Jerusalem. I [00:39] know we've got people watching from [00:41] Norway and the Philippines, Slovakia, [00:43] Thailand, and so many other countries. [00:45] Uh it's really an honor to get to share [00:47] this time in their word with you. Uh [00:49] we're also uh we want to honor Richard [00:51] Frerieden is here. Richard, bless you, [00:53] my friend. uh he was our guest on King's [00:56] Community Live today and he leads Do [00:58] Hope and he and his wife Sandy are doing [01:00] some incredible things with a ministry [01:03] called Peace by Peace that that builds a [01:06] bridge between um those in Israel, those [01:09] in the United States, but specifically [01:11] in the military communities to help uh [01:13] help heal those that have suffered a lot [01:17] uh trauma, loss, injuries, etc. So, [01:19] thank you, Richard, for being part of [01:20] the King of Kings family. We honor you [01:22] both and want to also honor uh our [01:25] leaders from from Betsahor are here [01:27] tonight. So blessings to you, Pastor [01:28] Paul and Kristen was with us here in [01:31] worship today. What a great honor to [01:33] have everybody [01:35] uh with us. Uh we got a little bit of [01:38] breaking news today. Got a big week [01:42] coming up next week. Now I don't want [01:44] you to jump over this week. It's going [01:45] to be a good week, too. But you know, we [01:49] just heard both the announcement and the [01:51] cheers for the upcoming PIM party that's [01:54] going to include the play of the teens [01:56] and the the games and the food. It's [01:57] going to be amazing. That is on Tuesday, [02:00] right? The March the 3 Tuesday, March [02:02] the 3rd. So, it's coming up. But really, [02:04] we want this to be an incredible week of [02:07] celebration as we look forward to what [02:09] God did through Pim, the book of Esther. [02:12] And so, today we got word we got to we [02:14] get to do something special. Has anybody [02:17] ever heard of Angel Studios? [02:20] >> Yeah. So, I talked to Angel Studios uh [02:23] over the weekend and they've got a brand [02:26] new animated movie coming out called [02:28] David. They would like us to play it [02:32] here as the premiere here in Israel. So, [02:35] of course, we said yes, we'd love to do [02:38] that. And they said, "When can you do [02:40] it?" And I said, "Why don't we do it on [02:42] PIM week? It would be fun to do it as [02:45] part of the celebration." So friends, [02:46] make a make a note. Listen to me. We've [02:48] got a couple of uh slides going up [02:50] there. Next Sunday [02:53] right here at 5:00, we're going to do [02:56] our King of Kings Purim service. Our [02:58] sermon, our music will be focused on the [03:01] book of Esther. We're going to do our [03:03] service. We're going to take a 15minute [03:05] break after service and then call you [03:07] back in to watch the film. Okay? It's [03:09] going to be amazing. We should have some [03:11] of the big wigs are in town. Those that [03:14] are producers or directors or managers [03:16] or actors. I don't know who all is going [03:18] to be able to make it, but I was told [03:20] some people are going to make it by [03:21] faith. God, somebody's going to make it. [03:23] And so, we'll introduce you to them. [03:25] It'll be a lot of fun. So, that'll be [03:27] next Sunday night after the service. [03:28] It's open to anybody. So, if you do me a [03:31] favor, uh do what you do on social media [03:33] and tell everybody. Can you just let [03:35] people know they're welcome to go? We [03:37] want to fill uh the sanctuary. uh next [03:39] week for both worship and uh and the [03:42] film. Now, you might say, "Pastor Chad, [03:45] why why are you really helping promote [03:47] the film?" I've got two reasons. Number [03:48] one, I love Angel Studios and a lot of [03:50] stuff they're doing right now. I love [03:52] that they're promoting the word. I love [03:53] that they are able to bring in they're [03:55] not afraid to bring in the Jewish roots [03:57] of the stories. I think that's very [03:59] important that we've seen. [04:02] But also in the movie David that you'll [04:05] see next week, there is a very important [04:08] uh figure or character in the story. And [04:10] of course, if you know it, it's Samuel [04:12] the Prophet. [04:14] And Samuel the Prophet is being voiced [04:17] by one of our King of Kings pastors. [04:20] >> So, it's pretty cool. His name is Brian [04:22] Stavali. Brian and Jenny Stavali, they [04:24] lead King of Kings Community in Los [04:26] Angeles. Brian is a uh is a full-time [04:29] voiceover actor. Uh, and he's going to [04:32] be the prophet Samuel. And whether or [04:35] not you've ever heard his voice, you [04:36] might have heard his voice, or at least [04:38] some of your children might, I'm always [04:40] reminded when I'm there, he hands me [04:42] this action figure when I'm there in Los [04:45] Angeles. You don't forget Pastor Chad. [04:47] And he presses the button and it says, [04:49] "I am Batman." [04:52] That's Brian. Brian is Batman. He's been [04:54] Spider-Man. He's been all kind of stuff. [04:55] So, he is the prophet Samuel. So, King [04:58] of Kings family, we felt connected to [04:59] the film, you know what I mean? We're [05:00] part of that. So come back next Sunday. [05:02] Porum service. We'll we'll look at the [05:04] film together. Two days after that, come [05:06] right back. We'll do the Porum party and [05:09] play. It's a going to be an amazing [05:10] week. Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 25. [05:12] Your Bibles or your devices. Genesis 25. [05:15] We're going to continue in this covenant [05:17] table series. It's been going very well, [05:20] so I've heard. [05:22] So, thank you for those that let me know [05:24] that you appreciated that. Praise the [05:26] Lord. Genesis 25. What have we been [05:29] doing in the covenant table series? [05:30] Well, we've been looking at very [05:33] historically changing moments over a [05:36] meal, over the table. [05:39] And we looked at things like when [05:41] Abraham met uh met with MelkiseDC or [05:45] when uh Abraham met Yeshua and the two [05:47] angels and the visitors there or when [05:50] Joseph met his brothers after so many [05:52] years and they did not recognize him or [05:55] when the 70 elders of Israel met Yeshua [05:57] in the flesh on Mount Si. All of these [06:00] very important covenant meals that [06:03] changed the course of history and we're [06:05] going to look at another one tonight. [06:06] Okay, we're going to look at this in [06:08] Genesis 25. And let me lay the lay the [06:10] stage for you here. And I need you to [06:12] make sure I'm going to say a lot of [06:13] names tonight. What I want you to make [06:15] sure is you you you know who they are [06:18] and and their role in the story. So, of [06:20] course, you have Abraham. [06:22] Abraham has a son named Isaac. And Isaac [06:25] has a son named Jacob. Now, so you're [06:27] pretty familiar with those, but there [06:29] are other sons in the story and they're [06:31] going to come up here, right? You have [06:33] uh Abraham, of course, is going to be [06:34] Isaac and Ishmael. You're going to have [06:36] Jacob and Esau. So, don't forget about [06:39] the the rest of the family and how it [06:41] all plays together. But Isaac, the son [06:43] of Abraham, he marries a lovely woman [06:46] named Rebecca. That's my wife's name. [06:48] That's why I said that. [06:51] And and so, the story picks up here with [06:55] Isaac and Rebecca. They uh Rebecca is [06:58] now pregnant. They're going to have uh [07:00] children. So, let's pick it up. Genesis [07:01] 25 verse 22 and 23. And we're just going [07:05] to kind of walk through this verse by [07:06] verse. [07:08] It says, "The babies jostled each other [07:12] within her." And she said, "Why is this [07:14] happening to me?" So she went to inquire [07:16] of the Lord. The Lord said to her, "Two [07:18] nations are in your womb, and two [07:20] peoples are within you will be [07:22] separated. One people will be stronger [07:24] than the other, and the older will serve [07:27] the younger." So, we learn that there [07:30] are twin boys. We learn that the older [07:33] will serve the younger and one will be [07:36] stronger. [07:37] Now, when you think about the two [07:39] nations at war uh in her womb, it's not [07:44] exactly the same in the dynamic of when [07:48] Isaac was young. Isaac the father of [07:50] these boys. When Isaac was young, he had [07:53] a dynamic with his half-brother Ishmael. [07:56] It's a different dynamic than Jacob and [07:58] Esau will have. When we dealt with Isaac [08:02] and Ishmael, first of all, we had we had [08:05] a 13-year gap between their their ages, [08:08] right? We had at least 13-year gap. But [08:11] we also see that the Lord treated the [08:13] situation differently. Let me read it to [08:14] you. You don't have to turn there. But [08:16] Genesis 17 verse 18 tells a little bit [08:19] of this story. And it says, "And Abraham [08:23] said to God, if only Ishmael might live [08:26] under your blessing." Then God said, [08:28] "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you [08:30] a son, and you will call him Isaac. I [08:33] will establish my covenant with him as [08:35] an everlasting covenant for his [08:37] descendants after him. And as for [08:40] Ishmael, I have heard you. I will surely [08:43] bless him, and I will make him fruitful, [08:45] and will greatly increase his number. He [08:47] will be the father of 12 rulers, and I [08:50] will make him into a great nation. But [08:52] my covenant I will establish with Isaac, [08:55] whom Sarah will bear to you by this time [08:58] next year. [09:01] What's happening between Isaac and [09:03] Ishmael is that God promises that he [09:05] will bless both sons. Inevitably, [09:08] they're both going to be the fathers of [09:11] 12 tribes. And Ishmael is going to be [09:13] great. He's going to be a great nation. [09:15] There's nothing said here negative about [09:17] Ishmael. It's all blessing. It's that [09:19] God loves Abraham. He loves Abraham's [09:21] children and he's going to bless [09:22] Ishmael. But what's different here is we [09:25] see that the descendants of Isaac [09:28] through Jacob will become the Jewish [09:31] people. And it is those people that God [09:34] is speaking here about the covenant that [09:37] he will give them. Ishmael's descendants [09:40] later become the children of the [09:42] northern Arabian tribes and they are [09:44] given a great blessing by God. It's just [09:46] not this covenant, but it is a great [09:48] blessing by God. But with Jacob and [09:51] Esau, it's a little different. It's it's [09:53] distinct and more specific. It says that [09:56] Esau, the older, will serve Jacob the [09:59] younger, and Jacob will be stronger than [10:03] Esau. [10:04] Later we learn that the descendants of [10:06] Esau include people like the [10:10] and the Amalachites. [10:12] And now you can understand that those [10:14] two nations among other nations became [10:18] great enemies of Israel and the Jewish [10:20] people. So the prophecy of the nations [10:23] at war in her womb, it comes true over [10:27] many generations. And that's why it's [10:29] different between Isaac and Ishmael [10:31] versus Jacob and Esau, the two nations [10:34] that will be at war. So, let's continue [10:36] in the main text. Genesis 25:27 [10:40] and 28. It says, "The boys grew up and [10:44] Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of [10:47] the open country, while Jacob was [10:50] content to stay at home among the