Daily Bible Portion (Wednesday)
Daily Bible Portion - 4 of 7
"HE SENT"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 32:4-36:43, Obadiah 1:1-21, 1 Peter 1:9-2:12)
Fear or Faith: Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau Genesis 32
Jacob sends messengers to his brother Esau in Edom in preparation for their meeting. As mentioned earlier, Jacob was dealing with idols in his heart and was full of fear because of his past dealings with Esau. These messengers shared Jacob’s donation of possessions and material wealth with Esau to help appease any difficulty between them. When the messengers returned, they conveyed that Esau was indeed coming to meet Jacob and with him are his possessions - a company of four hundred men (Genesis 32:6).
Fear is rooted in the prospect or expectation of retaliation. Retaliation is rooted in resentment and resentment is rooted in unforgiveness. All three of these sin issues have their root in dishonor and have one thing in common: they are part of the principality of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). To have these issues still operating in his life revealed one thing: Jacob had not completely surrendered his life to Yahweh.
Taking matters into his own hands, Jacob divided his people and animals with him into two camps, saying, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” Only after doing this did Jacob seek Yahweh. Jacob cries out to Yahweh in the wilderness reminding Him of the promise, “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper.” Then Jacob prayed,
Jacob had to face his manipulating past in order to go forward into his future. Fear continued to be Jacob’s driving force and after praying he prepared a gift for his brother. Dividing the animals into five groups (symbolic of grace in the Gospel/Torah and the future five books of Moses), he instructed his servants that when the time came to meet Esau they were to offer these gifts and say, “Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.”
In Genesis 3 we learned that after Adam lost his position of authority (not his salvation) in the Garden, man’s desire to please Yahweh was replaced with a desire to achieve by man’s own efforts. We saw this with Cain’s offering. He chose man’s preference over the Godly principle. If it looks good to man, that is what man offers regardless of what is acceptable before Yahweh. Offering our righteousness is from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and has little to do with His Kingdom. In doing this we are saying we do not recognize Yahweh’s Sovereignty, Ownership, Gospel or Universal Right Order – in essence, it is our polluted version of "righteousness" (Isaiah. 64:6).
These habits were woven into Jacob’s character having been passed on to him through the iniquities of the past third and forth generations. Nothing but a face-to-face encounter with Yahweh could change him. Jacob could no longer use his own planning or scheming ways. They are not acceptable to Yahweh. Yahweh had pronounced the Covenant over Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob. Each patriarch needed a heart change before the Covenant could be fully realized through him. This is the work of the Spirit of the Holy One. What we are about to witness in Jacob is the death of the old nature (Olam Hazeh) and the birth of a new man walking after Yahweh’s own heart.
Jacob Wrestles
With the gifts in place Jacob settled down for the evening. During the night he woke and took his two wives, his maidservants, and his eleven sons across the Jabbok River. Then Jacob sent all his possessions over. He had come to the place of emptying. Jabbok in Hebrew means pouring out or emptying. With his family and possessions relocated, Jacob was alone. He realized that his human strength and abilities were not enough. His diplomacy, his works, his riches and all he had accumulated could not save him.
Jacob had come to the place of self-emptying, a place called Jabbok, where every human effort and resource has been surrendered. Jacob gave up trying to do everything in his own strength. He gave up trying to pretend. There is nothing wrong with using one’s own intellect and talents but anointing comes through humility and a surrendered heart. Only then can the infilling of the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh lead our lives.
When Jacob was left alone, a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Instead of self-effort, Jacob reached for the new wineskin and the new wine offered and released all sense of his own human performance, security, preference and feelings to receive deliverance. Near the end, the man saw that Jacob was ready and he touched Jacob’s socket so that his hip was wrenched. The man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Notice that Jacob was in the wilderness. Many people find themselves in a wilderness experience after choosing to follow after Yeshua. You have three choices of direction at this point:
•Stand still: Many believers do not progress through the wilderness, likened to a spiritual death, as many have not been taught that the wilderness is about transformation.
