Tables please to Genesis chapter 25.
Genesis chapter 25.
We're working our way through Genesis.
It's foundational, not just because it's the first book,
but it sets the theme for many of the plots that we come across in the Bible story.
And one of the great characters is Abraham.
And we see there even on the heading of chapter 25, Abraham has died.
And so the focus of the story now comes to Isaac and to his family.
So we're going to read a little bit about their family this morning
and what we can learn from them.
So Genesis chapter 25, starting at verse 19 through to the end of the chapter.
This is the account of the family line of Abraham's son, Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
and Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah,
daughter of Bethuel of the Aramean from Paddan Amram,
and sister of Laban the Aramean.
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife,
because she was childless.
The Lord answered his prayer,
and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
The babies jostled each other within her,
and she said,
why is this happening to me?
So she went to inquire of the Lord.
The Lord said to her,
two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated.
One people will be stronger than the older,
and the elder will serve the younger.
When the time came for her to give birth,
there were twin boys in her womb.
The first to come out was red,
and his whole body was like a hairy garment.
So they named him Esau.
After this, his brother came out,
with his hand grasping Esau's heel.
So he was named Jacob.
Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
The boys grew up,
and Esau became a skilful hunter,
a man of the open country,
while Jacob was a content to stay at home among the tents.
Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,
loved Esau.
But Rebekah loved Jacob.
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,
Esau came in from the open country famished.
He said to Jacob,
quick, let me have some of that red stew.
I'm famished.
That is why he's also called Edom.
Edom means red.
Jacob replied,
first sell me your birthright.
So look, I'm about to die,
Esau said.
What good is the birthright to me?
But Jacob said,
swear to me first.
So he swore an oath to him,
selling his birthright to Jacob.
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.
Well, keep your Bibles open there,
and we're going to pray,
and we pray to ask God to help us to learn from his words.
So let's do that now.
Father, thank you for families.
Thank you for the family of this church.
We gather together because we want to learn from you.
We want to hear from you.
So as we focus our attention on this ancient family of Isaac and Rebecca,
would you teach us through it?
Would you teach us more about yourself,
about us,
and how we should respond?
Father, bless us, we pray,
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, I'm sure you all know the Simpsons,
those little yellow characters on the TV program.
They're a bit of a dysfunctional family, aren't they?
They're always fighting and falling out.
Next door to the Simpsons lives the Flanders.
He's the local pastor
with his well-behaved children,
a model of perfection.
Well, if Isaac and Rebecca had a surname,
I don't know what it was, by the way,
but if they did have a surname,
it wouldn't be Flanders.
It would be the Simpsons.
They're quite the family, aren't they?
Not the happiest or peaceful of homes.
There's tension between the brothers
as they squabble and fight.
There's division between the parents.
Isaac loves Esau,
but Rebecca loves Jacob.
And then there's this whole deception
as the birthright is sold off
for a bowl of stew.
Now, what should get our attention here
is not just how dysfunctional they are,
but how central they are
to God's plan of salvation.
God had made a promise
that through the family of Abraham,
a son would come
who would bring redemption to the world,
a son who was going to bring blessing
to all the nations.
So as Abraham dies,
we're introduced to Isaac
and his family.
Verse 19,
this is the account of the family line
of Abraham's son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac
and Isaac was 40 years old
when he married Rebecca.
Now,
they're not the kind of family
that we might choose
to carry forward God's plan of salvation.
But as we're going to see,
we're shocked,
we're surprised
at the way in which God works.
This isn't our plan
and God doesn't do things our way.
There's much that we can learn
about God through this feuding family.
We're going to look at three things,
our struggle with God,
our surprise with God,
and our shock with God.
So first,
let's look at our struggle
with God's ways.
Our struggle with God's ways.
Isaac marries Rebecca
and everything seems in order.
But,
verse 21,
Isaac prayed to the Lord
on behalf of his wife
because she was childless.
Now,
for many couples,
those words are especially painful.
Isaac and Rebecca
longed to hear
the pitter-patter of tiny feet.
To hear a little one
call out,
Mum,
Dad.
And for those who face this reality,
and there are many,
it's heartbreaking.
We struggle because
this is what we so desperately want.
After all,
it's central to married life.
It's about building your family.
And for Isaac and Rebecca,
well,
they are childless.
not only that,
for Isaac and Rebecca,
this was a double struggle.
Remaining childless meant
that the promise
was in doubt.
Remember,
it's through the family line of Abraham
that God's blessing of salvation
would come to the world.
So,
if Isaac and Rebecca
have no children,
then there's no blessing.
And if they have no son,
then there's no redemption.
