FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT

Human life is both a savory game of risk and a sinful misery of failure. There are pleasures in this life and sorrows of the consequence of it. This is why we must be directed by the “divine Word,” not our feelings about the many graces and sorrows that must be sanctified to us through the divine Word. In this daily reading, we must not make the error of believing the heresy that spiritual “meaning” is hidden behind the sins displayed in the lives of the sinners of this narrative. That would be to interpret the divine Word all wrong. Sin is not the spoken Word of God, which is why “there is confusion” when we look to the words of men as the Word of God. But the divine Word truly gives us understanding amid our confusion. That is what we must pay attention to when laboring to understand the narrative of these events and how they point us to salvation by Christ alone. 

This is why I cannot agree with the presupposition that “the human tongue” is what most clearly separates men from beasts (James 3:1-12; Matt.12:34; Lk.6:45). That is a grave error (Rom.3:3-8) because our Lord clearly made the statement that the root of the tongue, which is a man’s heart, is most like the beasts (Ecc.3:17-22; Dan.4:16). That’s why the blessing is exclusively by divine grace alone (Matt.16:17; 2Cor.7:1). Therefore, this narrative is descriptive for us to understand how (not) to guard “the trust” of the blessing of the divine image (1Tim.6:20), for anything other would be putting a stumbling block in a “flesh and bone” brother’s way of perceiving and understanding the spiritual rock of offense that salvation is solely in the sovereign hands of Almighty God alone (Gen.29:14; 1Cor.6:15-17; Eph.5:30; Isa.8:14; Rom.9:33; 1Pet.2:8). If the blessing were entirely up to us, none of it could be preserved or kept as a Surety. That’s why it matters how we pay attention to how the Lord settles the dispute about who represents the coming seed, which was promised to save His people from their sins.   

Therefore, what is Isaac asking for here in sending out Esau to play the game he loves? What is Isaac’s pleasure in this game of necessary risk? What makes it so savory to fellowship around and enjoy with his son Esau?  

What is Isaac truly asking for here by sending out Esau to play the game he loves (Gen.25:27)?

What is Isaac’s pleasure in this game of necessary risk but that he made a son into a man (Gen.27:40)?

What makes “the game” so savory to fellowship around and enjoy with his son Esau (Gen.25:28; 27:37)?

What does this say about the love Isaac truly had for Esau in spite of his open sins of disgrace, and does having all the skills of a man make for a man of God (Gen.26:34-35)?

What is the theology behind Isaac’s desire to bless the son “they” named together as Esau with the inheritance (Gen.25:25; 27:32)?

Is this the theology that God requires in order for the inheritance to be blessed from the blessing that comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17-18)?

Therefore, as Jacob deceives his earthly father in this “game of risk” to satisfy (the form) of “external” commandments that pertain to restraining the life of sin, what is God doing from the eternal and divine perspective, yet looking upon these events with “grace” to carry out His eternal purpose and plan (Acts 17:30-31)?

Therefore, there is no hidden meaning or “commandment” to follow here to receive the divine blessing that only God can provide, for the theology that is making this family stumble is the “competition” of who shall represent “the blessing.” 

Therefore, pay attention closely to how “the blessing” is guarded through the actions of the various participants (Gen.25:23; 27:5, 7, 12-13, 20, 27, 37), but also to how “the power” to bless is not by “human” effort to conform to a temporary and earthly command (as the sign) of the Lord’s blessing (Gen.28:1-4; Jn.1:12-13; Rom.9:6-16).

Therefore, it should steer us to think of grace as God’s power alone to bless with this saving faith, which descends from above through the wisdom of the cross (James 3:13-4:6; Gen.25:27). If we would try to follow merely the firstborn as the pattern of the “divine Word,” then we would just further confuse and deceive others from seeking the Spirit of the Word, which always sees Christ as the firstborn among many brethren. We would be setting ourselves up to be “the Spirit” rather than following the Spirit, who is the Lord of the blessing (2Cor.3:17).

Again, in whose power is it to bless or to curse as the image of God’s blessing (Gen.27:4, 10, 13, 19, 21, 25, 27, 29, 33)?

Has the blessing ever come through “the heart of a man,” or can it ever come through the heart of a man (Matt.15:18; 1Cor.2:9; Ezk.13:2, 17; Ps.64; Pr.27:19; Rom.3:9-21)?

If the power was solely in the chosen form, then why did Isaac have to “re-bless” Jacob, a how does Laban’s “game” of the same political cursing actually turn out to bless Jacob according to God’s purpose (Gen.28:1-4, 11-15)?

Therefore, what is the image that blesses the form of the man chosen to represent it (1Thess.5:22; 1Cor.7:31; Rom.2:20; 6:17; 2Tim.3:5)?

