Running from Trouble

Introduction

I think families are interesting. Looking at how other families interact and customs that other families have, it is interesting the differences in families. Although families are different there are also great similarities. All families have problems, but not all families deal with problems in the same way. Some families work together to resolve issues; some families ignore the issues; some families create bigger issues so that the little ones are pushed aside; some families have a designated (albeit unstated) solver of problems. These different approaches to a problem are what makes families interesting.

Biblical families are interesting as well. In our study of Genesis, we have not met a family yet that didn’t have problems. While Noah’s family certainly demonstrated faithfulness before the flood, after the flood there are some issues that arise that demonstrate that his family had problems too. Imperfect people make up imperfect families. And imperfect families are bound to have problems. Today we are going to look at Isaac’s family and another difficulty which arises.

The purpose of the story of Jacob leaving home is probably here for the simple reason to explain how Jacob receives God’s blessing and how he obtains a wife. This is not a text designed to teach us about how to select a good mate; nor is this a text designed to teach us about how to deal with family issues. However, this text does allow us to see that blessed people like Isaac do not escape from problems. But Isaac doesn’t stop honoring God with his life and his words. While no one can escape problems, how our faith remains intact in the face of those problems is the real story.

The Story

After the incident in which Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, and received the blessing, Esau is furious with his brother. He is furious because his brother has taken what he believes rightfully belongs to him. Esau seems to have forgotten that he sold his right to the blessing for a bowl of soup. Isn’t it interesting how we try not to take responsibility for our own actions? Isn’t it interesting how we try to blame our poor judgment on others or even God when the truth is we just didn’t think far enough in advance? God isn’t responsible for our poor choices nor is anyone else. Esau exchanged his inheritance rights for a bowl of soup. Now he is angry because he feels cheated.

So Esau intends to kill Jacob just as soon as his father dies. Many have proposed that Isaac is on his death bed; thus, Esau doesn’t have long to wait. Rebekah hears of Esau’s plan and knows that she must send Jacob away if he is to survive. Rebekah then complains to Isaac about Esau’s choices for wives and Isaac agrees that Jacob should go to Rebekah’s family to find a wife. So Isaac blesses Jacob again and sends him off to Rebekah’s brother, Laban to find a wife.

When Esau discovers Jacob’s mission, he also discovers that his wives do not please his parents. So Esau goes on his own mission to Ishmael, Isaac’s half-brother, and finds another woman to marry. Obviously, Esau is hoping to achieve some level of acceptance from his parents and trying to appease Isaac in his old age.

Lessons

The lesson from this text is found in a contrast. On one hand, Esau forfeited his inheritance rights for short term satisfaction. He then expects his consequences to be different from what he chose. He carries a grudge against his brother even to the point of wanting to kill him. And he marries two women who are pagan. Then to top it all off when he becomes aware of his parent’s displeasure with his marriages (and we have to wonder if they hadn’t voiced their displeasure before and he ignored it), he tries to appease his parents by going to Ishmael and marries one of his daughters. The problem—this is no different from marrying the pagan women. God has already rejected Ishmael as his chosen people. Esau seems determined to do what he wants to do expecting things to turn out well. He doesn’t listen to God.

On the other hand, Jacob is not a perfect child either. Named “the deceiver”; trained in deceit by his mother; used deceit to attain the blessing; hated by his brother; a wanted man. Jacob lives with the memory of his deceit so that even years later, he still fears for his life when he is reunited with his brother in Genesis 32.

But the contrast is not between the two sons. Neither of the boys seems a good candidate to continue walking with God. The contrast is with their father, Isaac. In 28:3-4, Isaac sends Jacob off to find a marriage. It appears that he knows nothing about Esau’s desire to kill his brother nor Rebekah’s attempt to protect her son. Nothing is mentioned about the past deceit. Instead we have Isaac expressing his faith. “God is going to do something with you Jacob. You may be leaving this land, but it is this land where God will bless you and multiply you. This promise was given to your grandfather and to me and now to you.” What faith!

Isaac believes that his God can do greater things than he can imagine. Neither Esau or Jacob have demonstrated a desire to move in the direction of faith. Both have acted selfishly; both have acted without care for each other; and yet Isaac trusts that God will do something. Why? Because God said he would. The Bible is filled with examples of people acting in faith when they are uncertain of the future.

Noah built an ark when others ridiculed him. Why? Because God said he was going to make it rain. Abraham goes to an unknown land. Why? Because God said he was going to make a great nation of him. Abraham offers up Isaac, his one and only son, as a sacrifice. Why? Because he believed that God could raise him from the dead. Joseph refuses the sexual advances of a woman who is not his wife. Why? Because he trusted God. Moses goes to the Pharaoh demanding that God’s people be released from Egyptian bondage. Why? Because of his faith. On and on we could go. The Bible is filled with examples of people acting in faith when they were uncertain of the present and when the future was foggy. Why? Because they trusted God to do something. They weren’t even sure what God was going to do, but they refused to trust what they could see and had learned to trust the one they could not see.

It is no different for us. We get stuck looking at what we can see and wring our hands or determine that things are hopeless or failing. But faith acts because we believe in the one that we cannot see. Say what you will about the scandalous natures of Jacob and Esau. Say what you will about their deceit and short-sightedness. But Isaac remains as one who believes that God can and will do great things. And so he acts in faith, sending his son to find a wife and in his blessing reminding him that all paths lead back to this land. Jacob will be gone for a number of years, but he does return—a changed man and one who carries the banner of faith.

What about your faith? Is it a faith based on what you see or what you can’t see? Is it a faith that acts in reservation or with strength in one who is greater than we can imagine?

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