And if we do our maths correctly,
it's been going on for 20 years.
Verse 20 tells us
that Isaac was 40
when he got married.
Verse 26 tells us
that he was 60
when the two boys were born.
So,
20 years
of struggle.
Not just pain
within the family,
but doubting God's goodness,
questioning God's plan.
You see,
when things don't go
as we expect,
we struggle.
Maybe you plan
for a family
and it doesn't quite work out
the way you expect.
Does God not love me?
Perhaps you lose
a close friend
early in life
and we're left wondering,
does God not care
about me?
You see,
we all have our plans
for our life,
don't we?
Each one of us here,
we could write it down
on a piece of paper.
Our dreams,
our expectations,
and we have it all
mapped out
from an early age.
I'm going to go to college,
I'm going to study
this course,
then I'm going to travel
for a bit
and then I'm going to find
a partner,
a husband,
or a wife
and we're going to work
for three and a half years
and then we'll have enough
for our mortgage
and we're going to buy
our house
and then we're going to have
our 2.7 children
and then we're going
to retire
and then I'm going
to be able to do
everything I wanted to do
and go on all these
lovely sun holidays
and...
Well, life rarely goes
according to our plans.
Health issues arise,
an unforeseen move,
a loss of income
and we sit down
and we ask God,
what is he doing?
Can I trust God
with my life?
Well, it would be stupid
of me to pretend
there's answers
to all of these questions.
I certainly don't have them.
But what God calls us
to do in our struggle
is to turn it all
into prayer.
We cry out to him
because that's exactly
what Isaac and Rebecca do.
Verse 21,
Isaac prayed
to the Lord
on behalf of his wife
because she was childless.
The Lord answered his prayer
and his wife, Rebecca,
became pregnant.
Now, let's be clear here.
This does not mean
God will give us
everything that we ask for.
This isn't a quick fix solution
to all our wants
and desires.
Remember,
Isaac and Rebecca
had a central
and unique role
in God's plan
of salvation.
Through the family
would come a son
who was going to bring
salvation to the world.
So they begin to pray
according to God's promise.
We're not told
what Isaac prayed,
but we can picture him there
as he puts his arms
around his wife
to console her
and as they kneel
before God
morning, noon and night
and they cry out to him,
Lord,
you've promised
to bless the nations.
You've promised
that a son will come.
Please, God,
fulfill your promise.
In our struggle,
keep us faithful.
In our doubt,
keep us trusting.
Please sustain us.
Amen.
Well, God has made
many promises
to us,
his redeemed people.
In our struggles,
God has promised us
that
my grace
is sufficient
for you.
In our doubts,
God has promised
that nothing
can separate us
from the love
of God.
in our fears,
God has promised
to care for you
and to uphold you.
You see,
here is encouragement
for every one of us
in every struggle
that we go through.
Here are promises
that we can take
and we can pray them
back to God
knowing that he will
deliver on his promise.
Prayer like this
will sustain you.
We can cry out to him
Lord,
as you have promised,
give me your grace.
Strengthen my faith.
Supply my need.
Pick me up
when I fall.
Fill me
with peace.
Prayers like that
will sustain you
in your struggle.
So first,
our struggle
with God's ways.
Not only is there
a struggle,
but there is also
a surprise
at God's choice.
Surprise.
So Rebecca and Isaac
gather together,
they pray,
and God,
according to his timing
and in his will,
provides them
with children.
She becomes pregnant.
And there is a surprise
with the pregnancy.
Not that there are two
instead of one,
but what is going on
between the two boys?
Look at verse 22.
The babies
jostled with each other
within her.
Now,
I've never had
the privilege
or the experience
of being pregnant,
but I know
babies kick
and move
and punch
and do all kinds
of things
inside the womb.
But this is
something different.
It's like a wrestling
match is going on
inside Rebecca.
What are we to make
of this
surprising pregnancy?
Well,
two things.
Let's read again
from verse 22.
The babies
jostled with each other
and she said,
she cries out,
why is this
happening to me?
What's going on?
What's the meaning?
And the Lord
said to her,
two nations
are in your womb
and two peoples
are within you
and they will be
separated.
one people
will be stronger
than the other
and the elder
will serve
the younger.
Well,
what are we to make
of all of this?
Well,
first it teaches us
about God's
gracious
choice.
Do you see
the end of verse 23?
the elder
will serve
the younger.
Well,
that's not
the way
things are
meant to go.
The tradition
was that
the older,
the first son,
was always
given priority.
The older
is always
chosen first.
They're the
firstborn.
They're the one
who gets
the inheritance.
They're the ones
that get
the blessing.
It's just
the way
it is.
Well,
guess what?