tents. [10:53] Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, [10:56] loved Esau, but Rebecca loved Jacob. [11:01] I'm always a little bit torn here in [11:03] this verse. There's so much here that I [11:05] do connect with. Isaac has a taste for [11:08] wild game. [11:10] If you know me at all, you know I have a [11:14] taste for wild game. [11:16] Uh last year, I had the chance to go [11:18] minister in Alaska. We have a beautiful [11:20] congregation there called Jewel Lake. [11:24] And we went out uh after one of the the [11:26] services and they gave me a sampler [11:29] platter of about every kind of meat that [11:32] was kosher that you could eat. And you [11:35] know, I was in a a little bit of a state [11:37] of heaven. That was lovely. I loved it. [11:39] From from the bison to the elk, it was [11:42] just awesome. So I relate with Isaac. [11:44] I'm like, man, I'm with you, Isaac. I [11:46] have a taste for wild game. and Esau is [11:49] the one out hunting. I grew up hunting [11:51] with my family, my extended family. [11:54] That's it's hard to eat wild game if you [11:56] don't hunt first. So, we did we did [11:58] those two things. So, I come into the [12:00] story and I read the verse and I'm like, [12:01] Esau, he's a hunter. Yeah, I I gel with [12:04] you, man. And then Isaac has a taste for [12:06] wild guy. I gel with you, man. I [12:08] appreciate it. But then we get this like [12:12] closing statement [12:14] that Isaac loved Esau, [12:17] but Rebecca loved Jacob. And now we have [12:20] a little bit of a problem. [12:22] Right. A few weeks ago, I mentioned [12:25] later in Jacob's life [12:28] that he had multiple wives, but it [12:30] repeats over and over, he loved Rachel. [12:34] He had these other wives, but but he he [12:36] he loved he loved Rachel. [12:40] And you say, 'Well, I don't know that [12:41] you want to be very vocal about that. I [12:44] think you want to really share the love [12:46] among the sister wives, make sure [12:48] everybody feels affirmed. But it went [12:50] further than that. It was that it was [12:53] that he loved Joseph, [12:55] the son of Rachel, so much more than the [12:58] other brothers that all the other [12:59] brothers figured it out. And he just [13:02] kind of couldn't keep it to himself. [13:04] You know, they would be at this long [13:06] dinner table with all the boys and and [13:08] and Jacob would just be gazing over at [13:10] Joseph, a smile, [13:13] and Reuben and Reuben would say, [13:16] "Father, what are you looking at?" "Oh, [13:17] Reuben. Oh, sorry. I was I was gazing at [13:20] Joseph again. I know you caught me. I'm [13:23] making him a new coat. I don't know if [13:24] you heard about that. Making him a new [13:27] coat." But Jacob somehow like couldn't [13:30] keep that to himself. He loved Rachel [13:32] more than the other wives. He loved [13:33] Joseph more than the other brothers. And [13:35] you say, "I wonder where Jacob learned [13:38] that from." [13:40] Well, he learned it from his parents. [13:44] Isaac loved Esau and Rebecca loved [13:47] Jacob. You think the children couldn't [13:49] feel that? [13:51] Jacob grew up, Before you judge Jacob [13:54] too harshly, Jacob grew up as a product [13:57] product of his own environment. Jacob [14:00] grew up knowing his father loved his [14:03] older brother more [14:05] and that scarred Jacob [14:08] because some of his actions later it'll [14:10] come out that scar he you know back in [14:13] these days they didn't have anchor of [14:14] hope counseling center [14:17] they couldn't go to Dr. Katherine Dr. [14:20] Catherine, you could have straightened [14:21] them out. I know you could have. You got [14:23] your techniques. It's good. You would [14:25] have You said, "Jacob, listen. Sit down. [14:27] Tell me about it. Let's walk through [14:29] this together." [14:32] But we didn't have that back then. What [14:35] did it do in the family? It built a [14:36] dynamic of jealousy and hatred. The [14:39] sisters hated each other. The brothers [14:41] hated each other. [14:43] And Jacob learned this long, this wrong [14:45] lesson from his own parents. He lived [14:47] under that shadow that Isaac loved Esau, [14:51] but Rebecca loved Jacob. And there's [14:53] more in the Bible about this. Listen, [14:56] the Bible is very earthy. I tell my [14:58] children all the time, every story in [14:59] the Bible is meant to teach us [15:01] something, but sometimes it's teaching [15:02] you the positive side of the story, and [15:04] sometimes it's teaching you the negative [15:06] side of the story. I can tell you right [15:08] now, I grew up loving the Lord. I I came [15:11] to the Lord at a young age at age six [15:14] and I've I've just been passionately in [15:16] love with the Lord ever since then. I [15:18] didn't have a time where I stopped [15:20] loving the Lord, walked away, slid [15:22] wherever. I didn't have any of that. And [15:25] primarily I give the credit to that to [15:28] my older siblings who did it so badly [15:33] because I got to watch my siblings just [15:36] make the dumbest mistakes over and over [15:39] and over and I was just following the [15:43] wake behind them going, "Okay, well you [15:45] showed me what not to do. Thank you. Oh, [15:47] let me let me see what you do here." No, [15:49] don't do that either. Okay, that was [15:50] also a failure. Okay, over here. No, you [15:53] got a spanking for that one. not going [15:54] to do that one. Oh, you got grounded for [15:56] 2 months. I'm going to stay away from [15:58] that. And then all of a sudden, my [15:59] parents were like, "You're this golden [16:01] child." No, I'm not a golden child. I [16:04] had all the same sin tendencies in my [16:06] heart. I was just smart to watch. [16:10] Out of all of that, I just learned that [16:11] I was a pretty