No Deception

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO DECEPTION

Gen 27:1-17

27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, "My son." "Here I am," he answered. 2 Isaac said, "I am now an old man and don't know the day of my death. 3 Now then, get your weapons — your quiver and bow — and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die." 5 Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7'Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.' 8 Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies." 11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I'm a man with smooth skin. 12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing." 13 His mother said to him, "My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me." 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. 17 Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

NIV

As we looked in the last days of Isaac, seeing as ours will also be coming and what we do in the dash between the date of our birth and death is what is important, we now move on to this matter with Jacob and Esau preparing a meal for Isaac. Rebekah has aided her favorite son Jacob in a deceptive scheme to make him appear, and smell like his brother Esau to get the first blessing belonging to the firstborn. We know in the overall scheme of things Jacob is the one who will become the father of the twelve tribes of Isreal and in the lineage of Jesus. We cannot fully understand the reasoning behind how this happened and why God allowed this to happen. However, we also see a truth about being who we are meant to be and not trying to be someone we are not, as Jacob tried to be Esau for his gain of the inheritance of the firstborn. Although we are not trying to pretend to be another person, we might try to attempt to be like another person, imitating their pattern for life, because they appear successful. Jesus said to follow him, which means we should be trying to be like Jesus, not like another person. It is easy to see the way someone lives and their manner of doing things, but we should never try to be like someone else but only try to be like Jesus. This may also apply to ministry as those who are called are called based on who they are, and what the Lord has worked in their lives and we must always be true to ourselves, not trying to imitate those who have become successful with large churches. Each of us are the clay in the hands of the Potter and he molds us into the vessel of his choice, and we are who he has made us and that is all we are. Each of us is a member of the total body of Christ with our part he has decided. We are all living stones being built into the temple of God, as he places us where he has determined. This can also apply to the façades that we might want to put in front of ourselves only showing a nice appearance to others while being the real us when we are alone. As one pastor had said that the difference between our personality and our character is our personality is when we are with people, but our character is who we are when we are alone. Although we agree in kind, we are never really alone for the Spirit is always with us. This brings us to the conclusion, that we can only be who God has designed us to be, and do what he has empowered us to do and that would or should always be a benefit to his kingdom. We know how the Pharisees and the chief priests pretended righteousness, yet they were not. This is another façade we need to be careful of, looking righteous or spiritual.  He loves us and desires the best for us, as we are made by him, so we endeavor to follow Jesus and be who we are supposed to be, with no deception.