God doesn't
do tradition.
God doesn't
follow social
norms.
In fact,
God does
things his
way,
not our
way.
God chooses
the younger
one over
the older
one.
Well,
you say,
well,
there must be
a reason for
that.
It must be
because the
older one
later in
life,
he must
become the
baddie,
and,
well,
the younger
one,
he must
be the
goodie.
The older
one must
be kind
of a
Simpson
type,
and the
younger
one turns
out to
be a
Flander,
a good
guy.
That's
how it
works,
right?
Well,
not so
fast.
God works
by his
grace.
The New
Testament
actually
interprets
this
verse
for us
in
Romans
chapter
11.
I have
it on
the
screen
here.
You can
follow
with me.
It says,
Rebecca's
children were
conceived
at the
same
time
by our
father
Isaac.
So,
the two
boys have
the same
father,
no problem
there.
Yet,
before the
twins were
born,
or had
done any
good or
bad,
in order
that God's
purpose in
election might
stand,
or according
to his
gracious
choice,
not by
works,
but by
him who
calls,
she was
told,
the older
will serve
the younger.
You see,
God's choice
had nothing
to do
with what
Esau and
Jacob were
like.
God
didn't
make his
choice
based on
how they
would
live,
how they
would
turn out.
Now,
look what
it says,
before
the twins
were born,
before they
had done
any good
or bad.
In other
words,
it was
all by
God's
gracious
intervention,
and God's
gracious
choice.
And it
wasn't the
kind of
eeny,
meeny,
miny,
moe,
I'll
just
pick a
name out
of the
hat and
see which
one comes
out.
No,
God's
choice of
Jacob to
receive the
blessing lies
with God
and his
purposes,
and it
has nothing
to do
with Jacob.
It's God
who calls
us according
to his
purpose,
and it's
all by
his
grace.
God's
choice.
In fact,
there's
another
surprise.
Not only
is it
God's
gracious
choice,
but it
seems that
God's
choice is
for sinners.
God
chooses
those who
are sinful.
Look how
these two
brothers are
contrasted.
Look at
verse 25.
The first
to be
born came
out red,
and his
whole body
was like a
hairy garment.
I kind of
read that and
think, did he
come out like a
monkey or
something or
what?
No, I
just think he
had lots of
hair, like
some kids
when they're
born just
have a big
head of
hair, don't
they?
And we
might say
they're a
healthy one,
a healthy,
full of
strength and
vitality.
So his
name was
given Esau,
which means
hairy.
It's pretty
obvious, isn't
it?
After this,
verse 26,
his brother
came out,
and his
hand was,
well, it
just wasn't
normal.
He was
grasping,
catching a
hold of
Esau's
heels, so
he was
named
Jacob.
What's this
unusual
grasping all
about?
Well, you
might have
a little
note at
the bottom
of your
Bible.
It tells
us that,
well, Jacob
means deceives.
He's a
grabber.
In fact, as
we walk
through the
passages in
Genesis and
get to know
Jacob a little
bit more,
his whole
life is a
broken mess.
As the
years go
by, it
seems he
gets worse.
He's really
not a very
nice guy.
You wouldn't
want him to
be in your
social networks.
God
but yet,
this is
the son.
This is
the one
that God
chooses to
receive the
promised blessing.
Now, I
don't know
about you,
but that
gets my
back up.
It annoys
me.
People like
that should
be cursed,
not blessed.
Good people
should be
honoured,
and bad
people should
be punished.
doesn't God
surprise you?
He takes
the youngest
and the
weakest.
He takes
the one
with no
strength and
no status
and blesses
them.
God chooses
sinners.
But yet,
we shouldn't
be surprised
because that's
the big
message of
all of
scripture.
Go with
me.
Keep your
finger in
Genesis 25
and jump
forward to
1 Corinthians.
It's on
page 1145.
Page 1145.
1 Corinthians
chapter 1
and we
pick it
up in
verse 26.
Here Paul
is writing
to a
church,
just like
us,
ordinary
people,
and he
reminds them
of why
God called
them,
why God
saved
them.
Chapter
1,
verse 26.
Brothers
and sisters,
think of
what you
were when
you were
called,
when God
intervened
and saved
you.
Not many
of you
were wise
by human
standards.
Not many
were influential.
Not many
were of
noble birth.
But God
chose the
foolish things
of the world
to shame
the wise.
God chose
the weak
things of
the world
to shame
the strong.
God chose
the lowly
things of
the world
and the
despised
things and
the things
that are
not,
to nullify
the things
that are,
so that
no one
may boast
before him.
It is
because of
him
that you
are in
Christ Jesus.