good observer. That's all [16:13] I, you know, they saw me as obedient. I [16:15] was just like, I'm just reading the [16:17] terrain here, man. [16:21] And the kids learned that stuff. [16:23] Abraham. You remember Abraham lied to [16:25] Pharaoh about Sarah, his wife, saying it [16:28] was his sister. And then later you'll [16:30] read that Isaac did the exact same [16:32] thing. He lied about Rebecca to Aimilec, [16:35] king of the Philistines. Where did Isaac [16:37] learn it? From Abraham. [16:41] Oh, Isaac learned it from Abraham. Jacob [16:43] learned it from Isaac. Oh, it just gonna [16:45] continue until somebody gets in there [16:48] with some inner healing and cuts that [16:49] thing off. [16:51] But in this story, it continued. [16:54] And parenting is a tough job. Can I get [16:56] an amen? [17:00] >> That was pretty weak, guys. Got to be [17:01] honest with you. I I feel like the kids [17:03] wore you out so much that you could not [17:06] give me a real amen on that. Parents, [17:08] let's fight back. Can I get an amen? [17:12] >> That was better. Some real parents in [17:13] the room. [17:16] Hallelujah. Let me give you a key phrase [17:18] on this. Parents teach lessons all the [17:22] time, even if you're not aware of it. [17:25] That's one of the hardest parts about [17:27] parenting. [17:30] You know, [17:32] you want to [17:34] My wife and I had this conversation this [17:36] week and um you you you parenting is not [17:38] easy. It has amazing rewards, but it's [17:41] not easy all along the way. And at the [17:43] same time, you don't want to complain [17:44] about the hardships because you got the [17:46] other kids listening to you complain [17:48] about how hard it is to be a parent [17:49] about the other kids. So, you don't want [17:50] your older kids growing up thinking they [17:52] don't want to have kids because all they [17:53] heard you do was complain about raising [17:55] the other kids. [17:57] So, me and my wife were talking about [17:59] this. [18:01] And then last night, my wife just has [18:03] not slept well in [18:06] long time since the kids were born. And [18:12] she's been tired for 22 years. That's [18:14] that's basically how that's my oldest [18:16] one is 22. [18:18] And and so I just she we put her to bed [18:20] last night and I'm like, "Have a good [18:21] night's sleep. Just do your thing." And [18:24] then and then I go do a little bit more [18:25] work and I stay up with the older kids a [18:27] little bit longer. I put the youngest [18:28] one to bed and and then the youngest one [18:30] woke up sick, vomiting, you know, all [18:33] that thing. And I had to make a [18:35] decision. Am I going to go wake up my [18:36] wife who's not been sleeping well? No, [18:38] we're not going to do that. Uh, I was so [18:40] grateful. Coutura, thank you so much. My [18:42] my u second daughter in line of the [18:45] daughters, she um she stayed awake and [18:48] helped me with the youngest one. And and [18:50] uh and you know, they're sick. You're [18:51] cleaning up stuff and and but at the [18:54] same time, I I found myself going, [18:58] "Pay attention. This is what parenting [19:00] is like at 2:30 in the morning. I'm [19:03] cleaning stuff." And on the other hand, [19:05] I was like, "Yeah, but I don't I don't [19:07] want her to take away only that, you [19:09] know, it's it's a it's it's a bonding [19:12] thing." So, I tried to I tried to spin [19:14] it into Look at us bonding. [19:17] We're we're bonding over the throw up. [19:19] Isn't that great what God's doing here? [19:21] I mean, it's a special moment. Praise [19:24] the Lord. But parents, they're always [19:26] watching. The lessons are real. And it's [19:28] the hard part about being a parent [19:29] because they're always watching. Let's [19:31] continue in the main text. Genesis 25 [19:34] verse 29. [19:36] Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, [19:38] Esau came in from the open country [19:40] famished. He said to Jacob, "Quick, [19:44] let me have some of that red stew. I'm [19:46] famished." And that is why he is called [19:48] Idom. Jacob replied, "First, sell me [19:51] your birthight." "Look, I'm about to [19:52] die," Esau said. "What good is the [19:54] birthright to me?" But Jacob said, [19:56] "Swear to me first." So he swore on an [19:59] oath to him, selling his birthright to [20:00] Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread [20:03] and some lentil stew. He ate and drank [20:07] and then got up and left. And so Esau [20:09] despised his birthright. You know, [20:11] friends, so often we think about what [20:13] can be gained at the covenant meal or [20:15] the covenant table, but it may be a [20:17] rarity where we talk about what can be [20:19] lost at the covenant table. [20:24] It's always difficult to know if this [20:27] situation happened because of God's [20:30] prediction when they were in the womb or [20:33] did God simply just see the future and [20:35] give us his observation of what was [20:37] already going to happen. It's it's not [20:39] always easy to tell the difference. But [20:41] for those of you that don't know what [20:42] the birthright is in Hebrew, the borah, [20:46] the birthright was a special privilege [20:48] and inheritance. It was an inheritance [20:51] right granted to the firstborn son [20:54] entailing a double portion of the [20:56] father's estate and the family [20:58] leadership. It carried both material and [21:01] legal and spiritual authority enduring [21:04] and ensuring that the eldest son could [21:07] manage the family's legacy. [21:10] He was in charge of their welfare and [21:12] all of their covenantal [21:13] responsibilities. The birthright was [21:16] transferable [21:19] legally in Israel. You could transfer [21:21] the birthright. And so what Jacob is [21:24] doing