Stephen Whitehouse – From Jacob to Israel – Class 2 – The Stolen Face

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Well, good morning, brothers and
sisters, young people, Good

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morning.
Yes, that sounds like Tuesday.

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So yesterday we looked at two
faces and two paths.

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We saw Jacob’s desire for the
birthright that Esau despised.

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And Esau, at the end of our
class yesterday, we saw that not

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only was he just a foe, but he
was Jacob’s refining fire, the

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catalyst for his transformation.
And we reflected for a moment,

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we all have our own Esau’s in
our lives, and they are there

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providentially.
God has placed them in our lives

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in order that we too can become
Israel.

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But today we’re going to look at
Genesis chapter 27.

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So we open up our scriptures now
to chapter 27.

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And we see here that Isaac’s
vision is dim, and we need to

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brace ourselves for Jacob’s bold
move for the blessing.

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And as we go through our morning
class, I’d like us all to ask

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ourselves a very personal
question.

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Do we act as if God is in
control?

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And I’ll repeat that question.
I’d like us to reflect upon that

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as we go through the lessons
this morning.

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Ask yourselves the question, do
you act as if God is in control

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of your life?
So Genesis chapter 27 then, and

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we’ll commence right to the
beginning, verse 1.

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So this is the day of the
blessing.

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We’ve already considered the
birthright, and it came to pass.

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When Isaac was old and his eyes
were dim so that he could not

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see, he called Esau his eldest
son, and said unto him, My son.

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And he said unto him, Behold,
here am I.

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And he said, Behold, now I am
old.

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I know not the day of my death.
Now therefore take, I pray thee,

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thy weapons, thy quiver, and thy
bow, and go out to the field,

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and take me some venison, and
make me savoury meat such as I

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love, and bring it to me that I
may eat, that my soul may bless

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thee before I die.
And Rebecca heard when Isaac

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spoke to Esau his son, and Esau
went to the field to hunt for

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venison and to bring it.
So just notice then a number of

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things here in those verses.
So the first thing then Isaac

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commands Esau to do is to go and
get the venison.

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You may have the certainly the
new King James Version says hunt

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game for me.
Now remember in chapter 25 and

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verse 28 we read that Esau loved
venison and we’ve already

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considered that Esau was a a
cunning hunter.

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Now just reflect for a moment,
Venison is a rather strange

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animal isn’t it?
To use before a blessing was

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granted, Isaac is telling Esau,
go out and do what you do best

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and do the very thing that I
love.

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I want you to go out and be the
hunter again.

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But in these opening verses here
in chapter 27, when we think

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about the faithfulness of Isaac,
there is no mention, is there,

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of the covenant name, which is
rather strange, isn’t it?

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It’s it’s rather mystifying that
a covenant is about to be made,

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a blessing is about to be
granted, yet there is no mention

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of Yahweh.
And notice also that later in

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the law you can put in your
margin there concerning the

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venison.
You can put in quickly Leviticus

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17 verses 13 and 14.
That’s a very helpful cross

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reference because I believe the
law picks up this occasion later

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under the writings of Moses and
tells us that any wild animal

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that was haunted needed to be
prepared in a special way.

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In fact, it needs to be brought
back to the altar.

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The the blood of that animal
needed to be poured upon the

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altar and it needed to be
covered in dust.

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And so all these things were
stipulated in the law in

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Leviticus 17.
But again, there is no mention

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of any of these details with
Isaac.

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Now, perhaps we, we look at that
and we see that his eyes are dim

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and we make a, a, a metaphorical
conclusion to those words and

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say that this is a time of his
spiritual dimness.

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And we’ll leave that to you and
I.

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I’m going to reveal the reality
of this chapter a little later

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on in the week, God willing.
But perhaps that’s what we

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think.
But it’s certainly difficult to

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comprehend, isn’t it?
It’s very difficult to

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comprehend Isaac will make a
covenant with a deer.

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There’s no mention of a deer
under the law.

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It was not one of the animals of
God specified.

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Yet Isaac makes a covenant with
a deer.

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Meanwhile, as you can see here,
Rebecca gets everything right

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and see what she’s doing here.
She is the driving force.

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And I believe, as I mentioned
yesterday when God revealed to

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her that the elder shall serve
the younger.

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I believe now we see the driving
force behind that in what she

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was doing and how she was
pushing, pushing Jacob.

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So, so notice first night she,
she tells Jacob to go to the

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flock to the goats.
She knows that God will accept

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the goat.
Also notice verse 15.

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This is an interesting phrase
there.

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Notice it says there that she,
she gets Esau’s goodly garment.

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See that in verse 15.
And that goodly garment is

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picked up in the Hebrew in
Exodus chapter 28, verse 2 and

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verse 4.
And it is the high priest’s

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garment.
So this is the the priestly

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garment that was supposed to be
Esau’s as the right of the first

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born that we mentioned
yesterday.

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And I would suggest it’s
probably never been worn before.

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And she brings out this garment
for Jacob to wear and then

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notice three times she is the
driving force in chapter 27.

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Look verse 8, the phrase obey my
voice.

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Verse 13, obey my voice.
Verse 43, obey my voice.

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And Jacob did just that.
She, he, she, she, she told

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Jacob what to do, and he obeyed
the voice of his mother.

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And notice also how she
disguises him.

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Jacob’s hands are covered with
goat skins, He wears Esau’s

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garments, and he takes in
savoury meat, the meat that

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Isaac the father loved from
Esau.

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But Jacob played along.
And I want you to notice this

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because this has a huge bearing
later on in our story this week.

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He openly lies.
Let’s just notice these words

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here, verses 18 and 19, first of
all.

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And and he came unto his father,
that was Jacob, and said, my

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father.
And he said, Here am I, Who art

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thou, my son?
And Jacob said unto his father,

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I want you to notice this.
It’s worth underlining because

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this has significance in the
later story.

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I am Esau, thy first born.
I have done according as thou

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obeyedest me.
Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat

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of my venison, that thy soul may
bless thee.

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And notice again verse 24.
Twice he does this.

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And he said, Art thou my very
son Esau?

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And he said, I am.
So for emphasis here he lies

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twice.
Now isn’t it interesting that a

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day would come in the life of
Jacob when his own sons would

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deceive him with the blood of a
kid of a goat?

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So a lesson emerges right away.
The deceiver becomes deceived.

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We need to remember that in our
own lives, brothers and sisters,

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lies and deceits, they will
catch us out.

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The father will catch us out.
The deceiver will be deceived.

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And Jacob, His life will become
miserable over Joseph because he

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was deceived later by his sons.
Now when we get into the drama

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of this chapter, we can clearly
see that Jacob was afraid.

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And notice these words in verse
22.

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Isaac detects his voice
immediately.

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Notice that phrase there, verse
22.

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The voice is Jacob’s voice, but
the hands are the hands of Esau

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and Jacob as he lied, as his
father questioned, as he sees

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the curiosity on his father’s
face.

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Jacob knew what he was doing was
not right, and it was going to

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shape this incident was going to
shape this man’s life.

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He knew what he was doing was
not right and we should reflect

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upon this.
Shouldn’t we do?

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Do we push for things in our own
lives without giving God

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sufficient time?
Divine patience over human

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haste.
How many of us, brothers and

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sisters, have important
decisions in our lives or have

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had important decisions in our
lives?

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And we’ve prayed, Of course, all
of us would pray about those

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decisions.
And then we rush into the

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decision and we make it without
giving God time to make the path

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clear in your life and in mine.
And God was with Jacob.

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And we’re going to see that
point resoundingly clear today.

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He did not need to rush the hand
of his God.

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He didn’t.
And neither do we, brothers and

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sisters, We really do.
If we’re going to be men and

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women of faith, we really need
to place our trust in God’s

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hands and let Him show us the
way.

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And we can tell whether we are
like that when we reflect upon

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the decisions that we do make
and whether we do trust those

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decisions with our Heavenly
Father.

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But what’s fascinating about
this is that although Isaac

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could detect a different voice,
the big giveaway was not the

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voice.
It was Isaac listening carefully

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with his eyes dim.
So he’s his listening powers

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that day were acute.
It was the words that nearly

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gave Jacob away.
Look at these words here, verse

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20.
So the question is, how did you

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get the food so quickly?
Esau and the reply from Jacob,

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verse 20.
Because Yahweh thy God brought

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it to me.
Interesting isn’t it, that that

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Isaac never mentions Yahweh,
never uses the covenant title of

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God in the establishment of this
covenant and this blessing with

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his Son.
And now suddenly this supposed

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Esau refers to Yahweh.
And suddenly the curiosity now

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is aroused in the Father, and he
says, come close, let me feel

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you.
Let me smell you.

