Something Better Than Spiritual Gifts

Leave a reply

Why do I want tools?  Is it all about displaying my tools in my workshop?

There is something better than owning tools.  It is the finished product produced by the tools.

 1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13 NLT            

31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Love Is the Greatest

13:1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13 NLT
31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

  • We don’t choose our spiritual gifts. God chooses for us.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

1 Corinthians 12:11 (NLT)
11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

1 Corinthians 12:28 (NLT)
28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

Meaning:
Stop desiring the showy gifts,
appreciate the gift(s) God has given you, and
use your gift to build up the church. 

  • Use your spiritual gift correctly.

1 Corinthians 14:12 (NLT)
… seek those (special abilities the Spirit gives) that will strengthen the whole church.

 1 Corinthians 14:12 (CEB)
The same holds true for you: since you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, use your ambition to try to work toward being the best at building up the church.

1 Corinthians 14:12 (ESV)
So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

 Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT)
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.  (more of this passage later)

 Focus on the reason for spiritual gifts. 

  • Spiritual gifts should be used to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Something greater than spiritual gifts.

The way of love.

1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT)
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.

 Love Is the Greatest

13:1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy (bringing God’s truth to people), and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

  • Spiritual gifts without love gain nothing.

The word love was not admired and thus seldom used in Greek literature.

The word love occurs 759 times in the NLT

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

A description of Jesus.  (Substitute “Jesus” for the word “love”.)

The fruit of the Spirit. (A gift from God.)

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 

Love:

is patient
is kind
is not jealous
is not boastful
is not proud
is not rude
does not demand its own way
is not irritable
keeps no record of being wronged
does not rejoice about injustice
rejoices whenever the truth wins out
never gives up
never loses faith
is always hopeful
endures through every circumstance

 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

  • Knowledge is partial and incomplete.
  • Spiritual gifts are a temporary blessing in an imperfect age.
  • Spiritual gifts will become useless.

The tools are no longer needed after the task has been completed.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT) (continued from earlier in this lesson)
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

  • Love will last forever

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

 Your goal should not be obtaining the tool(s).  Your goal should be the finished product.

Understand the place of spiritual gifts.

Expression of perfect love toward God and each other.

 

Use Your Spiritual Gift(s) Correctly

Leave a reply

Use Your Spiritual Gift(s) Correctly

Previous lessons –

           Spiritual Gifts – Part 1

          • All Christians have at least one spiritual gift.
          • Spiritual gifts are given to each of us so we can help others and bring glory to God.
          • We don’t all have the same spiritual gifts.
          • We do not choose our spiritual gift(s).

Spiritual Gifts – Part 2

          • No believer should think of himself or his gift as inferior to another believer’s gift.
          • God has put each part just where he wants it.
          • Every believer has the gift(s) that God wants him to have.
          • Many different parts make up one body.
          • Help other believers identify their spiritual gift(s).

Today’s lesson:

Use Your Spiritual Gift(s) Correctly

1 Corinthians 12:21-31 NLT
21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 12:21-31 NLT
21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

 This may have been a problem in the Corinthian church. (Flaunting spiritual gifts.) Some in positions of leadership were looking down on others in the church.

  •  Every spiritual gift is important.
  • No part of the body is any less than any other part of the body. (repeated from last lesson)
  • No believer should think of himself or his gift as inferior to another believer’s gift. (repeated)
  • We need each other!

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 

Paul may have been referring to those in the church with “behind the scenes” responsibilities. (Today it might be the assistants.)

  • Some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. (Carefully protect those parts.)
  • Some spiritual gifts are more “public” than others.

24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care.

 So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 

God, not man, assigned the gifts.  (Repeating verse 18)

  • God has put each part just where he wants it. (repeated from the last lesson)
  • Every believer has the gift(s) that God wants him to have. (repeated from the last lesson)
  • God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 

All are essential

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)
Divisions in the Church
I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

Philippians 2:2-4 (NLT)
2 … make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)
24 Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 

  • There should be no division in the body, its parts should have equal concern for each other.

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

A stomach ache affects the entire body.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

 first are apostles,*
second are prophets,*
third are teachers,*
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

God appointed gifts.

*These may have been considered to be a lesser role by the Corinthians.
The Corinthian Church may not have respected their spiritual leaders appropriately.

