Genesis 27
Rebekah overhears Isaac’s conversation with Esauverses 1-5
And it came to pass – that when Isaac was old – and his eyes were DIM
so that he could not see – he called Esau his eldest son
and said to him – My son
and he said to him – BEHOLD here am I
And he said
BEHOLD now – I am old – I know not the day of my death
now therefore take – I pray you – your weapons
quiver – bow – and go to the field
and take me some venison
and make me savory food – such as I love
and bring it to me – that I may eat
that my soul may BLESS you before I die
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son
and Esau went to the field to hunt for venison – and to bring it
Rebekah schemes with Jacobverses 6-17
And Rebekah spoke to Jacob – her son – saying
BEHOLD – I heard your father speak unto Esau
your brother saying
Bring me venison – and make me savory food
that I may eat – and BLESS you before the LORD
before my death
Now therefore – my son – obey my voice according to that which
I command you
Go now to the flock – and fetch me from there two good kids of the
goats and I will make them savory food for your father
such as he loves – and you shall bring it to your father
that he may eat – and that he may BLESS
you before his death
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother
BEHOLD – Esau my brother is a hairy man
and I am a smooth man
My father perhaps will feel me
and I shall seem to him as a deceiver
and I shall bring a CURSE on me
and not a BLESSING
And his mother said to him
Upon me be your CURSE – my son
only obey my voice and go fetch me them
And he went – and fetched – and brought them to his mother
and his mother made savory meat – such as his father loved
And Rebekah took the choicest raiment of her eldest son Esau
which were with her in the house
and put them upon Jacob – her youngest son
and she put the skins of the kids of the goats
on his hands – and upon the smooth of his neck
and she gave the savory food and the bread
which she had prepared
into the hand of her son Jacob
Jacob deceives his fatherverses 18-22
And he came unto his father – and said – My father
and he said – Here am I
Who are you – my son?
And Jacob said unto his father
I am Esau – your first-born
I have done according as you bid me
arise – I pray you – sit and eat of my venison
that your soul may BLESS me
And Isaac said to his son
How is it that you have found it so quickly – my son?
And he said
BECAUSE the LORD your God brought it to me
And Isaac said unto Jacob
Come near – I pray you – that I may feel you – my son
whether you be my very son Esau or not
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
Jacob receives Esau’s blessingverses 23-29
And he discerned him not – BECAUSE his hands were hairy
as his brother Esau’s hands – SO he BLESSED him
And he said
Are you my very son Esau?
And he said
I am
And he said – Bring it near to me
and I will eat of my son’s venison
that my soul may BLESS you
And he brought it near to him – and he did eat
and he brought him wine – and he drank
And his father – Isaac said to him
Come near now and kiss me – my son
And he came near – and kissed him
and he smelled the smell of his raiment – and BLESSED him
and said
See – the smell of my son is as the smell of a field
which the LORD has BLESSED
THEREFORE God give you of the dew of heaven
and the fatness of the earth – and plenty of grain and wine
let people serve you – and nations bow down to you
be lord over your brethren
and let your mother’s sons bow down to you
cursed be everyone that curses you
and blessed be he that blesses you
Esau returns from the huntverses 30-33
And it came to pass – as soon as Isaac had finished BLESSING Jacob
and Jacob was yet scarcely gone out from the
presence of Isaac his father
that Esau his brother came in from his hunting
And he also had made savory meat – and brought it to his father
and said to his father
Let my father arise – and eat of his son’s venison
that your soul may BLESS me
And Isaac his father said to him
Who are you?
And he said
I am your son – thy first-born Esau
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly and said
Who? where is he that has taken venison – and brought it me
and I have eaten of all before you came
and have BLESSED him?
yea – and he shall be BLESSED
Esau wants a blessingverses 34-40
And when Esau heard the words of his father
he cried with a great and exceedingly bitter cry
and said unto his father
BLESS me – even me also – O my father
And he said
Your brother came with SUBTILETY
and has taken away your BLESSING
And he said – Is not he rightly named Jacob?
FOR he has SUPPLANTED me these two times
he took away my BIRTHRIGHT – and BEHOLD
now he has taken away my BLESSING
And he said
Have you not reserved a BLESSING for me?