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And the reason why Isaac knew
this, because he knew his son.

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And although he loved his son
and loved the venison, and he

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knew that his son was this, this
cunning hunter, he knew.

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There’s not one mention in
Scripture where Esau uses the

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covenant name of God.
This is the type of man we have

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before us.
And so then the suspicion here

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was high, but the sun comes
close.

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He touches the hands, he feels
the garment, he smells him,

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tastes of the food, and he’s
convinced that this is Esau.

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And then he blesses him.
So I’d like us now to look at

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this blessing.
It’s there in verse 28 of

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chapter 27.
This is important.

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So he came near and kissed him,
and smelt the smell of the

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raiment, and blessed him, and
said, See, the smell of my son

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is as the smell of a field,
which Yahweh hath blessed.

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Therefore God give thee of the
dew of the heaven, and the

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fatness of the earth, and plenty
of corn and wine.

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Let people serve thee, and
nations bow down to thee, and be

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Lord over thy brethren, and let
thy mother son bow down to thee.

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Cursed be everyone that curseth
thee, and blessed be he that

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blesseth.
Now, when you look at those

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words there and you compare as
what we’ve got on the screen,

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the words of the Abrahamic
covenant in Genesis 12, verses 2

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and 3, words that we all know so
well, you see that they’re very

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different.
If you were to conclude what the

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blessing was all about there,
when you look at verse 28 and

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29, you’d say it is political
power and agricultural

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prosperity.
That’s what it’s all about.

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Look, look at those words and I
want us to really think about

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what’s being said here.
It’s political power and

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agricultural prosperity.
But there is no mention of a

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land, a people, a name, a seed,
which we know are the items in

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the Abrahamic promise of Genesis
chapter 12.

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And yet these are entirely
omitted mysteriously in the

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blessing that Isaac gives his
eldest son.

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And the question is why?
Which we won’t answer today, by

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the way.
Why?

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Why is this the case?
So Jacob then he receives his

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blessing, and he’s off on his
way.

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And Esau comes into the room and
realises what has happened.

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Verse 33.
And Isaac trembled when he

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realizes that he’s been duped.
And Isaac trembled very

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exceedingly and said, who?
Where is it that had taken

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00:14:49,000 –> 00:14:52,760
venison and brought it me?
And I have eaten of all before

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00:14:52,760 –> 00:14:54,480
thou camest and have blessed
him.

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00:14:54,480 –> 00:14:58,840
Yeah, and he shall be blessed.
Just notice those words there,

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00:14:58,840 –> 00:15:02,640
the beginning of verse 33, that
he trembled very exceedingly.

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00:15:02,640 –> 00:15:06,520
The idea in the Hebrew is that
he was, he was shaking

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00:15:06,520 –> 00:15:09,840
violently, uncontrollably, from
head to toe.

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00:15:10,160 –> 00:15:14,000
This was something that had
absolutely shaken his world.

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00:15:14,080 –> 00:15:19,800
He was more than distraught.
It had impacted him physically.

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00:15:21,200 –> 00:15:25,000
And he was saying to himself,
what have I done?

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00:15:27,200 –> 00:15:31,480
I’ve given the blessing to the
wrong person.

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00:15:32,560 –> 00:15:40,320
And he was so, so overwhelmed
with fear that he shook

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00:15:40,800 –> 00:15:43,040
violently.
Now just just picture that in

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00:15:43,040 –> 00:15:48,240
your minds.
Isaac knew that he’d done

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00:15:48,240 –> 00:15:54,160
something terribly wrong, that
he had given the wrong blessing.

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00:15:54,200 –> 00:15:59,240
And perhaps he feels that God
has found him out, that God had

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00:15:59,240 –> 00:16:04,440
seen all this, and God had
providentially brought in Jacob,

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00:16:04,440 –> 00:16:09,160
perhaps.
But look at the reply of Esau.

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00:16:09,400 –> 00:16:11,480
Esau was rather different.
Verse 34.

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00:16:11,480 –> 00:16:21,840
And when Esau heard the words of
his father, he cried with a

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00:16:21,840 –> 00:16:27,800
great and exceeding bitter cry,
and said unto his father, Bless

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00:16:27,880 –> 00:16:34,400
me, even me also, oh, my father,
so it says there he cried with a

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00:16:34,400 –> 00:16:37,720
great and exceeding bitter cry.
He, he burst into tears.

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00:16:37,880 –> 00:16:40,400
He, he wailed loudly and
bitterly.

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00:16:40,520 –> 00:16:44,520
This man was in pain,
excruciating pain.

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00:16:44,520 –> 00:16:49,520
He felt, he felt what Jacob had
done to him deeply.

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00:16:49,520 –> 00:16:56,800
He was wounded.
Bless me, even me also.

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00:16:57,600 –> 00:17:02,640
Oh my father, I remember
yesterday we looked at him

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00:17:03,320 –> 00:17:06,119
surrendering the birthright.
And so then you can understand

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00:17:06,119 –> 00:17:10,760
why we read there in verse 28
concerning the corn and wine.

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00:17:11,200 –> 00:17:15,319
Having given the birthright in
the double portion, Esau wanted

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00:17:15,760 –> 00:17:24,960
certainly the corn and the wine.
So with that picture in your

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00:17:24,960 –> 00:17:28,160
mind, I now want to go to
Hebrews chapter 12 to get a

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00:17:28,160 –> 00:17:31,400
divine commentary on what we’re
watching.

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00:17:31,400 –> 00:17:33,760
Let’s have a look at this
Hebrews chapter 12.

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00:17:41,750 –> 00:17:46,070
Hebrews 12 then, and what we
have here, it spells out the

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00:17:46,070 –> 00:17:50,710
faith of Isaac.
Hebrews 12, verse 16, lest there

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00:17:50,710 –> 00:17:52,910
be any fornicator or profane
person.

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00:17:52,910 –> 00:17:54,910
We looked at that and those
words are loaded.

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00:17:54,910 –> 00:17:59,160
We consider that in in Esau
yesterday for one morsel of meat

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00:17:59,160 –> 00:18:00,960
sold his birthright.
So this is the birthright.

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00:18:00,960 –> 00:18:06,240
Now verse 17 is all about the
blessing for ye know how what

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00:18:06,280 –> 00:18:09,440
afterward when he would have
inherited the blessing that’s

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00:18:09,520 –> 00:18:14,480
Esau he was rejected for he
found no place of repentance,

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00:18:14,640 –> 00:18:17,480
though he sought it carefully
with tears.

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00:18:17,680 –> 00:18:20,400
So the phrase I want you to
notice there how that afterward

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00:18:20,480 –> 00:18:22,080
when he would have inherited the
blessing.

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00:18:22,080 –> 00:18:24,920
Have a look in your margin.
It says there even afterward

264
00:18:25,080 –> 00:18:28,440
desired to inherit the blessing.
So we you’ve already seen that,

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00:18:28,440 –> 00:18:30,880
haven’t we in Genesis chapter
27, how he pleased to his

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00:18:30,880 –> 00:18:35,680
father, bless me, even me and
the rights to the Hebrews now

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00:18:35,720 –> 00:18:40,760
picks up that incident and it
tells us there that Isaac he

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00:18:40,760 –> 00:18:44,760
stood firm and he would not
change his mind.

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00:18:44,880 –> 00:18:47,680
He would not give the blessing
to easel.

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00:18:47,840 –> 00:18:49,240
I want you to notice that
phrase.

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00:18:49,320 –> 00:18:51,120
The phrase has incredible
meaning.

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00:18:51,320 –> 00:18:54,120
There was no place of
repentance.

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00:18:54,120 –> 00:18:57,880
The margin notice the margin.
There is no way to change

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00:18:58,160 –> 00:19:01,760
Isaac’s mind.
Can you all notice that please?

275
00:19:03,760 –> 00:19:06,800
That begins to, to reveal
something interesting because

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00:19:06,800 –> 00:19:10,040
when we go to Genesis chapter
27, we, we kind of discredit

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00:19:10,080 –> 00:19:13,200
Isaac, don’t we, the foolish
Isaac.

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00:19:13,400 –> 00:19:16,240
But there’s a little hint here
in Hebrews chapter 12 that this

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00:19:16,240 –> 00:19:20,600
was a moment of faith, which we
will see even more later this

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00:19:20,600 –> 00:19:25,800
week.
This was a moment of faith that

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00:19:25,800 –> 00:19:29,960
he wouldn’t change his mind.
His decision was final.