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 

31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.  (More on this in the next lesson)

 Meaning: Stop desiring the showy gifts.

  •  Use your spiritual gift correctly.

1 Corinthians 14:12 (NLT)
… seek those (special abilities the Spirit gives) that will strengthen the whole church.

 Ephesians 4:11-13  (NLT)
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

  •  Spiritual gifts should be used to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Something greater than spiritual gifts.
Chapter 13

We Have An Important Assignment

Leave a reply

We Have An Important Assignment

Repetition (food)

Every morning I have a bowl of cereal, a banana, orange juice, and coffee.

I never say, “I already had breakfast this week, I don’t need breakfast today.”

We all need to refuel daily.

Even more importantly we all need to refuel our spiritual lives on a daily basis.

Matthew 4:4 (NLT)
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

 Psalm 16:11  (NLT)
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.

A healthy diet may sometimes be repetitious, but a healthy diet is always nourishing.

We have an important assignment.

God has given us, as teachers or parents, or both, the paramount responsibility of training children.

Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)
Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

I want to share some reminders of what our assignment is all about. (This is something most of you are probably already doing.)

Four I’s

Important (Important assignment)

Intentional

Intriguing

Integrated

Important (Important assignment) – of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success, survival, or well-being.

God uses you as a catalyst for life change. (God brings about life changes, you don’t.)

Take a look at the RDS scripture verses.

Our school verses are Psalm 78:4-7,

The short version.

 “We will … tell … the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders he has done.” Verses 6 and 7 go on to say, “that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God.”

In context

Psalm 78:1-7  (NLT)
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
2     for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3     stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
4 We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
5 For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
6 so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.

What is your most important role as a teacher?

What is the most important role any of us have?

but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. Psalm 78:4

Intentional – deliberate, calculated, conscious, done on purpose, intended,

Tell how God is working through all of his creation.

Explain how God has created the earth, sea, and sky.  Talk about flowers, trees, bugs, the sun, moon, and stars, the oceans ….

Tell how God has worked throughout history.

Old and New Testament Bible stories.  (The Jesus Storybook Bible)

 World history, especially the history of America.

 Intriguing – arousing one’s curiosity or interest

 Many of our presidents had a reverence for the Lord.  I will mention four by name.

In a Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789, Washington stated, “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”

John Adams, our second president stated, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”

In 1788, James Madison, our fourth president said, “The belief in God all powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, …

In God We Trust was first inscribed on U.S. coins in 1864 under President Lincoln (our 16th president).

Many founding fathers were “Big on Jesus”:

John Dickinson (signed the Constitution, served as governor of Pennsylvania and Delaware)
“Rendering thanks to my Creator for my existence and station among His works, for my birth in a country enlightened by the Gospel and enjoying freedom, and for all His other kindnesses, to Him I resign myself, humbly confiding in His goodness and in His mercy through Jesus Christ for the events of eternity.”

“Governments could not give the rights essential to happiness… We claim them from a higher source: from the King of kings, and Lord of all the earth.”

Samuel Adams (Signer of the Declaration of Independence, ratified the Constitution, and served as governor of Massachusetts).
“I . . . [rely] upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.”

A Proclamation For a Day of Public Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer signed by Samuel Adams included the following: “the peaceful and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer may be known and enjoyed throughout the whole family of mankind”; “we may with one heart and voice humbly implore His gracious and free pardon through Jesus Christ, supplicating His Divine aid . . . [and] above all to cause the religion of Jesus Christ, in its true spirit, to spread far and wide till the whole earth shall be filled with His glory”; with true contrition of heart to confess their sins to God and implore forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Elias Boudinot (Served as President of Congress, signed the Peace Treaty of Paris to end the War for Independence, framer of the Bill of Rights, and respondent to Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason with The Age of Revelation).
“Let us enter on this important business under the idea that we are Christians on whom the eyes of the world are now turned… Let us earnestly call and beseech Him, for Christ’s sake, to preside in our councils. . . . We can only depend on the all-powerful influence of the Spirit of God, Whose Divine aid and assistance it becomes us as a Christian people most devoutly to implore. Therefore I move that some minister of the Gospel be requested to attend this Congress every morning . . . in order to open the meeting with prayer.”

Benjamin Franklin (Signed the Declaration of independence, attended the Constitutional Convention, signed the Constitution.)
“As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and His religion as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see.”

