Father in heaven, we thank
You so much for the awesome
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privilege of coming into Your
presence on Your Holy Sabbath.
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Father, we know that this
privilege is going to come to an
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end, sooner rather than later,
but we thank You that we can
00:01:25.98\00:01:30.32
still meet freely to open
Your word and to study it.
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We ask that as we study this
morning the story of Jacob and
00:01:33.39\00:01:38.69
Esau, that Your Holy Spirit
will help us learn the lessons
00:01:38.73\00:01:42.63
which will help us in
our personal walk with Jesus.
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We thank You for hearing
our prayer, for we ask it in the
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precious name of Your
beloved Son, Jesus, Amen.
00:01:51.64\00:01:56.48
During the course of this
seminar we have been studying
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stories in Genesis which
have a prophetic dimension.
00:02:04.99\00:02:09.79
And our theme verse in this
series has been Genesis 3:15,
00:02:09.82\00:02:17.47
that famous text that speaks
about the warfare between the
00:02:17.50\00:02:22.80
serpent and the woman,
and between the serpent's seed
00:02:22.84\00:02:26.78
and the woman's seed.
00:02:26.81\00:02:28.01
Now, you've probably noticed
that the book of Genesis has a
00:02:28.04\00:02:32.91
series of twosomes.
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You have the
serpent and the woman.
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You have the serpent's
seed and the woman's seed.
00:02:38.82\00:02:42.06
You have Cain and Abel.
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The sons of God and
the daughters of men.
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Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and
Esau, Joseph and his brothers.
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Basically the book of
Genesis is an amplification
00:02:55.00\00:02:59.57
of Genesis 3:15.
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The story of Esau and
Jacob is actually a microcosm
00:03:02.84\00:03:12.15
that illustrates the issues
in the great controversy between
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good and evil on planet Earth.
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I would like us to notice how
this controversy is introduced
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in Genesis 25:22, 23.
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You see, this story is
more than about Jacob and Esau.
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Jacob and Esau are
typological, they're symbolic.
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They represent two worldwide
groups at the end of time.
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Their characters illustrate
the characters of two classes
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of people that will
exist till the end of time.
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And we catch this from the
very beginning of the story,
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from the moment of their birth.
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Notice Genesis 25:22, 23.
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Was there a great controversy
from the womb? Absolutely!
00:04:07.24\00:04:10.98
Now we find very clearly
from the very beginning that the
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strong will lose, and the
weak will win in this battle,
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or this controversy.
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We'll notice a little bit
later on in the story that Jacob
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acquired the birthright, whereas
Esau, to whom it originally
00:04:57.56\00:05:03.60
belonged, lost it.
00:05:03.63\00:05:05.40
Jesus, by the way,
expressed this same principle
00:05:05.43\00:05:08.84
when He said, The
first shall be last,
00:05:08.87\00:05:11.67
and the last first.
00:05:11.71\00:05:14.78
In other words, in this
battle between good and evil,
00:05:14.81\00:05:18.75
between righteousness
and unrighteousness,
00:05:18.78\00:05:21.28
those who appear to be
strong will be the losers,
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and those who appear to
be weak will be the winners.
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Now I want you to notice the
difference of the characters of
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Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25:27.
00:05:35.30\00:05:40.27
We're told there
in Genesis 25:27:
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In other words, he was
hardened by his experiences.
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And our second text
book, Patriarchs and Prophets,
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says that he loved to go
and hunt, and when he came back
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he would tell his father about
all of his encounters with wild
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animals, and all of his
wild experiences while he was
00:06:08.16\00:06:11.80
out in the field.
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He was kind of a
barraging type of an individual.
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But notice Jacob.
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It says, but Jacob was a
mild man, dwelling in tents.
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One mild mannered
man, and another a wild,
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raging individual.
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Two different characters.
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In the book, Story
of Redemption, page 97,
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we find these
very significant words:
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Now the whole controversy
in the story of Jacob and Esau
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is found in the
issue of the birthright.
00:07:00.78\00:07:04.09
Now, more properly, this
can be called the primogeniture.
00:07:04.12\00:07:09.16
It's a word that we
don't use much in English.
00:07:09.19\00:07:11.99
In Spanish the word is used.
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It's the word primogenitura.
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The individual who was
born first had certain duties,
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and certain responsibilities,
and certain privileges,
00:07:21.47\00:07:26.17
I might say. Basically, the
pimogeniture, or the firstborn,
00:07:26.21\00:07:31.08
had three privileges:
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1. He was going to be the
ruler of his father's household
00:07:32.58\00:07:38.72
when his father should die.
00:07:38.75\00:07:39.89
2. He was going
to be the priest.
00:07:39.92\00:07:43.83
He was going to be the
spiritual leader of the family.
00:07:43.86\00:07:47.10
And in the 3rd place he would
have the privilege of being
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the progenitor of the Messiah.
00:07:51.73\00:07:54.07
Three huge privileges: govern
his house according to the
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will of God, lead his
household spiritually,
00:08:00.34\00:08:04.55
and have the privilege of
eventually bringing the Messiah
00:08:04.58\00:08:09.55
into the world from his
lineage, or from his line.
00:08:09.58\00:08:14.86
Now lets read about one day that
Esau came in from the field,
00:08:14.89\00:08:20.80
and was just starving,
at least in his concept.
00:08:20.83\00:08:26.84
Lets go to Genesis
25:29-34. It says here:
00:08:26.87\00:08:33.91
Evidentially he was a good
cook, according to scripture.
00:08:35.61\00:08:38.95
You would expect so because he
was a home boy, if you please.
00:08:38.98\00:08:43.85
In other words, he was docile.
00:08:43.89\00:08:45.32
He enjoyed
being with his mother.
00:08:45.35\00:08:47.16
And, of course, he learned
culinary skills from his Mom.
00:08:47.19\00:08:50.96
And so now Jacob cooked
the stew, and Esau came in from
00:08:50.99\00:08:55.50
the field and he was weary.
00:08:55.53\00:08:58.33
And Esau said to Jacob:
00:08:58.37\00:09:01.74
By the way, the
name Edom means red.
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In a moment we're going to
find out that everything related
00:09:13.78\00:09:16.89
to Esau is red, and there's a
very specific purpose for that.
00:09:16.92\00:09:21.79
And now Jacob sees
his moment of opportunity.
00:09:21.82\00:09:27.30
But Jacob said,:
00:09:27.30\00:09:29.20
Now if Esau had been
in tune with the Lord
00:09:33.70\00:09:37.34
what would he have said?
00:09:37.37\00:09:38.57
No way, I would rather starve
than not have the privilege
00:09:38.61\00:09:43.75
of leading my family
in the fear of the Lord,
00:09:43.78\00:09:45.81
being the spiritual leader,
being the ruler, and having the
00:09:45.85\00:09:48.18
privilege of, from my
line, bringing the Messiah
00:09:48.22\00:09:50.59
into the world. I can't
sell my spiritual privileges.
00:09:50.62\00:09:53.82
But notice the type of person
that Esau was. But Jacob said,
00:09:53.86\00:10:00.60
Of course, that was hyperbole,
that was an exaggeration.
00:10:08.24\00:10:11.01
He didn't give
it a second thought!
