THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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A mental patient had a problem with believing that he was Napolean. They decided to give him a lie detector test, and let the truth shock him into reality.
The questions were first about his birth date, birth place, parents, etc. Then they asked, "Are you Napolean?"
Suddenly, he dropped his head in shame and answered, "NO!"
But the machine said he was LYING!
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Genesis 27
((Read verses 11-20))
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
KJV
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My! What a spiritually dysfunctional family! Mother against Father! Son against son! Lying, cheating, trickery!
Wouldn't it have been better for Jacob and Rebekah to approach Isaac and say, "Father, you know that God said the elder shall serve the younger?" But there were TWO elements working against each other here. And this is often the case today.
First - Isaac wanted to pass the inheritance on to Essau. Second - Rebekah wanted Jacob to receive it. As Christians, we must realise what we SHOULD want to do is what God SAYS!
What was God talking about when He said, "..the elder shall serve the younger?" God was speaking first, of the family line from which the "seed" of spiritual blessing should come. God was referring to the formation of a "nation" through which Messiah would be revealed and bring atonement for sin. And, yes, God was even speaking of the physical blessing, or the inheritance.
One cannot help but notice that God worked this all out for His glory and purpose. You see Essau DID get the physical inheritance. But Jacob received the spiritual blessing; even though he was being sinful in his actions.
However, EACH of them paid the cost of the loss of love for one another!
I have seen adult siblings fighting over an inheritance from their parents, and their families split apart by desire for petty physical things.
Love ya,
Bruce