Other names we could mention:

Alexander Hamilton, John Hancock, Patrick Henry,
John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
George Mason, John Witherspoon,

These men were not necessarily Christians, but they did value Christian principles.

 

Tell them how God is working in your life.  (All of these need to be age appropriate.)

Tell them how God is working in their lives.

*We are The Redeemer Day School, we exist to share the story of Redemption.

 *Explain redemption.

 An act of God, by which He Himself pays as a ransom the price of human sin, which has outraged His holiness.

To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.

To set free; rescue or ransom.

To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences.

To buy back

Redeemed

Redeemed–how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.

Redemption in Scripture.

Revelation 5:9 (NLT)
And they sang a new song with these words:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.

God paid a high price for you, …  (1 Corinthians 7:23 NLT)

Romans 5:8 (NLT)
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Unearned – undeserved

Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NLT)
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

5 For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.

(This is different from verse 4)

Basic principles that govern our personal lives and relationships.

Biblical principles – Biblical truths

The Bible is God’s instruction manual – how to live our lives.

Scripture clearly teaches how Christians are to live.

God’s principles are permanent, unchanging, and universal in nature.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Isaiah 48:17-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.
18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.

God provides principles for living in a way that protects from harmful thinking and behavior.

Instructions on how to live our lives.

Character qualities

Work at it with all of your heart ….   Hard work

Character: obedience, virtue, diligence, discernment, dependability, compassion, kindness

 

that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children Psalm 78:6

Romans 10:14-15 (NLT)
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 

 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Why tell this story?

3 reasons

Intentional – deliberate, calculated, conscious, done on purpose, intended,

 

so that they should set their hope in God

Where else can we set our hope?

In our government?

in other people?

in technology?

in institutions?

in education?

in jobs?

in the economy?

in our local church

 and not forget the works of God,

Not forget the story of Redemption

Understand God’s plan of salvation.

 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 ESV)

 but keep his commandments; Psalm 78:7

Help the next generation to understand that biblical principles really do work and are clearly for our benefit.

 

How do we do this?

Deuteronomy 6

5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 

Here’s the assignment:

7 Repeat them again and again to your children.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, ESV

Spontaneous lessons are great,
but there also needs to be intentional instruction.

Intentional – deliberate, calculated, conscious, done on purpose, intended,

Family devotions are powerful.  I remember my father reading scripture every night at the dinner table.  I don’t remember the details of the scripture, I just remember that it was important.

  Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 

Integrated – to incorporate into a larger unit.  We do not a spiritual life separate from our secular life.

Use repetition

Make use of the many opportunities you have throughout the day.

 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (NLT)

Visual aids

Plaque:  As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

How do we do this?  This is a big assignment.

 

 

It starts with us.

We need the right relationship with God.  We need to love God with every fiber of our being.

We need to be learning from God.

5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Deuteronomy 6:5-6

Psalm 86:11  (NLT)
Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.

Psalm 19:14  (NLT)
May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

What an awesome responsibility.

Luke 6:40 (NLT)
Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

A child is not above his parents, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his parents. (RL)

….will be like his parents….

….will be like you….

Four I’s

Important (Important assignment) – of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success, survival, or well-being.

Intentional – deliberate, calculated, conscious, done on purpose, intended,

Integrated – to incorporate into a larger unit.
Not a spiritual life and a secular life.

Intriguing – arousing one’s curiosity or interest

A fifth “I”

Investment

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be, (Matt 6:19-21).

Spiritual Gifts (continued)

Leave a reply

Be sure to use your spiritual gift(s) correctly.

1 Corinthians 12:21-31 NLT

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 12:21-31 NLT

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

 This may have been a problem in the Corinthian church. (Flaunting spiritual gifts.) Some in positions of leadership were looking down on others in the church.

  • Every spiritual gift is important.
  • No part of the body is any less than any other part of the body. (repeated from the last lesson)
  • No believer should think of himself or his gift as inferior to another believer’s gift. (repeated)

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 

Paul may have been referring to those in the church with “behind the scenes” responsibilities. (Today it might be the administrative assistants or secretaries.)

  • Some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.
  • Some spiritual gifts are more “public” than others. 

24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care.