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00:19:30,240 –> 00:19:34,880
So Esau here this, this mighty
hunter, he was now just a big

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00:19:35,760 –> 00:19:44,640
blubbering bearded baby.
But there’s real emotions in all

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00:19:44,640 –> 00:19:46,320
of this.
And I want us just to think

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00:19:46,320 –> 00:19:48,600
about that for a moment.
When you when you look at

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00:19:48,600 –> 00:19:51,440
Genesis and you see these
fraught moments, these fraught

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00:19:51,440 –> 00:19:58,920
episodes, for example, Abraham
going up Moriah with his son

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00:19:59,040 –> 00:20:04,160
Isaac, how much emotion do you
read in Genesis chapter 22?

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00:20:05,600 –> 00:20:09,000
Nothing.
Think about all the fraught

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00:20:09,000 –> 00:20:13,160
episodes in the book of Genesis
and how many accounts do we read

291
00:20:13,160 –> 00:20:15,320
of the feelings of the
individuals?

292
00:20:16,760 –> 00:20:21,200
Very rarely, if ever.
Yet suddenly there is an

293
00:20:21,200 –> 00:20:25,640
explosion of emotion here that
the full extent of the the

294
00:20:25,640 –> 00:20:30,320
feelings of Jacob and Esau and
Isaac are revealed to us.

295
00:20:30,320 –> 00:20:33,720
And I believe for a reason, the
Scriptures and the Spirit is is

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00:20:33,720 –> 00:20:38,120
drawing our attention to this
moment in time because this

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00:20:38,120 –> 00:20:42,040
moment in time is going to be
pivotal for all three of them.

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00:20:42,720 –> 00:20:45,080
Go back a chapter now to Hebrews
Chapter 11.

299
00:20:45,920 –> 00:20:48,960
It’s the same incident, but the
writer picks up something else

300
00:20:48,960 –> 00:20:52,200
here in the great annals of the
faithful.

301
00:20:52,320 –> 00:20:56,960
Now, if if you don’t look down
at your scriptures, if I ask you

302
00:20:56,960 –> 00:20:58,640
a question, you don’t need to
shout out.

303
00:21:00,120 –> 00:21:01,800
I know you like to in America,
but don’t.

304
00:21:05,480 –> 00:21:10,360
Why is it that Isaac don’t look
down, Keep your chin up.

305
00:21:11,360 –> 00:21:15,600
Why is it that Isaac is found in
Hebrews 11 and I saw one or two

306
00:21:15,600 –> 00:21:19,400
Just look down, up, up, up.
Why is it Isaac finds himself in

307
00:21:19,400 –> 00:21:21,760
Hebrews Chapter 11?
Now answer that question.

308
00:21:22,840 –> 00:21:27,040
You can think of Abraham and you
probably can think right away of

309
00:21:27,040 –> 00:21:28,880
Joseph.
We’re going to come to Jacob in

310
00:21:28,880 –> 00:21:31,440
a moment.
But why Isaac?

311
00:21:32,880 –> 00:21:35,240
Answer that question.
Let’s come down Hebrews 11,

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00:21:35,240 –> 00:21:38,560
verse 20.
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob

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00:21:38,560 –> 00:21:40,320
and Esau concerning things to
come.

314
00:21:40,320 –> 00:21:42,680
Now we can quickly read over
that because it doesn’t really

315
00:21:42,680 –> 00:21:46,040
make sense, does it?
It’s much easier to understand

316
00:21:46,040 –> 00:21:48,440
why Abraham’s there and
certainly why Joseph’s there.

317
00:21:49,840 –> 00:21:53,640
But why is Isaac there?
That he blessed Jacob and Esau

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00:21:54,000 –> 00:21:56,280
concerning things to come?
And if you’ve got the Revised

319
00:21:56,280 –> 00:21:59,880
Version, there’s a slight
emphasis there, even Esau,

320
00:22:00,480 –> 00:22:03,200
right?
So it says there that the Greek

321
00:22:03,200 –> 00:22:09,040
is he blesses Isaac, Isaac
blesses Jacob, which perhaps is

322
00:22:09,040 –> 00:22:13,080
an easier thing, but he even
blesses Esau.

323
00:22:13,120 –> 00:22:15,800
So that was a little harder to
bless Esau.

324
00:22:15,840 –> 00:22:18,160
So there’s something in the
blessing to Esau that was even

325
00:22:18,160 –> 00:22:20,760
more challenging than the
blessing that he’s going to give

326
00:22:20,760 –> 00:22:21,880
to Jacob.
Can you see that?

327
00:22:23,520 –> 00:22:25,800
And for this reason, he’s in
Hebrews 11.

328
00:22:25,920 –> 00:22:30,000
Now that’s interesting because
he’s in Hebrews 11 on the day he

329
00:22:30,000 –> 00:22:31,960
gives out the blessings.
Now, isn’t it interesting when

330
00:22:31,960 –> 00:22:34,760
we open up Genesis chapter 27,
we we often say in our in our

331
00:22:34,800 –> 00:22:38,360
ecclesial groups, this is the
low point in Isaac’s life.

332
00:22:40,520 –> 00:22:43,920
Yeah, the low point that you
might think is the reason why

333
00:22:44,040 –> 00:22:46,760
he’s in Hebrews 11.
As far as God’s concerned, this

334
00:22:46,760 –> 00:22:50,280
is the high point.
In fact, he’s here in Hebrews 11

335
00:22:50,400 –> 00:22:53,560
not because of Genesis chapter
22, which you’d expect him to

336
00:22:53,560 –> 00:22:56,000
be, but because of Genesis
chapter 27.

337
00:22:58,320 –> 00:23:02,320
But what’s fascinating in all of
this is that the blessing that

338
00:23:02,320 –> 00:23:08,040
he gives Jacob, thinking that
it’s Esau, is political power

339
00:23:08,120 –> 00:23:10,760
and agricultural prosperity.
It was all about the present.

340
00:23:10,800 –> 00:23:14,160
But what does it say in Hebrews
11 concerning the things to

341
00:23:14,160 –> 00:23:16,480
come?
So there was a future aspect of

342
00:23:16,480 –> 00:23:17,840
this blessing which we’ve not
seen.

343
00:23:18,040 –> 00:23:20,080
So we have a look at that.
Come back then to Genesis

344
00:23:20,080 –> 00:23:23,000
chapter 27 and we’re going to
pick up now the blessings

345
00:23:23,000 –> 00:23:26,280
continue.
And he’s not in Hebrews 11

346
00:23:26,520 –> 00:23:30,040
because of what he said already.
He’s in Hebrews 11 because of

347
00:23:30,040 –> 00:23:37,880
what he’s about to say.
So Genesis chapter 27, then

348
00:23:46,030 –> 00:23:50,710
Genesis chapter 27, verses 39 to
41.

349
00:23:50,710 –> 00:23:53,390
So you can connect these words
to Hebrews Chapter 11.

350
00:23:54,270 –> 00:23:58,470
This is what it’s all about, and
I’ll explain right now.

351
00:24:01,320 –> 00:24:05,000
So now he knows that Esau is
Esau, and he’s going to bless

352
00:24:05,000 –> 00:24:07,560
him.
He’s going to bless him, bless

353
00:24:07,560 –> 00:24:10,520
me, my father.
So Isaac blesses him.

354
00:24:10,600 –> 00:24:14,120
Now what he’s about to do now is
the reason why he’s in Hebrews

355
00:24:14,120 –> 00:24:16,680
11.
So this is the pinnacle of

356
00:24:16,680 –> 00:24:20,160
Isaac’s faith.
And because of this, he’s in the

357
00:24:20,160 –> 00:24:23,280
Kingdom of God.
Wow, verse 39.

358
00:24:23,760 –> 00:24:27,000
And Isaac his father answered
and said unto him, Behold to

359
00:24:27,120 –> 00:24:31,880
Esau, thy dwelling shall be the
fatness of the earth and of the

360
00:24:31,880 –> 00:24:37,640
dew of heaven from above, and by
thy sword shalt thou live, and

361
00:24:37,640 –> 00:24:39,840
shalt serve thy brother.
And it shall come to pass, when

362
00:24:39,840 –> 00:24:43,440
thou shalt have the dominion,
that thou shalt break his yoke

363
00:24:43,440 –> 00:24:48,600
from off thy neck.
And Esau hated Jacob, so when he

364
00:24:48,600 –> 00:24:53,680
received this, he hated Jacob
more because of the blessing

365
00:24:53,680 –> 00:24:55,040
wherewith his father just
blessed him.

