Wow... so many stories and awesome lessons to learn from today's reading: Lessons in finding a good wife (pray hard, and look for someone that is willing to water lots of camels), learning to have quick obedience (like Rebecca had in being willing to leave right away), and not repeating the sins of the fathers (like Isaac did in not going and taking another wife because Rebecca was barren for their first 20 years of marriage!) Of course, Matthew 9 also had an abundance of powerful lessons on what it means to live and pray in faith.
But for today's highlight, I'd like to focus on one simple part -- and that is THE BATTLE WITHIN.
In Gen. 25:22-23 we find Rebecca, Isaac's wife, pregnant with twins, and yet even before they were born, there is a battle taking place in her womb. I believe it's a battle that is still taking place in each one of our hearts today.
You see, the Bible tells us that the battle represents two nations and two manner of people. I believe it can also represent the battle between the flesh and the spirit.
Naturally, the flesh comes out first...all very much focused on himself and getting his needs met. That's how we are born, and that was Esau. He was the firstborn, and he was willing to give up his birthright (representing God's blessing) just because of the lusts of his flesh. He esteemed God's blessing lightly. He was the mighty hunter, and the one that probably had all the women swooning, but he was not controlled by the spirit of God, but by his own temporal desires.
Esau was the firstborn, and naturally, he should have been the leader, but instead, he was to serve the younger. In the same way, our firstborn carnal flesh should not rule. Instead the spirit of God should rule--represented by Jacob (imperfectly) and by Jesus Christ Himself (perfectly), the second Adam. Although Jacob was imperfect, remember, it was through his seed that the promised Son eventually came...while he failed, he also repented and pled for God's mercy--and that's what one who is controlled by the Spirit will do. (But now I'm getting ahead of the story...)
So who will win the battle within, in our lives today, the flesh or the spirit? The lusts of the flesh, or the power of God?
Tomorrow's Reading: Gen. 26-27, and Matthew 10
No comments:
Post a Comment