If you've
got a
highlighter,
highlight that,
verse 30.
it is
because of
him,
not you,
because of
him
that you
are in
Christ Jesus.
Let's go
back to
Genesis 25.
You see,
it's because
of God's
gracious
choice
and love
and kindness
towards sinners
that any
of us
have any
hope at
all.
You see,
God has
no favourites
and neither
should we.
The problem
is we do
treat each
other differently.
We treat
each other
differently
within the
family of
the church.
Or perhaps
even like
Isaac and
Rebecca,
parents
treat their
children
differently.
Look at
verse 27.
The boys
grew up.
Esau
became a
skillful
hunter,
a man of
the open
country.
Kind of
the rough
and tumble
kind of
guy.
While
Jacob was
content to
stay at
home among
the tents,
Isaac,
who had
a taste
for wild
game,
oh,
he loved
Esau.
But
Rebecca,
no,
she loved
Jacob.
You see,
they each
had their
blind spots.
Isaac
loved the
country boy.
Rebecca
loved the
home boy.
They had
their
favourites
which only
fuelled
the family
division.
You see,
if Isaac
and Rebecca
had just
grasped and
taken a
little bit
of time
to understand
God's
amazing grace
towards them,
they would
have no
favourites.
They would
love their
children,
all of them,
equally.
And we
would have
no favourites
either.
So,
parents,
if you
have
children,
please be
very,
very careful
of this.
Your
favouritism
can destroy
your relationship
with your
children
and can
wreck
your family.
Instead,
let us
all step
back and
immerse
ourselves
afresh
in God's
grace
and understand
that he
loves you
in all
your mess,
in all
your
brokenness
and with
all of
your sin
and he
loves you.
And so
we should
love all
the family
equally,
no
favourites.
So,
our
struggle
with God's
ways,
our
surprise
at God's
choice
and
then
our
shock
over
God's
response.
Fast
forward
20 years,
it seems
just a
normal day.
Esau has
been out
hunting and
is hungry.
Jacob
has been
at home
and he's
been cooking
in the
kitchen.
But what
follows is
something
quite
shocking.
First,
we see
just how
desperate
these
brothers
are.
Their
hearts
are exposed
before us.
Verse
30,
Esau
has come
in and he
says to his
brother Jacob,
quick,
let me have
some of that
red stew.
I'm
famished.
Well,
Jacob being
Jacob sees
the opportunity,
doesn't he?
Verse 31,
first sell
me your
birthright.
Well,
look,
I'm about
to die,
Esau said.
What good
is the
birthright
to me?
I'm
starving.
I've been
out all
day and
if I
don't get
some of
that stew,
I'm going
to pass
out here,
I'm going
to die.
What good
is the
birthright
going to
me then?
You can
have it.
Just give
me some
of your
stew.
Well,
of course,
Esau
wouldn't
have
died.
We all
know what
it's like
to listen
to kids
or even
ourselves
come in.
I'm
starving.
I'm
going to
die if
I don't
have
something
to eat.
No,
he wasn't
going to
die.
He was
hungry.
He
wasn't
on death's
door.
He was
just
desperate
for
something
to
eat.
And
Jacob
senses
the
weakness
and he
closes
in.
Verse
33,
Jacob
said,
swear
to me
first.
Let's
make a
deal.
Let's
make this
legal.
Let's
sign on
the dotted
line.
So Esau
swore an
oath to
him,
selling his
birthright
to Jacob.
Well,
I'm sure
Jacob could
hardly believe
his luck.
I mean,
it didn't
take much
persuasion.
Just a bit
of his lentil
stew was
enough to
get him
over the
line.
seems
Esau
couldn't
be
bothered.
In
fact,
it was
much more
serious
than that.
Look at
the end
of verse
34.
Esau
despised
his
birthright.
He
turned
his
back
on God's
blessing.
You
see,
the
birthright
was
God's
blessing.
It was
a gracious
gift from
God that
only God
could give,
yet these
two brothers
show a
complete
disregard
for it.
Jacob
tries to
deceive his
way into
the blessing.
Esau,
on the
other hand,
despises and
gives up
the blessing.
Now,
before we
go pointing
fingers at
this feuding
family,
I think we
need to turn
the mirror
around,
don't we?
doesn't
this just
look a
little bit
like us?
Maybe
like Jacob,
we try to
deceive our
way into
God's
blessing.
We'll use
any means
possible to
try and
force God's
hands to
bless us and
make things
go well for
us.
We might
be making
pots of
stew,
but we
can try a
bit harder
in our
prayers and
we can do
a bit more
serving and
Lord,
have you
seen what
I've done
and you've
got to
bless me
now?