00:10:41.10\00:10:43.77
You see, the problem with
Esau is that he looked at the
00:10:49.41\00:10:52.65
privileges of the birthright,
but he did not understand
00:10:52.68\00:11:00.79
the responsibilities involved.
00:11:00.82\00:11:04.23
In other words, Esau wanted
the power without the necessary
00:11:04.26\00:11:08.70
character. Now Ellen White,
in Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:11:08.73\00:11:13.77
page 178... By the way, this is
the second textbook that we've
00:11:13.80\00:11:17.01
used in this seminar.
00:11:17.04\00:11:18.07
The first is the Bible.
00:11:18.11\00:11:19.01
...says this about
the character of Esau:
00:11:19.04\00:11:22.08
In other words, being
the leader of the household,
00:11:43.33\00:11:47.24
being the spiritual leader,
bringing the Messiah into
00:11:47.27\00:11:49.94
the world; he had
no interest in that.
00:11:49.97\00:11:52.74
He wanted the power, the
rulership, yes, but not the
00:11:52.77\00:11:57.08
responsibilities and the duties.
00:11:57.11\00:11:58.81
She continues saying:
00:11:58.85\00:11:59.95
How did he look at the law?
as a what? as a yoke of bondage.
00:12:11.89\00:12:17.10
He believed the law of
God was a yoke of bondage.
00:12:44.76\00:12:49.66
He wanted to eat, drink, and
be merry, for tomorrow, he said,
00:12:49.70\00:12:56.30
I will die, and that's it.
00:12:56.34\00:12:59.07
Now we can catch a glimpse
of what Esau was like when he
00:12:59.11\00:13:05.38
decided whom he
was going to marry.
00:13:05.41\00:13:07.45
You see, his father said, when
you marry, marry women not from
00:13:07.48\00:13:14.72
Canaan, but from
our own parentage.
00:13:14.76\00:13:17.26
And I want you to notice what
Esau did in his father's face.
00:13:17.29\00:13:21.40
Notice Genesis 28:6-9.
00:13:21.43\00:13:26.80
He was defiant, and
disobedient to his father,
00:13:26.84\00:13:29.84
as well as to God's
prescription, that he needed
00:13:29.87\00:13:32.91
to marry someone from
the household of faith.
00:13:32.94\00:13:35.38
He became unequally yoked, and
to more than one, I might say.
00:13:35.41\00:13:39.25
It says in verse 6:
00:13:39.28\00:13:41.45
Because she was from
the household of faith.
00:13:49.79\00:13:52.03
And now notice what Esau does.
00:14:04.71\00:14:06.94
And if you go to chapter 36,
you'll find that he married four
00:14:25.33\00:14:28.96
women from Canaan,
in his father's face!
00:14:29.00\00:14:33.54
In other words, he was defiantly
disobedient to the will of God,
00:14:33.57\00:14:38.47
and to the will of his father.
00:14:38.51\00:14:40.31
He did not want any restraint.
00:14:40.34\00:14:42.11
He lived for this present
life, with no regard whatsoever
00:14:42.14\00:14:46.98
for the future life.
00:14:47.02\00:14:48.65
Now I mentioned that the
color red is very closely linked
00:14:48.68\00:14:53.62
with Esau. The reason why is
because Esau lived by the sword.
00:14:53.66\00:14:59.89
He was a violent man.
00:14:59.93\00:15:02.46
I want you to notice
the following examples from
00:15:02.50\00:15:06.10
scripture. We're not going
to read them, but we're going
00:15:06.13\00:15:08.20
to just mention them.
00:15:08.24\00:15:09.14
Genesis 25:25 says
that when Esau was born,
00:15:09.17\00:15:13.74
he was born red all over.
00:15:13.78\00:15:15.54
Evidentially he was
hairy, and his hair was red.
00:15:15.58\00:15:18.85
And that's the reason why
his parents called him Edom.
00:15:18.88\00:15:24.95
He was called Esau, of course,
but another name of his was
00:15:24.99\00:15:29.22
Edom. And do you
know what Edom means?
00:15:29.26\00:15:31.46
Edom means red.
00:15:31.49\00:15:33.70
Not only that, we just
read in Genesis 25:30 that Esau
00:15:33.73\00:15:40.57
sold his birthright
for some red lentils.
00:15:40.60\00:15:44.67
Furthermore, we find
that the name Bozrah,
00:15:46.81\00:15:51.71
another name for
Edom, means ripe grapes.
00:15:51.75\00:15:57.39
Significant! And if you go to
Isaiah 63:1-5 you'll find that
00:15:57.42\00:16:05.03
both Edom and Bozrah
are mentioned in the context
00:16:05.06\00:16:11.57
of the sufferings of Christ,
and trampling the wine press,
00:16:11.60\00:16:15.10
and blood splattering
all over his clothes.
00:16:15.14\00:16:17.64
In other words, the
color red emphasizes bloodshed.
00:16:17.67\00:16:21.74
And this was the type
of person that Esau was.
00:16:21.78\00:16:25.01
And eventually he would
come against his brother
00:16:25.05\00:16:28.95
to try and destroy him.
00:16:28.98\00:16:31.29
Now as we look at the Bible,
and other places where the
00:16:31.32\00:16:35.39
Edomites appear, we discover
several characteristics of what
00:16:35.42\00:16:39.96
Esau's descendents were like.
00:16:40.00\00:16:41.86
I'm only going to share
these with you in passing.
00:16:41.90\00:16:44.47
All of these characteristics
show an impulsive,
00:16:44.50\00:16:48.97
violent people. For example,
they were proud and arrogant,
00:16:49.00\00:16:54.98
according to Jeremiah 49:6.
00:16:55.01\00:16:58.21
They were cruel,
Obadiah, verse 3.
00:16:58.25\00:17:01.88
They were vengeful; they liked
to get revenge, Isaiah 26:12.
00:17:01.92\00:17:07.79
They were idolatrous,
2 Chronicles 25:10, 14.
00:17:07.82\00:17:13.29
They were superstitious.
00:17:13.33\00:17:15.80
In other words, they
were involved in spiritualism.
00:17:15.83\00:17:19.00
Jeremiah 27:3, 9.
00:17:19.03\00:17:21.90
They were wheeler-dealers.
00:17:21.94\00:17:24.24
They were very much
involved in commerce,
00:17:24.27\00:17:27.78
according to Ezekiel 27:20.
00:17:27.81\00:17:31.11
And one of the worst
characteristics is that they
00:17:31.15\00:17:33.62
were traitors to their
brothers, in other words,
00:17:33.65\00:17:37.39
to the Israelites, according
to Ezekiel 35:5, 10-15.
00:17:37.42\00:17:43.96
And so we begin to catch a
glimpse of what this first son
00:17:43.99\00:17:51.43
represents. He represents
people who live for the present
00:17:51.47\00:17:55.84
time, without any
regard for the future;
00:17:55.87\00:17:58.37
who could care less about
their birthright of beings kings
00:17:58.41\00:18:03.18
and priests, and having their
lives linked with the Messiah;
00:18:03.21\00:18:06.88
people who live
for the present moment,
00:18:06.92\00:18:10.69
who only live for pleasure, with
no regard to what's going to
00:18:10.72\00:18:15.86
take place in the future.