though it has a deceptive piece to [21:27] it. [21:29] It was legal. [21:31] He just s that's why the word used in [21:33] the text he sold his birthright. He [21:35] didn't steal it. You're saying, "Wait, [21:38] wait, wait. I know this story. He did [21:41] steal it." Well, I'm going to help you [21:43] there. He did not steal the birthright. [21:46] He bought the birthright with the meal. [21:49] It was Esau who sold it, gave it away [21:52] because it says he despised the [21:54] birthight here. So this part is not so [21:56] much the deception as it was devaluing [22:00] the call of God on your life. [22:04] Esau was the older brother should have [22:06] had the birthright. [22:09] And I was meditating on this and I was [22:11] thinking [22:14] Israel has done that. [22:16] You know, Exodus 4:22 says, "The Lord [22:20] says to Pharaoh, Israel is my firstborn [22:24] son. [22:25] Israel should be carrying the birthight [22:28] for the nations." Israel is called to be [22:31] the royal priesthood in the holy nation. [22:34] But there have been times throughout our [22:36] history, may I even say partially today, [22:39] I'm afraid, Israel has despised our own [22:42] birthright. [22:43] We've not taken it seriously. We've [22:46] wanted to be like the world. We wanted [22:48] to eat their stew instead of being [22:50] separate and saying, "I'm sorry you [22:52] don't understand, but we must live [22:54] separate for the glory of God." [22:58] And it's sad that we know our own [23:00] history, that we did it to ourselves. [23:02] And it's similar to Esau. [23:06] You know the story of I I tell you often [23:09] this this story of how the Levites [23:12] became the priests happened because of [23:14] something like this that all the [23:16] firstborn from all the tribes were [23:18] initially supposed to be the priests. [23:20] But at the golden calf incident only [23:23] Levi said, "We will not practice [23:26] idolatry and we will stand against our [23:28] brothers when they disobey." And because [23:30] they stood up and the other tribes [23:34] were forsaking their birthright of the [23:36] priesthood, [23:38] it was transferred to Levi. That's how [23:40] Levi became the only tribe of the [23:43] priests. [23:45] So birthrights can be sold. They can be [23:48] transferred. They're transferable. [23:50] There's other instances about this as [23:53] well. [23:55] I might remind you of the story. Even [23:59] Jacob, Jacob learns this. Remember, [24:01] Jacob had all the sons and and the [24:03] oldest son is Reuben, but Reuben sleeps [24:06] with his stepmother. [24:09] And Jacob says, "You don't get the birth [24:11] right now. I'm transferring it to Simeon [24:13] and Levi." Oh, but then they disobey [24:16] their father and they kill a whole [24:18] village when he said, "Don't do that." [24:20] So he says, "No, now it's transferring [24:22] down to Judah." You ever wondered how [24:24] Judah became the king? [24:27] It was because the first three older [24:29] brothers forfeited their birthright, [24:33] proving it's transferable. That's how it [24:35] arrived to Judah. You know, sometimes [24:37] you just get it dropped in your lap. [24:40] Like, oh, I'm the I get it now. [24:44] It's transferable. It's very important. [24:50] We know that as the story progresses and [24:52] we speed it up a little bit, we get to [24:54] this part where it's not only that Jacob [24:58] has bought or tricked or done something [25:01] to get the birthright from Esau and Esau [25:03] despised it, but then we know that [25:06] there's a bigger scheme going on. And I [25:08] want to read that. Turn a little bit [25:10] forward. Genesis 27, right? We've been [25:13] in Genesis 25. Go to Genesis 27, the [25:15] first verse. We'll pick the story up [25:17] there. It says, "When Isaac was old and [25:20] his eyes were so weak that he could no [25:22] longer see, he called for Esau, his [25:25] older son, and said to him, "My son, [25:28] here I am," he answered. And Isaac said, [25:30] "I am now an old man and don't know the [25:32] day of my death. Now then, get your [25:34] equipment, get your quiver and your bow, [25:36] and go out into the open country to hunt [25:37] some wild game for me. Prepare me the [25:41] kind of tasty food I like and bring it [25:43] to me to eat so that I may give you my [25:45] blessing before I die. What's happening? [25:49] Isaac is setting up the final blessing. [25:52] He knows he's at the end. He wants to do [25:55] it now. He's going to set it up. Go find [25:57] the animals. You know how I like it. I [25:59] like it barbecued. [26:01] I like it marinated. [26:03] Give me some spices on it. [26:06] You know how I like it, Esau. Go get it. [26:09] because I want to give you this final [26:10] blessing. And then what does the [26:11] blessing do? Well, the blessing [26:14] activates the legal charge of the [26:17] birthright. [26:19] He already has the birthright. He should [26:22] have already had the birthright, [26:23] although it's gone to Jacob. Uh it's [26:24] gone to uh to uh to Jacob now. But [26:29] Isaac doesn't know that. So Isaac is [26:31] ready to give the final blessing, which [26:33] will activate all the legal parts of the [26:36] birthright. He'll be in charge now. [26:37] He'll run the family finances. He'll get [26:39] his double portion, etc. Right? Esau [26:42] will now be in charge of the family. [26:45] It's like when you become this the child [26:47] and the holiday meals have now switched [26:49] to your house, [26:51] right? There's that moment, right, where [26:53] you used to always go to the parents [26:55] house and then one day they got a little [26:56] bit too old to the tribe got too big and [26:59] they're like, "Can you do it now?" And [27:01] once it comes to your house now, now you [27:04] feel like a