Gen 25:19-34; Gen 27-30
Anyone who carefully reads God’s words should feel how different Jacob’s life was from the life of Isaac. Isaac enjoyed his entire life at ease, in peace; while Jacob’s life was full of detours and difficulties. Isaac had a smooth path, while Jacob’s path was bumpy. Isaac didn’t fall into hard times. Even when he was opposed, it was easy for him to win over. In contrast, Jacob encountered many setbacks.
God is God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. Therefore, we should not view the three person’s lives in isolation. In the sense of the Hold Spirit, the three persons’ lives are showing the three aspects of one person. When God works in someone, He does it in the three aspects. So we should not expect anyone to be exactly like Isaac or Jacob. Thanks be to God. We are Isaac, meanwhile we are Jacob. On the one hand, we enjoy God’s grace in the Lord. Everything is in peace, abundant, and victorious, so that we can constantly thank and praise God. On the other hand, due to the natural lives we have, the Holy Spirit must constantly discipline us. (Heb 12:7)
As sons of God, God, on the one hand accepts us, on the other side discipline us. Isaac is to let us see we are accepted by God as sons because of his grace. So we are content, and smooth. God has given us everything in Christ. Everything that belongs to Abraham belongs to Isaac. Everything of the Father is ours. On the other hand, God wants to lead us to be the part of his holiness. God wants the life of Christ to take shape in us, reaping the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
When we read the history of Jacob, if we haven’t been dealt with by God, we haven’t come to the knowledge of flesh, then it is easy for us to stand in high position and judge Jacob, thinking that Jacob did not deserve to be used by God, and that he should be convicted guilty. When we read the history of Abraham, we find it interesting; while find the history of Jacob not so interesting, when reading his history. However, if we are in the light of God, and see what the natural life is, what the corruptions of flesh is, then we will naturally see the Jacob in ourselves. When we read Jacob’s later years, we see his richest 17 years in Egypt. There, we see his words, deeds, attitudes and acts. We can’t not bow our head and say ‘God, it is really your grace that turned such a man like Jacob to be in this condition.’ When we read Jacob’s history to the end, we can’t help saying with tears rolling down ‘God, it is truly your grace that brought such a hopeless man to be in this shape— can be of use to you, and turn into your church for your use.’
Now let’s get into how God worked in Jacob—how He disciplined him, how He dealt with his natural life and made him weak, how God through the organization of the Holy Spirit mold the life of Christ in him, reaping the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit’s discipline and His organization refers to the two aspects of one work, i.e. organizing in the Holy Spirit’s discipline, molding in the Holy Spirit’s carving. That is to say, at the same time while God is dealing with our natural life, He is also shaping Christ’s disposition in us. Through the work of God, Jacob reaped the fruits of peace naturally. There is fruit of peace being reaped during the work. The fruit of peace did not wait till the work to be done to be reaped. God touched his natural life, and that Jacob reaped the fruit of peace naturally. This is the principle God shows through Jacob. So let’s see how God carved him, making him weak; and at the mean time molded the characters of Christ in him through the Holy Spirit, making them Jacob’s characters.
Seeing Jacob’s life through God’s guidance, we can divide his life into four parts:
1. Jacob’s nature (Gen 25-27) i.e. from his birth till he lied to his father for blessings.
2. Jacob received God’s discipline (Gen 28-30) i.e. from he left home, till he reached Padanaram, where he was tested and disciplined by God.
3. Disjoint of Jacob’s nature (Gen 31-35) i.e. from he departed his uncle’s house, departed Padanaram, stopped by Peniel, Shalem, and Bethel, and until he returned to Hebron. This is when God touched Jacob’s natural life.
4. Maturity of Jacob (Gen 37-49) i.e. the later stage of Jacob’s life, from Joseph was sold till Jacob died.
Jacob’s nature
How wad Jacob born? (Gen 25:22) This is Jacob. This is his nature. We see from God’s word that Jacob was completely different from Isaac who was enjoyed and inherited everything. Jacob was crafty and deceitful, sophisticated in planning and scheming, and good at maneuvering his smarts. He seemed to know everything, and can succeed in everything. He was smart and talented. And God led Jacob to a situation that he can be God’s church to fulfill God’s purpose. Isaac tells us how we enjoy God’s Grace, while Jacob tells us how we are carved in God’s hands.