00:18:15.89\00:18:17.73
And, of course, we
all know the story.
00:18:17.76\00:18:21.33
Jacob's mom, Rachel, said,
We cannot allow Esau to have
00:18:21.36\00:18:30.84
the blessing. And so she
prepared this plot where Jacob
00:18:30.87\00:18:36.98
deceived his father.
00:18:37.01\00:18:38.41
I'm not going to
go over that story.
00:18:38.45\00:18:40.42
Because Rachel said, If we allow
Esau to have the birthright,
00:18:40.45\00:18:46.29
it's going to be a disaster.
00:18:46.32\00:18:47.36
By the way, Esau had
already sold his birthright.
00:18:47.39\00:18:50.99
So Jacob wasn't really taking
anything from him that Esau
00:18:51.03\00:18:55.26
had not already sold.
00:18:55.30\00:18:56.30
But the conniving
methods that he used were wrong,
00:18:56.33\00:18:59.77
and Jacob committed
this terrible sin of lying,
00:18:59.80\00:19:04.01
of hiding his identity.
00:19:04.04\00:19:07.28
And, of course, God would have
worked it out in His own way
00:19:09.11\00:19:14.85
if Jacob and his
mother had just been patient.
00:19:14.88\00:19:18.15
By the way, this shows that the
end does not justify the means.
00:19:18.19\00:19:23.19
You've heard the expression,
All's well that ends well?
00:19:24.86\00:19:27.76
No way! Not if you
use the wrong methods.
00:19:27.76\00:19:32.57
You see, situation
ethics is off base.
00:19:32.60\00:19:36.87
The idea that you can
do something that's wrong,
00:19:36.91\00:19:40.68
as long as what
comes from it is right.
00:19:40.71\00:19:43.91
I call it Robin Hood ethics,
because it's okay to steal from
00:19:43.95\00:19:51.29
the rich, as long as
you give it to the poor.
00:19:51.32\00:19:54.39
No way! God would have
worked it out according to
00:19:54.42\00:19:59.33
His own calendar, but Jacob
and his mother jumped the gun,
00:19:59.36\00:20:03.60
and Jacob committed
this terrible sin that caused
00:20:03.63\00:20:07.34
separation between him and
his father, between him and his
00:20:07.37\00:20:10.57
household, between
him and his brother.
00:20:10.61\00:20:12.91
Now when Esau came back from
hunting and brought the venison
00:20:14.68\00:20:19.98
to his father, and his father
told him that he had already
00:20:20.02\00:20:25.09
blessed Jacob, we find Esau
crying out with bitter tears.
00:20:25.12\00:20:34.10
In fact, let's notice that
in Genesis 27:34, Genesis 27:34.
00:20:34.13\00:20:43.37
It says:
00:20:43.41\00:20:44.57
Notice also
chapter 27, and verse 38:
00:20:59.02\00:21:02.79
Was he repentant? Was he sorry?
00:21:19.74\00:21:25.81
He was sorry of the consequences
of his decision, but he was not
00:21:25.85\00:21:33.36
sorry that he had
made the wrong decision.
00:21:33.39\00:21:35.92
He was sad about the results
of sin, but not the sin itself.
00:21:35.96\00:21:41.40
You know, in my Sabbath School
class today, I was mentioning
00:21:43.16\00:21:45.53
the case of Judas and Peter.
00:21:45.57\00:21:48.00
You know they are
very similar in some ways.
00:21:48.04\00:21:50.27
Both of them
betrayed Christ, didn't they?
00:21:50.31\00:21:55.21
Both of them betrayed Christ.
00:21:55.24\00:21:58.81
Both of them repented,
according to scripture.
00:21:58.85\00:22:03.28
The word
repentance is used for both.
00:22:03.32\00:22:05.89
Where was the difference
between the repentance of Peter,
00:22:05.92\00:22:09.46
and the repentance of Judas?
00:22:09.49\00:22:11.16
Judas repented of the
fact that his plan backfired.
00:22:11.19\00:22:14.86
He repented that things didn't
work out the way he wanted.
00:22:14.93\00:22:19.53
By the way, he wanted Jesus
to retaliate, and to escape,
00:22:19.57\00:22:23.44
and to sit on the throne.
00:22:23.47\00:22:24.41
In other words, he
wanted to push Jesus into
00:22:24.44\00:22:27.98
proclaiming Himself king.
00:22:28.01\00:22:29.28
When it didn't work out,
the Bible says that he threw
00:22:29.31\00:22:32.61
the money down, and he
went and he hung himself.
00:22:32.65\00:22:35.48
That's the type of
repentance of Esau.
00:22:35.52\00:22:39.85
In fact, we find a
reference to this in the book of
00:22:39.89\00:22:43.86
Hebrews 12:14-17.
00:22:43.89\00:22:47.96
Let's read those verses:
Hebrews 12:14-17. It says here:
00:22:47.96\00:22:55.27
By the way, Esau
was just the opposite.
00:22:58.87\00:23:00.51
He was at war with his brother,
he was at war with everyone.
00:23:00.54\00:23:03.41
Like Esau. How was he described?
00:23:35.31\00:23:36.95
a fornicator and a
what? a profane person.
00:23:36.98\00:23:41.68
He had crossed
the line of no return.
00:24:02.80\00:24:07.51
Concerning this, we find
in Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:24:07.54\00:24:11.28
page 181, the following words
about the repentance of Esau.
00:24:11.31\00:24:16.62
In other words, he was sorry
that he made the wrong choice,
00:24:36.50\00:24:41.08
because of the
results, not because the choice
00:24:41.11\00:24:44.28
in itself was wrong.
00:24:44.31\00:24:45.78
This is a
counterfeit repentance.
00:24:45.81\00:24:48.88
Now it's interesting to notice
that this vile, profane person,
00:24:48.92\00:24:53.92
fornicator, violent, idolatress,
arrogant, living for this
00:24:53.96\00:24:58.63
present moment, for the here
and now, rather than for the
00:24:58.66\00:25:01.33
sweet by and by; when
he saw that Jacob had taken
00:25:01.36\00:25:05.87
his birthright he
said, I am going to get even,
00:25:05.90\00:25:11.34
and I am going to
kill my own brother.
00:25:11.37\00:25:14.51
By the way, do you
notice that this is a battle
00:25:14.54\00:25:16.81
between brothers?
00:25:16.85\00:25:18.05
It's not an outsider versus
an insider; both are brothers.
00:25:18.08\00:25:23.69
Do we find this
constantly in Genesis?
00:25:23.72\00:25:26.96
We most certainly do!
00:25:26.99\00:25:28.16
Cain and Able were brothers.
00:25:28.19\00:25:30.69
Joseph and his brothers.
00:25:30.73\00:25:32.89
Isaac and Ishmael were brothers.
00:25:32.93\00:25:36.16
And in every case the
older brother wants to do what?
00:25:36.20\00:25:40.07
The older brother wants to
destroy the younger brother.
00:25:40.10\00:25:43.67
Now I want you to
notice here, Genesis 27:41.
00:25:45.77\00:25:50.71
And so, from the very beginning
he pronounces the death sentence
00:26:15.10\00:26:18.24
against his brother Jacob.
