Trust and Obey

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

TRUST AND OBEY

Gen 27:5-17

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

This is the beginning of the deception Rebekah conceived and directed so her son, Jacob, would receive the firstborn blessing. We know Jacob was meant to father the twelve tribes of Israel. We know the LORD spoke to Rebekah concerning her younger son and that the older son would serve him. So then, was this a deception or following the leading of the LORD? How can the will of God be considered achieved through deceiving Isaac into giving Jacob the firstborn blessing? We wonder if Rebekah ever revealed what the LORD said to her while the twins jostled within her. Did she tell Isaac that the older would serve the younger? We are not told, yet Isaac loved his firstborn son, which would have been natural. The oldest son would inherit all the father's possessions. However, God's plan must be fulfilled, and he will direct the paths of his people to accomplish his will. It seems we are but pawns in his hands, doing whatever and however he desires. Yet we have a choice; Rebekah could have let the knowledge revealed to her slip by the wayside, but then she would have been outside God's will. Still, it does not seem right that God would want us to lie about anything; however, that was the case when Jacob deceived his father into believing he was Esau. Yet, Jacob was being obedient to his mother, honoring her plan as it was revealed to her concerning him. Did she tell Jacob about the word of the LORD that came to her? Again, we are not told; however, her plan was based on the revelation she received from the LORD. We know that God's plan and purpose will always be accomplished in our lives because he is sovereign. His ways are not our ways, and our ways are not his ways. We must know that this plan for Jacob came through God's sovereign hand, Rebekah's obedience, and Jacob's trust and obedience to her. That is the lesson for our lives. God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and it may not look like we think it should; however, he will reveal in due time what we are to be, what we are to do, and we simply need to trust and obey.