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau
BEHOLD – I have made him your lord
and all his brethren have I given to him for servants
and with corn and wine have I sustained him
and what shall I do now to you – my son?
And Esau said unto his father
Have you but one BLESSING my father?
BLESS me – even me also – O my father
and Esau lifted up his voice and wept
And Isaac his father answered and said to him
BEHOLD – your dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth
and of the dew of heaven from above
And by your sword shall you live – and shall serve your brother
and it shall come to pass when you shall have the dominion
that you shall break his yoke from off your neck
Esau wants revenge on Jacobverses 41-46
And Esau HATED Jacob BECAUSE of the BLESSING
with which 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 to him
BEHOLD – your brother Esau – as touching you
does comfort himself – purposing to KILL you
Now therefore – my son – obey my voice
and arise – flee you to Laban my brother to Haran
and tarry with him a few days
until your brother’s fury turn away
until your brother’s anger turn away from you
and he forget that which you hast done to him
then I will send and fetch you from there
why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
And Rebekah said to Isaac
I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth
IF Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth
such as these who are of the daughters of the land
what good shall my life do me?
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be your curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. (7045 “curse” [qalalah] means vilification, execration, or imprecation)
DEVOTION: Here we have a mother telling her son to trick his father into giving him a blessing. It sounds strange to us but in this culture the oldest son received the most from the father when he died.
Jacob had already tricked Esau out of his birthright but that wasn’t enough for Rebekah. She wanted it all for her son. The LORD told her before the birth of Jacob that he was going to be blessed and be served by his brother but that wasn’t enough for her. She wanted to make sure that the LORD could do what HE said. She had her doubts concerning the LORD doing what HE said. She wanted to help HIM.
This was wrong. Jacob thought it was wrong but he still wanted to please his mother. Is it wrong to please your mother? Not most of the time but on this occasion it was wrong. Jacob had to tell many lies in order for Isaac to believe him. He had to dress in his brother’s clothes to deceive him. He had to have animal skin on different parts of his body to deceive his father.
Parents can sometime be demanding but this is one parent trying to deceive another parent because one had a favorite that they wanted to be honored more than the one they didn’t like as much.
We know that parents are not to have favorites but to treat each child as a blessing from the LORD. We are to give each child love and provision. We are to help each child mature in the LORD. These are proper attitudes of parents toward all of the children.
Now we have to deal with the difference between a blessing and a curse. If the father cursed the son he go no inheritance and was cast out of the household. Jacob was afraid of that happening but his mother didn’t care. She volunteered to take the curse.
We find in the New Testament that the Jews at the crucifixion volunteered their children to be cursed in order for Jesus to be crucified. They didn’t seem to care that the future of their children were in jeopardy spiritually. This is a wrong attitude toward the future of our children.
CHALLENGE: We should encourage our children to honor both their mother and father. We should make sure that we train them properly to respect their parents. Lying is always a sin.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 29 Let people serve you, and nations bow down to you; be lord over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you: cursed be every one that curses you, and blessed be he that blesses you. (5647 “serve” [‘abad] means to till, to toil, work, to accomplish, to labor, to servitude, or to serve as subjects)
DEVOTION: The Old Testament was a different culture from what we are used to today. The older son received the best blessing and all the sons after him received a lesser blessing.
Here we see that the older son would have been blessed with many children to go out and start new nations. They would cause their father – grandfather- great grandfather to receive a blessing from their future generation.
Also the younger brothers had to serve the older brothers. So this put the older brother in charge of the possessions of the father right away after his death. So the older brother could dictate what would happen to the possessions in the future.
Finally, Isaac told Jacob that if anyone cursed him the curse would go back on the person making the curse. He would be cast out of the family. But the ones who blessed him would receive future blessing from the older brother.
Today it is different. There usually is an equal division of possessions between all of the children including both the male and female children. This is the way it works in our culture when all things are even.
I have heard that some Christian parents will only give their possessions to Christian children. This causes some problems for the family in the future after the parents are dead.
We have to look to the LORD for what we should do with our possessions after we die. There should be a way to help the family stay together without hard feelings after a funeral of a parent.
Prayer is the answer to parents if they want to treat each child with the same amount of inheritance when they die.
