December 18, 2020
God Knows a Better Way?
As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:27-28 NLT)
Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, his uncle Laban’s Daughter. This is the family tree of Isaac, son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel. Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren. God answered his prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant. The babies tumbled and kicked inside her so much. She said, “if this is the way it’s going to be, why go on living?” She went to God to find out what was going on. God told her, two nations are in your womb, two peoples butting heads while still in your body. One person will overpower the other, and the older will serve the younger. Genesis 25:21-23) When her time to give birth came, sure enough, there were twins in her womb. The first came out reddish as if snugly wrapped in a hairy blanket; they named him Esau (Hairy). His brother followed; his fist clutched tight to Esau’s heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
(Genesis 25:24-26)
The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he loved his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. One day Jacob was cooking a stew. Esau came in from the field, starved. Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stew—I’m starved!” That’s how he came to be called Edom (Red). (Genesis 25:27-30) Jacob said, “Make me a trade: my stew for your rights as the firstborn.” Esau said, “I’m starving! What good is a birthright if I’m dead?” Jacob said, “First, swear to me.” And he did it. On oath, Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up, and left. That’s how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn. (Genesis 25:31-34)
It is clear Jacob and Rebekah showed favorites between the twins, one was a Mama’s boy, and one was a Daddy’s boy. When parents show favoritism in their children and favor one over the other, it always creates family problems. Jacob wasn’t willing to wait and took advantage of Esau’s weariness after a hunt and convinced him to trade his birthright for a bowl of stew. Later Rebekah conspired with her son Jacob to get the patriarchal blessing that was intended for Esau. She taught Jacob how to be deceptive. She stepped in to help God keep His promises, as though God needs our help! She reminded God of the manipulation of Jacob’s grandmother Sarah. It was now becoming a family tradition or a generational curse.
Jacob, the good son who stayed at home with his mother, learned to be a manipulator, and he got good at it. Do you manipulate to get your way? Is there someone in your family that comes to mind? It’s a generational curse, and the curse must be broken, let it continues throughout generations. People came to distrust him, and he began fearing them. A spirit of fear came on Jacob – one sin leads to another. God would have accomplished His promises without the intervention of Rebekah and Jacob. He doesn’t need our help! Have you ever manipulated a situation to get what you want? If so, repent and yield to God’s plan and purposes.
Pray this with me:
Father God, I boldly come before your throne, and I sincerely repent for the deception and manipulations I have used to get my way. I am sorry. I ask you to forgive me. I break these generational curses that have come down through the bloodline on both sides of my family. I sever a Jezebel spirit that controls, manipulates, lies, deceives. I know how dogs ate her because of her sins. I sever this curse at the root, I renounce it, and I replace it with the word of God in my bloodline. It is the Word of God that has the power to deliver me, save me, heal, and restore me in the all-powerful name of Jesus.
