charisbarak

The terms of the covenant were promises between them to take care of his children & grandchildren and that the wives, children, grand-children & flocks were dutifully paid for & were rightfully Jacob's. That God would be watching them when they were apart.

They left because they did not want a confrontation with Laban. They knew he was getting angry at the way things were going. They deceived him by leaving without his knowing. The unjust thing was that Rachel stole the family gods & also lied to cover up. The wrong was on her, not Jacob. He didn't know.;

I think Jacob knew once Laban began changing the rules. Beyond what Jacob thought he was doing, God was orchestrating His will to be done and would change the sequence of coloration in the animals so Jacob would always be ahead. We're always in danger of taking credit for what has happened, not giving God the glory He deserves.

God allows this for Jacob because He loves him and wants to see him grow. It is character building and he also learns patience, not instant gratification.

He showed he was serving God, that he was not his own anymore, but God's. It was a realization that anything Jacob had came from God. I think it was a type of conversion experience for him--he began serving God, rather than self. When we tithe, it shows we trust Him and have committed our lives to Him. It freed him up to be all God wanted him to be.

It was an act of dedication. Anointing the stone set himself up to be consecrated & cleansed by God. He does it because he was totally moved, sobered by the experience and understood the importance of his role. He said if God would be with him, provide for him & bring him safely back home, he would accept God as his God, make the pillar God's house and give him a tenth of all that he has.

It signified that God intended to bless Jacob and that he was now in God's will. God's blessing confirmed his father's blessing. He also added His personal blessing on Jacob, letting him know He would be with him. I think Jacob's eyes were opened to the awe, glory & majesty of God.

Issac realizes that Jacob is indeed God's chosen. The blessing is very similar to the other blessings, in that it contains thoughts of land, descendants, and future peoples of the world.

I think I relate most to Jacob. My character flaws were/are mostly in the area of deception & thinking only of myself, to get what I needed (or thought I needed). Jesus is at work in me to change that area of my life. It can still be an area of weakness, and I must stand strengthened in the Lord each day to not fall prey to satan. I can recognize the tempation now and call on God to change my heart and lead me His Way.

It makes me feel uncomfortable if & when one of my 4 children feel that way. I try to go out of my way to shower love on them equally, though it is hard because of the different personalities & needs they have. I may have felt a little less loved than my sister at times, but my parents did the best they could. I was a brat. Healing took place when I placed my faith in Jesus. He healed my hurts and enables me to love my children as equally as I am able. Jesus is the answer.

He perhaps could have annulled the blessing, but once he had finished it & found he had been deceived, he realized God was at work & bringing him to that point of blessing for Jacob which was foretold. In a sense, he may have been trying to have a different outcome, not really putting any stock in what God had foretold about the boys. I think God used the deceitful means for His ends.

There was no excuse for Rebekah to make that deceitful plan with Jacob. Even knowing what she did, it was no excuse. She was also instructing her son in the deceitful means. In any court, they were both guilty of deception.

Rebekah was spiritual to a point. She recognized God's promises to her & her children & really banked on them. However, using deception to "help God" was not correct. Isaac didn't seem to be as spiritual--was big on "man-type" things--the outdoors-hunting and saw that his favored son pleased him by being the great outdoorsman. Rebekah was the more spiritual of the two and the time Jacob spent with her, he picked up on it. Unfortunately, he didn't wait to see God work either, to bring about the promises made to his mother when he was born--they both "helped God."

The N.T. condemns Esau for trading his birthright because he did not value the honor attached the the birthright and what it meant. Selling the birthright meant he was not interested in the future and in gaining a blessing. He was satisfying a ****! His character was weak. He wanted things "now!" and was not willing to wait for a more important outcome. Jacob proceeded to take advantage of his brother's weakness to get what he thought God had promised him.

He was overbearing, controlling, selfish, and self-centered. Yes, most definitely. Power in leadership is a huge temptation, but as in other temptations, it can be overcome. First recognize the tendency, confess and work to let God change my heart. My thoughts need to be constantly on Him and think of others before myself. I also need to know whatever I have achieved, it is all because of what God did in me and through me. I am nothing without Him.

The reasons are to spread the love & work together for the truth. As a fellow worker, the salvation of souls brings glory to God & we had a small part in the process! Not effective at all! Missionaries have told me the power behind prayer is so necessary--as necessary as food & water & breath. Obviously, support is very important too--their needs must be met, and there are no better persons than the body to meet them all! That's how God worked it out!! His love!!

We are to refuse hospitality to those false teachers--we don't want to have even a small part in their deception. For the congregation--it would poison the group. They should not be allowed to come or to share a message. Why would we want to hurt others & hear a message from satan? Both are not good. Rather than tolerance that says "we should" or stupidity which says "what's the problem?"--we should pray for wisdom & discernment!! No, differences in minor things is ok; it's the differences in the major tenants of the faith which cannot be changed, altered or deleted. We may be divided on small things, but we all come together on the basics. Anyone not agreeing with the basics is not of God.

Running ahead can cause us to get off onto a tangent--or distorted view of the Word. If we pass that on to others, we could be a false teacher. Deeper truths come when we're ready & He'll reveal them to us then. We'll find ourselves in a pickle. We'll be in a place that is not the Lord's will and be in danger of not totally depending on Him & not being a good witness. There is so much to know & to be accountable for with just the basics!! Stay close to Jesus & his Word; take in what He reveals to you & act on it. We'll find there is plenty to work on--just where He leads us!!

Idols, things that take our time & affection, are ever with us. In any age we have "idols" that can rob us of our time with & for Jesus. Idols can be anything--daily work, hobbies, good works....just anything. Some of my "idols" are food, busy work, time constraints, handwork, working on the computer--e-mail--facebook--all desiring to grab my time with the Lord.

Our obedience & His will. By searching the scriptures and even admitting we don't really know what His will is in the situation--but regardless, that His will be done. Not very often, I'm afraid.

This life is not in "an organization" but a living "organism"--Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Everything is centered on Jesus Christ & the price He paid for our sins. Keep this as the focus. I had faith in my chair that it would hold me up as I worked at the computer. But faith in Jesus brings my focus directly on Him, His power & His work in us!!

The defeatist doesn't really believe the power & work of Jesus, while belief that Jesus has overcome the world & we will too empowers us to overcome. Faith has everything to do with overcoming. We believe Jesus overcame death and the world & we will too. The defeatist mentality is run by a lack of faith in Jesus Christ & His power to overcome.

To begin with we need to fear the judgment of God, because it will happen. But as we mature, we begin to respect God & His power & His Word, honor Him and seek to obey Him. Our fear of judgment is overcome with the power of His love for us & the grace He exhibits toward us. Judgment will come one day, & so will He! Oh, I can hardly wait to be with Him. It will be soon!!

The fact that God is love should color our lives. We should be relecting that light. God's care went beyond Himself to us--cared enough for us that while we were yet sinners, He died for us. His love should be seen in our lives as we reach out to others. The road to healing is a road of forgiving & being forgiven. Unwillingness to forgive is a devilish attitude. Holding grudges and being self-centered is not godly. I pray I will forgive as God has forgiven me and bring to mind those areas I have not fully given to Him.

The Holy Spirit of God in us is Greater! The Spirit gives us overcoming power through Christ. Whatever we go through in the future has also gone through God's approval & Jesus overcame to show us we'll overcome too! This truth should remove fear! I am not alone!! He lives in me! Me & God are a majority & an overcoming majority at that!