worked out. From the start of man’s history this has been his concerted effort. When Esau lost the blessing it created a real problem in Isaac’s home. We find his hatred growing with a vow of heart that when his father died, like Cain he would kill his brother. Rebekah, mother of the twins, heard about his vow. She told Jacob and warned him of the impending danger. She sent him away to Laban, her brother, who lived in Haran. She thought he could stay there until Esau’s bitterness was gone. It has been well pointed out that passion and envy are like fires which once thoroughly kindled, can scarcely ever be quenched. They are like swollen torrents which cannot be restrained within its banks. Envy was the source of all the evil that developed in Isaac’s home, as well as in his father Abraham’s. It was born in Jacob’s mind when he coveted the birthright. It was developed by the will of Rebekah who induced Jacob to steal the blessing. It bloomed with Isaac who bestowed a blessing on Esau in spite of the fact that his general conduct revealed that any spiritual inheritance would be unsafe with him. It ripen in the heart of Esau who, too late, realized the value of the sacred privilege. Jacob’s blessing began with the dew of heaven while Esau’s stretched the fatness of the earth. Only one could have the spiritual gift which was the coming seed of the Messiah. Jacob is now on the run (Genesis 27:41). Rebekah's love was not based on principle. Sending him away seemed to be the logical thing. Jacob, blessed with plenty, had to
seriousness of envy and its insidious results. One sin easily leads to another. Yet faith in God is greater than the fear of man. To bring us up to date, Isaac is born 13 years after Ishmael who is cast out of Abraham’s tent forever. He eventually married an Egyptian and found the satisfying challenge for a full life in the desert wilderness around the Holy Land. He became a strong leader and progenitor of roving Arab bands. Sarah had already now died and Abraham had married Keturah. He had fathered six sons. Isaac, the shepherd, had remained contentedly at the home tent. Abraham, anxious to keep his posterity from idolatry had brought Rebekah, his grandniece, from Haran, to become Isaac’s wife. Isaac and Rebekah had lived a happy, though childless life for 20 years. With the birth of twins, however, Jacob and Esau, the devil moved in and became active in their home. How unlike the twins were in appearance, temperament and character. Satan used the possessive affection of Rebekah for Jacob. His nature and habits were similar to her own. By effecting a transfer of the blessing from Esau to Jacob, Satan was confident that the motive for hatred and the desire to kill Jacob would be provided. Esau was his tool for destruction. This will be the next study we will want to consider.
SATAN A TTACKS JACOB & JOSEPH
We have been attempting to show how the devil moved in to try to keep the purposes of God through Jesus Christ from being
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