GOD WINS
Genesis 28:10-22
God and sin are sharp rivals: sin, ugly, hard, persistent, and God relentlessly pure, gently, patiently wooing men. It’s a continual nip and tuck, with God a head and a heart in the lead. The sting and hurt of sin are everywhere. And God is always on the heels of sin to heal the hurt, neutralize the sting, and woo the man. Jacob flees from Esau’s hounding hate. God eagerly pursues Jacob. And God wins.
PAYING THE BILLS
Genesis 37:29-36
Sin is self-executive. Every sin pays its own bills. There’s a hell of suffering in every sin. When sin is let into the life its brood— pain, broken hearts, broken lives, remorse, and worse—comes in, too, and some day will break out and run riot, unless a stronger power intervenes. Jesus’ dying is appreciated fully only where sin’s badness is fully recognized.
MOTIVE MORE THAN EMOTION
Genesis 27:30-45
Weak impulses or bad ones, yielded to. are hard on the tear-ducts. There’s bound to be a bad emotional storm before the thing’s over. Tears are very impressive; they sway a lot of people. But one should look through the tear-mist to see what motive controls. Motive is more than emotion. If Esau had been thoughtfully right in his motives beforehand, his emotions wouldn’t be having such a hard time now.
IMPULSE OR PURPOSE?
Genesis 27:11-17
A man’s character is revealed most by his sober second thought. An impulse may be bad or good; a deliberate purpose is worse or better; it can strengthen or check the impulse. Esau was impulsive, a bundle of impulses, sometimes good, sometimes weak or bad. God couldn’t use him. Jacob was the stronger character, a cool, deliberate thinker. That made his badness worse, and his goodness better, when at last he yielded his life to God.
CHOICE PLUS GRACE
Genesis 27:1-10
Which is more in making character, heredity or training? the influences before birth or those after? Before birth parents should thoughtfully emphasize a planned heredity. Afterward it should be recognized that training can overcome any heredity. Poor Jacob was handicapped both ways on his mother’s side. Bad handicap that! Yet—yet, listen, a determined will and God’s resistless, gracious power can overcome any handicap.