 So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 

God, not man, assigned the gifts.  (Repeating verse 18)

  • God has put each part just where he wants it. (repeated from the last lesson)
  • Every believer has the gift(s) that God wants him to have. (repeated from the last lesson)
  • God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it.

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 

All are essential

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)
Divisions in the Church
I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

Philippians 2:2-4 (NLT)
2 … make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)
24 Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 

  • There should be no division in the body, its parts should have equal concern for each other. 

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

A stomach ache affects the entire body.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

God appointed gifts.

The Corinthian Church may not have respected their spiritual leaders (Paul) appropriately.

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 

31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. 

  • Use your spiritual gift correctly.

1 Corinthians 14:12 (NLT)
… seek those (special abilities the Spirit gives) that will strengthen the whole church.

 Ephesians 4:11-13  (NLT)
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 

  • Spiritual gifts should be used to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Something greater than spiritual gifts.

Chapter 13 (next year)

 

 

Learning Life Lessons From Someone Who Never Stopped Digging Wells

Leave a reply

Learning Life Lessons From Someone Who Never Stopped Digging Wells.

God has a plan.

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 Digging wells. A part of God’s plan for Isaac.

Genesis 26:17-35(NLT)
17 So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. 18 He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.
19 Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. 20 But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”). 21 Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”).22 Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”
23 From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, 24 where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” 25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.
Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech
26 One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. 27 “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.”
28 They replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant.29 Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the Lord has blessed you!”
30 So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together. 31 Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace.
32 That very day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. “We’ve found water!” they exclaimed. 33 So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means “oath”). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”).
34 At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon. 35 But Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 26:17-35(NLT)
17 So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley,

Different than the town of Gerar

where he set up their tents and settled down. 18 He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death.

Isaac needed life-giving water to survive in the land. But the Philistines had stopped the flow of water from the wells by filling them in. To get to the vitally needed water supply, Isaac had to work hard to re-dig the wells and overcome what the Philistines had done.

Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.

Wells:

Ancient wells were dug by hand, a laborious and dangerous task.

From the Well, the community drew water, the basic sustenance for life.

Wells were a sign of independence.

Those who owned wells could maintain larger flocks of sheep.

Wells are a sign of life.

A human can go without food for about three weeks but would typically only last three to four days without water.

At least 60% of the adult body is made of it and every living cell in the body needs it to keep functioning.

19 Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. 

 20 But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”). Contention or dispute

 21 Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”). Hatred or opposition

 22 Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space” or “room enough”),

Isaac refused to fight back.

Romans 12:18 (NLT)
Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 

  • Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

 for he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”

The Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.

Luke 12:22-26 (NLT)
22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

 Philippians 4:19 (NLT)
And this same God who takes care of me (Paul) will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

  • Don’t worry about everyday life, God will supply all your needs. (Luke 12:22-26 & Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

It may still require a lot of hard work on your part.

 23 From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, 24 where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” 

I (God) will do this.

A reminder:

God’s promise to his people.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) to Joshua
6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

Isaiah 41:10-13 (NLT)
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
11 “See, all your angry enemies lie there,
confused and humiliated.
Anyone who opposes you will die
and come to nothing.
12 You will look in vain
for those who tried to conquer you.
Those who attack you
will come to nothing.
13 For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

  • Don’t be afraid or discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5, Isaiah 41:10-13)

 25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord.

 Worshiped

Luke 4:8 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”

  • Worship the Lord.

Psalm 100 (NLT)
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

 He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.

 Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT)
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. 

  • Don’t get tired of doing good.

Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech

26 One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. 27 “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.”

 28 They replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you.

We can plainly see that the Lord is with you.

Look for God working in your life.

Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

Ephesians 1:18-20 (NLT)
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 

  • Understand the incredible greatness of God’s power.

 So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant.29 Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you.

  • Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18 repeated)

We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the Lord has blessed you!”

God’s plans work out for the best.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

  • Know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

30 So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together. 31 Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace.

 32 That very day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. “We’ve found water!” they exclaimed. 33 So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means “oath”). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”). 

  • Don’t stop digging wells.

34 At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon. 35 But Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.

Digging wells – hard work

Family life – a hard life

How foolish was it for Isaac to want to bless Esau?

Like Father, Like Son

Leave a reply

Like Father, Like Son

Difficult to date this passage.
After the death of Abraham.
While Esau and Jacob were young.

 Some things we do know about Isaac:

God asked his father Abraham to offer him as a burnt offering.

