Sermon Tone Analysis

Leader Guide ESV, Unit 3, Session 1

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Edited by Rev. Lex DeLong, M.A.

God’s Mercy to a Deceiver

Summary and Goal

In the last session we saw that God worked through unexpected ways, through unworthy people, and according to His faithfulness rather than ours.

We saw the escalating family conflict centered on Esau and Jacob.

From the very beginning, the twin brothers struggled against one another, and favoritism from Isaac and Rebekah only made matters worse.

In Genesis 27–28, we will see the mess Isaac and his family made and how it affected their relationships with each other and with God.

We will see a family that was divided and forsaking God.

We will also see that even with all of their failings, God used this family to advance His plan to provide salvation to the world—not by their merit but by His mercy.

Please note: there will be no Wednesday night small group in lieu of Thanksgiving the next day.

So, here’s s summary of where this lesson will take us today and if need be, next week.

Session Outline:

1. God’s plan continues through a dysfunctional family (Gen.

27:1-10).

2. ++God’s plan continues through a deceitful son (Gen.

27:18-20,25-29).

3. ++God’s plan continues through His mercy and grace (Gen.

28:10-15).

The Big Idea:

God is merciful and even chooses to use the most unlikely people to build His kingdom, people just like us.

Christ Connection

Jacob’s story is a good example of why humanity needs a Savior.

Like Jacob, we seek a blessing that is not ours, but we cannot lie, deceive, or trick to receive it.

Instead, Jesus shared His blessing with us when He took the judgment we deserve so that we might receive the blessing He deserved.

Missional Application

Because God has shown mercy to us, an unworthy people, we look for ways God can demonstrate His mercy and grace to others through our struggles, flaws, and dysfunctions.

page 103 in their DDG.

Do you remember the A-Team?

Unlikely group of misfits to get the job done and as unconventional as they were, they got the job done in unconventional ways.

God does not need us to be the A-Team, God just wants us to trust Him as part of His team.

We were created to turn to God for all of our needs and live in dependence and trust in Him, the true source of joy.

Summarize: In this session, we will see the mess Isaac and his family made in their selfish pursuits, which affected their relationships with each other and with God.

This family was a key building block for the people God was forming, but they certainly didn’t look like it.

Yet we will see that even with all of their failings,

God used this family to advance His plan to provide salvation to the world

—not by their merit, but by His mercy.

Point 1: God’s plan continues through a dysfunctional family (Gen.

27:1-10).

While Esau was the oldest son and would normally have received the birthright and family blessing, God instead chose Jacob to receive the promises given to Abraham (see Gen. 25:23; Rom.

9:10-13).

Jacob convinced Esau to receive the birthright, but Isaac intended to bestow the patriarchal blessing upon Esau, not Jacob.

Read Genesis 27:1-10 (DDG p. 104)

1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death.

3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, 4 and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

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.”

Explain that we cannot know for sure what was going on in Isaac’s mind here because Scripture doesn’t record it for us.

We can, however, determine from Scripture that Isaac was a man who lived by his senses.

He allowed his physical desires to inform his spiritual decisions.

· “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game”

Gen. 25:28 “Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.”

· Isaac acted impulsively when he lied about Rebekah being his sister to protect his life (Gen.

26:7-11).

Though it might be easy to blame Isaac for the calamity that followed (he does bear part of the responsibility), the dysfunction in this family ran much deeper.

(Refer to the first paragraph on DDG p. 104.)

Isaac’s family was dysfunctional because of sin.

As a family unit, they struggled with favoritism, deceit, self-control, and sensuality.

Commentary: In Genesis 27, Isaac once again gave in to his impulsiveness and physical appetites as he attempted to play favorites with his sons, which will lead to disastrous consequences.

It began with Isaac calling for Esau and inviting him to make his favorite meal so he could bless his oldest son.

Inviting only one son to a family blessing instead of the entire family went against custom.

More importantly, Isaac was intentionally acting against the oracle God had given years earlier

Gen. 25:23

The blessing conferred the right to rule over the family after the patriarch’s death. 1

But God had chosen Jacob for this honor, not Esau, though neither of them were worthy of it.

Esau too was driven by his fleshly desires and despised spiritual things.

Rebekah joined her husband in playing favorites with their sons.

And Jacob, at this point, became a deceiver and swindler who was willing to take advantage of his brother and his father.

Remember:

It is never right to do the wrong thing for the right reason.

It was still wrong of Rebekah and Jacob, even if they were being sincerely concerned about Esau’s spite for his birthright and spiritual things.

I don’t even think that we have to rehearse the sins and struggles that plague many families today?

(favoritism; divorce; adultery; physical and emotional abuse; financial stresses; conflicting values and priorities; lack of communication; busyness and distraction)

God is only referenced twice in the forty-six verses of this chapter, but this does not mean He was absent from this account.

The sin and dysfunction of Isaac’s family did not hinder God’s plan.

· In verse 20, Jacob compounded his lie to Isaac by claiming the Lord helped him find wild game quickly, and then God is mentioned again in Isaac’s blessing of Jacob (vv.

27-29).

· God’s choice of Jacob was coming to fruition, even if it was coming about through the sins and dysfunction of this family.

Do you think that God does this in the sins and dysfunctions of people today?

(give an example)

· God is not the author of sin (1 John 1:5) and never tempts people to sin (Jas.

1:13), but He is sovereign over sin.

God can use sin and dysfunction to bring about His will, as we see here, but we see this most clearly in Jesus dying on the cross for our sin—the greatest evil of all time producing the greatest good.

DDG (p.

104).

Many of us lament over the negative things we have experienced in our families and lives—whether because of our sin, someone else’s sin, or because of life’s circumstances.

We wonder what our family might be like today if only we could go back and change or fix something.

As humans, we tend to focus on the negative rather than rejoice over the positive.

Yet we need to stop to consider that no matter what we’ve experienced or what errors we’ve made in our own family life, God is still merciful to us.

He still blesses us with goodness and works through us, even when we fail to recognize His blessings.

So, God’s plan continues through a dysfunctional family.

However, it is also true that...

Point 2: God’s plan continues through a deceitful son (Gen.

27:18-20,25-29).

Read Genesis 27:18-20,25-29 (DDG p. 105).

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, that your soul may bless me.” 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.”

.............................................

25 Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.”

So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

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 and said,

“See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!

28 May God give you of the dew of heaven