CHALLENGE: Guidance from the LORD will help plan your estate after death.
:39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. (4924 “fatness” [mashman] means 1 fatness, fat piece, fertile place, richly prepared food. 1a fat, fatness, fat pieces. 1b oil, olive oil. 2 fatness. 2a stout, vigorous. 2b fertile spots or places. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship].)
DEVOTION: Who doesn’t like to be blessed? In my many years of sharing God’s blessings with people, I have yet to have anyone tell me not to bless them in the name of God. It is as if a blessing from someone else were a lucky charm that would help people ward off evil in their lives. Even if things don’t work out as well as we wish they would for us, we still wish in power of a blessing.
Esau was the same way. He had willing sold his birthright to his brother, and yet somehow thought that his father would give him the blessing of the elder son. Why did he think this? Was it because there was constant sibling rivalry between him and his twin brother? In any case, the two brothers had managed to split their parents up but Isaac favoring Esau and Rebekah favoring Jacob. So, the great deception starts with Rebekah dressing Jacob in Esau’s clothes and preparing his father’s favorite dish in order to outwit Esau at getting Isaac’s blessing before he dies.
It is somewhat surprising that Jacob had no conscience about his complicity in this deception. He was willing to lie in order to get his brother’s blessing. Later, when Esau does finally show up, Isaac lets him know that Jacob had already stolen his blessing. He is left with a blessing that mimics that of Cain. Many versions translate this verse as “away from the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling.” This is more consistent with the context, given that Esau was by nature a hunter and herdsman (like Cain), while Jacob was not (like Abel). Yet Isaac promises that Esau will continue to be able to break Jacob’s supremacy whenever Jacob gets too high-handed.
CHALLENGE: Are you counting on fatness of the land to be your blessing in this life? If so, realize that the real blessing that you and I are to live for is the eternal blessing in heaven. (MW)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 41 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. (7852 “hated” [satam] means oppose, bear a grudge, retain animosity against, harbor animosity, revile, cherish animosity, or assail)
DEVOTION: Hate is not a word we should use toward members of our family. This is a word that is used often by those who don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior but for those of us who love the LORD that should not come into our vocabulary.
Here we find that Jacob had taken the blessing of Isaac from Esau. This is something that is important in the culture. Jacob had already taken the birthright from his brother so he was going to receive a double portion of the estate of his father.
The blessing was very important as well. Jacob stole it from Esau through trickery. He had the help of his mother. They worked together to deceive the father.
Now we find that Esau wanted to kill his brother. That would end the problem because then he would be available to take possession of all the property his father had left.
What was his plan? He was going to kill his brother after the death of the father. So Rebekah sent her younger son away to protect him from being murdered by his older brother by a few minutes.
She didn’t know that she would never see Jacob again. It happened that the few days that she sent him away for was really over fourteen years. It was a real sacrifice on her part to save her son.
It would have been better to wait on the LORD for the blessing to come to Jacob from the LORD rather than through her trickery. We sometimes run ahead of the LORD in our actions. Most of the time, our trickery ends up just like this incident with bad consequences.
We will never know how the LORD would have worked out the details. HE did know that Rebekah was going to use this method before she did it. God knows what is going to happen before it happens.
If we look at this incident, we see that Jacob was out of the presence of his father just moments before Esau came into his father’s presence. Could this be the LORD’S timing? Does God every condone sin as a method to get his will completed?
God never causes anyone to sin. HE never tempts anyone to sin. HE is holy and wants us to be holy in our actions. We can never say the “LORD made me do it” if it is spoken in relationship to sin.
CHALLENGE: What Jacob did was sin. We need to know if our actions are sinful before we put them into practice, so that, we don’t put them into practice.
: 46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? (6973 “weary” [quwts] means to be disgusted or anxious, be distressed, be grieved, vex, or loathe)
DEVOTION: The fifth commandment is the only one with a promise. The commandment tells children to HONOR their parents. In this chapter we have Rebekah telling Jacob to “obey” her voice. Here we have a mother telling her son to lie to his father. Our children to obey their parents when they tell them to do things that are against the Word of God? NO!! In the New Testament there are the words given “in the LORD.” Children are to honor and obey their parents in the LORD.