He had only one wife Rebecca

He had two sons, Esau and Jacob.

He was like a foreigner, living in tents.

His name was never changed.

He had many descendants.
           “Descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky”

“Through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” 

He died at the age of (Genesis 35:28) 180 years old.

He dug wells.

Isaac’s claim to fame.

His name was listed in the scriptures 144 times.
Abraham 269 (174 & 95)
Isaac        144 (121 & 23)
Jacob          362 (336 & 26)

Mostly in phrases like:

“Your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”

“For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors”

He was an ancestor of Jesus the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1-2 (NLT)
The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah
1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 26:1-16 (NLT)
1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
7 When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.” 8 But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.
9 Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
“Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.10 “How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”
11 Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!”
Conflict over Water Rights
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.
16 Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.”

Examine the Scriptures

Like Father, Like Son.
(A son’s character or behavior can be expected to resemble that of his father.)

Genesis 26:1-16 (NLT)
Isaac Deceives Abimelech
1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time.

90 years before:

Genesis 12:10 (NLT)
Abram and Sarai in Egypt
At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. 

  • Both Abraham and Isaac experienced living in a land struck by a famine.

So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech (most likely a title), king of the Philistines, lived.

 Isaac moved from Beer-lahai-roi to Gerar.  (Refer to map)

Genesis 25:11 (NLT)
After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.

 90 years before:

Genesis 20:1 (NLT)
Abraham Deceives Abimelech
Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, 

  • Abraham and Isaac lived in Gerar.

 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 

Unlike Abraham.

3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. 

  • Both Abraham and Isaac lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.
  • God promised to be with Abraham and Isaac.

 I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 

Review God’s promises to Abraham.

Genesis 17:19 (NLT)
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

 Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)
The Call of Abram
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 15:4-5 (NLT)
4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Genesis 22:16-18 (NLT)
16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

 All a part of “God’s plan for the world.

Acts 3
24 “Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25 You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’26 When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

  • God’s promise to Abraham was confirmed with Isaac.
  • Abraham and Isaac died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.

Hebrews 11:
9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. …
13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 

5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 

  • Our sovereign God wants our obedience.

 John 14:15  (NLT)
“If you love me, obey my commandments.

James 1:25 (NLT)
But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Luke 11:28 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

1 Samuel 15:22
… Obedience is better than sacrifice …

 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

 Obedience

7 When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.” 

Deceit
Abraham (two times):

Genesis 12:11-13 (NLT)
11 As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.
12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ 13 So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

Genesis 20:2 (NLT)
2 Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.

 Genesis 20:11 (NLT)
11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’

  • Both Abraham and Isaac lied about the identity of their wives.

8 But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.

Not the behavior of a brother and sister.

9 Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
“Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.

Fear mocks faith
Fear endangers God’s blessings

10 “How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”

Genesis 20:4-7 (NLT)
4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”
6 In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

Genesis 20:9-10 (NLT)
9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! 10 Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”

11 Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!”

Death penalty

  • God used a pagan king to preserve His chosen seed.

Psalm 105
7 He is the Lord our God.
    His justice is seen throughout the land.
8 He always stands by his covenant—
    the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
9 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
    and the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
11 “I will give you the land of Canaan
    as your special possession.”
12 He said this when they were few in number,
    a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
13 They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
14 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
15 “Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.”

 Conflict over Water Rights

12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 

  • God blessed Abraham and Isaac.

 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 

 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.

Genesis 21:25 (NLT)
25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.

Genesis 21:30 (NLT)
30 Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.”

16 Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.”

Conclusion:

  • You should be an example for others in every way by the good things you do.

Titus 2:7 (NLT)
And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Proverbs 22:1 (NLT)
Choose a good reputation over great riches;    being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.

  • Imitate what is good.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NLT)
And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

Spiritual Gifts – Part 2

Leave a reply

Spiritual Gifts – Part 2

1 Corinthians 12:12-20 NLT

One Body with Many Parts
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

 Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 12:12-20 NLT
One Body with Many Parts
12 The human body

 Used as an analogy for the church.

Scripture uses the human body as an analogy for the Church of Christ.

has many parts,

Necessary diversity

 but the many parts make up one whole body.

Many parts working together.

Dependent on each other.

One unit

So it is with the body of Christ. 