366
00:24:55,080 –> 00:24:58,280
So he didn’t like it.
He didn’t like what his father

367
00:24:58,280 –> 00:25:01,440
just blessed him with.
And Esau said in his heart, the

368
00:25:01,440 –> 00:25:04,920
days of mourning for my father
at hand, then I will slay my

369
00:25:04,920 –> 00:25:06,000
brother Jacob.
OK.

370
00:25:06,640 –> 00:25:11,240
So he did not like what he did.
Now when you look at verse 39,

371
00:25:11,960 –> 00:25:15,840
you you can see there I will
bless thy dwelling so that it

372
00:25:15,840 –> 00:25:18,040
shall be the fatness of the
earth and the dew of heaven.

373
00:25:18,040 –> 00:25:22,640
Look back to, to, to the same
chapter and verse 28.

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00:25:23,200 –> 00:25:25,440
There you’ve got the dew of
heaven and the fatness of the

375
00:25:25,480 –> 00:25:26,960
earth and plenty of corn and
wine.

376
00:25:27,120 –> 00:25:30,040
Can you see that?
So it would appear, wouldn’t it,

377
00:25:30,320 –> 00:25:34,760
that what Isaac was doing here,
he was repeating the blessing

378
00:25:34,760 –> 00:25:39,960
that he gave to Jacob, but he
couldn’t because he already

379
00:25:39,960 –> 00:25:45,320
said, I can’t bless you.
I, I’m, I’m going to remain

380
00:25:46,000 –> 00:25:48,360
steadfast in my decision.
I am resolute.

381
00:25:49,640 –> 00:25:52,240
So what is it?
Look in your margin here and it

382
00:25:52,240 –> 00:25:56,200
tells us, can you see that thy
dwelling shall be the fatness of

383
00:25:56,200 –> 00:25:58,280
the earth?
It’s unfortunate the translators

384
00:25:58,600 –> 00:26:01,480
have translated it in that way.
Can you see I’ve got the Revised

385
00:26:01,480 –> 00:26:03,920
version there.
Behold, thy dwelling shall be

386
00:26:03,920 –> 00:26:06,240
the fatness of the earth.
I’ve got all away from the

387
00:26:06,240 –> 00:26:07,680
fatness of the earth.
Have you got that?

388
00:26:08,360 –> 00:26:11,640
Yes, that’s important because
that’s the meaning.

389
00:26:12,480 –> 00:26:15,200
And the Revised Standard Version
goes on to say, and away from

390
00:26:15,200 –> 00:26:17,000
the Jew of heaven.
So in other words, then, it’s

391
00:26:17,000 –> 00:26:20,280
not the fatness of the earth and
the dew of the heaven.

392
00:26:20,320 –> 00:26:24,240
It is away from the fatness of
the earth and away from the dew

393
00:26:24,240 –> 00:26:25,760
of heaven.
Can you see that?

394
00:26:26,160 –> 00:26:29,240
It couldn’t be further away from
what Jacob had been blessed

395
00:26:29,240 –> 00:26:33,560
with.
So the fatness of the earth is

396
00:26:33,560 –> 00:26:36,800
the choice choicest part of the
earth which was going to be

397
00:26:36,800 –> 00:26:38,920
reserved for Jacob.
And what is the choicest part of

398
00:26:38,920 –> 00:26:40,200
the earth?
That is the land.

399
00:26:42,240 –> 00:26:45,000
The land was Jacob’s and so he
saw.

400
00:26:45,080 –> 00:26:47,760
You will be the furthest away
from the land.

401
00:26:48,400 –> 00:26:51,160
And what is the Jew of heaven?
Well, you can put in your margin

402
00:26:51,160 –> 00:26:54,320
by the Jew of heaven.
Deuteronomy 32, verse 2.

403
00:26:54,320 –> 00:26:57,120
And perhaps you already know
that the Jew of heaven is that

404
00:26:57,120 –> 00:26:59,480
is symbolic of of God’s
blessings.

405
00:27:00,320 –> 00:27:02,800
So God’s blessings now would not
shower on Esau.

406
00:27:04,600 –> 00:27:10,320
He would live in Seer and Payron
in Edom, a dry desert place.

407
00:27:10,320 –> 00:27:13,920
Can you see what’s happened?
When we understand that margin,

408
00:27:14,440 –> 00:27:18,600
we see that this blessing had
become a curse.

409
00:27:21,000 –> 00:27:25,520
He had cursed his son, and
because he was prepared to curse

410
00:27:25,520 –> 00:27:30,240
his son, the son whom he loved,
he finds himself in Hebrews 11.

411
00:27:30,280 –> 00:27:34,640
This was an extraordinary
statement of faith.

412
00:27:35,680 –> 00:27:41,280
What a crushing blow for Esau.
And this was all about the

413
00:27:41,280 –> 00:27:46,080
things to come.
Hebrews 11 And he curses Esau.

414
00:27:46,440 –> 00:27:48,600
How many of us have ever noticed
that before?

415
00:27:49,920 –> 00:27:54,960
And he curses his son.
Now let’s see what he does now

416
00:27:56,680 –> 00:28:00,240
with Jacob.
And because of what he does with

417
00:28:00,240 –> 00:28:03,920
Jacob as a couplet, he, he
blesses Jacob and he curses

418
00:28:03,920 –> 00:28:05,920
Esau.
And he finds himself in Hebrews

419
00:28:05,920 –> 00:28:08,960
Chapter 11.
Let’s see what he says to his

420
00:28:09,000 –> 00:28:13,880
other son.
So when you go to chapter 28 in

421
00:28:13,920 –> 00:28:19,800
striking contrast, he now
blesses Jacob and suddenly the

422
00:28:19,800 –> 00:28:24,280
language of Abraham and the
Abrahamic covenant just jumps

423
00:28:24,280 –> 00:28:28,000
out of these verses here.
Look at this and God Almighty

424
00:28:28,000 –> 00:28:30,160
bless thee verse 3 and make thee
fruitful.

425
00:28:30,160 –> 00:28:31,960
And we know this language, don’t
we?

426
00:28:32,160 –> 00:28:35,480
This is Genesis 12 language and
multiply thee, and thou mayest

427
00:28:35,480 –> 00:28:38,760
be a multitude of people and
give thee the blessing of

428
00:28:38,760 –> 00:28:41,720
Abraham to thee and to thy seed
with thee, that thou mayest

429
00:28:41,720 –> 00:28:46,200
inherit the land wherein thou
art a stranger, which God gave

430
00:28:46,240 –> 00:28:48,360
unto Abraham.
A few things I want you to

431
00:28:48,360 –> 00:28:50,400
notice.
We’ve got a title here, a very

432
00:28:50,400 –> 00:28:53,280
significant title there at the
beginning of verse three, God

433
00:28:53,280 –> 00:29:01,000
Almighty, AO shadi eye.
So now Isaac uses the title of

434
00:29:01,080 –> 00:29:05,400
ale shadi eye, God Almighty to
Jacob.

435
00:29:05,480 –> 00:29:07,880
And the other thing I want you
to notice here, there’s a lovely

436
00:29:07,880 –> 00:29:11,440
phrase there at the end of verse
3A, multitude of people.

437
00:29:11,640 –> 00:29:14,520
Now, that’s the first time you
come across that particular

438
00:29:14,600 –> 00:29:19,680
Hebrew word, a multitude, and it
is the Hebrew word of ecclesia,

439
00:29:21,280 –> 00:29:24,040
a family made-up of men and
women.

440
00:29:25,280 –> 00:29:32,040
And so then Isaac not only tells
Jacob of a land, but through him

441
00:29:32,200 –> 00:29:37,160
would become God’s expanded
family of you and me, brothers

442
00:29:37,160 –> 00:29:41,240
and sisters, these words are of
huge significance.

443
00:29:43,280 –> 00:29:46,240
Huge significance.
Now remember, Isaac is saying

444
00:29:46,240 –> 00:29:52,760
these words knowing, knowing
that Jacob has deceived him.

445
00:29:54,280 –> 00:30:05,600
El Shaddai, a land, a seed, a
people, a multitude of Jews and

446
00:30:05,600 –> 00:30:10,440
Gentiles.
What a enormous blessing that

447
00:30:10,440 –> 00:30:14,720
would be.
Now, what Isaac is doing here,

448
00:30:14,720 –> 00:30:17,360
he’s picking up language of his
father Abraham.

