Genesis 27:41-28:5 God’s Kingdom vision and values are foundations of true peace and prosperity

Genesis 27:41-28:5  God’s Kingdom vision and values are foundations of true peace and prosperity

So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 Now when the words of her elder son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she sent and called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice, and arise, flee to Haran, to my brother Laban! 44 Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury subsides, 45 until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?” 46 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

1 So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4 May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.” 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Background

In Esau’s eyes, Jacob’s crime is beyond pardon. No sooner had Esau discovered the ruse than he conceived intent to kill Jacob. Rebekah, being the chief conspirator would soon realise her share of the consequences. However, the primary cause for the holy family’s problems lied squarely on Isaac who could not unite the family under the Abrahamic values or vision. Isaac’s premonition of death was in fact due to his lack of spiritual vision (note that Isaac lived another 80 years after coming to his spiritual senses). For Isaac had no other purpose to live for other than food, drink and territorial dominance. As evident by the blessing planned for Esau: it is all about dominance (May peoples serve you…) and earthly abundance (an abundance of grain and new wine…), without reference to the usual wordings of Abraham’s blessing.

Nevertheless, the blunder that had Isaac trembling violently did awaken him to rediscover the true meaning of Abraham’s blessing. For what it was worth, Isaac and his wife have come to a united front concerning Jacob’s future. Even so, the damage has been done and the consequences felt for years to come. Today’s devotion teaches us that God’s Kingdom vision and values are foundations of true peace and prosperity.

Observation

“The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my Brother Jacob.”

To be brought up as the heir apparent only to have it wrestled away was too much for Esau to bear. Hence, Esau harboured a bitter grudge against his brother that eventually became murder. Rebekah again rose to the occasion by single-handedly paving an escape path for Jacob. One cannot entirely blame Rebekah for being outrightly manipulative in this instance. This experience has not taught Isaac to be proactive in uniting the family towards peace. For once again he had allowed sibling rivalry to fester into irreconcilable enmity.

Rebekah, upon realising Esau’s expressed intent to murder cooked up a plan to keep Jacob out of harm’s way. For Jacob, a powerful plea for safety and for Isaac, something of grave concern; to keep his other son from marrying the daughters of Heth. She put it colourfully, “if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” By sending Jacob back to their hometown to look for a wife, Rebekah prevented a bloodshed in the family.

May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you,… May He also give you the blessing of Abraham.

Isaac’s parting blessing for Jacob and the previous one (he planned for Esau) are like night and day. From his instructions, Isaac seemed to have regained some spirituality and familial values of Abraham: to marry within the Aramean kinsfolk. Because Isaac has failed to provide a spiritual direction concerning his sons’ marriage, he and Rebekah’s lives have been made miserable by Esau’s Canaanite wives.

In this parting occasion, Isaac worded the blessing as the very blessing of Abraham. Here, the phrases achieve a closer match with the original format of the Abrahamic promises (see Genesis 12:2-3, 7; 15:5-8). The shift accentuates the transcendental and spiritual aspects of the promise that is absent in the previous blessing: Abraham’s righteousness (see Genesis 15:6) and being a blessing to the families of the earth (see Genesis 12:3). Here, the spirit of Abraham’s blessing is evident; a far cry from the one planned for Esau. It is probable that Isaac in having the perfect closure to his life shattered have come to a sudden realisation of what the Abrahamic covenant truly meant. This change of attitude has influenced the way he worded his parting blessing. And by this act, Isaac unites with God in public recognition of Jacob as the heir of Abraham’s blessing.

Isaac’s directive to Jacob not to take a wife from the Canaanites and the format of his blessing, both point to a personal awakening and repentance. Isaac’s spiritual enlightenment has perhaps influenced Esau to receive his brother in peace when he returned to Canaan some years later.

