Jacob and Esau

The story of Jacob and Esau is a pretty fascinating one.  Their struggle begins in the womb!  Genesis 25 says that Rebekah became pregnant after 20 years of not being able to have children.  When she finally does get pregnant, she’s pregnant with twins!  Genesis 25:22 says “But the two children struggled with each other in her womb.”  She asks God what is going on, and He says, “The sons in your womb will become two nations.   From the very beginning, the two nations will become rivals.  One nation will be stronger than the other, and your older son will serve your younger son.”  Sure enough, she delivers twins.  Esau, who must have looked like a monkey (your Bible says he was red and covered with thick hair like a fur coat), came out first.  But as he was born, out comes Jacob, grasping Esau’s heel! 

That’s just the beginning of the long list of challenges that happen…

1)  Esau and Jacob are VERY different boys.  Esau is a man’s man, a skillful hunter.  Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home.  Wow.  I guess the stage was set for them not to get along… they were so very different.

2) Then, to make things worse, the parents played favorites.  Isaac loved Esau more because of the wild game he would bring home for Isaac to eat.  Rebekah loved Jacob more because he was hanging around the tent with her.

3) One day, Esau is coming in from the hunt and Jacob has fixed a pot of stew.  Esau is famished and really wants some of his brother’s supper.  Jacob said he would give him some, but first Esau had to give Jacob his rights as the first born son. 

Pause just for a second here… this was no little deal.  In Bible times, the first born son got DOUBLE what anybody else got when the father passed away.  The Bible says that Isaac was very wealthy, so that was a pretty big price for Esau to pay for a pot of soup!  Unfortunately for Esau, he’s thinking with his stomach and not his head, and he foolishly agrees to Jacob’s request.

      4) Then, when Isaac is old and blind and about to die, he calls Esau in to his tent and asks Esau to hunt wild game and prepare his favorite dish.  Isaac intends to give Esau his first born blessing after he eats.  Now for the plot twist, that really would play well in any soap opera.  Rebekah (remember she loves Jacob more than Esau) overhears this conversation and connives with Jacob to fix Isaac’s favorite meal and serve it to him posing as Esau so that Jacob can get the blessing.  Jacob even puts on Esau’s clothes and puts goat skins on Jacob’s arms and the back of his neck so he can masquerade as Esau.  The plan works, and Isaac gives Jacob the blessing that should have been Esau’s. 

      When Esau finds out what Jacob has done, he is both heartbroken and FURIOUS!  The Bible says that he HATED Jacob for that and plotted to kill him after Isaac died.

      BUT… and this is important.  Although Isaac has given the first born blessing to Jacob, he says this to Esau in Genesis 27:39-40 NLT:

“You will live away from the richness of the earth,

    and away from the dew of the heaven above.

You will live by your sword,

    and you will serve your brother.

But when you decide to break free,

    you will shake his yoke from your neck."


Obviously, Jacob has done Esau wrong.  Obviously, Esau is furious at Jacob.  But Isaac’s blessing is interesting… when you decide to break free.  It was up to Esau to forgive Jacob.  WHAT??!!  How could he ever forgive Jacob for what he has done?  Jacob has stolen everything from Esau!  He stole his mother, he stole his first born birthright, he stole his father’s blessing!!  How could Esau EVER forgive Jacob.

And yet, if you fast forward to Genesis 33, after Jacob has run away to Laban’s house for 20 years getting two wives, two servant wives, 11 sons and one daughter, he comes back home.  Only on his way back home, he has to go past where Esau lives.  Jacob is terrified that Esau will kill him, after all he had done.  He sends a messenger to Esau asking that Esau be friendly to him, he pulls choice animals out of his flock to give to Esau as a gift, and then he sends the gifts on ahead of him.  When he hears that Esau’s coming to meet him with 400 men, he freaks out!!  He prays to God to rescue him from Esau’s hand.

Esau, who could have unleashed the fury of 20 years of unforgiveness, hatred, and bitterness on Jacob, didn’t.  HE DIDN’T!!  Instead, he runs to meet Jacob, embraces him, throws his arms around his neck and kisses him!

WOW!!  What a beautiful picture that Esau had broken free and had shaken the yoke of hatred off his neck!

You know where this is going, right?  What yokes of unforgiveness, bitterness and hatred do you need to shake off?  Is it time to forgive your alcoholic father, your abusive mother, your jealous sibling?  Is it time to forgive a co-worker who talked bad about you, or a boss who mistreated you? 

