Unstoppable Grace - Genesis 26:34-28:9

Have you ever justified sin in order to achieve a desired result? Sometimes it can be tempting to think this way. How will I pass this class if I don’t cheat on this assignment? How will I keep my job if I’m honest about my beliefs? How will I cultivate a friendship if I share the gospel? This sort of “end justifies the means” thinking is ungrounded. Our desired results never justify unfaithfulness in the present. God will bring His plans to pass, and He will never make us sin in order to do so.

On Sunday, Pastor Michael preached on Genesis 26:34-28:9, where we see that God’s gracious plan of redemption cannot be thwarted.

Isaac, at this point old and blind, told Esau to hunt game and prepare for him delicious food so that he would bless him. Previously, it had been revealed to Rebekah that Jacob, not Esau, was the chosen child to receive the covenant blessing. Rebekah overheard Isaac’s plan and, favoring Jacob, crafted a plan of her own — one that would rely on deception to land Jacob the blessing of his father. 

She told Jacob to gather two young goats from the flock so that she could prepare food from them for Isaac. Jacob would deliver this food to Isaac, pretending to be Esau, and receive the blessing himself.

Jacob obeyed, and after gathering the goats was disguised to smell and feel like his brother. He delivered the meal to his father, and, though initially suspicious, Isaac was eventually fooled. By the time Esau returned, the blessing his father had planned to give him had been given to Jacob. 

Esau hated his brother and planned to kill him. Hearing about Esau’s plan, Rebekah told Jacob to flee to Laban, her brother. This he did, after being sent by his father.

In the passage, we see a picture of sin. Isaac favored Esau for the food that he gave him, and planned to give to him the blessing he should have given Jacob. Rebekah plotted a deceitful scheme to trick her husband, and Jacob obeyed it, lying to his father to receive the blessing. We saw before that Esau considered the covenant promise a small thing, and here he planned to murder his twin brother. All four of these people were willing to sin to get what they wanted.

In the passage, though, we also see a picture of unstoppable grace. Jacob did nothing to earn his father’s blessing. He even displayed mistrust towards God in how he attempted to deceptively take matters into his own hands. Still, God allowed Jacob to receive the blessing tied to his gracious calling.

This points us to the gospel. Through Christ, God has made a way for sinners like us to receive abundant grace. If our faith is in Christ, we can trust that God has forgiven us of all our sins and will help us fight against sinful temptations we face during this life.

Resource:

Reflection Questions:

  • Are there any areas of life in which you struggle to trust God’s sovereignty?

  • What would it look like for you to trust God in those areas of life going forward?

  • How does the gospel motivate you to walk in daily obedience?

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