00:26:18.27\00:26:20.64
Now as a result of his sin,
Jacob had to flee from his home.
00:26:20.68\00:26:26.88
Lets notice that
in Genesis 27:43.
00:26:26.92\00:26:33.49
This is by
recommendation of his mother.
00:26:33.52\00:26:35.96
He now has to leave his
happy home because of his sin.
00:26:35.99\00:26:38.99
He has to go to a far away land.
00:26:39.03\00:26:41.53
And as he's traveling,
undoubtedly, he's shedding tears
00:26:41.56\00:26:45.53
because he's lost his
home because of his sin.
00:26:45.57\00:26:48.84
Notice Genesis 27:43.
00:26:48.87\00:26:52.77
And now I want you to notice
something which is of critical
00:27:02.52\00:27:05.19
importance in this story.
00:27:05.22\00:27:06.45
As Jacob is traveling
to the household of Laban,
00:27:06.49\00:27:11.96
God now gives Jacob a dream,
because at this point Jacob is
00:27:11.99\00:27:19.57
feeling like God has
forsaken him because of his sin.
00:27:19.60\00:27:22.60
That God cannot
forgive what he's done.
00:27:22.64\00:27:25.74
And he's fleeing from home.
00:27:25.77\00:27:27.78
He's agonizing, he's
saying, Has God forsaken me?
00:27:27.81\00:27:31.41
But when he lays down to sleep,
puts his head on some stones,
00:27:31.45\00:27:35.45
and God gives him a dream.
00:27:35.48\00:27:39.62
I want you to notice Genesis
28: 12 and following. It says:
00:27:39.65\00:27:47.00
God is saying, See, you're not
separated because of your sin.
00:28:02.84\00:28:05.61
At this point
Jacob was repentant.
00:28:05.65\00:28:07.55
He had cried out to the
Lord for forgiveness. He says:
00:28:07.58\00:28:11.99
Does God promise to
give him the land back,
00:28:20.93\00:28:23.26
to bring him back to
the land? Absolutely!
00:28:23.30\00:28:26.53
Do you see the same promises
that God gave to Abraham?
00:28:42.32\00:28:44.82
He's saying,
first of all the land;
00:28:44.85\00:28:49.06
you will have the land back.
00:28:49.09\00:28:50.23
Secondly, you will have
an innumerable posterity that
00:28:50.26\00:28:56.13
will live in the land.
00:28:56.16\00:28:57.40
In the third place, all of your
descendents will be blessed.
00:28:57.43\00:29:01.97
And then there's
a fourth promise.
00:29:02.00\00:29:03.64
Notice verse 15:
00:29:03.67\00:29:05.07
Did God give Jacob
definite promises? Yes, He did.
00:29:15.75\00:29:20.86
He said, You've sinned,
yes, but you are not forsaken.
00:29:20.89\00:29:24.83
I promise that someday
you will have the land,
00:29:24.86\00:29:27.30
an innumerable prosperity, the
blessing, and I will protect you
00:29:27.30\00:29:32.00
and I will keep you from
the power of your enemies.
00:29:32.03\00:29:34.94
Jacob could take these promises
to the bank, and he was going to
00:29:34.97\00:29:39.17
need them later
on in this story.
00:29:39.21\00:29:41.14
He's going to remind God of
these promises that God gave
00:29:41.18\00:29:45.75
as he left home.
00:29:45.78\00:29:47.02
So notice that when he has to
leave home because of his sin,
00:29:47.05\00:29:49.75
his happy home because of
his sin, God gives promises,
00:29:49.78\00:29:52.62
and he says,
You'll be coming back.
00:29:52.65\00:29:54.59
I have not forsaken you.
00:29:54.62\00:29:56.26
And, of course, that
ladder represents whom?
00:29:56.29\00:30:00.73
It represents Christ.
00:30:00.76\00:30:03.20
Through whom will all of
these blessings be gained?
00:30:03.23\00:30:06.97
Not the land of
Canaan, but the earth.
00:30:07.00\00:30:10.11
Through whom will we have an
innumerable host of saved people
00:30:10.14\00:30:15.31
that cannot be numbered,
according to Revelation 7?
00:30:15.34\00:30:18.41
Through whom will all of
the human race be blessed
00:30:18.45\00:30:21.35
when the curse is removed?
00:30:21.38\00:30:23.25
There will be no more curse.
00:30:23.28\00:30:24.32
And who will deliver His
people from their enemies?
00:30:24.35\00:30:27.52
It wasn't Jacob, it
wasn't Abraham, it wasn't Isaac,
00:30:27.56\00:30:33.96
it was a prophecy about
what Jesus would do on a global,
00:30:34.00\00:30:39.40
worldwide scale. And then,
of course, Jacob leaves home.
00:30:39.43\00:30:42.24
He has these promises when
he leaves home that God says,
00:30:42.27\00:30:45.37
I'm going to restore you.
00:30:45.41\00:30:46.44
Someday you're
going to come back.
00:30:46.47\00:30:47.58
And he ends up in Laban's house.
00:30:47.61\00:30:51.75
There is no more satanic
figure in the Bible than Laban.
00:30:51.78\00:30:56.58
When you read the character
of Laban, it's just like you're
00:30:56.62\00:31:01.06
reading about the devil.
00:31:01.09\00:31:02.52
Now let me mention a
few things about Laban.
00:31:02.56\00:31:06.09
He was a hypocrite.
00:31:06.13\00:31:07.76
He feigned love for his
daughters when Jacob left.
00:31:07.76\00:31:12.10
He could care less
about his daughters.
00:31:12.13\00:31:14.50
He was a liar, he was a
deceiver, he was an accuser,
00:31:14.54\00:31:23.65
he was a thief; all
characteristics that are
00:31:23.68\00:31:28.18
mentioned in
scripture about the devil.
00:31:28.22\00:31:30.75
In other words, Jacob ends up in
the household of an individual
00:31:30.79\00:31:35.12
who has a character just like
the devil, and makes the life of
00:31:35.16\00:31:38.36
Jacob what? miserable
while he's away from home.
00:31:38.39\00:31:43.16
In fact, notice Genesis 31:7.
00:31:43.20\00:31:46.60
Notice the episode about
his daughters, Genesis 31:26-29:
00:31:58.88\00:32:04.35
What a hypocrite! He was
only concerned with appearances.
00:32:34.75\00:32:40.02
Notice Genesis 31:41, 42,
the dishonesty of this man,
00:32:40.06\00:32:46.16
self-serving, that made
the life of Jacob difficult.
00:32:46.19\00:32:50.97
By the way, was this
experience in Laban's house
00:32:51.00\00:32:53.70
useful to Jacob? Did he
learn to be industrious?
00:32:53.74\00:32:58.34
Did he learn to
trust evermore in the Lord?
00:32:58.37\00:33:01.44
He most certainly did.
00:33:01.48\00:33:03.14
So it wasn't wasted time
to live in the house of this
00:33:03.18\00:33:06.61
conniving,
self-serving individual.
00:33:06.65\00:33:09.25
It was actually helpful for
him to keenly sharpen his powers
00:33:09.28\00:33:14.12
of discernment
and his work ethic.