You know yokes in the Bible were for beasts of burden to be controlled by their masters.  I don’t want to carry around a heavy yoke of unforgiveness, bitterness, and hatred.  I want to live free, don’t you? 

Ask the Lord right now, “Jesus, what yoke am I carrying around that I need to shake off?  Please reveal it to me, Jesus, and help me take it off.  I only want to be under YOUR yoke, which you say is easy and light.  Help me forgive those who have hurt me, Lord.  If you could help Esau forgive Jacob after all Jacob had done, you can help me forgive too.  Thank you, Jesus.  I love you!”

Don't Lose Hope -- Sarah Part 3

Sarah Part 3

Sarah had to BELIEVE the promise, RECEIVE the promise inside herself before the baby could be CONCEIVED.

Think about it, Ladies.  Sarah could have never let Abraham touch her again.  She could have shut him out.  But she believed one more time.  She received him one more time.  And this time… THIS TIME… at God’s appointed time, SHE CONCEIVED!

The Bible doesn’t say what attitude she had about it, but my sanctified imagination has two scenarios.  She might have had a lousy attitude about it.  She might have thrown up her hands and said, “Fine.  What-EVER, Abraham.  We’ll try this one more time.  It hasn’t happened for 90 freakin’ years, but if you say so, we will do this one more time.” 

But maybe, just maybe, she still had a spark of hope.  Maybe Sarah even initiated it!  “Abraham, I know this hasn’t worked for 90 years.  I know we’re both really old.  But maybe we should try one more time.  The Lord did say I would have a baby this time a year from now.  Maybe this time it will happen.”

I’d like to think that scenario is what happened.  That she had just a glimmer of hope left – just enough for her to try one more time.  Hebrews 11:11 says “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed.”  She not only needed physical strength, but I think she also needed spiritual strength to believe for the miracle!

You know Jesus said it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed!  Maybe that’s all the faith she had, but definitely that’s all she needed.

She didn’t let unforgiveness, bitterness, doubt, unbelief keep her from trying one more time. Hebrews 11:11-12 MSG says “she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said.”  It doesn’t say she believed Abraham.  He had let her down before.  But God… He had protected her in Pharaoh’s harem and Abimilech’s palace.  God kept his promises.  She could trust Him.

 Ladies, is there something in your heart that is barely hanging onto hope?  Is that hope about to flicker and blow out?  Is there something that you need to do one more time?  Maybe you don’t even have a positive attitude yet, but do you need to do it anyway?  Is there something that maybe your husband has let you down about, but you still feel God’s hand on?  Why not be like Sarah… trust the One who made the promise?

Whatever her attitude, if Sarah hadn’t consented to Abraham one more time, she would have died a bitter, barren old woman.  But she didn’t.  She received Abraham one more time, and she gave birth to laughter (Isaac means laughter)!  What joy she must have had raising Isaac!  She died a happy woman, finally full of the joy of motherhood, laughing all the way. 

So ladies, please.  Believe just one more time.  Receive just one more time.  The promise is waiting to be conceived!

Don't Lose Hope -- Sarai/Sarah Part 2

Sarai/Sarah Part 2

God’s Plans will not be thwarted

You know we love to read about Abraham, what a great father of the faith he was.  But let’s remember two times where he almost blew it!

Right after Abram and Sarai get to Canaan, there’s a famine.  To avoid dying in the famine, Abram heads down to Egypt.  Now apparently, even in her late 60’s, Sarai was a looker.  She was so beautiful, in fact, that she is taken into Pharoah’s harem!  Abram, being such a strong man of faith and courage, tells Sarai to tell everyone she’s his sister and not his wife, so that he won’t be killed.  What?!

Now forgive me, Lord, but I really want to slap Abram in the face for this one.  He willingly allows her to be taken by Pharoah to save his own skin!  Perhaps I don’t understand the cultural nuances here, but surely Sarai would have hoped that Abram would have protected her better than that!

And are there sometimes in our own relationships when our spouses don’t protect us like they should?  Our husbands are human too… they have fears, insecurities, and doubts that sometimes put us in awkward or difficult situations. 

But I love the next part.  Genesis 12:17 says “But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.”  THE LORD protected Sarai even when Abram didn’t!  Don’t you see?  God knew from the beginning of time that Abram and SARAI would be the parents of Isaac!!  That couldn’t happen if Sarai is hanging out in Egypt with the Pharaoh!

