Vincent Paul DiMino

Thanks,Y'all ! Good Sunday Morning ! It's a pleasure to meet with a worldwide study group on this subject. As I read though everyone's answers, and try to get the "enlarged view",I see Isaac and Rebekah's love for God,each other, and their son, acting on us.Even though we are mostly not direct biological "children of Israel",by God's love,through Jesus Christ,we may receive that love,from our Lord,who remembers that love for a thousand generations.

The relationship became both personal,and formalized.In order to "give 10% of what's been given" him, Jacob must first,count his blessings,then,in gratitude,count out 10%,and give it back.

The physical place of Christ's Ascension (Luke 24:50)is Bethany (house of unripe figs)on the Southeast slopes of the Mount of Olives,and the physical place of Jacob's vision,is Bethel(house of God)12 miles North of Jerulsalem.They are not physically the same place,but..."in Spirit and in Truth",what we don't yet know,may yet,be revealed.

Jacob is ready to follow in the faith of his father and grandfather.The stone,uprighted,and annointed, is consecrated, as witness between him,and his God.The 10% appears to be a standard that pre-existed Abraham,who gave 10% to Melchizedek,as "priest of the God Most High".Having no such human official present,at the time,Jacob,now enabled,to understand,what many before him have sought,without realization,submits himself to the service of God,and marks the physical place of his transformation,that he may return to the place,in order to return to his God.The time when we "will worship in Spirit and in Truth" will come.

"Today,I am a man !" Jacob,long physically an adult,becomes a child of God,and,at last, achieves his commission,and a spitirual strengthening.He recognizes the gift he has been given, as something fully beyond his comprehension,and begins to be changed by it.We are,just by thinking about it.Praise God !

Isaac had received the blessing from God,in it's full,three element,form.He accepted his responsibility as family patriarch and gaurdian of that blessing,as well as the weight of his own words.An interesting note: he appears to give only the [two] elements of progeny, and real estate, in blessing his spiritual successor, with the Abrahamic blessing,(similar to the blessings,as received by Abraham,at Hebron).God himself,adds the 3rd element,from which we all derive our blessings.Righteousness,in witholding judgement of Jacob's deception, for the one to whom judgement belongs,is a great gift,given to Isaac,along with peace in his heart.Isaac is truely blessed,as an instrument of God's will.

Thanks,y'all ! Great discussion.Only our Lord,can see into our hearts and know the TRUTH.Responsibility,may include that which is divinely confered upon us,which,in Jacob's case (as Israel),is immense.Throughout the OT,Jacob continues to experience the joys,sufferings,and judgements of his progeny,for,as Jesus said,"he is not the God of the dead,but of the living":Jacob's "responsibility" continues.Can he pray that his responsibility be performed,even by us ? Can we pray for him,even now ?

Please help me with this: What does Rebekah say or do to influence Jacob in bargaining with Esau in the "inheritance for soup" transaction in Genesis 25:30 ?

Thank you,Masika,for bringing Genesis 26:7 into the focus.Other than Jesus,who is perfect,"all fall short of the Glory of God".It seems that perhaps the "iniquity of the father" (Abraham) was visited upon the son,even under the same circumstances and with the same people.Abimelech might have thought it was some sort of family tradition.It appears that Abimelech only accepts Isaac as a "man blessed by God" after he observes his success.I agree with your view on Rebekah: her contrived deception of her husband for the benefit of Jacob,was,also an act of love, but lacked faith in the certainty of God's prophetic Word that she had received.

Confess your sins,one unto another: I have done them all: favoritism and substituting my own judgement for the truth (Isaac),Deception in order to protect loved ones from error (Rebekah), complicity in deception,as well as reveling in the moment of my advantage over another (Jacob),and grasping the momentary,material gain without thought of the consequences,as well as complaining about my poor choice afterward (Esau).Please pray for those of us who are faced with deception as "the lesser of perceived evils", when a loved one with an alcohol or drug problem asks us for money, and we're tempted to lie, and say we're broke,rather than hurt their feelings with the truth, and tell them that they really don't need money for something that's killing them...for me, Rebekah's character defect, is the closest to my heart.

Jesus gave us the answer to this question when he said that anyone who loves his family (or anything else) more than they love him,can not serve him,and anyone who does not serve Jesus,does not have true love to give.Favoritism,in the family,or the church,must be resisted for the evil that it is.

The third part of this question answers all three parts: God's role,is to be the all knowing,all powerful,perfect creator of everything;the author and finisher of all things.Isaac was given the blessing of participating in the expression of God's will.Esau cried,but Isaac did not cry like Hesakiah,who's tears did move our God to delay the prophesy that he would die,for an additional 15 years...could he have petitioned the Lord to allow Esau to have the blessing that was prophesised for "the younger" before the twins birth ?...or did Isaac shake at the thought that he had intended to give a blessing that the Lord had already given, and only realized it at that moment,as in "trembling before the Lord" ?

Rebekah was a skillful culinary artist,or,possibly, even inspired,in order to have made goat taste like venison,especially to someone who loved wild game,but,as affirmed in the lesson material,intentional deception,on the part of human beings,is never the best way,and,in fact may demonstrate our individual lack of faith in God's providence,when we resort to it,even to protect someone we love from doing wrong.Did she repent of this? How will our Lord judge this,or has it already been "forgotten"? (I don't know) God does not need the help of sinners to accomplish his will,but "all things work for the good,for those who love God and are called according to his purpose",which is positively not an excuse for less than righteous behavior,but,in retrospect, may allow for God's grace and mercy in this case.

(pre-course answers):Selling birthright is condemned in the New Testament as a lack of faith,ingratitude,lack of responsibility,and fierce,animal selfishness;a lack of morality and understanding-of the eternal nature and love of God.It implies that Esau was more concerned with the physical and the present than the spiritual and everlasting.