00:33:14.16\00:33:17.39
Notice Genesis 31:41, 42.
00:33:17.43\00:33:20.96
Every time he prospers he
says, now we've got to reduce
00:33:34.81\00:33:37.05
your salary a little bit.
00:33:37.08\00:33:38.21
Now this sounds
familiar in our world today.
00:33:38.25\00:33:41.58
And so Jacob spends twenty years
in the house of this demonic
00:33:56.77\00:34:02.00
figure. But at the end of the
twenty years, Jacob decides that
00:34:02.04\00:34:07.94
it's time to return to Canaan.
00:34:07.98\00:34:12.25
And here's where this
story becomes very interesting,
00:34:12.28\00:34:15.72
and unless you come to our next
lecture, you're only going to
00:34:15.75\00:34:18.45
have half of the story.
00:34:18.49\00:34:19.75
Because today we're just
dealing with Jacob and Esau,
00:34:21.92\00:34:24.89
their characters, how
Jacob had to leave home.
00:34:24.93\00:34:27.60
He ended up in the household
of the enemy, and so on.
00:34:27.60\00:34:29.86
We're just going to
briefly touch upon the events
00:34:29.90\00:34:33.84
that take place immediately
before Jacob re-enters the land
00:34:33.87\00:34:39.24
of Canaan that
lost because of his sin.
00:34:39.27\00:34:42.78
In Genesis 32:6 we find the
story of Esau, still bent on
00:34:42.81\00:34:50.62
destroying his brother, because
his brother had the birthright,
00:34:50.65\00:34:54.46
because his brother now
was going to be the king,
00:34:54.49\00:34:56.62
and the priest, and the
progenitor of the Messiah.
00:34:56.66\00:34:59.46
Now he's coming with four
hundred men, with the intention
00:34:59.49\00:35:03.20
of killing his
brother, and everybody with him.
00:35:03.23\00:35:06.74
In Genesis 32:6
we find these words:
00:35:06.77\00:35:10.31
What do we call this?
00:35:27.09\00:35:28.42
We call it the
time of Jacob's trouble.
00:35:28.46\00:35:34.10
when his brother, who lived
with only regard to this life,
00:35:34.10\00:35:40.47
is now preparing to come
and destroy his own brother;
00:35:40.50\00:35:44.91
the one who has the birthright,
the one who has the promises
00:35:44.94\00:35:50.15
and the
blessings of the covenant.
00:35:50.18\00:35:52.08
He's now coming, and Jacob is
now afraid, and he's distressed.
00:35:52.11\00:35:56.32
He's afraid that God is not
going to be able to protect him,
00:35:56.35\00:35:59.65
or to take care of him,
because of the great sin
00:35:59.69\00:36:02.76
that he had
committed twenty years earlier.
00:36:02.79\00:36:07.50
Had God already told him
that his sin was forgiven?
00:36:07.56\00:36:10.97
Had God told him
that his sin was forgiven?
00:36:11.00\00:36:13.27
Why did God even
bother to give him the dream?
00:36:13.30\00:36:15.87
God was saying,
listen, you're forgiven.
00:36:15.90\00:36:19.01
You're going to
get the land back.
00:36:19.04\00:36:20.28
You're going to
have a large posterity.
00:36:20.31\00:36:22.61
The blessing is
going to come upon you.
00:36:22.64\00:36:24.45
I'm going to take care of you.
00:36:24.48\00:36:25.85
I'm going to protect you.
00:36:25.88\00:36:26.92
Don't worry about it.
00:36:26.95\00:36:28.65
Your enemies are not going
to have ascendency over you.
00:36:28.68\00:36:30.92
But here we find Jacob afraid.
00:36:30.95\00:36:33.15
He says, I'm afraid that
my brother, along with these
00:36:33.19\00:36:36.36
four hundred men,
is going to destroy me,
00:36:36.39\00:36:39.09
along with my family.
00:36:39.13\00:36:40.20
And so Jacob now pours out
his heart in prayer to the God
00:36:40.56\00:36:46.03
who had spoken to him in
the dream twenty years earlier.
00:36:46.07\00:36:50.57
Notice Genesis 32:9-12.
00:36:50.61\00:36:53.84
Do you notice
what his attitude is?
00:37:13.76\00:37:16.33
He feels his what?
00:37:16.36\00:37:18.60
I want you to
remember these details.
00:37:18.63\00:37:20.27
He feels his total unworthiness.
00:37:20.30\00:37:22.84
I have no right to pray to You.
00:37:31.81\00:37:34.28
I am a sinner. I have no
right to claim Your protection.
00:37:34.32\00:37:37.92
It's only because I
lay myself on Your mercy
00:37:37.95\00:37:42.39
that I even
come and address You.
00:37:42.42\00:37:44.43
Verse 11: Deliver me, I pray
from the hand of my brother,
00:37:44.46\00:37:52.37
not because I have any merit,
but because of Your mercy.
00:37:52.40\00:37:55.54
Deliver me, I pray...
00:37:55.57\00:37:56.84
What is Jacob claiming
during this period of agony,
00:38:13.96\00:38:18.56
and struggle, and prayer?
00:38:18.59\00:38:20.40
He's claiming God's
what? God's promises.
00:38:20.43\00:38:26.00
In his unworthiness he's
claiming the promises of God.
00:38:26.03\00:38:30.27
Remember that! You know,
there's an interesting passage,
00:38:30.31\00:38:33.68
if I can get ahead
of myself a little bit.
00:38:33.71\00:38:35.41
There's an interesting passage
in The Great Controversy,
00:38:35.44\00:38:38.15
actually it's a
whole chapter called,
00:38:38.18\00:38:39.68
The Time of Jacob's Trouble.
00:38:39.71\00:38:42.15
And all of the elements
that we're looking at now,
00:38:42.18\00:38:45.92
plus what we're going to study
more fully in our next lecture,
00:38:45.95\00:38:48.82
are found in that chapter
of The Great Controversy.
00:38:48.86\00:38:51.29
In other words, what
took place once with Jacob,
00:38:52.16\00:38:56.30
is going to take place at the
end of time with God's remnant
00:38:56.33\00:39:00.44
people, as the wicked of
the earth come to destroy
00:39:00.47\00:39:03.20
God's people from
the face of the earth.
00:39:03.24\00:39:05.64
Now as Jacob is
pouring out his prayer to God,
00:39:07.44\00:39:10.41
in his unworthiness...
00:39:10.45\00:39:11.65
By the way, the only way we
can approach the throne of God
00:39:11.68\00:39:13.85
is in our unworthiness.
00:39:13.88\00:39:15.08
We can't make
any demands on God.
00:39:15.12\00:39:17.69
We're sinners; He's Holy.
00:39:17.72\00:39:20.89
It's only because of
God's mercy, and because God has
00:39:20.92\00:39:24.06
promised that we
can claim His promises.
00:39:24.09\00:39:25.79
If God promises, we can claim
them, because God never gives
00:39:25.83\00:39:29.76
a promise that He's not
able, or willing to fulfill.
