Genesis 27:5-13; 42-46 ESV Scripture

5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau 5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, Scripture

7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you.  Scripture

9 Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”  Scripture

11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.”  Scripture

13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.” Scripture

42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.  Scripture

43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away— Scripture

Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?” 45 until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?” Scripture

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” Scripture

A Lying Mother

Who taught the children how to lie? A video of a two year old Noel A three year old Tiffany

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Click to play video

A six year old George “George, do you know who has killed my beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?” George answered, “I cannot tell a lie, father, you know I cannot tell a lie! I did cut it with my little hatchet.”

The anger died out of his father’s face, he said: “My son, that you should not be afraid to tell the truth is more to me than a thousand trees! Yes – though they were blossomed with silver and had leaves of the purest gold!”

The story was a lie told by a writer named Mason Locke Weems who was also a pastor. Life of George Washington; with Curious Anecdotes. His motive for lying? Profit.

A video of a father teaching his son not to lie.

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Gen 27:5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau Gen 27:5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob,

“I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ 

8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. 

9 Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 

14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 

15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, and put them on Jacob her younger son.  16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

17 And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father 18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game.” 

20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.

He used the name of God in his lie. He is the child of covenant. He gave credit to God for things that God had nothing to do with. He is us. We are believers, and we are children of the new covenant.

24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 

26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.”27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him.

41 Now Esau hated Jacob … and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 

42 But the words of Esau her older son, were told to Rebekah 42 But the words of Esau her older son, were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 

43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away.

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?

The mother lied by using spiritual language, “a believer should not date non believers and married one of them, so let’s send him to LA to my brother’s church so he can find a good Asian Christian girl for a wife.”

She is us; God’s community is not perfect and is filled with liars. We lie when we pretend to be good Christians;

We lie when we create profiles on dating sites that are lies; when we post things that make us look better, younger, and smarter – they are lies.

We lie when we pretend to have read the devotions when we haven’t. Eugene Peterson’s story

1John 1:6-7, If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son cleanses us from all sin.

We want an authentic faith community where we are accepted; where we can be ourselves; where we don’t have to pretend to be spiritual, where no spinning and image managing is needed.

But we can’t have an authentic faith community when we lie to each other because lying and deception destroy trust and relationship.

Until we learn to speak the truth to each other, we will have counterfeit fellowship; and shallow relationship with one another.

What if the mother and son had spoken the truth? Perhaps the truth could set them free

28:1. Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women …  5 Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

Application:

God’s faith community is not perfect, we lie to each other; God doesn’t want liars in church (Acts 5:4). If you are convicted by the truth, after church, go to the person you have lied to and tell him/her the truth.

The gospel: we are more deceitful and cunning than we dare to admit; yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted by God than we deserve, who through Christ has reconciled us to himself.

The person you lied to may think less of you for lying; or the person may think more of you and open his/her arms to you and want to form a genuine relationship with you.

God is not trying to change the behaviors of bad people so that they behave nicely and politely;

God is transforming sinners into saints; and liars into truth tellers through the Words and Spirit so that the church is transformed and become an authentic faith community in the neighborhood.

Prove 31:28, her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

Do: I want to thank you mom for teaching me to be honest. Don’t: I want to thank you mom for not yelling at me like a crazy woman, like you usually do.