How does God use Laban to make a man out of Jacob but Rebekah to make a man of God out of him (Gen.27:43-44)? Why does a few days turn into many years (Gen.27:45; Gen.24:6)?

Why should we pay attention to the recognition of her overhearing this attempt to thwart what “the LORD” truly had spoken (to her)” (Gen.25:23)?

The divine Word came to Rebekah concerning which son would be the representative seed of the next generation of faith until the Lord would come.

Why does God add “until” I have done what I have spoken to you to “I will not leave you” (Gen.28:15)?

What is the measure of Jacob’s vow?

How much weight does this vow hold to the gold of saving faith?

Therefore, does demanding bread and clothing and protection before God will be your God offer a good sign of saving faith?

Didn’t God make a promise to him before he made this vow? Doesn’t this sound more like doubt and unbelief?

Is saving grace God providing ninety percent and us ten? And will the Almighty ever be limited to a house that we made with our hands?

Therefore does God answer this “vow” as Bethel being the place where “the house” of God will be built?

Truly, Bethel is a gateway into the promised land, but is this vow the sign of God’s blessing and saving faith? Therefore, Jacob must go through much hardship to learn the blessing of God, which is already his by election and grace. But he must learn the nature and power of that grace by calling on the Lord.

Can women be “pastors?”

Surely, they are entrusted to “shepherd” other women and children, but shepherding is a job description, not a title for an office. That’s how I “feel” about the title pastor, for it is only used one time as a title, and it is not referring the office of a preacher (1Pet.2:25; 5:4). It does describe the job responsibility of an “overseer,” but it is never the title of the one who oversees the souls of the church (Acts 20:28). A title may be presumed based on 1Pet.5:4, but again, that is describing the verb of who the Lord is that leads the motivation of those who are called to serve as overseers (1Pet.5:1-2 /emphasis: v.2). The overseers are elders who shepherd under the shepherding of the one Shepherd (Jn.10:2, 11-12, 14, 16). Therefore, exercise the verb, not the title, under the respective sphere of your own authority as it comes from the Lord (2Cor.3:17-18).

Why is this a statement that cannot be trusted from the mouth of Laban?

Are we not all of the same “flesh and bone” according to the design of the present created order (1Cor.15:38-41; Acts 17:26)?

So then what separates (or unites) “flesh and bone” and “flesh and bone” according to this “spiritual” presupposition (Heb.4:12-13; 1Cor.6:16; Matt.19:5-6; 2Sam.19:13; Gen.2:23)? Isn’t it the cultural and familiar medium of the spirit of those flesh and bones that divides flesh from spirit (2Cor.7:1; Lev.19:31; 20:6, 27; Dt.18:10-11; 1Sam.28:3; Isa.8:19; 1Cor.6:17; Ecc.3:18-21 /emphasis: v.21; 1Cor.2:12; 1Tim.2:5)?

What does this say about the honor of “Jacob’s” familiar culture regarding betrothal by the standard of his countrymen (Gen.29:21; Rom.9:3; 1Thess.2:14)?

And how do we know that Jacob waited the full seven years before “going in” to “her” (Gen.29:25)?

And, therefore, just how normal was it for the firstborn daughter to be given away in this Middle Eastern culture since Jacob knew nothing about the cultural expectations (Gen.29:26)?

What was in the “form” of Rachel’s eyes that Jacob saw that was superior to Leah’s?

Was it merely superficial? Or was it the way the eyes beheld Jacob?

Weren’t Leah’s eyes “coddled” from being beholden to her father?

Weren’t Rachel’s eyes full of “understanding,” which made Jacob feel “clean” and “right” in all that he did, for he loved her through all the confusion and deceit of Laban’s Babel? Didn’t Rachel see the effect of Jacob’s God in the form of his worship, even though Jacob didn’t know God as should’ve, for the form was born out of Abraham’s faith? Therefore there was power in Jacob’s worship, and Rachel had the eyes to behold it (Gen.29:30).

What is the purpose behind “the Lord saw” that Leah was hated?

How was she hated by Jacob and Rachel? How would she have been a nuisance to Jacob’s love for Rachel?

But how did the Lord try to bridge the gap to bless Jacob by giving her children in spite of her cry for the shared love of one husband?

Did the Lord open her womb for her to receive love from Jacob? Did the Lord open her womb because he showed mercy to her?

How did the Lord “wear out” her competition for the expectation of love except by giving her children that shut up her fake praise (Gen.29:35)?

Did she love Jacob or Jacob’s God? Therefore, how does “the LORD” test her “praise” throughout the remainder of the narrative?