•Turn back: Some believers have entered the wilderness, missed the blessing, and then turned back to Egypt (old ways).
•Pass through: Very few understand that the wilderness is about maturing in the Messiah. This is where believers are sanctified and delivered from the Olam Hazeh within.
The wilderness is the process of being redeemed. Here circumcision and sanctification materialize, followed by empowerment and purpose for those who pursue the third choice. Circumcision is on an individual basis, while one is alone with Yahweh. It is not something other people can take a believer through. Prayer line-ups, conferences, speakers and other well-meaning circumstances like self-help programs and motivational books can assist, but they are only secondary. Some can even become dependent on an enabler and loose the focus of Yeshua as the Savior of their soul. These aids cannot produce anointing oil for a believer’s lamp that will take them into the Holy Place. They can even be a hindrance to them in taking that final step of being alone at the altar with Yahweh.
There can only be a one-on-one, face-to-face encounter with our Creator that moves us from the outer court ministry (that which is outside the Tabernacle), to the inner court ministry (that which is inside the Tabernacle). Nothing of ourselves (the sinful nature) can be active in us when we enter into the Holy Place. We must be circumcised and sanctified (holy) to enter the Tabernacle. This is what the wilderness experience is all about. It prepares the Bride for her destiny inside the Tabernacle. This has been provided for the Bride of Yeshua through the Covenant given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9).
The oil of anointing that fuels our lamps and our spirit life comes from a sanctified life, one of righteousness, which in turn produces holiness. Entering Yeshua’s presence does not rest on our perfection in obeying His Torah, or lack of sin, as we cannot be perfect in these bodies, but rather the desire to be willing, to learn, keep and guard over His word and act on His Torah (instructions). Yahweh sees such heartfelt willingness as perfection. This heart agreement is what allows us to fully enter into His presence.
continues tomorrow...
"HE SENT"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 32:4-36:43, Obadiah 1:1-21, 1 Peter 1:9-2:12)
Fear or Faith: Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau Genesis 32
Jacob sends messengers to his brother Esau in Edom in preparation for their meeting. As mentioned earlier, Jacob was dealing with idols in his heart and was full of fear because of his past dealings with Esau. These messengers shared Jacob’s donation of possessions and material wealth with Esau to help appease any difficulty between them. When the messengers returned, they conveyed that Esau was indeed coming to meet Jacob and with him are his possessions - a company of four hundred men (Genesis 32:6).
Fear is rooted in the prospect or expectation of retaliation. Retaliation is rooted in resentment and resentment is rooted in unforgiveness. All three of these sin issues have their root in dishonor and have one thing in common: they are part of the principality of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). To have these issues still operating in his life revealed one thing: Jacob had not completely surrendered his life to Yahweh.
Taking matters into his own hands, Jacob divided his people and animals with him into two camps, saying, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” Only after doing this did Jacob seek Yahweh. Jacob cries out to Yahweh in the wilderness reminding Him of the promise, “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper.” Then Jacob prayed,
“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff (the Tree of Life, the Torah, the Gospel) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted’” (Genesis 32:9-12).
Jacob had to face his manipulating past in order to go forward into his future. Fear continued to be Jacob’s driving force and after praying he prepared a gift for his brother. Dividing the animals into five groups (symbolic of grace in the Gospel/Torah and the future five books of Moses), he instructed his servants that when the time came to meet Esau they were to offer these gifts and say, “Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.”
In Genesis 3 we learned that after Adam lost his position of authority (not his salvation) in the Garden, man’s desire to please Yahweh was replaced with a desire to achieve by man’s own efforts. We saw this with Cain’s offering. He chose man’s preference over the Godly principle. If it looks good to man, that is what man offers regardless of what is acceptable before Yahweh. Offering our righteousness is from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and has little to do with His Kingdom. In doing this we are saying we do not recognize Yahweh’s Sovereignty, Ownership, Gospel or Universal Right Order – in essence, it is our polluted version of "righteousness" (Isaiah. 64:6).
