HER DAYS TO BE DELIVERED
Genesis 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. 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 Rebekah loved Jacob.
Our Lord used the birth experiences of the woman to picture the conditions of his disciples’ hearts upon his ascension, and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. And we must all get back to the spirituality of the scriptures in order to have life breathed back into our traditional religious practices. For there is more to be seen in these births than just to add to a historical genealogy. Birth was the issue the Lord Jesus brought up to Nicodemus, a leading teacher in Israel. (John 3:3,6).
John 16:19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
Rebekah was told by the Lord that the struggling within her (see last week’s article), was due to the fact that she had two manner of people within her womb. And so it is with the spiritual birth, bringing salvation to the sinner. He then has two irreconcilable forces within himself, struggling in opposition to one another. John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
And with that example of the travail and sorrow in that birthing, even the physical sight of the Lord’s ascension would personally profit them nothing spiritually. Religion’s ‘picture and stature Jesus’ brings nought but idolatry to bear upon us. It is the coming of the Holy Spirit to fill the heart with the experiencing of the Lord within, as a new way of life that is the real need! John 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Therefore even our imagination must be conquered by the Holy Spirit, for it will, without Him, present a false image of the invisible God! 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
For even orthodox religion can but make a lot of noise and stir up a great deal of dust in it’s evangelism! And after they have done so, all you have is orderly bone assembly! Ezekiel 37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
The real need today, as in every day of religious practice on earth, has been someone who could Prophesy unto the wind. That is, someone whose preaching is not just the barking of religious doctrine! There must be someone who has power with the Lord God to bring the Wind of God, the Holy Ghost, to bear upon the dead form of human kind. Zechariah 4:6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Was it not the same even with the great Prophet Elijah? When he came forth from the cave, he had revealed unto him a notable wind, an earthquake, and a fire. Religion can stir up a lot of spirits, (the wind), make notable shakings among the populations, (the earthquake), and produce a lot of heated emotions, (the fire), but sadly, the Lord is not in any of these. Then after he was shown the uselessness of all this fervor of religious endeavor, the voice of silent stillness caused him to cover his face with his prophet’s mantle. – Which is the best use of the prophet’s garb: the covering of the fleshly mouth and carnal identity!
1 Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
Then the Lord kindly and respectfully causes his servant first to remember that he is responsible to God as he questions his location. And then he turns him around and sends him right back into the place and practice of servitude! For even the ‘fire’ of the prophet’s jealously could not accomplish the work and will of God. (Psalm 79:5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?)
1 Kings 19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus:
For the Lord, by his spirit, without Elijah’s knowledge, had quite a congregation still devoted to him; even though Elijah said that he was the sole believer left on earth! 1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. One of the main things that religion needs to learn is the sovereignty of God in the salvation of the soul! The Lord God, without the use of the prophet, or even of his knowledge, had more than twice the number of souls than was brought forth on Pentecost!
Consider carefully these passages: John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. We can only work out that which the Lord has sovereignly worked in! For, as in the case of Lazarus, the church can only loose and let go that which God has called to life!
Now we come to see that each of the twins born to Rebekah were named at this time. But we notice that the elder received his first naming by his appearance. For the word “Esau” means red. For the world identifies its own by outward appearance. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Then he receives his second name, by his appetite. For we read in Genesis 25:30 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. That word, Edom, is the same Hebrew word translated “same red” in that verse. And this name turns out to be the name of a nation, as the Lord informed her in verse 23. So Esau is of the first Adam, whose own name is from the Hebrew word translated, “they be red” in Isaiah 1:18.
Therefore we read, 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
Esau, the earthy man was born first, like the first Adam, who was made of the earth. But Jacob, like Christ, the last Adam, was born afterward, and later comes to reflect that which is spiritual. For Jacob is named for that which he did. His name is interpreted for us in Hosea 12:3. There it states, He took … by the heel. That is the Hebrew for the name Jacob.
And in that Hosea passage we also read, Hosea 12:3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: 4 Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; Therefore we see that which is recorded in Genesis 32:26-28, how Jacob caught hold of the angel, refusing to let go, was the same trait as his holding his brother’s heel at birth.
And as his catching his brother’s heel at birth gave him his first name, so his holding onto the angel brought him his second name. Genesis 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Therefore, whereas Esau received his two names (Esau & Edom), by both his appearance and his appetite, Jacob receives his two names (Jacob & Israel), by the one single trait of laying hold of someone and not letting go!
And so must every believer be! Every believer must persevere in laying hold on eternal life! 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Matthew 10:22 …but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
For no believer can survive in the matter of living in the realm of his second birth (regeneration, or salvation), except he affix on the feet of our elder brother, the Lord Jesus Christ. For we know not how to enter, or to walk in the new realm, having only been accustomed to the darkness of the womb, and our struggles therein. For all we ever knew before our spiritual birth was abiding in the realm of darkness, being borne about by the old nature. But now all things have become new, so faith in it’s Author alone must be our guide! Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Someone has well noted that true faith is like Noah’s dove. It came out from the ark and when it could find no earthly rest, it then returned back to it. In like manner, Christ is both the source of faith, and its object!
For Christ, pictured by Esau’s being first born, is the first born from the dead. Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. And we must take note of that phrase “and the elder shall serve the younger.” For here Christ proves himself to be the greatest among all others! Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
And that heel which we hold onto is a bruised heel! Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, …15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. And that Hebrew word, here translated “his heel,” is translated “by the footsteps of,” in Solomon’s Song 1:8.
There the bride is asking the husband where she can locate him in the noon time heat of the day. This is his answer: Song 1:8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents. She is to follow the foot prints of that bruised heel who calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. (Rev. 14:4).
Pastor Gene Breed
March 4, 2016
