Wait For the Lord.

Isaac and Rebekah asked God for children, and when Rebekah was pregnant she felt the babies move so much that she asked God what was happening. God told her she would give birth to two nations. He also said, "The older shall serve the younger."

Esau and then Jacob were born to Rebekah. The Bible records, "Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob." It is never a good thing to love one child over another. This was perhaps the beginning of the trouble in this household.

In those days the oldest son received the greatest share of property and also became the spiritual head of the house. Esau, as the oldest, was the one to whom these blessing would go. But Esau had sold his birthright blessing to Jacob in exchange for food. Jacob also wanted the spiritual blessing.

When Isaac was ready to give this blessing, Rebekah decided to trick him into giving the blessing to Jacob. Isaac had asked Esau to go hunt game for him and make him a meal, so Rebekah did this quickly and sent Jacob into the tent. Jacob lied and said he was Esau. Isaac believed him and spoke the blessing over him. When Esau came in later Isaac said, "Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I
ate of it all before you came and I blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed."

Esau was furious and decided he would kill Jacob after their father was dead. Rebekah heard of his plan and sent Jacob away to stay with her brother.

Jacob and Rebekah believed it was God's will for Jacob to be the head of the family, and they were right. But they didn't wait for God to do this himself. They cooked up a plan of their own which separated them for the rest of their lives. They never saw each other again.

Waiting for God is a testing time. He does not want us to force issues, lie to people, or hurry things along with our own big ideas. Abraham was to wait patiently for a son, he did not do this and it caused heartache and pain. Rebekah and Jacob did not wait patiently either; this resulted in the fracture of a family and great sorrow.

"Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14