THE CULTURAL STRUGGLE (Genesis 27)



THE CULTURAL STRUGGLE

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BOOK OF STUDY: GENESIS 24 - 25

Season of Study: Season of Bringing the Savior into the world***

HISTORY: Written by Moses. Traditionally, Moses has been held to be the author of Genesis over the centuries. A number of inferential evidences favor this conclusion.3 It would appear from a number of passages (e.g., Exodus 17:14; 24:4; 34:27; Leviticus 1:1; 4:1; 6:1,8,19,24; 7:22,28, etc.) that Moses wrote the other books of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). It would indeed be unusual for the first word of Exodus to be “and” unless Moses wrote it as well.

In the New Testament, our Lord seemingly attributes the Pentateuch to Moses (Matt 8:4; 19:7,8; Mark 1:44; 7:10; 10:3,4; Luke 5:14; 16:29,31; John 5:45,46; 7:22,23). Other New Testament writers follow this same approach (Acts 3:22, 13:39; Rom 10:5,19; I Cor 9:9; II Cor 3:15). It is therefore hard not to conclude that Moses wrote all the Pentateuch, in spite of no one air-tight statement to this effect.

CONNECTING THE SEASONS:

When studying the book of (Genesis, chapters 12 - 50) we are studying the Season of Bringing the Savior into the world. Having made the promise to mankind in the Garden of Eden that He would send a Savior (Genesis 3:15), God initiates His plan in the call of the man Abram; whose name was later changed to Abraham. From this man, God would grow a nation of people who would bring His Only Begotten Son into the world.

From the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus coming into the world; being crucified, buried, and resurrected has come the promise of the “Rapture and Return of Jesus.”

INTRODUCTION

(Battling Our Culture is Parents’ Task,” Ellen Goodman)

Columnist Ellen Goodman wrote a powerful editorial on this topic, a portion of which follows:

At some point between Lamaze and PTA, it becomes clear that one of your main jobs as a parent is to counter the culture. What the media deliver to children by the masses, you are expected to rebut one at a time.

But it occurs to me now that the call for “parental responsibility” is increasing in direct proportion to the irresponsibility of the marketplace. Parents are expected to protect their children from an increasingly hostile environment.

Mothers and fathers are expected to screen virtually every aspect of their children’s lives. To check the ratings of movies, to read the labels on the CDs, to find out if there’s MTV in the house next door. All the while keeping in touch with school and in their free time, earning a living.

Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, a research associate at the Institute for American Values, found this out in interviews with middle-class parents. “A common complaint I heard from parents was their sense of being overwhelmed by the culture. They felt relatively more helpless than their parents.”

Once, the chorus of cultural values was full of ministers, teachers, neighbors, leaders. They demanded more conformity, but offered more support. Now the messengers are Ninja Turtles, Madonna, rap groups, and celebrities pushing sneakers. Parents are considered “responsible” only if they are successful in their resistance.

It’s what makes child-raising harder. It’s why parents feel more isolated. It’s not just that American families have less time with their kids; it’s that we have to spend more of this time doing battle with our own culture. (End of quote.)

The cultural struggle for parents has not just begun. This struggle has existed from the beginning. In today’s lesson we are reminded this struggle begins before birth. God tells Rebecca that she carried in her womb “two manner” of people, basically two cultures. The battle in the womb between these two cultures continues even today!

Culture is sown in the individual natures of men and women; as is so well demonstrated in today’s lesson. The appetites of men are the building blocks for culture.

Verse to remember: “And the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 27:23)

THE PRINTED TEXT – (Genesis 25:27 – 34; 26: 34 – 35; Genesis 28: 8 – 9).

Genesis 25:27 And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebecca loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob sod pottage:: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink and rose up, and went his way; thus Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 26:34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebecca.

Genesis 28:8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

EXPLORING THE TEXT

The Son with the Human Nature

Dismal Appreciation –

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink and rose up, and went his way; thus Esau despised his birthright

God has given unto men the ability to appreciate. The ability to appreciate sets man apart from the other creatures of this earth.

The bird builds her nest with no desire for design, color, or style. The bird has no appreciation; for the bird builds by instinct and not intelligence.