These habits were woven into Jacob’s character having been passed on to him through the iniquities of the past third and forth generations. Nothing but a face-to-face encounter with Yahweh could change him. Jacob could no longer use his own planning or scheming ways. They are not acceptable to Yahweh. Yahweh had pronounced the Covenant over Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob. Each patriarch needed a heart change before the Covenant could be fully realized through him. This is the work of the Spirit of the Holy One. What we are about to witness in Jacob is the death of the old nature (Olam Hazeh) and the birth of a new man walking after Yahweh’s own heart.
Jacob Wrestles
With the gifts in place Jacob settled down for the evening. During the night he woke and took his two wives, his maidservants, and his eleven sons across the Jabbok River. Then Jacob sent all his possessions over. He had come to the place of emptying. Jabbok in Hebrew means pouring out or emptying. With his family and possessions relocated, Jacob was alone. He realized that his human strength and abilities were not enough. His diplomacy, his works, his riches and all he had accumulated could not save him.
Jacob had come to the place of self-emptying, a place called Jabbok, where every human effort and resource has been surrendered. Jacob gave up trying to do everything in his own strength. He gave up trying to pretend. There is nothing wrong with using one’s own intellect and talents but anointing comes through humility and a surrendered heart. Only then can the infilling of the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh lead our lives.
When Jacob was left alone, a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Instead of self-effort, Jacob reached for the new wineskin and the new wine offered and released all sense of his own human performance, security, preference and feelings to receive deliverance. Near the end, the man saw that Jacob was ready and he touched Jacob’s socket so that his hip was wrenched. The man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Notice that Jacob was in the wilderness. Many people find themselves in a wilderness experience after choosing to follow after Yeshua. You have three choices of direction at this point:
•Stand still: Many believers do not progress through the wilderness, likened to a spiritual death, as many have not been taught that the wilderness is about transformation.
•Turn back: Some believers have entered the wilderness, missed the blessing, and then turned back to Egypt (old ways).
•Pass through: Very few understand that the wilderness is about maturing in the Messiah. This is where believers are sanctified and delivered from the Olam Hazeh within.
The wilderness is the process of being redeemed. Here circumcision and sanctification materialize, followed by empowerment and purpose for those who pursue the third choice. Circumcision is on an individual basis, while one is alone with Yahweh. It is not something other people can take a believer through. Prayer line-ups, conferences, speakers and other well-meaning circumstances like self-help programs and motivational books can assist, but they are only secondary. Some can even become dependent on an enabler and loose the focus of Yeshua as the Savior of their soul. These aids cannot produce anointing oil for a believer’s lamp that will take them into the Holy Place. They can even be a hindrance to them in taking that final step of being alone at the altar with Yahweh.
There can only be a one-on-one, face-to-face encounter with our Creator that moves us from the outer court ministry (that which is outside the Tabernacle), to the inner court ministry (that which is inside the Tabernacle). Nothing of ourselves (the sinful nature) can be active in us when we enter into the Holy Place. We must be circumcised and sanctified (holy) to enter the Tabernacle. This is what the wilderness experience is all about. It prepares the Bride for her destiny inside the Tabernacle. This has been provided for the Bride of Yeshua through the Covenant given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9).
The oil of anointing that fuels our lamps and our spirit life comes from a sanctified life, one of righteousness, which in turn produces holiness. Entering Yeshua’s presence does not rest on our perfection in obeying His Torah, or lack of sin, as we cannot be perfect in these bodies, but rather the desire to be willing, to learn, keep and guard over His word and act on His Torah (instructions). Yahweh sees such heartfelt willingness as perfection. This heart agreement is what allows us to fully enter into His presence.
“Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law/Torah [the armor of Light]. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation [the salvation of the soul] is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness [the sinful nature] and put on the armor of light [Torah principles, fruit of the Spirit life in Yeshua]. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with Yeshua the Messiah, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature [the flesh]”(Romans 13:10-14).
continues tomorrow...
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