Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Last week:
- Early signs of a rift between brothers
- Jacob took advantage of Esau for his birthright
- We will soon see that Esau wants to murder Jacob
- Family feuds are terrible things
- Example of the Prince William and Harry
- Chapter 27 - problems amongst the family - brothers and marriage
- God has purposes of grace for this family
- God’s grace despite human sinfulness
Marriage problems
- Most marriages suffer from problems time to time
- Some face problems almost continually
- Marriage is rarely without problems due to sinners living in close proximity
Lack of communication between husband and wife
- Husband and wife
- Isaac wants to bless Esau
- He has not discussed this with Rebekah
- He is ignoring God's word
- Rebekah is not prepared to confront her husband
- They have not talked it through
- Marriage is a wonderful thing
- Two persons but one flesh
- Togetherness and teamwork
- A lack of communication means that people have started to live individually
- We are not meant to be independent
- What if problems have occurred?
- Help and counseling
- Try to work it out together with forgiveness
- Ultimately - to ask God for help
Deviousness in Marriage
- Affairs occur because of devious behaviour
- Debt also
- Arguments
- Hiding things
- Relationship breakdown
- Causes sadness and mistrust
- Example in Rebekah
- She does not talk to but deceives her husband
- Is this a clever plan?
- The ends does not justify the means
- She is not trusting God
- She is not confronting her husband
- Jacob is worried but goes through with the plan
- Isaac is deceived
- The plan is successful but at great cost
- Esau wanted to murder Jacob
- Did she ever see Jacob again?
- What sorrow must have filled her heart
- How did she confess to Isaac after?
- Deviousness never pays
- It causes great grief when uncovered
- Sin never pays
- We must be open and honest
Making your children the centre of your affections
- We are to love our children
- We are not to love our children above our spouse
- We are not to favour our children
- We are not to put all our affection on one child
- Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob
- Isaac favoured Esau - v4
- Rebekah favoured Jacob
- What happens when a child leaves home - does the relationship break up if a parent lives for a child?
- We are to live for God
- The primary relationship is husband and wife
Leading family members into sin
- This is the worse thing we can do
- Rebekah suffered
- Jacob suffered
- She produced a trait that continued in his character
- This only changed at Penuel
- Our own character informs our children - examples
- Marriages go wrong when we do not parent properly
Recap of Points
- Quite negative/sad - the gospel message offers forgiveness for families
- We believe that God can restore families and work miracles
- We see this with Jacob
- We are to seek help in God
A failure to trust God
- The heart of the problem
- Isaac did not believe God's word
- When Isaac sought to bless Esau - he was trying to go against God's plan
- Rebekah does not trust God
- She tries to help out
- God's purposes were worked out - but she did not need to lie and deceive
- It can be difficult to trust
- When you see no way out of a situation
Jacob spiralling into sin
- One lie leads to another
- He even brings God into it - v20
- He uses God's name in vain
- It is his own sinful actions
- Does this not happen to us?
God's grace is greater
- It is remarkable that God blesses Jacob (v29-30)
- Jacob did not deserve this
- Grace shown to an undeserving sinner
- God does discipline him before blessings come
- He does inherit the promises (in time)
- How did Isaac by faith bless Jacob?
- He (and Rebekah) still believed in the promises of God
- God's purposes are much higher than our sinfulness
- There is grace in Jesus Christ
- He blesses us with salvation, the forgiveness of sins, with heaven
- All who believe in Him will receive His blessings
- Trust in Jesus Christ - the blessings of God will be yours
- Closing Remarks