However, with mankind, because of his intelligence design, color and style are of the highest interest when building his dwelling.

Man has been given by God an “aesthetic” nature, allowing him to appreciate the intricate details of a God ordained and God created universe.

Esau never employed this aspect of his nature to living. He was only concerned with “appetite and not appreciation.”

This higher nature was never engaged in the life of Esau, and we witness this in his behavior.

Esau first had no appreciation for “Human” life! (TP) We know this because it was the desire of Esau to “kill or murder” his brother Jacob.

The scripture declares, “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:4

Esau had no appreciation for “Law.” (TP) The law declared, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12).

To support the truth that Esau had no respect for the law, we read in the text, “And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.“

The behavior Esau in choosing a wife of the Canaanite was in direct disobedience to the wishes of his father and mother. This lone act shows Esau as having no appreciation for the law

Most of all Esau had no appreciation for the “Lord.” (TP)

There is no evidence that Esau ever “acknowledged” the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is no reference to Esau ever, in any of his activities giving credit to God for any blessings he received.

Esau has no altars upon which he made sacrifices to God; or upon which he begged God for a blessing. God is not recokoned in the life of Esau.

Disrespect for Authority – Genesis 28: 8 – 9; 26: 34 – 35

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite;

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebecca.

8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

Esau disrepected all authority except his own. As we study the life of Esau we see he has no respect for the:

The Authority of Heaven – (TP) The authority of heaven is housed in the Word of God. This Word in the day of Esau was channeled through the “father” and it would appear, Esau refused to listen to his father Isaac. The words God spoke through his father Isaac were to be obeyed.

The Authority of the Home – (TP) In the home one found protection from the cruel world around them. There were divine rules by which this protection would be enforced for those dwelling within the bonds of fellowship and friendship. To Esau these were not important.

The Authority of Honor – (TP) The authority of honor is simply“Doing right for the sake of right itself.” Honor is doing right and not looking for reward or recognition. Honor is not doing right because you are being watched, and you are performing; and then once you are out of sight of your observers, you return to your old tricks.

There is a power in being right, and right for the sake of right!

Disregard for the Almighty – (TP)

In studying the life of Esau, were it the only biblical life left for our study; we would know nothing of God. Esau was so important to Esau, that one would think him self-sufficient.

Esau out of the twins born to Rebecca and Isaac was the son with a “human nature.” Notice if you will the characteristics of this life, that never acknowledged God: It was a life that was “Selfish.” Compared to the life of his brother Jacob, Esau's was a life of “Scarce blessings.” And above all Esau's life was a life that “strayed” further from God.

LIFE APPLICATION

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. “Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap of used bait I knew they couldn’t resist. Got ’em all!”

“What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked.

Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and insult each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I’m really gonna have fun!”

“And what will you do when you get done with them?” Jesus asked.

“Oh, I’ll kill ’em,” Satan glared proudly.

“How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.

“Oh, you don’t want those people. They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don’t want those people!!”

“How much?” He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your tears, and all your blood.”

Jesus said, “DONE!” Then He paid the price.

 

(This is part of a longer story called the The Bird Cage often attributed to Paul Harvey)

WHAT WE KNOW ALREADY:

PREMISE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH:

1. God is

2. God Speaks

3. God speaks through that which has already been spoken - We believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God.

WORKING DEFINITION OF GOD:

God is the Personal Spirit, who in Holy Lover. Creates. Orders, and Sustains all.

SEASONS TO SPIRITUAL PERFECTION

God created the physical universe in six (6) days.

God creates the perfect universe in six (6) seasons. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of the heaven, prepared as

a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:1 - 2).

1. Season of Beginnings - Genesis 1 - 3

2. Season of Boundaries and Borders - Genesis 4 - 11

3. Season of Bringing Christ or the Messiah into the World - Genesis 12 – thru

the gospel of John.

4. Season of Broadcasting Christ to the World - Acts - Revelation

5. Season of Burdens and Tribulations - Revelation

6. Season of Birthing a New Creation - Revelation

Homebody – The Son with the Higher Nature

Honor – The Sovereign’s Holy Nature

Hunter – The Human Nature

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