real adult. [27:06] uh you've been married a long time, [27:08] you've had a bunch of kids, but finally [27:09] the meal came to your house and it's a [27:11] different feeling. And I think that's [27:13] what's going going to happen here. [27:14] That's the feeling that's happening [27:15] here. So, let's read what happens where [27:19] he wants to give him the blessing to [27:20] activate the birthright. Genesis 27:5. [27:24] Now, Rebecca was listening as Isaac [27:27] spoke to his son, Esau. And when Esau [27:29] left for the open country to hunt game [27:31] and bring it back, Rebecca said to her [27:33] son Jacob. Remember Isaac loved Esau. [27:36] Rebecca loved Jacob. Look, I overheard [27:40] your father say to your brother Esau, [27:42] "Bring me some game and prepare uh me [27:44] some tasty food to eat so that I may [27:45] give you my blessing in the presence of [27:47] the Lord before I die." Now my son, [27:50] Rebecca, says to Jacob, "Listen [27:52] carefully to what I tell you to do." [27:56] Oh, I don't know if you knew that part [27:59] of the story. The big plan didn't come [28:02] from Jacob. It came from Rebecca, [28:06] his mother. [28:08] She overheard the conversation and said, [28:11] "But I love Jacob. I'm going to scheme [28:15] something. I'm going to come up with [28:16] something and I'm gonna figure out a way [28:19] to get this blessing to the one I love [28:22] to Jacob." [28:24] She's the one that comes up with the [28:25] plan. She's the one that tells Jacob, [28:27] "No, you go. You go get one of the flock [28:30] that we already have." Remember, Esau is [28:32] trying to trying to hunt one down. [28:34] That's going to take a little bit [28:35] longer. Jacob goes and gets one from the [28:37] pen. Cooks it. [28:41] He's going to beat Esau to the punch [28:44] here. And it's coming from the the [28:46] mastermind of Rebecca behind the scenes. [28:50] Now, you know the story. And you know, [28:52] how is Jacob going to make sure that his [28:54] father doesn't know it's a trick? [28:58] Well, it tells you first of all that [29:00] Isaac is weak in his eyes. You know, my [29:03] kids get on me all the time about my [29:05] weak eye. I'm squinting all the time. As [29:07] I got older, I started squinting. I'm in [29:09] on and off with the glasses. I lose them [29:11] everywhere. I got like pairs every in [29:13] every room. You know how it goes. Come [29:14] on, parents. [29:16] I got I got my computer glasses, my [29:18] reading glasses, then my TV watching [29:20] glasses. They're all different, you [29:21] know. I don't have quad focals. Yeah. [29:24] You know, every level. So, I get Isaac [29:27] once again. I get Isaac. [29:30] He likes the wild game. His eyes are [29:32] going a little bit weak. [29:35] And so, they come up with a plan that [29:36] that Jacob is going to go get Esau's [29:39] clothes and put on Esau's clothes. Then, [29:41] he's going to get some goat hair and [29:43] he's going to put it all over his arms [29:45] and his neck. I always thought the neck [29:47] was a little bit weird, but I'm not [29:48] going to go into that. I'm like, Isaac, [29:50] what what are you doing with the neck, [29:51] man? I mean, touch the arm. Okay. Hey, [29:54] my man. How you doing? Give you a hug. [29:55] What's going on with the neck? That's [29:57] weird. [29:59] Just a lot of neck massages. I don't [30:01] know what they did in that family. Hey, [30:03] family's got some problems. I don't [30:05] know. [30:07] And then and then they prepare the meal. [30:09] So, they're going to beat uh Esau to the [30:11] punch. So, they go in. He's got Esau's [30:14] clothes. He's he's goat hairy. [30:18] And you gotta say, how hairy was Esau? [30:22] Like, [30:23] >> you know what I'm saying? Like a little [30:25] bit of yarn or something, a little bit [30:26] of string. [30:28] Goat hair. [30:31] And then what's crazy is, you know what [30:33] that goat hair smelled like? Goats. [30:38] And that's what Isaac thought Esau [30:40] smelled like. [30:43] How'd you like that reputation? like [30:47] ah [30:49] the goatiness of Esau. [30:51] Come on in, boy. Let me massage your [30:54] hairy neck. You know, it's a weird just [30:57] the whole thing is it's it's a little [30:59] weird. [31:02] So, he smells the goatiness, he feels [31:04] the goatiness, [31:06] and we continue with the story. Genesis [31:09] 27:18. He went to his father and said, [31:12] "My father, yes, my son." He answered, [31:14] "Who is it?" Jacob said to his father, [31:16] "I am Esau, your firstborn. [31:19] I have done as you told me. Please sit [31:21] up and eat some of my game so that you [31:23] may give me your blessing." Isaac asked [31:25] his son, "How did you find it so [31:27] quickly, my son?" Isaac is in. He gets [31:30] it. He knows something's wrong. [31:37] How did you do it so quickly? Well, the [31:39] Lord gave The Lord your God gave me [31:41] success. Ooh, I didn't like that. [31:46] He replied. Then Isaac said to Jacob, [31:48] "Come near so I can touch you, my son. [31:52] To know whether you are really my son, [31:55] Esau." Like that you that's how hairy he [31:57] like he knew if I touched him. I would [32:00] get through that hairy man and I would [32:02] know it was Esau. Jacob went close to [32:04] his father Isaac who touched him and [32:06] said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, [32:09] but the hands are the hands of Esau." [32:11] And he did not recognize him, for his [32:13] hands were hairy like those of his [32:14] brother, Esau. So he proceeded to bless [32:16] him. Are you really my son, Esau? He [32:19] asked. I am, he replied. [32:22] Lied again. [32:24] I always wonder to myself, and guys, [32:26] when I sit before the Lord, some of my [32:27] thoughts are really spiritual, and some [32:29] of them are just