00:39:29.80\00:39:31.23
Now notice Genesis 32, as
he's pouring out his soul to God
00:39:32.53\00:39:38.04
asking for forgiveness for a sin
that he committed twenty years
00:39:38.07\00:39:40.61
earlier. And as he's asking God
to protect him, we find that a
00:39:40.64\00:39:47.08
man caught up to him, and
started wrestling with him.
00:39:47.12\00:39:51.29
Notice Genesis 32:24-26:
00:39:51.32\00:39:54.19
Quite a wrestling match!
00:40:00.90\00:40:03.33
That who didn't
prevail against whom?
00:40:08.50\00:40:11.64
That the man could
not prevail against him,
00:40:14.74\00:40:16.95
because it continues saying:
00:40:16.98\00:40:19.78
Who touched the
socket of his hip?
00:40:22.48\00:40:24.69
The man that he
was struggling with.
00:40:24.72\00:40:27.29
Do you think Jacob
was in excruciating pain?
00:40:33.50\00:40:36.36
Have you ever had a dislocated
hip, or a dislocated shoulder?
00:40:36.40\00:40:43.34
You're talking about
an excruciating pain.
00:40:43.37\00:40:45.67
It would have been very easy...
00:40:45.71\00:40:46.84
By the way, at this point
does Jacob know that he's not
00:40:46.88\00:40:49.28
struggling with a
common, ordinary human being?
00:40:49.31\00:40:51.35
Oh, yes, he does.
00:40:51.38\00:40:53.52
Just by touching
him dislocating his hip?
00:40:53.55\00:40:55.98
He says, there's something
more than meets the eye here.
00:40:56.02\00:40:59.02
And yet in spite of the fact
that he's in excruciating pain,
00:40:59.05\00:41:02.49
does Jacob let him lose? No!
00:41:02.52\00:41:06.23
Notice chapter 32 and verse
26, this being says to him:
00:41:06.26\00:41:14.97
Do you know that Jacob, at
this point, had not been able to
00:41:29.98\00:41:32.75
to forgive himself?
00:41:32.79\00:41:33.89
Do we need to learn a
lesson about forgiveness folks?
00:41:35.82\00:41:38.83
You know, sometimes we commit
a sin, and after we've committed
00:41:38.86\00:41:44.77
the sin, we repent
and we confess it to God,
00:41:44.80\00:41:48.17
but in the course of time we're
never able to forgive ourselves.
00:41:48.20\00:41:52.17
We always keep bringing
it up and remembering it.
00:41:52.21\00:41:55.44
I once had a parishioner,
she came to me, she says,
00:41:55.48\00:41:58.78
Pastor Bohr, I have this sin,
and I don't feel that God has
00:41:58.81\00:42:02.88
forgiven me for it.
00:42:02.92\00:42:03.95
I said, Oh really?
00:42:03.99\00:42:05.02
Have you repented of it? Yes.
00:42:05.05\00:42:06.39
Have you confessed it? Yes.
00:42:06.42\00:42:07.76
I said, If you've repented
and confessed, the Bible says,
00:42:07.79\00:42:12.26
if we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us
00:42:12.29\00:42:14.76
our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
00:42:14.83\00:42:17.97
I said, so you're forgiven.
00:42:18.00\00:42:22.17
She says, but Pastor,
I don't feel forgiven.
00:42:22.20\00:42:24.77
And I said to her,
listen, feelings have nothing
00:42:24.81\00:42:27.98
to do with it. You don't
believe that you're forgiven,
00:42:28.01\00:42:31.51
because you feel it,
but because God says so.
00:42:31.55\00:42:34.38
If God says, if we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just
00:42:36.35\00:42:40.29
to forgive us our
sins, and cleanse us from all
00:42:40.32\00:42:42.19
unrighteousness, you can take
it to the bank, not because you
00:42:42.22\00:42:45.03
feel it, but
because God says it.
00:42:45.06\00:42:47.40
We have to learn to
live by what God says,
00:42:47.46\00:42:50.83
not by our feelings; by
every word that proceeds
00:42:50.87\00:42:55.17
from the mouth of God.
00:42:55.20\00:42:56.94
And so He says, Let me
go, and Jacob says, No way
00:42:56.97\00:43:00.41
until I have the assurance that
I'm forgiven, and that You're
00:43:00.44\00:43:03.14
going to be able to
protect me and my family
00:43:03.18\00:43:05.75
from the enemy who is coming.
00:43:05.78\00:43:07.52
And now notice
Genesis 32:27, 28.
00:43:07.55\00:43:12.65
He says to Jacob...
00:43:16.59\00:43:18.29
By the way, the name
Jacob means supplanter.
00:43:18.33\00:43:21.83
Do you know that Jacob actually
tried to supplant his brother
00:43:21.86\00:43:26.90
from the moment
that he was in the womb?
00:43:26.94\00:43:28.50
It says that he grabbed
his brother by the heel,
00:43:28.54\00:43:32.27
because he was trying to
pull Esau down so that he
00:43:32.31\00:43:36.24
could be born first.
00:43:36.28\00:43:37.25
And then, of course,
he supplanted his brother
00:43:37.28\00:43:40.88
by taking his birthright.
00:43:40.92\00:43:42.12
But had the
character of Jacob changed?
00:43:42.15\00:43:47.46
Yes, it had. He was a repentant
man, claiming the promises
00:43:47.49\00:43:52.43
of God, humbled by his
experience, having learned
00:43:52.46\00:43:56.40
for twenty years in
the household of the enemy.
00:43:56.43\00:43:59.77
And so it says in
chapter 32 and verse 28:
00:44:03.00\00:44:08.38
The name Israel
means, Prince of God.
00:44:16.42\00:44:20.29
You have struggled
with men, and with whom?
00:44:27.93\00:44:31.50
Who was that man that
Jacob was struggling with?
00:44:31.53\00:44:35.07
That man was nothing less
than Michael the Archangel.
00:44:35.10\00:44:42.71
You say, How do you know that?
00:44:43.91\00:44:44.78
Go with me to the
book of Hosea 12:3, 4.
00:44:44.81\00:44:49.02
There it comes
through very clearly.
00:44:49.05\00:44:50.72
Genesis says it was a man.
00:44:50.75\00:44:52.22
Hosea explains who this man was.
00:44:52.25\00:44:55.92
It says there in Hosea
12:3, 4, speaking about Jacob,
00:44:55.96\00:45:01.56
He took his brother
by the heel in the womb,
00:45:01.60\00:45:05.63
and in his strength
he struggled with God.
00:45:05.67\00:45:08.84
He struggled
with whom? with God.
00:45:08.87\00:45:13.07
Yes, he struggled with
the angel and prevailed.
00:45:13.11\00:45:17.48
He wept, and
sought favor from him.
00:45:17.51\00:45:21.98
Favor from whom? from the angel.
00:45:22.02\00:45:26.45
Did you catch that or not?
00:45:26.49\00:45:28.89
It says he struggled with God,
then it says that he struggled
00:45:28.92\00:45:33.03
with the what? with the angel,
and he wept and sought favor
00:45:33.06\00:45:37.47
from him; that
is from the angel.
00:45:37.50\00:45:38.90
Who is this angel?
This angel is Jesus.