God’s word revealed that not only what Jacob did was not right, such a person was not right himself; and that not only what he did couldn’t honor God’s name, such a person couldn’t honor God. Because the problem already was there while he was in his mom’s womb. The problem was already there before he came into the world.. His badness already started in his mom’s womb. Rebekah prayed to God for an explanation. Please refer to Gen 25:23 for God’s answer. When Rebekah gave birth, it was exactly two kids, Esau came first, followed by his little brother who was grabbing his heel, therefore was given the name Jacob. Jacob wouldn’t allow Esau to be the elder anxiously trying to hold him back, so he grabbed Esau’s heel. He was a person like this from the very beginning.
From a human point of view, it seems that Esau was a frank. A person like Jacob so mistreated his brother, had gone just too far. What use can such a person be of! This is viewing Jacob from his nature. However, if we see that from Romans 9:13, we see the light that it was all because that God selected Jacob as His church.
So we need to learn to believe in God’s selection. Learn to trust God that He can bring us to a complete condition. God never gives up halfway. He is alpha and omega. He is the beginning and the end. Since He has chosen you, things already start, can He only do half the work? If God has chosen you, then you must learn to believe. Surrender yourself into His hands. In God’s timing, He is sure to bring you to completion. Jacob was such a person. And God chooses him.
Some of us may think that we are so hard for God to deal with. Whoever thinks so needs God of Jacob. You may be hard to deal with, but God can deal with Jacob, and He can deal with you. Besides, Jacob didn’t look for God himself. It was God that found him. While he was still in his mom’s womb, Jacob had already been chosen by God. So, if you know that God has chosen you,
you can trust yourself in God’s hands and throw yourself to God. You can believe that God will bring you to the level that fits His will. 
Anyone who carefully reads God’s words should feel how different Jacob’s life was from the life of Isaac. Isaac enjoyed his entire life at ease, in peace; while Jacob’s life was full of detours and difficulties. Isaac had a smooth path, while Jacob’s path was bumpy. Isaac didn’t fall into hard times. Even when he was opposed, it was easy for him to win over. In contrast, Jacob encountered many setbacks.
God is God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. Therefore, we should not view the three person’s lives in isolation. In the sense of the Hold Spirit, the three persons’ lives are showing the three aspects of one person. When God works in someone, He does it in the three aspects. So we should not expect anyone to be exactly like Isaac or Jacob. Thanks be to God. We are Isaac, meanwhile we are Jacob. On the one hand, we enjoy God’s grace in the Lord. Everything is in peace, abundant, and victorious, so that we can constantly thank and praise God. On the other hand, due to the natural lives we have, the Holy Spirit must constantly discipline us. (Heb 12:7)
As sons of God, God, on the one hand accepts us, on the other side discipline us. Isaac is to let us see we are accepted by God as sons because of his grace. So we are content, and smooth. God has given us everything in Christ. Everything that belongs to Abraham belongs to Isaac. Everything of the Father is ours. On the other hand, God wants to lead us to be the part of his holiness. God wants the life of Christ to take shape in us, reaping the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
When we read the history of Jacob, if we haven’t been dealt with by God, we haven’t come to the knowledge of flesh, then it is easy for us to stand in high position and judge Jacob, thinking that Jacob did not deserve to be used by God, and that he should be convicted guilty. When we read the history of Abraham, we find it interesting; while find the history of Jacob not so interesting, when reading his history. However, if we are in the light of God, and see what the natural life is, what the corruptions of flesh is, then we will naturally see the Jacob in ourselves. When we read Jacob’s later years, we see his richest 17 years in Egypt. There, we see his words, deeds, attitudes and acts. We can’t not bow our head and say ‘God, it is really your grace that turned such a man like Jacob to be in this condition.’ When we read Jacob’s history to the end, we can’t help saying with tears rolling down ‘God, it is truly your grace that brought such a hopeless man to be in this shape— can be of use to you, and turn into your church for your use.’