Or perhaps
we're like
Esau and
we despise
the blessings
that God
has already
given us.
Maybe
you've been
raised in a
home where
you've been
taught the
gospel.
Maybe
you're a bit
older and
you're just
coming along
week by
week and
you have
the privilege
of a good
church to
support you,
but no,
you just
prefer the
temporary
comforts of
life and
you push
Christ and
his gospel
to one
side.
You despise
what you
have and
you decide
to go it
alone.
You see,
both these
brothers are
saying,
I don't
need God.
I can do
it another
way.
I don't
need grace.
I'm well
able.
What's God
going to do
with these
deceiving and
despising
brothers?
More to
the point,
what is God
going to do
with us?
Well,
God's
response
is shocking
because he
doesn't
treat us
as our
sins
deserve.
God in
response
sends a
savior.
He would
send his
son,
the promised
son who
would come
from a
fighting,
feuding
family like
this.
A son
would come,
not like
Jacob,
not like
Esau,
and thankfully
not like
us,
but God's
own son,
his perfect
son.
You see,
the blessings
of God
could only
come through
the grace
of his
son,
the Lord
Jesus Christ,
the one
who is the
firstborn over
all of
creation,
the one
whose birthright
means he
owns all
things and he
rules all
things and has
power and
authority and
is supreme.
But yet
this son,
who being
very in
nature God,
didn't
consider
equality
with God
something to
be used
or grasped
for his
own advantage.
Instead,
he willingly
gave up
his birthright
to enter
into this
world to
serve us.
He made
himself
nothing.
He humbled
himself by
becoming
obedient to
death,
even death
on a cross.
He died
for our
deceiving and
deception so
that we
could be
forgiven and
become heirs
and co-heirs
with Christ.
Jesus took
the low
position,
the humble
position.
He became
one with no
status and
no strength
so that we
might share
in his
birthright and
receive all
of his
blessings
freely.
Shocking.
None of us
deserve such
grace.
But God
responds in
grace to
all of our
mess.
blessings.
He blesses
us with
his salvation
now,
today and
forever because
he loves
us.
How are we
going to
experience this
grace?
Well, don't
be foolish like
Jacob and try and
deceive your way
into God and
do all kinds of
things to think
that somehow you
deserve it or
you've earned
it.
don't be like
Esau and be
proud and
despise what
God has given
to you.
Instead, we
humble ourselves.
We bow in
surrender.
We thank him
for his grace.
And we go
with a view
of the world
that has no
favourites.
But just as
God has shown
grace to me,
we will show
grace to
every person,
to every
sinner,
just like you
and me.
Because God
has no favourites
and he loves
for people to
turn to him.
So what can
we learn from
this feuding
family?
Well, we may
struggle with
God's ways,
but he's given
us prayer to
sustain us.
grace to
God's grace.
We may be
surprised at
God's choice,
but how
wonderful that
grace is.
We may be
shocked over
God's
response,
but how
thankful we
are that he
sent his
son and
has called
us to be
conduits of
his grace
to a needy
and broken
world.
God's
love.
Let's pray.
Father, we
might look at
this family
of Isaac and
Rebecca and
Jacob and
Esau and
point the
finger and
go, I'm
glad I'm not
like them.
How wrong
we are.
Father, thank
you for your
grace.
Thank you for
your intervention.
Thank you for
your love.
Thank you that
you choose
sinners such
as us.
Thank you for
Jesus, that
he came,
giving up
his status
and his
position of
privilege,
gladly
surrendering
his birthright
that we
might gain
all his
blessings for
us.
Father, help
us to
immerse
ourselves
daily in
your grace.
Give us
eyes that
see people
as you see
them, that
we would
not have
favourites,
but that
we would
love others
as you
have loved
us.
Help us, we
pray, in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
A song we're
going to sing,
what love could
remember no
wrongs we have
done.
That's amazing
love that
would forgive
us.
Our sins may
be many,
but his mercy
is always more.
Let's stand
together as we
sing.
Amen.
Thank you.
And so we thank you.
We praise you.
Send us with your grace.
Fill us with your spirit's power that we might live well as your people this coming week.
coming week. May it be for your glory and for our good. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Just a reminder, a couple of things. Tea and coffee afterwards. You can catch up with
Trevor and Kayla and Rua then. Tonight, I forgot to mention this, tonight at half past six in this
hall. There'll be a teaching on the Psalms. So how do we teach or how do we interpret the Psalms?
How do we apply it to our life in our situation? You're welcome to come along to it. It's part of
the MBC courses that are offered, but it's one that you can just come to this evening from half
past six until half past nine. Yeah, there'll be a break in between. You don't have to say