This verse records the lie of Rebekah to Isaac. The real reason for her wanting Jacob to go to her brother’s house was to protect him from being murdered by his brother, Esau, because of the deception he had done to receive the blessing of his father. Divided parents cause all kinds of problems for their children. This chapter is an example of a mother and father loving one son over the other.
Esau was the eldest and should have had the birthright and the blessing. He gave the birthright away for some food. In this chapter we see what happens with the blessing. Isaac wanted to bless Esau before he died. Rebekah thought that Jacob should receive the blessing. She worked with Jacob to steal Esau’s blessing.
Jacob didn’t want to do it but his mother told him too. Jacob’s name means to supplant. Esau was angry enough to kill Jacob. Rebekah wanted to protect her son and so wanted to send him away to her brother until Esau calmed down.
Her idea was to tell Isaac that she didn’t want Jacob to marry one of the women of the land they were in. Rebekah thought that if Jacob had married a daughter of her neighbors, she had wasted her life. It made her disgusted. Parents only want the best for their children.
Christian parents only want their children to marry Christians. We need to be praying from the before the birth of our child until they marry that they marry someone who loves the LORD. Are we praying right now for our children and grandchildren to marry right?
As a parent we need to teach principles that honor the LORD. If we teach principles that honor the LORD, we will not ask our children to lie. The wife/husband will not ask their children to lie to their wife/husband. This is a sin. It is teaching their children that it is alright to lie when it is convenient.
CHALLENGE: Don’t teach your children to lie, even about whether you are home when someone calls that you do not want to talk to. Teach your children to be HONEST in their conversations.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 7, 20, 27
God (Elohim)verses 20, 28
LORD your Godverse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels(Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Isaacverses 1-4, 18-46
Wanted last meal of venison from Esau
Wanted to bless Esau after meal
Tested to make sure it was Esau
Blessed Jacob with eldest blessing
Esauverses 1, 5, 11, 15, 19, 30-41, 45
Went out to hunt for deer
Hairy man
Brought venison
Exceeding bitter cry
Hated Jacob
Wanted to slay Jacob
Rebekahverses 5-17, 42-46
Told Jacob to obey her voice
Wanted Jacob to receive first born blessing
Said she would accept curse
Sent Jacob to her brother Laban
Jacobverses 6-12, 17-30, 35-40
Smooth man
Lied to father
Came to father with subtilty
Supplanted
Took away Esau’s blessing
Made lord over Esau
Jacob gives second blessing to Esau
Live by the sword
Serve brother
Labanverse 43
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Deceiververse 12
Curseverses 12, 13
Two lies of Jacobverse 19
Third lie of Jacobverse 20
Fourth lie of Jacobverse 24
Hatedverse 41
Slayverse 41
Killverse 42
Angerverse 45
Rebekah’s lie to Isaacverse 46
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Blessingverses 4, 12
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Deathverses 2, 4
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QUOTES regarding passage
Here the word translated “curse” is qĕlālâ (cp. 8:21; 12:3), which is often paired with blessing (bĕrākâ; Deut 11:26, 29; 30:1 19; Josh 8:34). That God may transform a curse into a blessing is known (Deut 23:5; Neh 13:2), but not the reverse. Jacob himself admits the obvious irony should the conspiracy fall through. Rebekah, however, vows to suffer the curse in his place should it occur, showing the extent to which she would go. Jewish tradition that strives to justify Jacob’s actions especially attributes blame to Rebekah (Gen. Rab. 67.15). For the remainder of the verse, see our comments at v. 8. (Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 429). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Whilst Esau was away hunting, she told Jacob to take his father a dish, which she would prepare from two kids according to his taste; and, having introduced himself as Esau, to ask for the blessing “before Jehovah.” Jacob’s objection, that the father would know him by his smooth skin, and so, instead of blessing him, might pronounce a curse upon him as a mocker, i.e., one who was trifling with his blind father, she silenced by saying, that she would take the curse upon herself. She evidently relied upon the word of promise, and thought that she ought to do her part to secure its fulfilment by directing the father’s blessing to Jacob; and to this end she thought any means allowable. Consequently, she was so assured of the success of her stratagem as to have no fear of the possibility of a curse. (Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 176). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.)