Now let’s get into how God worked in Jacob—how He disciplined him, how He dealt with his natural life and made him weak, how God through the organization of the Holy Spirit mold the life of Christ in him, reaping the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit’s discipline and His organization refers to the two aspects of one work, i.e. organizing in the Holy Spirit’s discipline, molding in the Holy Spirit’s carving. That is to say, at the same time while God is dealing with our natural life, He is also shaping Christ’s disposition in us. Through the work of God, Jacob reaped the fruits of peace naturally. There is fruit of peace being reaped during the work. The fruit of peace did not wait till the work to be done to be reaped. God touched his natural life, and that Jacob reaped the fruit of peace naturally. This is the principle God shows through Jacob. So let’s see how God carved him, making him weak; and at the mean time molded the characters of Christ in him through the Holy Spirit, making them Jacob’s characters.
Seeing Jacob’s life through God’s guidance, we can divide his life into four parts:
1. Jacob’s nature (Gen 25-27) i.e. from his birth till he lied to his father for blessings.
2. Jacob received God’s discipline (Gen 28-30) i.e. from he left home, till he reached Padanaram, where he was tested and disciplined by God.
3. Disjoint of Jacob’s nature (Gen 31-35) i.e. from he departed his uncle’s house, departed Padanaram, stopped by Peniel, Shalem, and Bethel, and until he returned to Hebron. This is when God touched Jacob’s natural life.
4. Maturity of Jacob (Gen 37-49) i.e. the later stage of Jacob’s life, from Joseph was sold till Jacob died.
Jacob’s nature
How wad Jacob born? (Gen 25:22) This is Jacob. This is his nature. We see from God’s word that Jacob was completely different from Isaac who was enjoyed and inherited everything. Jacob was crafty and deceitful, sophisticated in planning and scheming, and good at maneuvering his smarts. He seemed to know everything, and can succeed in everything. He was smart and talented. And God led Jacob to a situation that he can be God’s church to fulfill God’s purpose. Isaac tells us how we enjoy God’s Grace, while Jacob tells us how we are carved in God’s hands.
God’s word revealed that not only what Jacob did was not right, such a person was not right himself; and that not only what he did couldn’t honor God’s name, such a person couldn’t honor God. Because the problem already was there while he was in his mom’s womb. The problem was already there before he came into the world.. His badness already started in his mom’s womb. Rebekah prayed to God for an explanation. Please refer to Gen 25:23 for God’s answer. When Rebekah gave birth, it was exactly two kids, Esau came first, followed by his little brother who was grabbing his heel, therefore was given the name Jacob. Jacob wouldn’t allow Esau to be the elder anxiously trying to hold him back, so he grabbed Esau’s heel. He was a person like this from the very beginning.
From a human point of view, it seems that Esau was a frank. A person like Jacob so mistreated his brother, had gone just too far. What use can such a person be of! This is viewing Jacob from his nature. However, if we see that from Romans 9:13, we see the light that it was all because that God selected Jacob as His church.
So we need to learn to believe in God’s selection. Learn to trust God that He can bring us to a complete condition. God never gives up halfway. He is alpha and omega. He is the beginning and the end. Since He has chosen you, things already start, can He only do half the work? If God has chosen you, then you must learn to believe. Surrender yourself into His hands. In God’s timing, He is sure to bring you to completion. Jacob was such a person. And God chooses him.
Some of us may think that we are so hard for God to deal with. Whoever thinks so needs God of Jacob. You may be hard to deal with, but God can deal with Jacob, and He can deal with you. Besides, Jacob didn’t look for God himself. It was God that found him. While he was still in his mom’s womb, Jacob had already been chosen by God. So, if you know that God has chosen you,
you can trust yourself in God’s hands and throw yourself to God. You can believe that God will bring you to the level that fits His will. 
