Pastoral Letter 174

Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,

Grace and Peace to you all.

Faithful to our commitment, we continue the ministry here at St. Andrew’s regardless of the many challenges we face. As long as we keep doing our part with dedication, God will do the rest for us. We believe and hope in the loving and caring God.

By God’s grace we have completed another financial year, but we have registered a deficit, which was expected considering the circumstances and economical changes and the inflation in general. But we are glad that we are still able to continue, and we are sure that God will be with us in the coming few years when our finance will be tighter, and our resources limited. We keep trusting God to be with us and lead us on our way forward.

We hope soon we will be able to start our conversation with our neighbouring Lane Cove Uniting Church in regard to the future and the possibilities to work together as we will be facing more challenges on the way forward. Please pray for the conversations we hope to have them very soon.

Our traditional annual Market Morning is fast approaching on Saturday 5 August 2023 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Now it’s time to bring in our donations and let people around us know that we are happy to receive goods for the upcoming Market Morning. I am sure we will be able to get good results and allocate some money for charitable purpose. Set up will be during the week from Wednesday 2 August. Please be ready to help as we do every year and if you have any questions, please ask Virginia.

Please save the date Sunday 10 September 2023, which marks the 100^th anniversary of the laying of the stone of our beautiful Sanctuary. We will have a special service at 2:00 pm with many guests, church leaders, families, friends, guests and dignitaries. We will have more details in the coming weeks. The Church Council and Elders met last Wednesday and finalised the details for the Special Service. We will keep you posted.

If you will not be able to be with us tomorrow morning Worship Service, please light a candle and join us following the attached Order of Service.

Be safe and well, continue to pray, remembering those who need care, support and love. Please let me know if you or anyone else has prayer points.

Here are some prayer points for this week:

1. Pray for world peace and ask for God’s blessings.
2. Pray for those who suffer because of violence and abuse.
3. Pray for persecuted people who are terrorised and face hardship.
4. Pray for the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, the struggling and the stressed.
5. Pray for those who are facing natural disasters causing death, loss and pain.
6. Pray for the children of Armenia and Artsakh. Summer Overnight and Day Camps have commenced.
7. Pray for Soo-Tee and Bruce asking God for their quick recovery.

Best Regards,

Krikor

MESSAGE

The Twins – Esau and Jacob

Genesis 25:19-34.

Today we look at an interesting story about two brothers, twin brothers, the Twins – Esau and Jacob. It is the account of Abraham’s son, Isaac. Few weeks ago, we began a journey of faith through God’s promise to Abraham, when God promised to make him the father of nations. Isaac was the promised child born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, when Sarah was long past the age of bearing children. Then a wife was secured for Isaac from Abraham’s family in Mesopotamia. Rebekah left her family and friends willingly, moved to the Promised Land and married Isaac. However, like her mother-in-law, Sarah, Rebekah was also barren, unable to bear children. So, would God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2 to make of him a great nation come to an end with Isaac and Rebekah? No. Eventually God gave Isaac and Rebekah twin boys, named Esau and Jacob.

God’s people in the Old Testament often wondered about the promises of God. God had called Abraham to Himself out of Ur of the Chaldeans. God gave Abraham seven promises in Genesis 12:2-3. He said:

1. I will make of you into a great nation

2. I will bless you

3. I will make your name great

4. You will be a blessing

5. I will bless those who bless you

6. Who curses you I will curse

7. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you

However, several hundred years later, after their enslavement in Egypt, their exodus out of Egypt, and their wandering for forty years in the Sinai desert, Edom refused to allow the people of God safe passage through their land so that the people of God could get back to the Promised Land.

The narrative that we are studying today addressed God’s people who felt defeated. But God’s plans were and are otherwise then what we, the humans, think they are.

The birth of Esau and Jacob in Genesis 25:19-34 teaches us that by His sovereign grace God chooses the least to be his victorious people.

In this passage we see these three points:

1. The Prophecy about the Two Sons – the Twins (25:19-23)

The narrative starts by saying: “This is the account of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac” reminding  God’s people of God’s promises to Abraham and how the Lord called him to go to the land of Canaan; how the Lord gave him rich promises of land, a great nation, and being a blessing to all the families of the earth; how the Lord above all promised to be his God and the God of his seed; and how the Lord began to fulfill these promises with the miraculous birth of Isaac, how He tested Abraham asking to sacrifice his only son, who was miraculously saved by providing another sacrifice and how the Lord led the servant’s search for a suitable wife for Isaac.

Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, but they remained childless for 20 years before their twins were born, when Isaac was 60 years old. As if the history repeated itself. Like her mother-in-law, Sarah, Rebekah was also barren. But unlike his father, Abraham, who fathered a child by a maidservant, Isaac simply went to the Lord in prayer on behalf of his wife and the Lord granted his prayer and Rebekah conceived.

What do we do when we experience a time of barrenness, emptiness in our lives, when we feel nothing good is happening and everything goes wrong?