not that spiritual. And [32:31] I keep wondering, how come Jacob didn't [32:33] disguise his voice, right? He did the [32:35] smell, the clothes, and the goat hair, [32:37] and the food, but he but he all came in [32:39] there with a high voice, you know? [32:41] father, [32:43] I'm here for my blessing. [32:45] And he was like, Jacob, what are you [32:48] doing? No, it's Esau. [32:51] You know, cuz Esau comes across a little [32:53] bit more, you know, testosterone, you [32:56] know, if that's a word. I don't know if [32:58] that's a word, but very testosterone. [33:00] He's out hunting game and bows and [33:02] arrows and that stuff. And, you know, [33:03] Esau comes in and father, [33:06] I brought the wild game, you ask me. I [33:08] don't know why he sounds like Darth [33:09] Vader or whatever, but [33:12] I brought the wild game. And Jacob's [33:14] like, "Father, I brought the wild game." [33:17] He says, "That sounds like Jacob, but [33:18] smells like Esau." You know, so a blind [33:22] Isaac, he's confused here. But there's a [33:25] lot of deception. He lies twice. Flatout [33:27] lies. Are you my son? Yes, I am. He's [33:29] lying twice. [33:31] But really, what got me was he said, [33:36] "How fast did you do this?" Well, the [33:38] Lord your God gave me success. A third [33:40] lie. But I I I noticed here for the [33:43] first time ever I've read this that [33:46] Jacob said the Lord your God. [33:50] He didn't say the Lord my God or the [33:52] Lord our God. I I'm under the impression [33:55] here, friends, if you can you can hear [33:56] me. I don't think Jacob is following the [33:59] Lord by this point because he doesn't he [34:02] doesn't identify with the Lord himself. [34:04] He's saying it's your God, Dad. It's not [34:08] my God. And that does help us to [34:10] understand the arc of the character of [34:13] Jacob that that he eventually he comes [34:16] into alignment with God. By the time he [34:19] wrestles with Yeshua, the angel of the [34:21] Lord, and he says, "Betel, and I [34:22] wrestled with God and all that stuff, by [34:24] the time he gets there, yes, he is [34:26] following the Lord." But prior to that, [34:29] we don't have any evidence that Jacob's [34:30] following the Lord. And that helps us to [34:32] understand how the story could happen. [34:34] It's not a faithful believer having this [34:38] gross moment of weakness and saying, "I [34:40] want this blessing so bad. I'm going to [34:42] forsake all of my beliefs." No, this is [34:44] someone who has not really following the [34:46] Lord. [34:47] He says, "It's your God gave me [34:50] success." I thank the Lord for the [34:52] insight into his word. Of course, he [34:55] changes throughout his life. And you [34:56] say, "What is this blessing that is so [34:58] important?" Genesis 27 verse 28. This is [35:03] what Isaac says. May God give you [35:05] heaven's dew and earth's richness, an [35:08] abundance of grain and new wine. May [35:10] nations serve you and peoples bow down [35:13] to you. Be lord over your brothers. And [35:16] may the sons of your mother bow down to [35:18] you. May those who curse you be cursed [35:20] and those who bless you be blessed. Wow. [35:24] So much in this blessing. Did you hear [35:26] it? Basically, Isaac is quoting the [35:30] prophecy the Lord gave him when the [35:32] twins were still inside of Rebecca. [35:36] May your brothers bow down to you. May [35:38] you be over your the nations of your [35:41] brothers. Well, that's what they said [35:42] would happen. The younger will be [35:44] stronger than the older and the older [35:47] would serve the younger. Isaac is [35:49] repeating that whether or not he is [35:51] making the connection [35:53] because he thinks it's Esau. [35:56] But God has already seen this happen and [36:00] that's why he's saying the older will [36:02] serve the younger. And then he closes [36:04] the blessing with Abraham's [36:08] blessing from God. Right? Did you hear [36:10] it? May those who curse you be cursed [36:11] and those who bless you be blessed. [36:13] That's what God said to Abraham. [36:15] Genesis 12. You can hear that covenantal [36:18] element here. The blessing, even though [36:21] it is to the wrong person, it does [36:22] confirm God's prophetic word. [36:26] Isaac knew something was wrong. [36:28] Something wasn't right. He asked several [36:30] times for proof. Let me touch you. Let [36:32] me smell you. Let me hear your voice. [36:35] He's looking for confirmation, but he [36:37] can't get it. And when Esau comes later [36:40] to get this blessing with the actual [36:43] prepared meal, it's too late. The [36:46] mistake has been made. Pick it up in [36:48] Genesis 27:35. [36:50] But he said, "Your brother came [36:51] deceitfully and took your blessing." [36:54] Esau said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob [36:58] or Yakov? [37:00] This is the second time he has taken [37:01] advantage of me." The first one was with [37:03] the birth birthright. This is with the [37:05] blessing. He took my birthright and now [37:08] he's taken my blessing. Then he asked, [37:10] "Haven't you reserved any blessing for [37:12] me?" Isaac answered, "Esau, I have made [37:15] him lord over you and have made all of [37:18] his relatives his servants, and I have [37:20] sustained him with grain and new wine. [37:22] So, what can I possibly do for you, my [37:24] son? [37:26] It's a sad chapter because it feels very [37:29] unjust, [37:31] right? The deceiver deceived twice and [37:34] he's going to get away with it. And it [37:36] doesn't seem right. [37:38] What's happening? [37:40] But Isaac remembers the prophecy and he [37:44] says, "I I've had to give the blessing [37:46] that actually matches the prophecy God [37:49] gave us before. I know I can't change it [37:51] now. God