Truth

God’s Kingdom vision and values are foundations of true peace and prosperity 

If we desire to see our church, family and company experience true peace and prosperity, they must be founded on God’s kingdom values and vision. Isaac’s family became dysfunctional because he lost his kingdom vision and values. Esau’s kingdom (Edom) could not endure because it was built upon on the egoistic desire for territorial dominance. Isaac started out by displaying sacrificial faith when he willingly gave himself as a burnt offering. But when things got comfortable, he averted his eyes from the heavenly to the earthly; he was no longer the same Isaac that laid on the altar of Abraham. Isaac loved Esau, because Esau had become to him the symbol of earthly domination and abundance. Jacob, on the other hand represented the Abrahamic vision of a spiritual kingdom. When Isaac’s spiritual vision started to blur, problems began to fester in the household. Their marital relationship broke down with both husband and wife rooting for their favourite son. And that precipitated into irremediable sibling rivalry. But when Isaac came to his spiritual senses, peace is restored to their marital relationship and they stood united concerning Jacob’s future. Perhaps, Isaac’s repentance also contributed to Esau’s change of heart towards Jacob years later.

Why is it so hard for man to acquire God’s kingdom vision and values? Man, by his natural instincts is selfish, possessive and controlling. He is bound by the lust of the eyes, of the flesh and the pride of life. His relentless pursuit of earthly dominance and pleasures attests to his fallen nature. Unless, man’s heart is regenerated by the Spirit, his life will continue in the direction of rivalry and destruction. Isaac’s antiblessing aptly described Esau, “By your sword you shall live.” And as we know it, Edom (Esau’s descendants) was destroyed in the 6th century BC by Babylon and Israel (Jacob’s descendants) was restored as a sovereign state in 1948.

Abraham’s blessing is never about egoistic earthly domination but about bringing the heavenly kingdom to the earth. Now, the values of the heavenly kingdom are justice, mercy and righteousness. For this to materialise, Christ has to reign as Saviour and King over the earth. For this reason, Christ died and resurrected so that the Spirit may reign and regenerate humanity towards justice, mercy and righteousness. Unless a family or a nation is founded in Christ, there is no real peace or prosperity, but chaos and confusion will fester. Unless we adopt the vision and values of the kingdom in our families and organisations, we will live by the sword and perish like Edom. Organisations will do well if they exist not to serve money but to serve the wellbeing of the community. Churches will do well if they serve to prosper the work of the gospel as opposed to prospering their own ministries or ministers. When God’s kingdom values and vision are in place, the community will prosper and there will be revival.

How can we inculcate the values and vision of the heavenly kingdom into our family and organisation? Here are some suggestions:

• Parents must be exemplary by prioritising the kingdom’s work above their personal affairs. By this, their children will learn to put the interests of others before theirs. And they will also learn the importance of fulfilling God’s dreams before their own.
• Rank attitude as higher than capability and results. Reward and render praise to those who display diligence, excellence and teachability.
• Do not hire for skill, but for attitude.
• During meetings, give credence not to form or presentation but to honesty, substance and effectiveness.
• Do not entertain the notion of chemistry in the workplace. All working relationships must be evaluated on the basis of truth and integrity. And everyone must be treated equally regardless of their age and background.
• The goal of every member is to promote a platform of common good so that all may benefit.
• Do not be beholden to man but be dependent on God to accomplish the goals.

Application

Are you building your family, church or company on the foundations of God’s kingdom vision and values? One can clearly tell from the way members interact with one another. Impenetrable cliques, rivalries, frequent quarrels and undercurrents are hallmarks of a dysfunctional community. On the other hand, altruism, righteousness, inclusiveness, and teamwork are the features of a prospering community. How do you rate your family, church and company? Are you engaged in subtle or bitter rivalry in your company? Perhaps, it is time to come to our spiritual senses and strip ourselves of the strife that robs us of our peace.

Dear Lord, create within me the tenacity to stand for what is good. Imbue within me kindness to bring out the best in people. Use me to unite the community towards the vision of making the world a better place. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.