In those situations, we should know that God has not abandoned us, but rather He is teaching us to depend on Him. He is showing us that He is more interested in what is happening inside us than what is happening around us. That is not an easy lesson for us to learn.

When after twenty years of barrenness, Rebekah became pregnant with twins, the children struggled together within her, and she was experienced a very painful pregnancy. As Isaac did, she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.”

By the time these words were recorded about Rebekah’s twins, the law of firstborn was established, a system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn, specifically the eldest son. But God made it clear to Rebekah that in this case His blessing would fall on the younger and weaker child. This can only be the result of God’s sovereign grace.

2. The Difference between the Two Sons (25:24-28)

The twins in Rebekah womb were totally different. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. The meaning of Esau is not known. It is perhaps a sound play on the Hebrew word for “hairy” (sa’er). But he was also red when he was born, and he was also called Edom.

When Moses recorded these words, he wanted to remind the people of God that Esau, also known as Edom, was Israel’s enemy. When the people of God left Egypt, Moses politely requested that king of Edom allow the people of God to pass through his land, but the Edomites didn’t let them. And throughout the following centuries there was hostility and animosity between Edom and Israel.

In verse 27a it is noted that “when the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the open country” Esau was an outdoors man. He was tough, rugged and capable. Moreover, Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild games.

In verse 26a we read about the birth of Jacob: “After this, his brother came out with his hand grasping Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob.” Jacob means “He takes by the heel,” or “He cheats.” Unlike his brother Esau, Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents (25:27b). He was conventional, controlled, and crafty and Rebekah loved him (25:28b).

Two sons and two parents. Each parent undoubtedly loved both sons, but we note that each parent had a definite preference a favourite for one of the twins.

The description of the twins and their parents sets the stage for what is to come in the future.

3. The Exchange among the Two Sons (25:29-34)

Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob: “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I am famished!’” Actually, the Hebrew text is more graphic. Esau literally said: “Let me consume some of that red soup.” That is why Moses added the parenthetical statement in verse 30b: “Therefore his name was called Edom.”

This is where we first see the cunning and craftiness of Jacob. Undoubtedly, his mother (and perhaps his father) had told him and Esau about God’s prophecy before the twins were born that the older shall serve the younger. In verse 31, Jacob said to Esau: “Sell me your birthright.”

In response to Jacob’s demand, Esau said: “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” (25:32). Noticing that he has the upper hand in bargaining for Esau’s birthright, Jacob said: “Swear to me first” (25:33a). Jacob knew that Esau could easily go back on a verbal agreement, but he could not reverse a legally binding commitment. So, he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob and just like that Esau surrendered his birthright to his younger, weaker brother.

As a result, “Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank and then he got up and left.” It was a tragic exchange. A birthright for bread and stew and thus Esau despised his birthright.

The writer to the Hebrews comments on Esau’s tragic exchange despising his birthright. In Hebrews 12:15–17 he says: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change amid, though he sought the blessing with tears”.

Esau was not worthy of the grace of God.

But Jacob was not worthy either. The “heel grabber” could not wait for God to fulfill His promise in His way and in His time. He would get the birthright by his own cunning and craftiness. He plotted to get the birthright from his brother. Later, he would deceive his own father in order to obtain the blessing of the firstborn. Still later, he would trick his own uncle Laban so that he might accumulate financial wealth. Jacob was a “heel grabber” and a deceiver. He was also not worthy of the grace of God.

The point of the narrative is that even though neither brother was worthy of the grace of God, God nevertheless chose the younger instead of the older to be the recipient of His grace. The Apostle Paul explained God’s sovereign, electing grace this way in his letter to the Romans where he says: “Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac.  Yet, before the twins were born or had who calls – she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” (Romans 9:10–13)

Therefore, having examined the birth of Esau and Jacob in our passage today, we, the church, may be assured that by His sovereign grace God has chosen her to be His victorious people.

God frequently chooses the weaker and younger over the older and stronger. God chose Jacob over Esau, Abel over Cain, Isaac over Ishmael, Joseph over his brothers and David over his brothers. This trail continues into the New Testament when God chooses Jesus to be born in a stable, raised in despised Nazareth, poor and lowly. And Jesus in turn chooses lowly disciples to be His representatives to the nations.

As God assured His people in the Old Testament of their ultimate victory, so Jesus assures His people in the New Testament of our victory. Jesus promised His disciples that “the gates of Hades will not overcome it [the church]” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus acknowledged to His disciples: “In this world you will have trouble.” Yet He immediately assured them, “But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

In Revelation, the Apostle John received a vision that unbelievers will make war on the Lamb. But “the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and with him will be his chosen and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14).

Let us not be discouraged or despair. By His sovereign grace God has chosen His weak and despised people to be His victorious people.

God has chosen us to be His people, who do their best for His glory and the spread of the good news of salvation through His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We are His people. Weak, unable, unworthy, sometimes unfaithful and taking matters in our own hands. But God is faithful, shows His grace to us and wants us to be His people.

Amen!