already saw this happening and [37:56] told us we would arrive at this day at [37:59] some point. [38:02] I give you the key phrase here. [38:05] God alone has the ability to take our [38:08] wrongs and our sin and turn them into [38:11] moments that will eventually align with [38:13] his plan for our lives. [38:16] Let me encourage you here before we [38:18] close. [38:21] Jacob wasn't following the Lord for a [38:22] while. It appears [38:25] there was tension in the families. [38:28] They had learned all kind of bad lessons [38:31] from their parents [38:33] in having favorites when they shouldn't [38:35] have had favorites. [38:37] Jacob and Rebecca are both deceitful in [38:40] many ways. [38:42] They do take advantage of Esau. [38:46] And yet later in his life, Jacob does [38:49] find the Lord. He becomes very faithful. [38:51] He submits to the God of his father and [38:55] grandfather. And Jacob becomes the [38:57] father of the nation of Israel with all [38:59] the tribal sons. [39:02] He he eventually gets there. But there's [39:05] a lot of stuff he did that was bad. [39:10] And friends, this room, if we could be [39:12] honest together, this room is full of us [39:14] that have done a lot of bad. [39:18] And yet somehow [39:20] God is able to take our wrongs and our [39:23] sins and he can say, "I'm not giving up [39:26] on you. I'm not giving up on you. I can [39:29] see your future. I'm not gonna give up [39:31] on you. You will find me. It will make [39:35] sense one day. right now you're not [39:37] loving me, but you will. [39:40] And God is so loving and he's so patient [39:43] and he's so redemptive that he would do [39:46] the same thing to any one of us that he [39:48] did here for Jacob. He would say, "When [39:50] I first met you, you were a liar. You [39:52] were a deceiver. You were a thief and a [39:55] stealer. That's who you were when I met [39:57] you. But if you will walk with me, I [40:00] will change you." [40:04] I don't know that Jacob knew in these [40:07] beginning days that he would going to be [40:09] the father of Israel, the father of the [40:12] tribes of Israel. [40:14] And yet God knew that. God saw it. God [40:17] prophesied it. It was already predicted. [40:20] And there may be some of us in the room, [40:23] maybe we're looking right now and we're [40:25] feeling that that little bit of a touch [40:27] that said, "I remember. [40:29] I I can see the evil in my own life. I I [40:32] I'm a liar. I'm a thief. I'm I'm a [40:34] deceiver. I'm selfish. I'm whatever. [40:37] I've gone through a divorce. I I have [40:39] trauma in my background. Whether I was [40:41] the abuser or I was the one that got [40:43] abused from either direction. [40:48] Maybe you've made bad decisions outside [40:50] of marriage, sexually, or [40:55] you've made some problems that still [40:58] plague you today. [41:02] The good news is [41:06] God is the great redeemer [41:08] of your life. [41:10] And can I say it this way? God is the [41:13] only redeemer for your life. If you're [41:16] in the house tonight or watching online [41:18] and you don't know Yeshua and you are [41:20] you're connecting with what we're [41:22] talking about about I I know the evil [41:24] inside of me. I can feel it. [41:27] There is a redeemer that can take that [41:30] out of you. That can get you from being [41:32] a liar and a thief into being a leader [41:35] among nations. [41:37] And his name is Yeshua. Yeshua is the [41:40] one that can do that. [41:42] God is not going to give up on you as [41:44] long as you don't give up on him. Jacob [41:46] learned that lesson. And like I told [41:48] you, there's a lot of stories in the [41:49] Bible that are positive so you know what [41:51] to do. But there's just as many negative [41:53] stories so you know what not to do. [41:57] And we can see some of that here [41:59] in this story. God alone is your [42:03] redeemer. [42:05] There are many lessons here. Do not [42:08] forsake your birthright. And I say that [42:10] as individuals and families, but also to [42:12] the nation of Israel. [42:15] Do not deceive and lie like Rebecca and [42:18] Jacob. Do not have favorites, parents. I [42:20] think you got that. [42:23] But for us today, it shows that God can [42:25] take whatever the enemy meant for evil [42:29] in your life and he can turn it to good. [42:34] And the reason I quoted that was because [42:37] that quote actually comes from Joseph, [42:40] the son of Jacob. [42:43] And I wonder where Joseph, the son of [42:45] Jacob, learned that lesson. He learned [42:48] it from his father, Jacob. [42:50] Jacob walked through it. He taught his [42:52] son, Joseph. Joseph walked through it [42:54] and he said, "Yeah, dad taught me, God [42:58] can turn anything the enemy meant for [43:00] evil and switch it into good in my [43:02] life." Can you stand with me for a [43:03] blessing? Hallelujah. [43:06] Yeshua, we just proclaim publicly and [43:08] proudly, you alone are God. You alone [43:12] are salvation. You alone are the great [43:14] redeemer. [43:16] Holy Spirit, fill this place. Fill our [43:18] lives. Those of us that are running from [43:21] you, [43:23] would you lovingly grab us and show us [43:26] what a better life there is inside of [43:29] your kingdom? Those of us that are [43:30] feeling convicted right now of sin, give [43:33] us the courage to repent. [43:36] And those that have already walked [43:38] through these fires, give us a heart of [43:40] gratitude [43:42] that just like Jacob, you have a great [43:44] story for our life. and you will redeem [43:47] whatever the enemy meant for evil and [43:49] turn it into good. We pray in Yeshua's [43:52] name. Prayer team, if you'll come on [43:53] down, please as we worship, come and [43:55] receive prayer for any reason tonight [43:57] before we close.