449
00:30:17,800 –> 00:30:19,640
Let’s have a look at Genesis
chapter 17.

450
00:30:21,080 –> 00:30:26,360
Genesis chapter 17, and this is
the first time we come across

451
00:30:26,360 –> 00:30:29,560
this title, Ale shadiyai, and we
need to make this connection

452
00:30:29,560 –> 00:30:32,440
because Isaac is using this
title for a reason.

453
00:30:32,760 –> 00:30:36,200
Now what’s intriguing when you
come back to chapter 17, chapter

454
00:30:36,200 –> 00:30:40,920
17 is the chapter that the name
Abraham is changed to Abraham

455
00:30:41,240 –> 00:30:45,040
and Jacob is on a journey that
his name would be changed.

456
00:30:45,360 –> 00:30:51,400
Abraham, a father of a multitude
or exalted, would become a

457
00:30:51,400 –> 00:30:55,280
father of a multitude or exalted
father to a father of a

458
00:30:55,360 –> 00:30:57,960
multitude.
So the name Abraham was the name

459
00:30:58,120 –> 00:31:04,760
that would bear the promise.
First one, then of chapter 17.

460
00:31:04,920 –> 00:31:08,760
And when Abraham was 90 years
old and 9 Yahweh appeared to

461
00:31:08,760 –> 00:31:14,640
Abraham and said unto him, I am
Al Shadi I walk before me and be

462
00:31:14,640 –> 00:31:18,960
thou perfect.
We should just think about that

463
00:31:18,960 –> 00:31:23,360
title there.
Al Shadi I Abraham was told Ale

464
00:31:23,360 –> 00:31:27,360
Shadiyai when his name was
changed, and now as Jacob begins

465
00:31:27,360 –> 00:31:33,400
his journey, Isaac imparts that
name to his son.

466
00:31:33,480 –> 00:31:41,040
Ale Shadiyai Ale Mighty
Strength, Power, Shaddad,

467
00:31:41,680 –> 00:31:49,360
Destroyer and Shad Nourisher.
The title is about God

468
00:31:49,720 –> 00:31:54,960
nourishing his people and
destroying his enemies.

469
00:31:56,200 –> 00:32:00,120
The apostle Paul picks up these
words here when he says, behold

470
00:32:00,120 –> 00:32:01,800
the goodness and the severity of
God.

471
00:32:01,800 –> 00:32:04,880
That’s the whole idea there in
Romans 11 verse 22.

472
00:32:04,880 –> 00:32:08,360
It is the the title of ale shadi
eye.

473
00:32:10,080 –> 00:32:14,440
And this ale shadi eye here
verse 7 of chapter 17, I will

474
00:32:14,440 –> 00:32:17,000
establish my covenant between me
and thee, and thy seed after

475
00:32:17,000 –> 00:32:19,080
thee and their generations, an
everlasting covenant.

476
00:32:19,080 –> 00:32:22,800
So here Ale Shadi Eye, the one
who is the nourisher of God’s

477
00:32:22,800 –> 00:32:25,000
people and a destroyer of his
enemies.

478
00:32:25,120 –> 00:32:27,640
He promises.
He makes a covenant with Abraham

479
00:32:27,640 –> 00:32:31,920
and says, I’m going to give you
the land and I will make you a

480
00:32:31,920 –> 00:32:35,920
great, great people.
And this is an everlasting

481
00:32:35,920 –> 00:32:41,200
covenant underlining it.
This is Ale Shadiyai.

482
00:32:48,310 –> 00:32:52,510
This was the name that Jacob had
to believe in, a name that was

483
00:32:52,510 –> 00:32:57,000
going to nourish him.
A name that was going to protect

484
00:32:57,000 –> 00:33:01,280
him.
Jacob had to place his trust,

485
00:33:02,040 –> 00:33:06,120
his complete trust in that name.
Now when we think about that

486
00:33:06,120 –> 00:33:09,840
title of AO Shadi I working in
the life of Abraham and now

487
00:33:09,840 –> 00:33:15,320
working in the life of Jacob,
we’re seeing now that that God

488
00:33:15,320 –> 00:33:17,880
is being presented as a O Shadi,
an orchestrator.

489
00:33:18,200 –> 00:33:21,960
This, this God with this
particular title, who is behind

490
00:33:21,960 –> 00:33:25,160
now the scenes in the life of
Jacob in all the ups and downs

491
00:33:25,160 –> 00:33:27,840
and all the challenges and the
difficulties in the moments of

492
00:33:27,840 –> 00:33:29,840
joy and the moments of
desperation.

493
00:33:31,400 –> 00:33:35,280
Because he’s a, he’s a
nourisher, but he’s also a

494
00:33:35,280 –> 00:33:37,160
refiner.
Now, now, brothers and sisters,

495
00:33:37,160 –> 00:33:40,840
as we reflect upon our own lives
and how we’ve arrived here in

496
00:33:40,840 –> 00:33:45,680
our own personal circumstances,
no doubt when we think about the

497
00:33:45,840 –> 00:33:47,720
the divine hand in our own
personal lives and

498
00:33:47,720 –> 00:33:50,320
circumstances, we see the Ale
Shadi eye.

499
00:33:51,760 –> 00:33:53,280
That’s what we’ve got to believe
in.

500
00:33:54,560 –> 00:33:58,080
The problems that we’re
experiencing today, whether they

501
00:33:58,080 –> 00:34:02,440
are health problems, whether
they are family problems, family

502
00:34:02,560 –> 00:34:04,760
problems with our children in
particular.

503
00:34:04,760 –> 00:34:07,040
And a number of you have spoken
to me about your children and

504
00:34:07,040 –> 00:34:08,560
thank you for sharing those
things with us.

505
00:34:09,480 –> 00:34:11,679
Our hearts go out to our
children, particularly if

506
00:34:11,679 –> 00:34:14,920
they’re not prepare to embrace
the saving name of the Lord

507
00:34:14,920 –> 00:34:18,159
Jesus Christ.
But what we have to do, we have

508
00:34:18,159 –> 00:34:22,639
to have absolute trust that the
one who is in the ups and downs,

509
00:34:22,760 –> 00:34:25,960
in the valleys and the peaks in
our lives is the ale shadi eye.

510
00:34:26,120 –> 00:34:29,719
And we have to believe He’s a
nourisher and he will destroy

511
00:34:29,719 –> 00:34:32,239
our enemies and He’s going to
get us over the line eventually.

512
00:34:32,320 –> 00:34:36,199
But we have to place our
complete trust in Him, our

513
00:34:36,199 –> 00:34:42,400
complete trust in Him if we are
going to follow in the footsteps

514
00:34:42,440 –> 00:34:47,840
of Jacob and become Israel.
We have to believe that Ale

515
00:34:48,280 –> 00:34:53,679
Shadi Eye is at work.
Now come back to Isaac and think

516
00:34:53,679 –> 00:34:56,120
about Isaac.
What a choice he had.

517
00:34:57,120 –> 00:34:58,920
It’s a heart wrenching choice,
isn’t it?

518
00:34:59,520 –> 00:35:05,240
He’s got one son in tears and
the other son will now become a

519
00:35:05,240 –> 00:35:08,480
target.
Ever thought about that?

520
00:35:09,440 –> 00:35:11,120
And This is why he’s in Hebrews
11.

521
00:35:11,120 –> 00:35:14,360
What a what a difficult decision
he has to make here.

522
00:35:15,440 –> 00:35:22,520
It was a painful decision, But
life does throw hard choices at

523
00:35:22,520 –> 00:35:28,600
us and brothers and sisters,
when we think about our own

524
00:35:28,680 –> 00:35:33,720
families, how often in ecclesial
life we make a particular stand.

525
00:35:34,200 –> 00:35:39,720
But when it comes to our own
family, there’s appeasement, we

526
00:35:39,720 –> 00:35:45,480
compromise, we can’t apply what
we applied to others.

527
00:35:47,040 –> 00:35:50,240
And this touches us all.
When it happens in family life,

528
00:35:51,000 –> 00:35:56,360
it is difficult and perhaps we
try to justify our changes in

529
00:35:56,360 –> 00:36:00,680
views on certain things just to
make life a little more

530
00:36:00,680 –> 00:36:05,840
comfortable and convenient.
And I’ll leave it with that.

531
00:36:07,120 –> 00:36:09,840
But Isaac, he didn’t believe in
appeasement.

