GOD IS GOOD
(God's plans are good - December 27, 2020)
Series Big Idea: "God has revealed His plans for the consummation of human history"
Sermon Big Idea: "God focuses on the development of entire nations not just individual people"
Key Scripture (Genesis 25:19-26 )
(Genesis 25:19-26)
19 These are the family records of Isaac son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac. 20 Isaac was 40 years old when he took as his wife Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said to her: Two nations are in your womb; two people will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. 24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 The first one came out red-looking, covered with hair like a fur coat, and they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel with his hand. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
This passage of Scripture introduces us to the story of the birth of Jacob and Esau, which are the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac had been in constant prayer and these two boys were the answer to that prayer. Rebekah could not conceive children and Isaac had been praying for God to open her womb. God's answer to this prayer put in place a sequence of events that collimated in the birth of the nation of Israel. As we have read in these verses, during birth Jacob was clinging to the heel of Esau. There is a tremendous amount of theological significance in what was happening here. God doesn’t just focus His plan on individual people but entire nations.
When Rebekah asked the Lord why her babies were struggling this way, God told here that the older would serve the younger. The point here is not that these struggles were needed for the accomplishment of the will of God, but that God's will would be accomplished in spite of the conflict. In reality the history of grace stands behind all of this. The Holman Old Testament Commentary gives us some interesting insight into this idea: "By all human understanding in the culture of the day, the older son would be favored. But just as God set aside Cain, Ishmael, and Esau, He eventually set aside Israel so the Gentiles might be grafted into the tree of salvation. Only God's sovereign grace provides any reasonable explanation for this."
CONCLUSION
Let me assure you, as we end this year that has seen so many different difficult circumstances and hardships, God's will and God's plans will always come to fruition. Satan cannot stop what God has already set into motion. In fact, as you read further into the book of Genesis and read the story of Joseph and his brothers, we find another important insight into how God works. Listen to what Joseph said in Genesis 50:20, "You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result - the survival of many people."
Church, there will always be trouble in this life. We don’t know what the next year holds for us. No one knows. But we do know that what Satan and others have planned for our destruction, God has planned for our good.
I want to borrow a prayer from pastor Phillip Brooks. Lord, help us to not pray for easy lives, but help us to become a stronger people. Help us to not pray for our tasks to equal our power but for power to equal our tasks. We know that in doing this what we accomplish will not be the miracle but that we will indeed be the miracle. We will thank You every day for the riches of life which come by Your wonderful grace. In Jesus name, Amen.
Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideals for this message, are inspired by:
Holman Christian Standard Bible
English Standard Version Bible
King James Version Bible
Christian Standard Bible
The Bible Knowledge Commentary by John F. Walvoord/Roy B. Zuck
The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge by Jerome H. Smith
Water, Mark, ed. Encyclopedia of Bible Facts. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2004. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Barry, John D. et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016. Print.
NIV, Archaeological Study Bible, eBook: An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History and Culture
Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Duane Garrett, and Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
NIV, First-Century Study Bible, eBook: Explore Scripture in Its Jewish and Early Christian Context
Zondervan, Kent Dobson, and Ed Dobson
Hughes, Robert B. and J. Carl Laney. Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1990. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. Revised edition of New Bible Companion.
Akin, Daniel L. Exalting Jesus in Revelation. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2016. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Easley, Kendell. Revelation. Edited by Max Anders. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1998. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Keener, Craig. Revelation: From biblical text...to contemporary life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Duvall, J. Scott. Revelation. Ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014. Print. Teach the Text Commentary Series.
Morris, Leon. Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 20. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987. Print. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.
James H. Bolick, Sermon Outlines from the Word, Sermon Outline Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1987), 8.
Carr, Alan. Revelation. Lenoir, NC: Alan Carr, 2012. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Vincent, Marvin Richardson. Word Studies in the New Testament. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887. Print.
Robertson, A.T. Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933. Print.
Patterson, Paige. Revelation. Ed. E. Ray Clendenen. Vol. 39. Nashville, TN: B&H, 2012. Print. The New American Commentary.
Phillips, John. Exploring Revelation: An Expository Commentary. Kregel; WORDsearch Corp., 2009. Print. The John Phillips Commentary Series.
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