27:13 Your curse be on me. With his mother accepting full responsibility for the scheme and bearing the curse should it occur, Jacob acquiesced and followed Rebekah’s instructions.
(MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Rebekah had been told by God that Jacob would receive God’s blessing, yet she schemed and plotted to make sure that Esau was left out. Instead of going to God in prayer as she had years before, she depended on her own plans, a practice that would be characteristic of Jacob in later years. Rebekah paid dearly for her sin: she never saw her son again (see vv. 43–45). Esau deliberately acted to hurt her; and her bad example before Jacob cost him twenty years of trial.
(Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
27:5–17. Scene 2 (Rebekah and Jacob)—Rebekah sent Jacob into action to stop Isaac. Rebekah seemed certain she could duplicate the taste of meat from wild game with goat’s meat (v. 9). But Jacob was not so sure he could deceive his father. After all, Jacob said, if Isaac touched him, Isaac would know the difference between Esau’s hairy skin and Jacob’s smooth skin. Jacob had no guilt—only fear—regarding the plan. But the blessing was in danger and all must be risked, including even the possibility of a curse on Rebekah (vv. 12–13). So Jacob did as his mother told him. Rebekah even had Jacob put on some of Esau’s best clothes! (Ross, A. P. (1985). Genesis. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 72). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Vowing (vv. 11–17). Jacob’s concern wasn’t “Is it right?” but “Is it safe?” He was worried about the eleventh commandment: “Thou shalt not get caught.” But Rebekah planned to use the skins of the goats as well as the meat and make smooth-skinned Jacob feel like hairy-skinned Esau. She also dressed Jacob in Esau’s garments so he would smell like his outdoorsman brother. “My son, let the curse fall on me” was her word of encouragement to Jacob (v. 13), but little did she know what she was saying. For after Jacob left for Haran, she never saw her favorite son again.
Isaac’s philosophy was “If it feels good, it is good”; but Rebekah’s philosophy was “The end justifies the means.” She couldn’t trust God to fulfill His plan; she had to help God out because it was for a good cause. But there’s no place for deception in the life of the believer; for Satan is the deceiver (2 Cor. 11:3), but Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6). “Blessed is the man … in whose spirit is no deceit” (Ps. 32:2). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Be authentic (pp. 27–28). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub)
27:13 Your curse be on me. With his mother accepting full responsibility for the scheme and bearing the curse should it occur, Jacob acquiesced and followed Rebekah’s instructions. (27:13 Your curse be on me. With his mother accepting full responsibility for the scheme and bearing the curse should it occur, Jacob acquiesced and followed Rebekah’s instructions. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ge 27:13). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 13. And his mother said unto him, upon me be thy curse, my son, &c.] That is, if thy father should curse thee, which I am well assured he will not, let the curse, be what it will, fall upon me, and not on thee; I’ll bear the blame and the punishment: this she said in the strong faith of the divine oracle, being fully persuaded her scheme would succeed, and that Jacob would have the blessing, and therefore she feared no curse falling upon her or her son; and this she said to encourage him: the Targum of Onkelos is, “to me it has been said in prophecy, that the curses shall not come upon thee, my son:” only obey my voice, and go fetch me them; the two fat kids of the goats from the flock. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 185). London: Mathews and Leigh)
First, our attention is drawn to his fear. He feared that he might be found out in the very act of pretending to be Esau and thus bring down a curse rather than a blessing on his head. “I am a smooth man,” he said. He surely was! “I shall seem to him as a deceiver,” he objected. It did not bother Jacob that he would be a deceiver if he did what his mother suggested. He did not want to seem a deceiver. He wanted to keep up appearances even while practicing deliberate fraud. He deceived himself long before he set out to deceive his father. (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary (Ge 27:11–27). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE by Os Guinness
The global era demands that leaders think globally, multi-causally, and holistically, and respect the entire ecology of human ideas, values and institutions, nations, and the earth itself. (p.116)
… I would put forward three different but separately powerful trends that in the case of the United States are causing the cultural damage. (p.116)
The first trend is the deliberate and systematic rejection of the foundational place of the Jewish and Christian roots of American society. (p. 117)
Unquestionably, only a century later the “completed revolution” has taken place. Neither the Christian faith nor any other religion or ideology holds that position in America now. And today’s conditions of ever-expanding diversity, now including an absurd and bewildering range of possible sexual identities, have also seen a fateful loosening of any point of genuine unity. The original American motto has been knocked off its balance, so that the unum has been downplayed and the pluribus has run riot. Americans have even squandered the genius of their traditional understanding of religious freedom and its significance for knowing how to live with the deepest differences. (p.119)
The present state of affairs may be captured in three facts:
First, the former Jewish and Christian covenantal agreements that were the center of American life have been assaulted and have collapsed. The covenant is broken.
