Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 25:12-34 09/29/02

Intro: This story is told by Pastor and educator Robert L. Deffinbaugh.

     During my first full year of teaching school I was chosen to be the representative from our school to the board of the district teacher's association. Unfortunately that year there was a rather fierce battle over teachers' salaries, and I found myself right in the middle of it. I chose to side with the moderate majority who were willing to accept the offer of the school board.
    The matter came to a head when all the teachers gathered to vote on the issue. I had told the chairman of the meeting that I intended to propose that we accept the school board's offer. This meant that the opposition would have to defeat my motion before submitting theirs—something almost impossible to accomplish.
     The chairman knew who those of the minority were who opposed this and that they would attempt to get their motion on the floor first. When the critical moment finally came, several quickly rose to their feet, seeking the floor.
     The chairman called upon me because he knew that I would submit a motion that reflected the desires of the majority of the teachers. In doing this he effectively defeated the rebel faction with one parliamentary blow.

     Some people view the doctrine of election in the same way as the events of that teachers' meeting. God, like the chairman of the meeting, knows who is going to do what, and on the basis of His prior knowledge He chooses the person who will do what He desires.

     Another view of election places the matter almost entirely in our hands. God may call us but we can choose to say no thanks.

     And there is the view that we have no choice in  the salvation process. God calls and like puppets on strings we say yes.

     Well, I find none of these views completely consistent with the biblical doctrine of election. And no other Old Testament passage puts the whole matter into its proper perspective more clearly than Genesis 25.

    I realize to some the term election really doesn't mean much.
    I realize to some, the term election sparks great controversy.
    I realize that many of you already hold to a system of belief that has it's own understanding of election.
    I realize that I will probably not persuade anyone today to change their position concerning election.

     Nevertheless, I'm gonna talk about it anyway because the text brings it up. BUT, I will not make any references to labels or systems of theology which tend to separate and bring division in God's Church. Instead, I hope to use this text to join us together and bring unity in the areas we can find agreement. To do that, I am asking that for the next 30 mins. you put aside your labels and theological systems  and just look at the text. Because there is an even bigger issue at stake...when we talk of election, we are really talking about the will of God.

Read: Gen. 25:12-18

     When I read this chapter, I wondered why Ishmael and his half brothers were even brought up. Then I realized the context of the whole chapter is God's will; specifically election.

     In verses 1-4 we read that Abraham had other sons after Isaac. But we see that it was not God's will for any of them to inherit the promises of God. God chose Isaac.

     In verses 12-18 we saw that although God, by His grace fulfilled specific promises to Ishmael. When he died he was not buried with his father in the land of promise because it was not God's will for Ishmael to be Abraham's heir. God chose Isaac for that blessing.

     You see, inheriting the promises of God was and still is based on God's prerogative to give, and not our determination to acquire.

     Keep an open mind, as we look at the rest of the chapter.

Read: Gen. 25:19-21

     Isaac and Rebekah knew it was God's will for Isaac to receive the promises of God and be the father of many nations..but for twenty years, they was childless. Sound familiar? They could have used a concubine like Abraham had done in a similar situation. But they didn't. They took their burden to the Lord. They prayed. The idea here is that it was not a one time prayer, but they continually went to the Lord in prayer. And God answered their prayer.  We don't know how long it took, but God answered. And even when God seems silent, He will answer your prayer too.

Read: Gen. 25:22-23

     God will answer our prayers but not always in the way we want. Rebekah is thankful to God that she is pregnant but she senses there is a problem; there was a battle going on in her womb. Once again, Rebekah seeks the face of God in prayer and God graciously tells her of the future of her two sons...and it was not what she wanted to hear.

     God told her that she will have two sons. Each son will head their own nation. And..the older son will serve the younger son. I can almost read Rebekah's mind. 'Well, that's not how it works God. The first born always is the leader in the family, he is the one who receives the family inheritance. Why are you telling me this? Why are you mixing things up?'