532
00:36:10,640 –> 00:36:18,040
He loved both these sons and he
leaves one in total misery and

533
00:36:18,040 –> 00:36:20,720
the other one now is going to
run for his life.

534
00:36:22,200 –> 00:36:25,840
There’s no benefit really,
naturally speaking, but he knew

535
00:36:25,840 –> 00:36:28,920
spiritually he had made the
right decision.

536
00:36:30,240 –> 00:36:34,720
So Jacob now is a haunted man.
He’s being hunted by the cunning

537
00:36:34,720 –> 00:36:36,240
hunter.
He’s now the prey.

538
00:36:36,480 –> 00:36:39,840
The predator is after him.
And he leaves Beersheba.

539
00:36:39,840 –> 00:36:41,800
He’s never going to see his
mother again.

540
00:36:42,520 –> 00:36:49,960
And he treks 40 miles to Luz.
And there he lies at night under

541
00:36:49,960 –> 00:36:53,000
the blanket of stars shining
brightly.

542
00:36:53,440 –> 00:36:57,800
But have a look at Genesis
chapter 35, because here we’re

543
00:36:57,800 –> 00:37:00,200
going to go to chapter 28 and
we’re going to think about the,

544
00:37:00,200 –> 00:37:04,240
the episode of Bethel.
But what’s interesting here in

545
00:37:04,240 –> 00:37:07,760
Genesis chapter 35 that the, the
scriptural commentary here

546
00:37:08,360 –> 00:37:12,000
highlights the frame of mind
that Jacob had when he first

547
00:37:12,120 –> 00:37:13,400
went to Bethel.
He goes twice.

548
00:37:13,400 –> 00:37:15,960
I’m sure you know knew that and
we’ll we’ll consider that later.

549
00:37:16,320 –> 00:37:18,080
But this is the first time he
goes to Bethel.

550
00:37:18,280 –> 00:37:22,680
And here God tells us the state
of mind Jacob was in when he

551
00:37:22,680 –> 00:37:25,840
goes to Bethel in Genesis
chapter 28 and the intervening

552
00:37:25,840 –> 00:37:29,760
period is 30 years.
It says in verse 1 of chapter

553
00:37:29,760 –> 00:37:33,680
35.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise,

554
00:37:33,680 –> 00:37:36,920
go to Bethel and dwell there and
make there an altar unto God

555
00:37:37,080 –> 00:37:40,360
that appeared unto thee when
thou fledest from the face of

556
00:37:40,360 –> 00:37:42,080
Esal.
Now remember, the theme is all

557
00:37:42,080 –> 00:37:44,040
about the face, the faces of
Jacob.

558
00:37:44,160 –> 00:37:47,800
And here is a face.
It’s the face of Esau.

559
00:37:48,280 –> 00:37:53,680
So he goes to Bethel with Esau’s
face burning in his mind.

560
00:37:55,080 –> 00:38:00,400
And as far as he is concerned,
that face is a stolen face.

561
00:38:00,840 –> 00:38:08,040
It’s the face that he stole from
his brother when he deceived his

562
00:38:08,040 –> 00:38:10,400
father.
So with that, come back to

563
00:38:10,400 –> 00:38:14,920
chapter 28 and just look at
this.

564
00:38:16,520 –> 00:38:21,120
Something dramatic, something
utterly shocking happens at this

565
00:38:21,120 –> 00:38:23,840
place which will be named Bethel
by Jacob.

566
00:38:24,760 –> 00:38:30,200
Want you to to notice here the
use of the word behold.

567
00:38:30,200 –> 00:38:32,560
Can you see this?
So when you come back to chapter

568
00:38:32,560 –> 00:38:35,680
28, you see there in verse 11
and behold is the phrase.

569
00:38:36,080 –> 00:38:39,240
But you can see it’s used four
times, verse 12, twice.

570
00:38:39,240 –> 00:38:47,120
Notice verse 13 and verse 15.
So it’s telling us here, behold,

571
00:38:47,120 –> 00:38:51,320
it’s this idea of surprise that
that nothing prepared Jacob for

572
00:38:51,320 –> 00:38:55,920
this encounter.
And, and the encounter which

573
00:38:55,920 –> 00:38:59,400
surprised him draws this
particular conclusion from Jacob

574
00:38:59,400 –> 00:39:02,360
there in verse 16.
Surely Yahweh is in this place.

575
00:39:02,600 –> 00:39:06,320
So there’s this element of
surprise that goes on and Jacob

576
00:39:06,320 –> 00:39:10,600
concludes after these 4
surprises, these four moments,

577
00:39:10,600 –> 00:39:12,680
he concludes Yahweh is in this
place.

578
00:39:12,680 –> 00:39:14,920
Now I want you to remember that
because that’s absolutely

579
00:39:14,920 –> 00:39:17,920
central to understanding this.
Yahweh is in this place.

580
00:39:18,080 –> 00:39:21,160
Now what is this place?
Well, it is more than a place,

581
00:39:21,160 –> 00:39:23,520
It’s a particular place.
Look at verse 11.

582
00:39:25,040 –> 00:39:27,680
And he lighted up a certain
place and tarried there all

583
00:39:27,680 –> 00:39:30,320
night because the sun was set.
And he took of the stones of

584
00:39:30,320 –> 00:39:34,080
that place and put them for his
pillows and lay down in that

585
00:39:34,080 –> 00:39:35,600
place to sleep.
So you’ve got certain place

586
00:39:35,600 –> 00:39:37,360
there.
That place, that place.

587
00:39:37,440 –> 00:39:39,720
The Scriptures now are really
drawing our attention that it

588
00:39:39,720 –> 00:39:42,440
was a place.
And notice that first phrase, a

589
00:39:42,480 –> 00:39:46,760
certain place, you’ll see in
your margin the place.

590
00:39:47,400 –> 00:39:53,960
It’s the definitive place.
And you can see that that place

591
00:39:53,960 –> 00:39:59,920
there is three times in verse
11, verse 16, verse 17, and

592
00:40:00,000 –> 00:40:05,760
verse 19.
So if Jacob concludes that

593
00:40:05,760 –> 00:40:10,880
Yahweh is in this place, then
what we’re being told is.

594
00:40:11,560 –> 00:40:16,000
That Jacob has an unexpected
meeting with Yahweh in this

595
00:40:16,000 –> 00:40:17,080
place.
That’s the only thing you can

596
00:40:17,080 –> 00:40:18,760
conclude, isn’t it?
If you’re always in this place

597
00:40:18,760 –> 00:40:22,600
and it’s it’s a surprise, then
the surprise was all about that

598
00:40:22,600 –> 00:40:26,320
Yahweh’s in this place.
Think about that.

599
00:40:26,400 –> 00:40:30,400
Yahweh is in this place.
Well, this particular place of

600
00:40:30,400 –> 00:40:33,000
Bethel has a history.
Come back to Genesis chapter 12.

601
00:40:34,800 –> 00:40:42,120
This has a history and Jacob
knew that Yahweh dwelt in

602
00:40:42,120 –> 00:40:48,120
Bethel, but because of what
Jacob did, he was not expecting

603
00:40:48,120 –> 00:40:53,520
Yahweh to be there for him.
This is a, this is a, a

604
00:40:53,520 –> 00:40:58,760
disclosure really of the doubts
that Jacob had now over all the

605
00:40:58,760 –> 00:41:01,280
things that he’d done in
deceiving his father, although

606
00:41:01,280 –> 00:41:04,520
he had received this incredible
blessing of his father.

607
00:41:05,040 –> 00:41:07,360
So come back then to Genesis
chapter 12 and we’ll pick up

608
00:41:07,360 –> 00:41:10,280
verse 6.
You’ll see the connections right

609
00:41:10,280 –> 00:41:12,600
away.
But this is where the Scriptures

610
00:41:12,600 –> 00:41:15,400
are taking us back to.
And Abraham passed to the land,

611
00:41:15,400 –> 00:41:19,440
unto the place of Shechem, unto
the plain of Mora, unto the

612
00:41:19,440 –> 00:41:21,840
place of Shechem.
Notice that unto the place of

613
00:41:21,840 –> 00:41:25,240
Shechem, unto the plain of Mora.
And the canine was there in the

614
00:41:25,240 –> 00:41:27,160
land.
And Yahweh appeared unto

615
00:41:27,160 –> 00:41:29,160
Abraham, and said, So this is
the message.

616
00:41:29,160 –> 00:41:33,160
From this particular place, unto
thy seed will I give this land.