Many diverse gifts working together.

Dependent on each other.

 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free.

 But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit,

  • At salvation all believers receive the Holy Spirit and become a part of Christ’s body, the church.

John 1:12 (NLT)
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Romans 8:14-17 (NLT)
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

 and we all share the same Spirit.

 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 

 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 

  • No part of the body is any less than any other part of the body.
  • No believer should think of himself or his gift as inferior to another believer’s gift. 

18 But our bodies have many parts,

 and God has put each part just where he wants it.  

  • God has put each part just where he wants it.
  • Every believer has the gift(s) that God wants him to have.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Genesis 1:26-27 (NLT)
26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
27 So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 

 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.  

  • Many different parts make up one body.

 

Challenge:

  • Help other believers identify their spiritual gift(s).

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

 Tell other believers how you see God working in their lives.

Pray for each other.

Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Esau Sells His Birthright

Leave a reply

Esau Sells His Birthright

  • God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behaviors.

Genesis 25:27-34 (NLT)

Esau Sells His Birthright
27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)
31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”
32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”
33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 25:27-34 (NLT)
Esau Sells His Birthright
27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman,

 but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 

 Distinctive personalities.

Skillful hunter and outdoorsman vs. a quiet temperament who preferred the comforts of home.

 Esau saw little or no value in the birthright.  Jacob sought after the birthright.

  • Esau and Jacob had very different personalities. 

28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home,

 but Rebekah loved Jacob.

 Ingredients for conflict and heartache. 

Romans 2:11 (NLT)
For God does not show favoritism.

Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

James 2:1 (NLT)
A Warning against Prejudice
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

James 2:9 (NLT)
But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. 

  • If you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin.
  • Playing favorites is one of the most damaging problems in any group of people.

 Genesis 37:3-4 (NLT)
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.

 29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)

 Esau was driven by his physical appetite for red stew.

 31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”

 Birthright: The right of the first born.
(Different from the prophetic blessing in chapter 27.)

A double portion of the estate.

Was the head of the whole family.

Carried with it the covenant blessing (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)

  • Birthright: A man’s firstborn son receives privileges related to position and inheritance above those of his younger sons.

Before the time of Moses, the father could transfer this right to another son.

Rights of the Firstborn clarified by Moses

Deuteronomy 21:15-17 (NLT)
Rights of the Firstborn clarified by Moses
15 “Suppose a man has two wives, but he loves one and not the other, and both have given him sons. And suppose the firstborn son is the son of the wife he does not love. 16 When the man divides his inheritance, he may not give the larger inheritance to his younger son, the son of the wife he loves, as if he were the firstborn son. 17 He must recognize the rights of his oldest son, the son of the wife he does not love, by giving him a double portion. He is the first son of his father’s virility, and the rights of the firstborn belong to him.

After the exodus from Egypt, the birthright designated the oldest son priest of the family. (This was later changed.)

Exceptions:

Ruben

Genesis 49:3-4 (NLT)
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.
4 But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch.

1 Chronicles 5:1 (NLT)
Descendants of Reuben
The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. 

  • Exceptions were made, transferring the birthrights from the oldest son to a younger son.

Genesis 48:20-22 (NLT)
20 So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors.22 And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

  • Jacob was open and obvious in his pursuit of the birthright.

 32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”

  • Esau allowed his physical appetite to control is decisions.

 33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” 

Jacob, the heel grabber, knew what was of value, knew what he wanted and did not hesitate going after it.

 So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

 Esau did not value the birthright.

  • Esau traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left.

 He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

  • Esau showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

Hebrews 12:16 (NLT)
 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

 It is wrong to sacrifice spiritual provisions to satisfy one’s physical appetites.

  • Keep your priorities in order.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

  • God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behaviors.

Spiritual Gifts

Leave a reply

Spiritual Gifts

From the deplorable behavior of the Corinthians at the Lord’s supper to the Corinthians receiving and correctly using their unique spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NLT

Spiritual Gifts
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

 Examine the scriptures:

Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NLT

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. 

  • Special abilities are given to us by the Holy Spirit.

 I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 

  • The special abilities given to us by the Holy Spirit can easily be misunderstood and misused.

Misused or abused.

The Corinthian church was strongly influenced by their surrounding culture and the presence of false teachers.