And doggone if Abram (now called Abraham) didn’t do the same stupid thing AGAIN with King Abimelech!!  Now the first time, maybe we can give Abram grace.  He’s in Egypt… he’s a stranger… he’s heard from the Lord, but not specifically, etc.  But THIS TIME, The Lord Himself appearing in a physical body has told Abraham and Sarah that Sarah will have a baby in a year’s time!!  But he gets afraid again, tells Sarah to say she’s his sister again, and Abimilech takes her into his palace.  What the heck is Abraham thinking ?? Once again God has to intervene to protect Sarah… this time telling Abimelech that he’s a dead man if he touches Sarah.  I love it!  GO GOD!!

Again, God protected Sarah when Abraham didn’t.  Ladies, don’t miss this truth.  God will protect you even when your husband can’t or won’t.  This is not a slam against our husbands.  They are human and they are doing the best they can.  But just know, that because they are not perfect, they will make mistakes.  Sometimes those mistakes can be hugely detrimental.  BUT GOD can protect you through them.  God’s plans will not be thwarted. 

God makes the promise to Sarah

As you read the Genesis account of Abram/Sarai and Abraham/Sarah, most of the emphasis is on Abram/Abraham.  He’s the one God cuts covenant with… first through the sacrificed animals, then literally in Abraham’s flesh.  He’s the one God talks to most of the time.  But as I was reading my Bible this morning, I noticed that the heading for Genesis 18 reads “A Son is Promised to Sarah.”  Hmmmm.  Well, I guess that makes sense.  We’ve already seen that Abraham can father children with other women (remember the Hagar/Ishmael incident), and further along in Genesis we read that he had six other children with another wife after Sarah passed away.  So the problem is really with Sarah, isn’t it?

Isn’t it interesting that God chose Sarah… a barren old woman to give the promise to.  She was the one he had chosen to bear the promised child.  Not just any woman.  This woman.  Sarah.  She was Abraham’s wife.  Not a concubine.  Not some random woman.  His wife. 

Could it be that the promise could only come when Sarah got on board with what God was saying?  When God finally spoke to Sarah directly, her first response was to laugh derisively.  Yeah right, God.  All that stuff you’ve been telling Abraham, it’s going to happen through me.  I don’t believe it.  But that’s exactly what God was saying.  The promise was for Sarah AND Abraham.  Not just Abraham. 

Is there a situation in your life right now where you think God has told your husband something, but you’re not on board?  Are you fighting to believe that the vision your husband has also applies to you?  You know, the Bible says that when a husband marries his wife, the two become one.  Sarah was the legitimate wife of Abraham.  He was one with her.  The vision God gave Abraham automatically affected Sarah too.  But maybe she just couldn’t believe.  Maybe she just couldn’t get on Abraham’s team.  For heaven’s sake, look how he’s treated her in the past… look at the mistakes he has made.  If it hadn’t been for God’s intervention, she’d have been lost in a harem of two different kings. 

But my Bible says that a son is promised to Sarah.  When Sarah embraces her role to play, when she receives the promise herself, that’s when the baby is conceived.  No matter what mistakes Abraham has made.  No matter what mistakes she herself has made.  God’s plan comes to pass.  And He keeps His promise.  Genesis 21:1 is a powerful verse which simply says, “The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.”

Ladies.  God keeps his word.  He doesn’t lie and He doesn’t change His mind.  What He says He will do, He does.  Maybe all he’s waiting for is for you to receive the promise.  For you to believe He will act.  For you to embrace your role in His plan.  Right now, ask the Lord, is there a promise you’re willing to fulfill, but you’re waiting on me to do my part?  Help me, Father, to get out of my own way.  To lay down any hurts, disappointments, discouragement, and unforgiveness.  Father, help me to embrace my place in your plan.  Help me to help my husband fulfill the dream you have given him.  Help me fulfill my role.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Don't Lose Hope -- Sarai/Sarah Part 1

Don’t give up hope

Has the Lord ever told you something that is so amazing, so magnificent, so life-changing that you can hardly believe it?  It’s so big and so significant you can’t even get your hopes up for it?  Maybe He has said that you won’t always have to struggle financially… that major financial breakthrough is coming!  Maybe it’s that your wayward son or daughter will return to the Lord.  Maybe it’s that your marriage or your body will be healed.  In the natural, it’s totally impossible.  Your credit score is in the single digits.  Your kid is running from the Lord so hard, the Lord will never catch him or her.  Your relationship is totally devoid of love, and your body is eaten up with cancer.  Impossible situations are not daunting to God.  Overcoming them is not a new thing for God.  In fact, that’s just when He likes to step in.