617
00:41:33,320 –> 00:41:36,200
And there he builded an altar
unto Yahweh, who appeared unto

618
00:41:36,200 –> 00:41:39,960
him.
Now if you go to chapter 13, you

619
00:41:39,960 –> 00:41:46,160
see a commentary really of
chapter 12 verse 3 and Abraham

620
00:41:46,160 –> 00:41:48,680
went on his journey from the
South even to Bethel.

621
00:41:48,680 –> 00:41:51,400
Notice and then the phrase unto
the place.

622
00:41:52,520 –> 00:41:57,680
So the place then is associated
with Bethel, Genesis chapter 28,

623
00:41:58,720 –> 00:42:02,920
where he’s tent had been at the
beginning between Bethel and AI

624
00:42:03,200 –> 00:42:04,560
unto the place.
Can you see that?

625
00:42:04,560 –> 00:42:06,360
Once again, this is what the
Scripture is saying.

626
00:42:06,680 –> 00:42:08,960
Think about the place, the
place, the place, the place, the

627
00:42:08,960 –> 00:42:11,480
place.
This is Bethel, this is the

628
00:42:11,480 –> 00:42:14,360
Abrahamic blessing unto the
place of the altar which he had

629
00:42:14,360 –> 00:42:17,720
made there at the 1st.
And there Abraham called on the

630
00:42:17,720 –> 00:42:20,000
name of Yahweh.
So this is the place.

631
00:42:20,000 –> 00:42:22,680
Now, brothers and sisters, I
want you to notice now that he

632
00:42:22,680 –> 00:42:27,320
builds an altar.
He builds an altar at the

633
00:42:27,320 –> 00:42:30,920
definitive place, which is
Bethel there in verse 7 of

634
00:42:30,920 –> 00:42:34,720
chapter 12.
And it is at this altar that he

635
00:42:34,720 –> 00:42:40,320
calls upon the Lord there in
verse 8 of chapter 12 and verse

636
00:42:40,320 –> 00:42:45,080
four in chapter 13.
And that phrase, Hebrews tell

637
00:42:45,080 –> 00:42:52,320
us, has huge significance.
The idea of calling upon the

638
00:42:52,320 –> 00:42:57,520
name of Yahweh there, the
literal Hebrew, is to invoke

639
00:42:57,880 –> 00:43:05,840
Yahweh in the name of Yahweh.
It has a particular emphasis to

640
00:43:05,840 –> 00:43:08,920
invoke Yahweh in the name of
Yahweh.

641
00:43:08,920 –> 00:43:15,120
So it is at Bethel, where
Abraham builds an altar, that

642
00:43:15,200 –> 00:43:20,040
Abraham invokes Yahweh in the
name of Yahweh.

643
00:43:20,040 –> 00:43:23,520
Now if you think about that, you
invoke Yahweh, you call upon God

644
00:43:23,520 –> 00:43:26,160
in the name of Yahweh, He who
will be.

645
00:43:26,360 –> 00:43:32,360
And the idea here is that you
call upon God through or in the

646
00:43:32,360 –> 00:43:40,640
name of God, a mediator who
comes in the name of God.

647
00:43:45,560 –> 00:43:51,360
And I believe brothers and
sisters, of course, the

648
00:43:51,360 –> 00:43:56,200
significance of Genesis chapter
22 where Abraham rejoiced to see

649
00:43:56,200 –> 00:44:00,240
my day, says the Lord, and saw
it, and it was glad in John 8

650
00:44:00,240 –> 00:44:04,760
and verse 56.
But I believe it is here at

651
00:44:04,760 –> 00:44:10,800
Bethel that Abraham saw his
Lord.

652
00:44:12,880 –> 00:44:16,560
He saw his Lord in Technicolor
in Genesis chapter 22.

653
00:44:18,400 –> 00:44:24,200
But it’s a Bethel that he sees
the work of the mediator.

654
00:44:24,880 –> 00:44:30,520
The one who would be the seed
that threw him would be the

655
00:44:30,520 –> 00:44:34,640
multitudinous seed.
So with that thought in mind,

656
00:44:34,640 –> 00:44:45,040
you come back now to chapter 28,
chapter 28 and verse 12.

657
00:44:47,360 –> 00:44:50,440
And so Jacob here at Bethel,
where Abraham earlier had

658
00:44:50,440 –> 00:44:52,960
invoked Yahweh in the name of
Yahweh, where there was this

659
00:44:52,960 –> 00:44:57,720
vision of the mediator here
Jacob now in the very same spot

660
00:44:58,480 –> 00:45:01,920
he dreamed.
And behold, a staircase, not a

661
00:45:01,920 –> 00:45:06,680
ladder set up on the earth, and
the top of it reached to heaven.

662
00:45:06,880 –> 00:45:11,640
And behold the angels of God
ascending and descending on it.

663
00:45:11,640 –> 00:45:14,440
And we know the understand we,
we can interpret verse 12

664
00:45:14,440 –> 00:45:17,600
because in verse 15 gives us the
interpretation of this

665
00:45:17,600 –> 00:45:20,800
particular vision.
God says emphatically, I am with

666
00:45:20,800 –> 00:45:23,120
thee, I will not leave thee.
So the angels are ascending and

667
00:45:23,120 –> 00:45:27,680
descending there with Jacob.
And Jacob was being assured once

668
00:45:27,680 –> 00:45:30,960
again that God was with him.
Now when we think about the

669
00:45:30,960 –> 00:45:33,960
words of Hebrews, one, are they
not all ministering spirits set

670
00:45:33,960 –> 00:45:37,040
forth to minister for them who
shall be heirs of salvation?

671
00:45:37,040 –> 00:45:39,760
I believe the rights to the
Hebrews is picking up here.

672
00:45:39,960 –> 00:45:43,400
This incident with Jacob.
This is the significance of what

673
00:45:43,400 –> 00:45:51,800
happens to Jacob in Bethel, that
as we are assured that

674
00:45:51,800 –> 00:45:55,560
providentially we’re in the
hands of the living God.

675
00:45:56,360 –> 00:46:00,480
The writer to the Hebrews uses
this example here with Jacob to

676
00:46:00,480 –> 00:46:04,680
give us the assurance that we
are divinely protected.

677
00:46:05,120 –> 00:46:07,200
This is how divinely protected
Jacob was.

678
00:46:07,360 –> 00:46:11,720
This becomes the pattern of how
God is going to work with his

679
00:46:11,720 –> 00:46:16,160
sons and his daughters.
But here verse 13 says, behold,

680
00:46:16,200 –> 00:46:19,760
the Lord Yahweh stood above it.
And you may think of a staircase

681
00:46:19,760 –> 00:46:22,640
or a lad, it’s a staircase with
with Yahweh above it.

682
00:46:22,760 –> 00:46:25,400
But it’s worth just noticing
there stood above it.

683
00:46:25,400 –> 00:46:28,440
If you look in your margin,
certainly in the Revised version

684
00:46:28,440 –> 00:46:37,120
margin we have there aside him
that Yahweh stood aside him.

685
00:46:38,120 –> 00:46:41,720
Now of course God is in heaven,
but in this particular vision I

686
00:46:41,720 –> 00:46:44,040
don’t believe the emphasis is
that God is in heaven.

687
00:46:44,040 –> 00:46:47,040
I believe that God is beside
him.

688
00:46:47,200 –> 00:46:52,160
And in fact, you can put in your
margin Genesis 18 verse 2, and

689
00:46:52,160 –> 00:46:56,640
the same Hebrew is used of how
the Angel stood next to Abraham,

690
00:46:58,320 –> 00:47:00,680
how the Angel stood next to
Abraham.

691
00:47:00,800 –> 00:47:04,840
It’s the very same Hebrew.
So I believe here that Yahweh in

692
00:47:04,840 –> 00:47:07,840
this particular vision of the
staircase that Yahweh was

693
00:47:07,840 –> 00:47:12,160
standing right beside him on the
earth by the altar.

694
00:47:12,160 –> 00:47:15,240
And perhaps it’s Michael that
the the name bearing Angel who

695
00:47:15,240 –> 00:47:17,200
is like God.
We read in Daniel 12, verse 1,

696
00:47:17,320 –> 00:47:21,160
Michael, the great Prince, which
standeth for the children of thy

697
00:47:21,160 –> 00:47:23,760
people, and what was the people,
the people of Israel.

