King James Daily Bible Study: Human Reasoning
Date: Sunday January 09, 2011
Chapters: Genesis 25-27
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-january-9
Details of Today's Reading: The sons of Abraham after Isaac, the sons of Ishmael, Abraham dies, Isaac and Rebekah have twins Esau and Jacob, Esau sells his birthright, a famine sends them to Gerar, Abimelech makes a covenant with Isaac, Isaac tends to bless Esau, Rebekah teaches Jacob to obtain the blessing instead, and Esau threatens Jacob's life.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
When God makes a promise to us He keeps it, we do not have to help Him out, all we have to do is be faithful, do what He asks, and wait patiently for Him. Yet many obtain God's promises or even try to change them by their own human reasoning. The Bible says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” - Romans 8:6-9. The word carnal means to be characterized by the flesh or the body, not spiritual, and worldly. If we are honest with ourselves we all have to admit that we have a little bit of a carnal mind from time to time. That carnal mind is what can get us into trouble, even if we do it for good reasons.

Isaac, the promised seed of Abraham was promised to be the seed of many nations, when he was forty years old he and Rebekah were still childless. Isaac begged God for a child as He promised and twenty years later He did answer by giving them not one, but two children. “And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.” - Genesis 25:21-26.

God told Rebekah that the first born would be weaker and serve his younger brother. He mentioned two nations, meaning that they would both be rulers of a nation and that younger child's nation who be stronger and rule over the older child's. Now, as the children grew, Isaac favored Esau, since Esau was the first born, he had birthrights to the family, which included, among other things, being heir to the covenant that God had made with Abraham. This birthright was the link in the line of descendants through which the Promised Messiah was to come. However, Esau had no desire to even fight for his birthright and gave it up for food. “And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” - Genesis 25:29-34.

Esau is a type of the man of the earth, in many respects a nobler man than Jacob, yet the fact that he was destitute of faith caused him to despise his birthright, easily giving it up for a mere bowl of soup. God’s choice of His children does not depend on their character, or even what family they have come from, but their faith. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” -Galatians 3:26.

We do not hear much about Isaac's life beyond being the seed that God promised He would establish His covenant with. Much of this is due to the fact that he tried to alter God's will by blessing Esau with what should have been Jacob's. Since Rebekah never forgot what God told her she came up with a scheme to get Isaac to bless Jacob instead. “And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee...And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me...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. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.” - Genesis 27:6-8,17-19,22,23.

The carnal mind is prone to scheme to bring about what God would do without any scheming at all. He does not need our cunning or deceit to accomplish His purpose. Seek spiritual blessings in the right way or get with them years of sorrow afterward. The more pressing the temptation to take things out of His hands, the richer will be the blessing of remaining in His hands and waiting for them in His time. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:12. It did not take long before Esau returned and threatened to kill Jacob, this would be only the start of the suffering he had to endure because he chose to obtain God's promise in a deceitful way. “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;” - Genesis 27:41-44.

One only needs to read the history of Jacob to learn that it does not pay to take things into ones own hands. However, it is peculiarly comforting to see that God has ever been dealing with men of like passions as we are and patiently bearing with the same failures. When the believer falls, God is still with him. One cannot always judge of a believer’s spiritual condition by their circumstances, but God has a purpose in all His dealings. “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” - Ephesians 1:9-12.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Jesus is revealed as the spiritual Seed that would bless all nations. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” - Galatians 3:16

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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