00:45:38.93\00:45:42.30
By the way, as we'll
notice in our next lecture,
00:45:42.34\00:45:44.61
in Daniel chapter 3, when
Nebuchadnezzar sees four men
00:45:44.64\00:45:49.48
in the furnace, he says, I
see four men, and the fourth man
00:45:49.51\00:45:52.58
looks like the Son of God.
00:45:52.61\00:45:54.92
But a little bit later on,
Nebuchadnezzar said that God
00:45:56.99\00:45:59.92
sent his angel to
deliver His servants.
00:45:59.95\00:46:02.82
So who is the angel?
00:46:02.86\00:46:04.73
The angel is the Son of God.
00:46:04.76\00:46:06.80
This is Michael, the
archangel; Christ in His
00:46:06.83\00:46:09.86
pre-incarnate state.
00:46:09.90\00:46:11.67
Who was Jacob wrestling with?
00:46:11.70\00:46:14.54
He was wrestling with Jesus.
00:46:14.57\00:46:16.87
By the way, is this story
going to be repeated again?
00:46:16.91\00:46:23.18
Allow me to go now
through this story very quickly
00:46:23.21\00:46:28.55
to see how it is going to
be re-enacted in the end time
00:46:28.58\00:46:32.12
with God's people.
00:46:32.15\00:46:33.62
Are there going to be two groups
in the world at the end of time
00:46:33.66\00:46:38.83
that manifest the
characteristics of Jacob
00:46:38.86\00:46:42.03
Esau? Absolutely!
00:46:42.06\00:46:44.47
Is the final war going to
be brother against brother,
00:46:44.50\00:46:49.57
spiritually speaking?
00:46:49.60\00:46:52.17
Is the weaker going to
have ascendency eventually
00:46:52.21\00:46:57.51
over the stronger? Absolutely!
00:46:57.55\00:47:01.38
You can notice, for example,
Revelation 3:9 where it says
00:47:01.42\00:47:04.49
that the synagogue of
Satan, which are the powers
00:47:04.52\00:47:06.55
of the world that have
ascendency, will come and they
00:47:06.59\00:47:10.53
will worship before the feet
of those whom God has loved.
00:47:10.56\00:47:16.03
Has God promised those
of His followers that they
00:47:17.73\00:47:21.87
will be kings and priests?
00:47:21.90\00:47:23.51
Revelation 1:5 says that Jesus
has made us kings and priests.
00:47:23.54\00:47:29.01
Are we the
firstborn then? Absolutely!
00:47:29.04\00:47:32.11
Do we have the privilege someday
of living with the Messiah?
00:47:32.15\00:47:35.98
Absolutely! So the Birthright
that belonged to Jacob actually
00:47:36.02\00:47:41.59
is our birthright in Christ.
00:47:41.62\00:47:43.79
The right, someday, of being
kings and priests, and dwelling
00:47:43.83\00:47:48.70
with the Messiah, who
gave us that birthright.
00:47:48.73\00:47:52.50
Will those who have the
character of Esau in the end
00:47:52.53\00:47:58.74
time despise God's holy law?
00:47:58.77\00:48:01.94
Will they consider that the
law of God is a yoke of bondage?
00:48:01.98\00:48:06.78
Will they live in this world
as if there is no other world,
00:48:06.82\00:48:10.75
for the present pleasures
of life, and sell their eternal
00:48:10.79\00:48:15.16
birthright as kings and priests,
the privilege of living with the
00:48:15.19\00:48:19.59
Messiah forever; sell it, so to
speak, for a plate of lentils,
00:48:19.63\00:48:23.97
for temporary, momentary
pleasures, things in this life?
00:48:24.00\00:48:31.87
Absolutely! By the
way, did we lose our home
00:48:31.91\00:48:35.84
as a result of our sin?
00:48:35.88\00:48:37.51
What was our home? Eden.
00:48:38.78\00:48:42.08
Did God promise Adam and Eve
the very day that they sinned
00:48:42.12\00:48:46.69
that Eden would be recovered?
00:48:46.72\00:48:48.59
Did He give them a
Messianic prophecy? Absolutely!
00:48:48.62\00:48:52.99
Genesis 3:15, He says, I'm going
to send a seed to the world,
00:48:53.03\00:48:57.40
and He's going to do battle with
the serpent, and He's going to
00:48:57.43\00:49:00.24
crush the serpent's head, and
you are going to be restored.
00:49:00.27\00:49:04.81
So God's people
receive a Messianic prophecy,
00:49:04.84\00:49:07.74
a glimmer of hope just like
Jacob did when he had to flee
00:49:07.78\00:49:11.85
his home. Where did we end
up when we left our Eden home?
00:49:11.88\00:49:16.79
In whose house? In
Laban's house, so to speak.
00:49:16.82\00:49:22.42
What kind of a being is Satan?
00:49:22.46\00:49:25.09
Is he like Laban?
He most certainly is.
00:49:25.13\00:49:27.76
Is he a conniver?
00:49:27.83\00:49:29.03
Is he a deceiver?
00:49:29.06\00:49:31.23
Is he a liar? He
has all of those traits.
00:49:31.27\00:49:35.64
Is he self-serving?
00:49:35.67\00:49:37.54
Will he make it look like he's
doing things for your good, and
00:49:37.57\00:49:41.98
someone else's good, when he's
really doing it for himself?
00:49:42.01\00:49:44.78
He's just like Laban.
00:49:44.81\00:49:47.15
Will he want to keep us serving
him forever to serve his own
00:49:47.18\00:49:52.65
purposes? Yes. In other words,
we ended up in Laban's house.
00:49:52.69\00:49:56.69
Is it a blessing to
be in Laban's house,
00:49:59.13\00:50:00.90
in a certain sense?
00:50:00.93\00:50:03.60
What does God want us to do
while we're in Laban's house?
00:50:03.63\00:50:06.84
Work hard, occupy until I come,
Jesus said, and keep our eyes
00:50:06.87\00:50:13.64
open to the possibility of
deception, and not allow Laban,
00:50:13.68\00:50:19.21
so to speak, to gain
the ascendency over us,
00:50:19.25\00:50:21.65
and have the assurance
that God is going to bless us,
00:50:21.68\00:50:23.85
and He's going to
keep us like He did Jacob,
00:50:23.89\00:50:26.09
even in the midst of being
in Laban's conniving household.
00:50:26.12\00:50:30.49
Are God's people going to go
through a severe time of trouble
00:50:32.89\00:50:36.30
shortly before we return to our
home which we lost? Absolutely!
00:50:36.33\00:50:42.07
It's called the time of Jacob's
trouble, and it's mentioned in
00:50:42.10\00:50:47.94
Daniel 12:1. We're
going to study about
00:50:47.98\00:50:49.68
this time of trouble.
00:50:49.71\00:50:50.71
It's an amazing story;
very profoundly biblical.
00:50:50.75\00:50:54.18
If you've wondered where
Ellen White is getting her
00:50:54.22\00:50:55.82
information from when
she has that chapter in
00:50:55.85\00:50:58.09
The Great Controversy, you've
got to come to the next lecture,
00:50:58.12\00:51:00.59
because we're going
to study this in detail.
00:51:00.62\00:51:03.53
The fulfillment is found in
Daniel 11:44 where the powers
00:51:03.56\00:51:08.30
of the earth go out bent
on destroying God's people
00:51:08.33\00:51:13.67
at the end of time.