And, ladies, isn’t it annoying that our husbands don’t seem to struggle as much as we do with faith?  My husband just decides he’s going to believe God for something, and that’s that.  Me?  Nope.  I question God, I wrestle with Him, I argue with Him, I wonder when is it ever going to happen, on and on.  God’s typing SMH on his celestial cell phone right now. J

The good news is that we are in good company.  God graciously shows us many instances in the Bible when He shows up and shows out at the last minute to save the day.  But let’s focus on a few that have specifically to do with us ladies.

Sarai/Sarah -- Part 1

You know the story.  Abram and Sarai are old.  I mean OLD.  The Bible says they were beyond child-bearing age.  Yes, I think 77 YEARS OLD would be considered beyond child-bearing age.  Sarai’s so old, she’s even forgotten what hot flashes are like!  She’s so old, she thinks she has to help God make good on his promise to give them a son.

Sarah comes up with the great idea that since she’s too old to have a baby, she’ll give her maid servant Hagar to Abraham for them to make a baby, and it will be Sarah’s.  Ummmm.  What was she thinking?  Was she so desperate for a baby that she’d give away her husband to another woman?  I mean I know the culture was different back then, but really? 

Lesson #1 – Don’t give up something precious to FORCE the promise to happen

Be very careful.  In your desperation to get to your miracle, don’t do something stupid.  Don’t do something that jeopardizes your home or your integrity to get quick money. Don’t try to manipulate people or circumstances to drag your loved one back to the Lord.  You’ll end up driving them further away.  Sarai’s attempt to force the miracle gave birth to an Ishmael.  And the struggle between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac can be seen every day on CNN and Fox News.  Don’t do that!

Lesson #2 – Wait on the Lord’s perfect timing.

I know, ladies.  I can hear Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singing, “the waiting is the hardest part.”  I get it.  Especially with Sarai.  Her body ain’t gettin’ no younger.  Every morning when she wakes up she sees evidence of that.  And maybe that’s why God changed her name.  Maybe Sarai needed to start seeing herself in a different light.  God changed Abram’s name to Abraham which means father of many nations.  He didn’t have to change Sarai’s name, but He did.  Do you need to see yourself differently? Does He need to give you a new name?  Have you seen yourself as unworthy, unloved, unnecessary?  Ask Him to tell you what your new name should be.  I think He will call you Worthy, Loved, and Vital.

But back to the waiting.  No one likes to wait.  Especially under difficult circumstances.  We all want immediate answers to prayer, immediate deliverance, immediate restoration.  But sometimes God makes us wait.  For Sarah, maybe she had to wait until God cut covenant (literally) in Abraham and Ishmael.  God requires them to be circumcised before Isaac is conceived.  That speaks to consecration, doesn’t it?  Maybe the hold up with our miracle is that something is still not right in our hearts.  Maybe we have to get something right with the Lord before our miracle can take place.  Ask the Lord… am I holding something up here?  Do I have bitterness in my heart and that’s why my marriage can’t be healed?  Do have I unforgiveness in my heart and that’s why my body is sick? 

Again back to the waiting.  Sometimes we just have to know that God knows what’s best.  I’ve heard it described like this.  It’s like we are at a parade.  The parade is HUGE and stretches out as far as the eye can see.  Only we’re looking at the parade behind a wooden fence, peering through a knothole.  That’s our only perspective.  God’s got the Goodyear blimp perspective… He sees it all!  And He’s making it all come together.  So there are just times that we have to say, “Yes Lord.  You are in control.  I know you love me.  I know you know what’s best for me.  I know you are taking good care of me.  And I trust you.” As a matter of fact, why don’t you say that out loud right now.  I think it will make you feel better!

Lesson #3 – Don’t give up hope.

On His way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord told Abraham that this time next year, Sarah would have a son.  Now Sarah is hanging out in the tent.  She didn’t even go out to say hello to the visitors.  I think she’s hiding.  Don’t we do that sometimes?  We don’t even want to go to a church service where we might be encouraged?  We’re so depressed or so resigned to our negative situation, we don’t even seek out something positive?  I’ve been there! 