Second, no other set of ideas has so far succeeded in replacing these foundational beliefs, so America is presently decentered, centerless, unbonded, or unglued and in the throes of a culture war to decide which beliefs and values will be the supreme authority and point of unity in the culture.
Third, as the culture was has deepened, the rivalry to replace the former Jewish and Christian center has heated up, and in the process has damaged other parts of the American heritage. There is therefore not only no center but no civil way to establish one, for America has severely discounted its heritage of religious freedom – and its genius for making it possible for a society with diverse faiths to live with its deepest differences. (p. 120)
And the historians Will and Ariel Durant seconded the motion. “There is no significant example in history, before our time, of any society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion.” (p. 121)
The original decree is found, and permission is given to complete the temple restoration.
INSIGHT
It is often darkest before the dawn. Just as it looks as if the work on the temple is going to be stopped, the Lord turns the situation around. Not only is permission given to complete the temple, but those who had tried to stop the work are required to finance the remainder of the restoration! Worrying does little to further the work of God; He is quite capable of accomplishing His work. Our work is trust, obedience, and faithfulness to our responsibilities. (QuietWalk)
AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT TEACHING
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Matthew 6:31
The gospel seems to come as a challenge to us and as a condemnation of what we have habitually believed. Our Lord puts it like this. He says in Matthew 6:31, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” And then in verse 32, “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.” Now we must remember that He was preaching to Jews, to people who had received their Old Testament Scriptures, who regarded themselves as the people of God, and who were concerned about God and about righteousness. And the division of the ancient world to them, was, of course, Jews and Gentiles–those who had received this religion and those who had not.
And that is an equally appropriate classification in our day and age and generation. “The Gentiles” are those who do not know the revelation; they are people who trust to their own thoughts and their own ideas, who live as if God has never been pleased to reveal anything at all concerning Himself. So the division is as appropriate now as it ever has been; and the point I am making is that our Lord emphasizes the great fact that what He teaches is altogether different from everything that has ever been thought by man or conjured up in man’s mind or imagination.
This, again, is a very important preliminary point that we must never lose sight of. The Christian position, the Christian way of life, is not only slightly different from every other…it is essentially different; it is something that stands out alone and unique and apart.
A Thought to Ponder: The Christian position stands out alone and unique and apart.
(From The Kingdom of God, pp. 28-29, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Meditation
“Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.” (Psalm 119:27)
The remarkable 119th Psalm, with its 22 eight-verse stanzas, is the unique “song of the word,” containing 176 testimonies or prayers concerning God’s Word—one for each verse. Eight times the word “meditate” or “meditation” is used, indicating the importance of this practice in relation to the Scriptures. In our text, this word is translated “talk,” but its basic thrust is to exhort us to meditate on the wonderful works of God, once we understand the way of His precepts.
The other seven references to meditation in this psalm are as follows: “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways” (v. 15). “Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes” (v. 23). “My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes” (v. 48). “Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts” (v. 78). “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (v. 97). “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation” (v. 99). “Mine eyes prevent [i.e., anticipate] the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word” (v. 148).
There is, of course, a counterfeit form of meditation (e.g., so-called transcendental meditation and other forms of mysticism), not to mention useless daydreaming. These forms of meditation involve clearing one’s mind of all subjects and allowing the mind to wander. In contrast, true meditation involves pondering with awe and thankfulness God’s wonderful Word, His ways, and His works—in connection with prayer and the study of the Holy Scriptures. As an exercise of the mind as well as of the spirit, it is of great blessing and most pleasing to God.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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