We’ve been looking at Jacob’s life (read Gen.27 for coming Sunday). For those of you who grew up in church are probably familiar with the story. But the familiarity often leads to arrogance in Christian’s mind: “I already know the story”. Rather, go and read the text on your own carefully. God of Jacob will speak to you from the Bible. That said, I want to point out few things from last week’s teaching.

• *Genesis 25:29-34 (Esau selling his birthright): the lesson that I recall from my Sunday School time was: “Don’t be like Esau, but Be like Jacob.” But the problem with that is, Jacob is manipulating Esau here, no matter how noble/spiritual that goal is (yes, Esau sold his birthright on his own account). And the pattern of deception continues in Jacob’s life (as we shall see). Therefore, the story cannot simply be: Be like Jacob.
• *After the narration of the story, the writer of Genesis gives a third person’s view (from God’s perspective) of the matter: “Thus Esau despised his birthright” (25:34) and “they (Esau’s two Hittite wives) made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah” (26:35). So surely God wants us to know that Esau-like behavior is not tolerable. And the consequence of such ‘despise’ would result in revocation of the covenant blessing.
• *But if this is all there is to it, the story of Jacob would be purely moralistic teaching, not the gospel. Where is the gospel here?
• *We are (have been and will be) all like Esau from time to time. But because of greater Esau who gave up his own birthright willingly/lovingly so that we the sinners might be adopted into God’s family, the story becomes the Gospel for us.
• *If you are reading Old Testament on your own, don’t apply the story directly to you; it becomes moralistic religion. But try to see Jesus Christ (Christocentrically or Christotelically) in the text; that is, the story must be seen first and foremost indirectly through Jesus Christ. Then you may apply the text in your life with full confidence in Jesus’ finished work for you.