     God was revealing His will to Rebekah. He was telling her that He had chosen Jacob and not Esau to receive the  inheritance, the promises of God. Just like He had chosen Abraham and Isaac over everyone else.

     Now don't read into the text. God's choice of Jacob over Esau, God's will to use Jacob instead of Esau  had nothing to do with what either of the boys would or would not do in the future. God choice, once again as it was with Abraham and Isaac, was based on God's will, not their actions or desires. How do I know that? Well, once again, God's Word tells us. Turn to Rom. 9: 10.

     Chapters 9-11 of Romans is about true Israel. It is saying that those who are the children of God, are not those who are Israel by birth, but Israel by new birth, through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul is talking in Rom. 9-11 about the elect of God, those He has chosen to inherit the promises of God. And Paul uses Gen. 25 as an example of God's elect and what that election is based on.

Read: Rom. 9:10-13

     Forget about systems of theology and prior learning for a moment. What does this text say? It says Jacob was selected, chosen, elected instead of Esau... before they were born, and not because of what they would do in life. They were chosen, because it would fulfill God's purpose. It was His will.

     Listen, this is probably the most important thing I will say this morning. God chose Jacob, not because of what Jacob would eventually do for God. He chose Jacob because of what God would eventually do through him.

     Remember Pride says it is about us, our choice, our will, what we want to do.
     Biblical humility says, it is about God, His will and what He will do through us.

     I believe that there is one thing we can all agree on. God's way is always preferable to any other way which may seem natural or right to us.

Read: Gen. 25:24-34

     Well, it is a good thing that God chooses based only on His will and purpose, because neither Jacob or Esau were worthy of God's selection.

     Esau was a man of the world, a man who took care of life  with his own hands. And he didn't think much about a relationship with God. He would rather feed his face and exaggerate the possibility of his starvation than be concerned about the inheritance of God's promises. That's what the text means when it said Esau despised his birthright. He didn't think the promises or will of God were important enough to hold on to.

     Jacob, on the other hand, was a mamma's boy, and a conniver. He looked for the angle in everything. His mother probably told him that he would be Abraham's heir but he was unwilling to wait for God to work through Him.
 
     Jacob got the birthright. He got what was reserved for the first born son. What's the big deal, God said he would get it?  Well, this is one of those times where God uses even our bad choices to effect His will. A clear picture of the certainty of God's will.

Conclusion

     What we are really looking at this morning is the will of God. And we have seen four ways the biblical characters responded  to God's will. Amazingly, it is the same four ways we often respond to God's will in our lives.

 Esau: Esau despised his birthright. He gave it up because he felt it wasn't really important.

 Isaac: Accordning to Ch. 27, Isaac planned to give the blessing to Esau, even though he knew God's will was for Jacob to have it. Isaac tried to thwart or stop God's plan.
 
 Rebekah: Rebekah came up with a plan to make sure God's will would be done. Rebekah didn't believe God was  powerful enough or concerned enough to make sure it happened.'
 
 Jacob: Jacob tried to speed things up. He knew God's will, but he didn't trust God's timing.

     We have all been there, we have followed the example of one of the four characters in our text this morning. We most often do this when our lives have become uncomfortable, unhappy or personally unfulfilled. In our effort to get it right, to get our life back together, we resort to one of these four ways to deal with what we see as God's will when it is in conflict with our will.

     But there is a fifth way to respond to God's will that was not displayed in the text. At least not this text. In John 4:34,  Jesus says 'My food, is to do the will of Him who sent me.'

     Let me ask you this morning..how hungry are you? What are you eating to quench your hunger...spiritually that is? The only way you will ever be spiritually satisfied, and satisfied in every other way as well, is to respond to the will of God in your life with a resounding YES!

     God will be God and His will, will be done, either through you or in spite of you. The blessings of God come when He works through you and you let God be God in your life.