So when Sarah overhears the Lord say she will have a baby in a year’s time, does she jump for joy?  Full of belief for the miracle?  After all she’s waited over 20 years for the promise to come to pass.  Now it’s finally happening? 

Nope.  She laughs.  And I don’t believe it was a joyful laugh.  I believe it was a derisive laugh.  If this story were to happen today, you’d hear Sarah say, “yeah right.  It’s been so stinking long, I don’t believe it anymore.”  She had long ago given up hope for the promised baby to be born. 

Has that happened to you?  Have you given up hope?  I certainly have been in that place.  God it’s just been too long.  I tried to hold on to hope for as long as I could, but then I couldn’t do it anymore.  Just like Jack couldn’t hang onto the piece of driftwood at the end of Titanic (although I still think Rose could have moved over to make room for him!), he sinks down into the ocean to his death. 

Hopelessness is a tool of the enemy.  Hopelessness steals our joy.  It steals our excitement.  It’s the opposite of faith. 

But check out God!  He sounds genuinely surprised at Sarah’s response!  “Why did Sarah laugh?  Why did she say ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’”  From God’s perspective, if He said it would happen, then it’s going to happen!  It doesn’t matter if it takes days, weeks or years, what He says will come true will come true!  And that’s basically what He tells Abraham… “Dude!  Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

Lesson #4 – Act on faith

Now.  This part is not specifically stated in the Bible, so work with me here.  Let’s use our holy imagination just for a moment.  Sarah was 90 years old.  I’m just thinking that she probably put away her Victoria’s Secret sexy nighty a LONG time ago.  The Bible doesn’t say that she miraculously conceived without the normal conjugal relation.  So she had to take a step of faith and sleep with Abraham one more time. 

What do you have to do today to take one more step of faith?  Even though you don’t really have any hope anymore that anything will happen, what do you need to do one more time?  Do you need to make one more phone call?  Do you need to reach out one more time to your lost loved one?  Do you need to be sweet one more time to your estranged spouse?  Ask the Lord if there’s a step of faith you need to take today to move one step closer to your miracle. 

Lesson #5 – Receive the miracle

What did Sarah feel like the first time she had morning sickness?  How did her heart soar when she felt the baby move in her womb?  The Bible just skips ahead to the next year, but Sarah carried the answered prayer inside herself for 9 months!  Suddenly, her hope returned!  Suddenly, the promise she had waited on for 90 YEARS was being formed inside her own body!  Her doubt was gone when she felt that baby growing inside her! 

And that feeling, that experience will happen for you too!  Maybe you’ll get a phone call in the middle of the night, a voice saying, “Mama, I’m ready to come home.  Will you come get me?”  Maybe you’ll get a bouquet of flowers from your spouse with a card that reads, “I’m so sorry.  Will you please forgive me?”  Maybe you’ll get a check in the mail that will pay all your overdue bills and get you back on firm financial footing.  Receive the miracle that is waiting for you!

Lesson #6 – God keeps his promises

Sure enough, just like God had promised, Sarah and Abraham, who should have been ready for the nursing home, are preparing a nursery!  At 90 years old and 100 years old, they have a baby!!

Why?  Because God made a promise.  And when God makes a promise, He keeps it.  Numbers 23:17 NLT says “God is not a man, so he does not lie.  He is not human, so he does not change his mind.  Has he ever spoken and failed to act?  Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

In Sarah’s case, the Bible says, “The Lord kept His word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.  She became pregnant and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age.  This happened at just the time God had said it would.”

Check it out.  God kept his promise.  God kept His promise to Sarah, and He will keep His promise to you.  Because God hasn’t changed.  If you’ve lost hope, go back and dust off that promise that God made you.  You may have put it on a shelf, trying to forget it, but God hasn’t. 

And check out the last part.  “It happened at just the time God said it would.”  God’s promises always happen at HIS appointed time (and these do not necessarily coincide with OUR appointed time).  

So this little word of encouragement today for you is, God will keep his promise to you too.  It will happen when HE is ready, and the timing will be perfect.  Just brush off your God-given dreams.  Blow the cobwebs off the promises God has made you.  Stir up your hope again.  Know that God knows, He remembers, and He will fulfill His promise to you too!