00:51:13.70\00:51:14.80
And then it says, At that
time Michael shall stand up.
00:51:14.84\00:51:19.34
That's the angel.
00:51:19.37\00:51:21.01
Michael shall stand up,
that prince which stands watch
00:51:21.04\00:51:25.88
over the
children of Your people.
00:51:25.91\00:51:27.55
And there will be such a
time of trouble such as never
00:51:27.58\00:51:31.02
has been seen. But at that
time Your people will be what?
00:51:31.05\00:51:37.79
delivered, everyone who
is found written in the book.
00:51:37.83\00:51:41.73
This story, once again,
is going to be repeated.
00:51:41.76\00:51:47.27
What are God's people
going to claim during this time
00:51:47.30\00:51:51.44
of severe trouble?
00:51:51.47\00:51:52.67
Will they in humility say to
God, We depend on Your mercy,
00:51:52.71\00:51:56.98
we depend on Your
promises? Absolutely!
00:51:57.01\00:52:00.48
And it will be only thing
that will sustain God's people
00:52:00.52\00:52:02.98
as the powers of the earth come
with the intention of destroying
00:52:03.02\00:52:06.96
God's people. And, by the way,
do you know that God's people,
00:52:06.99\00:52:12.39
will struggle in the time
of trouble, struggle with Jesus
00:52:12.43\00:52:16.40
spiritually in prayer,
because at the end we're dealing
00:52:16.43\00:52:19.30
with worldwide spiritual events.
00:52:19.33\00:52:22.37
That little
microcosm back there,
00:52:22.40\00:52:25.31
that little maudlin miniature
story, really illustrates
00:52:25.34\00:52:28.58
worldwide global
events and spiritual issues.
00:52:28.61\00:52:32.55
It's no longer literal
Israel, and literal Esau.
00:52:32.58\00:52:37.35
It is spiritual Israel, and
people who have the character
00:52:37.39\00:52:41.89
of Esau. And, by the way, when
God's people eventually prevail,
00:52:41.92\00:52:46.76
do you know that Revelation
3:12 says that they will
00:52:46.80\00:52:51.77
receive a new name?
00:52:51.80\00:52:56.77
Those who overcome will
receive a what? a new name.
00:52:56.81\00:53:03.65
And then let me ask you, will
God's people once again return
00:53:03.68\00:53:08.95
to the land which
God promised? Absolutely!
00:53:08.98\00:53:12.29
The meek will inherit the earth.
00:53:12.32\00:53:15.06
Will God's people be in a
land where there's no longer
00:53:15.09\00:53:18.99
any curse? Revelation
22:3 says the curse is gone.
00:53:19.03\00:53:22.93
All is blessing. Was that one
of the promises that God made
00:53:22.96\00:53:26.77
to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob? Yes.
00:53:26.80\00:53:31.14
Will God's people have been
delivered from their enemies,
00:53:31.17\00:53:34.38
and now be safe in
the kingdom? Absolutely!
00:53:34.41\00:53:38.21
And will God's people be
in the midst of a multitude
00:53:38.25\00:53:42.12
which no man can number?
00:53:42.15\00:53:43.89
According to Revelation 7, Yes.
00:53:43.92\00:53:47.46
All of these promises, claimed
during the time of trouble
00:53:47.49\00:53:52.13
by God's people, will be
eventually fulfilled on a global
00:53:52.16\00:53:56.73
worldwide scale
with God's people.
00:53:56.77\00:53:59.57
Now before we bring this
to a close, I need to ask
00:53:59.60\00:54:06.68
the question, are we
living for this present age?
00:54:06.71\00:54:12.08
Are we living for the here and
now, rather than looking to the
00:54:12.11\00:54:15.82
sweet by and by?
00:54:15.85\00:54:18.89
The houses we buy.
00:54:19.59\00:54:21.32
The automobiles we drive.
00:54:21.36\00:54:24.26
The money we keep stored in
the bank, while the work of God
00:54:24.29\00:54:29.16
languishes. The
luxurious clothing that we wear.
00:54:29.20\00:54:34.94
The expensive toys that we buy.
00:54:34.97\00:54:39.37
Is this, perhaps, telling us
that maybe we're looking to the
00:54:39.41\00:54:45.21
here and now rather
than to the sweet by and by?
00:54:45.25\00:54:48.05
Notice what the apostle Paul
says in 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18.
00:54:48.08\00:54:55.09
Are we selling our heavenly
birthright for temporal,
00:54:55.12\00:54:58.69
present pleasures?
00:54:58.73\00:55:01.03
Could it happen to me?
00:55:01.06\00:55:03.33
It certainly could.
00:55:03.37\00:55:05.57
Notice what the
apostle Paul says:
00:55:05.60\00:55:07.80
See, our affliction
now is but for a moment.
00:55:12.54\00:55:14.24
See, our present
affliction is light.
00:55:19.51\00:55:21.92
It's small compared to the
glory that's going to come.
00:55:21.95\00:55:24.55
Notice this.
00:55:24.59\00:55:27.39
What do we look at?
00:55:34.60\00:55:35.96
Not what's seen,
but what's not seen.
00:55:36.00\00:55:39.17
That's our houses, our
cars, our money, our clothes,
00:55:41.74\00:55:45.17
our toys,
whatever it is. It says:
00:55:45.21\00:55:47.94
One final story. We find in
Hebrews 11 the story of Moses.
00:55:59.75\00:56:03.56
You know, Moses was in line
to be the next Pharaoh of Egypt,
00:56:03.59\00:56:06.96
and God said to him, I
want you to go to the desert
00:56:08.76\00:56:10.57
with a rebellious people
who are always going to be
00:56:10.60\00:56:12.37
criticizing you.
There's going to be heat,
00:56:12.40\00:56:14.17
there's going to
be snakes, you know.
00:56:14.20\00:56:15.30
They're going to want to
stone you all of the time.
00:56:15.90\00:56:18.27
Instead of becoming the next
Pharaoh of Egypt, and have all
00:56:18.31\00:56:23.28
of the wealth, and all of
the fame, and all of the power,
00:56:23.31\00:56:26.01
I want you to choose
to go out into the desert
00:56:26.05\00:56:28.22
with this people.
00:56:28.25\00:56:29.55
What would you have
chosen? Good question.
00:56:29.58\00:56:34.09
Better a bird in
hand than two in the bush?
00:56:34.12\00:56:38.59
That's the philosophy of many.
00:56:38.63\00:56:41.26
But it says in Hebrews 11
that Moses preferred affliction
00:56:41.30\00:56:49.50
with the people of God,
than having the temporary,
00:56:49.54\00:56:54.04
and momentary pleasures of sin.
00:56:54.08\00:56:57.45
In fact, he was sustained,
it says in Hebrews 11,
00:56:57.48\00:57:02.72
by seeing Him who is invisible.
00:57:02.75\00:57:07.59
Invisible means you can't see
it, but he was sustained seeing
00:57:08.89\00:57:12.43
Him who is invisible.
00:57:12.46\00:57:14.30
May that be our
experience as well.
00:57:14.36\00:57:19.70