 

 2 Peter 2:1-2 (NLT)
The Danger of False Teachers
1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 

  • Paul wanted to encourage and disciple the Corinthians to use their spiritual gifts correctly.
  • Christians need to learn how to use their spiritual gift(s) correctly to bring glory to God. 

3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God (controlled by the Holy Spirit) will curse Jesus,

and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

 It’s all about Jesus.

John 14:6 (NLT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 (NLT)
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

John 3:16 (NLT)
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)
For,
There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

John 10:9 (NLT)
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

John 3:36 (NLT)
And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

 Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. 

No one can say from the heart Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

A simple test.

Luke 6:45 (NLT)
45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

 1 Corinthians 12:3 (ERV)
3 So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” without the help of the Holy Spirit.

 What is coming out of your mouth?

  • A simple test to determine what is in your heart: “What is coming out of your mouth?”

 

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts,

 but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 

 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 

 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

God works in different ways in each of us.

  • Individuals serve the Lord and His Church in various ways.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us

Spiritual gifts were given to the Corinthians. 

  • All Christians have at least one spiritual gift.

 so we can help each other.  

  • Spiritual gifts are given to each of us so we can help others and bring glory to God.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 

 Various gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:10-11.

  • We don’t all have the same spiritual gifts. 

11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

  • We do not choose our spiritual gift(s).

The Births of Esau and Jacob

Leave a reply

The Births of Esau and Jacob

A clear display of God’s sovereignty.

Genesis 25:19-26 (NLT)
The Births of Esau and Jacob
19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.
23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”
24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob.  Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 25:19-34 (NLT)
The Births of Esau and Jacob
19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

  • Part of God’s sovereign plan was for Isaac to marry Rebekah. (Romans 9:7-12 clearly supports this bullet point.)

Refer to Family Tree

Genesis 24:15 (NLT)
Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.

 Near Haran

Terah, Abraham’s father died in Haran.

 21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children.

Rebekah was barren for 20 years.

Genesis 25:20 (NLT)
When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah …

Genesis 25:26 (NLT)
…. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

  • Isaac’s wife, Rebecca, was barren for twenty years.
  • Unlike Abraham, Isaac pleaded with the Lordon behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children.

Remember the Promise:

Genesis 12:1-2 (NLT)
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

Genesis 15:3-5 (NLT)
3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Genesis 22:17 (NLT)
I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

The Pattern:

Genesis 16:1 (NLT)
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. 

Genesis 25:21 (NLT)
Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife (Rebekah), because she was unable to have children.

Genesis 29:31 (NLT)
Jacob’s Many Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

  • Sarai, Abram’s wife, Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, and Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were all unable to have children.
  • God’s sovereignty supersedes physical limitations.

The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 

 Compare Isaac and Rebekah’s behavior to Abraham and Sarah’s behavior.  Abraham and Sarah tried to work out God’s plan on their own.  Isaac and Rebekah took their concerns to the Lord.

  • The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer and Rebekah became pregnant.

22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it.

 Like Isaac, Rebekah took her concerns to the Lord.

 “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.

Hosea 12:3 (NLT)
Even in the womb,
Jacob struggled with his brother;
when he became a man,
he even fought with God.

 Why is this happening? 

  • God chooses people according to his own purposes;he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.

 Romans 9:7-13 (NLT)
7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too.8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.” 

  • God sets individuals apart and appoints them to specific callings.

Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NLT)
4 The Lord gave me (Jeremiah) this message:
5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

 Galatians 1:15-16 (NLT)
15 But even before I (Paul) was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Psalm 139:16 (NLT)
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed. 

  • God’s plans began in eternity past and will be accomplished and completed in eternity future. (Human understanding cannot accurately capture this thought.)

23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals.

 Israelites vs. Edomites

 One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

The older serving the younger was not the natural order.

God decides when nations rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

Acts 17:26 (NLT)
From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

Psalm 22:27-28 (NLT)
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.

Job 12:23 (NLT)
He builds up nations, and he destroys them.
He expands nations, and he abandons them.

Psalm 66:7 (NLT)
For by his great power he rules forever.
He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance. 

  • Power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations.
  • God’s sovereignty supersedes tradition and culture. 

24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. 

Hairy
(red-see verse 30)
The red man

26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. 

To watch from behind
One who grabs the heel
One who trips up
He whom God protect

 Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.