698
00:47:23,840 –> 00:47:27,000
So if Eichel has any role to
play, it’s going to be now with

699
00:47:27,000 –> 00:47:29,400
Jacob, whose name is going to
become Israel.

700
00:47:30,960 –> 00:47:37,120
So perhaps now it is Michael who
stands now at the side of Jacob.

701
00:47:37,120 –> 00:47:38,960
So picture it.
The staircase, the altar stones,

702
00:47:38,960 –> 00:47:43,560
the angels up and down and Jacob
lying and, and, and, and here he

703
00:47:43,560 –> 00:47:46,280
comes to Bethel fearing the face
of God.

704
00:47:46,360 –> 00:47:49,640
And here the Angel is with him.
And, and suddenly now he’s told

705
00:47:49,640 –> 00:47:51,920
that this Angel won’t leave him.
He’s got another twin.

706
00:47:51,920 –> 00:47:56,280
Do you see that?
He’s got another twin.

707
00:47:56,880 –> 00:48:00,400
He’s got to let go of the heel
of Esau, and he’s got to embrace

708
00:48:00,400 –> 00:48:07,120
this divine presence of Almighty
God who is now with him, who’s

709
00:48:07,120 –> 00:48:10,600
never going to leave him, his
guardian.

710
00:48:12,840 –> 00:48:16,040
So the tables are turned.
And it’s a important lesson,

711
00:48:16,040 –> 00:48:18,000
isn’t it?
In our own lives, brothers and

712
00:48:18,000 –> 00:48:23,080
sisters, the faith is not just
about confronting the Esau’s in

713
00:48:23,080 –> 00:48:27,200
our lives, but it’s also
appreciating that we’re not

714
00:48:27,200 –> 00:48:30,880
alone.
It’s also appreciating that

715
00:48:30,880 –> 00:48:37,280
we’re not alone.
Just very quickly then before I

716
00:48:37,280 –> 00:48:40,920
finish, the Lord Jesus Christ
picks up this incident here at

717
00:48:40,920 –> 00:48:48,840
Bethel and says to Nathaniel,
remember that, that rather than

718
00:48:48,840 –> 00:48:51,680
the angels ascending and
descending upon the altar here,

719
00:48:54,040 –> 00:48:56,840
that the angels ascended and
descended upon the Son of Man.

720
00:48:57,840 –> 00:49:01,160
Now that’s lovely.
That’s right at the end of John

721
00:49:01,160 –> 00:49:03,440
chapter 1.
And Jesus is saying now that he

722
00:49:03,440 –> 00:49:07,960
now becomes the living,
breathing Bethel, the House of

723
00:49:07,960 –> 00:49:16,200
God, the House of many stones.
So he picks up this, but I just

724
00:49:16,200 –> 00:49:18,240
want to finish here, brothers
and sisters, and it’s something

725
00:49:18,240 –> 00:49:22,800
for a sort of reflects upon.
It’s Genesis 28 and verse 13.

726
00:49:23,520 –> 00:49:26,320
And behold, Yahweh stood above
it and said, I am Yahweh, God of

727
00:49:26,320 –> 00:49:29,520
Abraham thy father, and the God
of Isaac, the land whereon thou

728
00:49:29,520 –> 00:49:34,480
liest, to thee will I give it,
and to thy seed.

729
00:49:35,840 –> 00:49:43,560
So the message here that Jacob
was assured of the covenant, the

730
00:49:43,560 –> 00:49:49,040
promises would flow through him.
Now Jacob had fled the face of

731
00:49:49,240 –> 00:49:53,120
Esau.
He was doubting the presence of

732
00:49:53,120 –> 00:49:57,240
God in his life.
And what he experiences at

733
00:49:57,240 –> 00:50:05,960
Bethany is a theophany.
We’ve seen already a theophany

734
00:50:05,960 –> 00:50:10,760
with Moses and the wickedness of
Israel.

735
00:50:12,640 –> 00:50:15,760
And Moses wanted the assurance
of God that God was still with

736
00:50:15,760 –> 00:50:18,960
him and his people.
And God revealed himself in the

737
00:50:18,960 –> 00:50:28,760
mount Elijah fled.
The hand of Jezebel goes down to

738
00:50:28,760 –> 00:50:34,960
Horeb, and he too experienced a
theophany when he was doubting

739
00:50:34,960 –> 00:50:38,160
that God was with him and his
people, with the wind and the

740
00:50:38,160 –> 00:50:40,240
earthquake and the fire and the
still small voice.

741
00:50:41,040 –> 00:50:44,800
Why is it that we don’t think
that Jacob too joins those other

742
00:50:44,800 –> 00:50:47,720
two?
It’s a theophany, isn’t it?

743
00:50:48,320 –> 00:50:54,480
It’s the same experience.
He sees God, he sees almighty

744
00:50:54,480 –> 00:50:58,720
God, just like Elijah and Moses.
Now what I want to do, I just

745
00:50:58,720 –> 00:51:00,800
want to finish here, brothers
and sisters, I know we’ve gone

746
00:51:00,800 –> 00:51:03,720
over a little bit and I’ll try
and get better with timing as

747
00:51:03,720 –> 00:51:06,640
the week goes on.
I’ll be much better on Saturday.

748
00:51:08,520 –> 00:51:10,880
But verse 18, we’re going to
finish here because for me this

749
00:51:10,880 –> 00:51:12,520
is the climax.
And we could just quickly read

750
00:51:12,520 –> 00:51:15,120
over that because the, the, the
ladder or the staircase is so

751
00:51:15,120 –> 00:51:16,480
dramatic.
It says there verse 18.

752
00:51:16,480 –> 00:51:19,080
And Jacob rose up early in the
morning and took the stone that

753
00:51:19,080 –> 00:51:21,600
he had put for his pillow and
set it up for a pillar and

754
00:51:21,600 –> 00:51:25,720
poured oil upon the top of it.
Can you see what he does?

755
00:51:27,560 –> 00:51:31,480
There was Jacob, and he now
knows the seed of promise.

756
00:51:31,480 –> 00:51:35,800
A multitude of seed is going to
flow through him, and for the

757
00:51:35,800 –> 00:51:39,560
multitudinous sea to flow
through him, it needed the seed

758
00:51:39,560 –> 00:51:46,720
of promise to come.
And so he takes then Abraham’s

759
00:51:46,760 –> 00:51:58,560
altar, and he raises it, and he
anoints it at the very place

760
00:51:58,560 –> 00:52:03,560
that Abraham had invoked Yahweh
in the name of Yahweh and had

761
00:52:03,560 –> 00:52:08,280
received this vision of the
coming mediator.

762
00:52:10,360 –> 00:52:12,560
I just want you to imagine this
as we finish this morning.

763
00:52:13,280 –> 00:52:17,760
He raises this stone and he
anoints it.

764
00:52:17,760 –> 00:52:20,600
Can you picture that stone
glistening in the sunshine with

765
00:52:20,600 –> 00:52:23,240
the oil there?
And what does he do?

766
00:52:26,240 –> 00:52:33,480
It is in total recognition that
the land and the people would

767
00:52:33,480 –> 00:52:39,760
come through one, the one who
would be raised and anointed,

768
00:52:41,240 –> 00:52:45,480
raised up amongst his brethren
and anointed on the day of his

769
00:52:45,480 –> 00:52:49,080
baptism.
Behold, this is my beloved son,

770
00:52:49,840 –> 00:52:55,600
in whom I am well pleased.
And as we picture Bethel now,

771
00:52:55,600 –> 00:52:58,640
brothers and sisters, as Jacob
now leaves Bethel, I want you to

772
00:52:58,640 –> 00:53:04,720
imagine that solitary stone, the
beginning of the House of God,

773
00:53:06,280 –> 00:53:11,360
And that stone symbolized the
chief corner.

774
00:53:13,280 –> 00:53:17,600
And many stones now need to be
assembled at Bethel into the

775
00:53:17,600 –> 00:53:21,560
House of God, many living and
lively stones.

776
00:53:21,560 –> 00:53:26,400
You and me, brothers and
sisters, ask yourselves now, the

777
00:53:26,400 –> 00:53:34,560
end of this talk, Where are you?
Have you been shaped and

778
00:53:34,560 –> 00:53:37,680
moulded?
Have you been brought close to

779
00:53:37,680 –> 00:53:41,240
that cornerstone?
Are you now in the House of God?

780
00:53:42,800 –> 00:53:48,560
Or are you in another solitary
space on your own, still waiting

781
00:53:49,280 –> 00:53:52,120
to be shaped and moulded by your
God?