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The book of Genesis contains the biographies of nine great persons: Adam, Abel, Enosh, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The longest record is that of Jacob's life, occupying nearly half of the book of Genesis. Why does the book of Genesis devote so many pages to this person? If you read Genesis carefully, you will see that Jacob's record, unlike Abraham's, includes many details. Enoch's biography is less than half a chapter in length, and the biography of Enosh occupies only a few verses. Although Noah was an important person, Genesis does not give him very many pages. The reason Jacob's record is so long is that in the experience of life nothing takes as long a time as transformation does. We were called in an instant, saved in a moment, and forgiven and regenerated in less than a minute. Transformation, however, requires our whole lifetime. Since the day we were saved, we have been undergoing the process of transformation.
In Abraham we see God's calling and justification. In Isaac we see a person who was always enjoying God's grace. It seems that Isaac did not want to know anything, nor exercise anything of himself. When Jacob deceived him, he knew that something was wrong, for he said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau" (Gen. 27:22). If I had been Isaac, I would have studied the matter for a long time before blessing anyone. Isaac doubted whether it was Esau. While Isaac knew the voices of his sons and distinctly heard Jacob's voice, "he discerned him not" (Gen. 27:23). This means that Isaac did not like to exercise his discernment. He was not lazy in eating, but he was idle in exercising his discernment. Not much space in the book of Genesis is devoted to the aspect of Isaac.
In Jacob we do not see God's calling or justification; neither do we see the enjoyment of grace. Rather, we see how he was dealt with by God (25:19—32:21). Even when Jacob was in his mother's womb, God dealt with him. Throughout his life he was constantly under God's dealing. God's dealing was for his transformation. Jacob was born a supplanter, a heel holder. God's intention, however, was to have a prince of God. How could such a supplanter become a prince of God? Only by transformation. It is easy to change a material building, but it is difficult to change a supplanter into a prince of God. This cannot be done overnight; it takes a lifetime. Because Jacob represents the aspect of transformation, he has such a long biography.
In Gen. 25:19-34; 27:1-46 and Gen. 28:1-5, we see four persons — Jacob, Esau, Isaac, and Rebekah — each of whom is distinct from the others. Although Jacob and Esau were twins, they were absolutely different from one another. "Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents" (25:27, Heb.). Jacob was quiet, subtle, and crafty, and Esau was wild, rude, and physically strong. As Jacob and Esau were fighting in their mother's womb, Esau won because of his strength. While Jacob was struggling to get out first, Esau seemed to say, "What are you doing? Let me go first." Jacob was crafty in the mind, and Esau was strong in the body. When Esau learned that Jacob had cheated him, he threatened to kill him. Esau seemed to be saying, "Jacob, you have supplanted me. My mind cannot defeat your mind, but one day I will kill you." In this we see that Jacob and Esau were absolutely different.
Isaac and Rebekah were also different from one another. Rebekah was clever, ingenious, skillful, and capable of manipulating the whole family. She both developed Jacob's craftiness and directed her husband. Isaac was fully under Rebekah's manipulation. As a result of her manipulation, both Esau and Isaac were supplanted. They were not only supplanted by Jacob but also by Rebekah. When Isaac sent Jacob away, he might have thought that he initiated it. Actually, this was initiated by Rebekah. After she had spoken a few words to Isaac, he sent Jacob away to Laban (Gen. 28:1-5). Rebekah manipulated Isaac in this matter.
Isaac, Rebekah, and Esau worked together for Jacob's good. God used the three of them to transform Jacob. In this we see that all things work together for the good of those who are called by God (Rom. 8:28). Later we shall see that Laban as well as Jacob's wives, maids, sons, and daughter were used by God to transform him. Every circumstance, situation, and person found in the record of Jacob's life was used to transform this supplanter into a prince of God.
We cannot find a story telling us as much about transformation as the story of Jacob does. Jacob had been chosen and predestinated. God's purpose with this chosen one was to transform him into a prince of God. God does not like to transform good, simple, straight, honest, high-level people. He prefers to transform supplanters like Jacob. What kind of person are you? Are you good, straight, and honest, or are you a Jacob? We all, including the sisters, are Jacobs. Have you not supplanted others? Sisters, you have probably supplanted your mother, husband, and children. Some fathers-in-law have supplanted their sons-in-law, and some uncles have supplanted their nephews. Do not think that you are so good. I do not consider myself to be good like Abraham or Isaac. No, I think of myself as a Jacob. Knowing that we are Jacobs should be an encouragement to us. Do not say, "Oh, I'm so bad and low. I'm not a high-level person." If you are like this, praise the Lord. You are the right person to know God's mercy and grace.
God has not chosen the good people. If we had made the choice, probably all of us would have chosen Esau instead of Jacob. Comparatively speaking, Esau was better than Jacob. He never cheated or supplanted anyone. But God did not choose Esau; He chose Jacob. Everyone who has been chosen by God is a naughty one. If you are good, then you must not be chosen by God. While Abraham is the example of justification by faith, Jacob is the example of being chosen. Have you been chosen? Then you must be a Jacob, because God only chooses Jacobs. God is God, and we must worship Him as God. He has sovereignly chosen Jacob, the one who was such a supplanter.
God sovereignly arranged the environment and circumstances pertaining to Jacob's life. When Jacob and Esau were in their mother's womb, they fought over who would be born first (Gen. 25:22-26). Jacob was subtle and seemed to be saying, "We are both in the womb. Whoever gets out first will be the firstborn and have the birthright. I must not lose the birthright." Thus, Jacob began to fight. Under God's sovereignty, Jacob had a smart mind, but he did not have much physical strength. Esau, on the contrary, was not so intelligent, but he was physically strong and defeated his brother, not allowing him to be born first. Although Esau suffered the cheating of Jacob's mind, Jacob was defeated by Esau's strength. If Jacob had had both a smart mind and great physical strength, Esau could not have done anything and Jacob could have had whatever he wanted. But God was very wise and seemed to say, "Jacob, I'll let you have a smart mind, but I will not give you much physical strength. Your brother may be dull, but I shall make him stronger than you. You will have a smart mind, and he will have a strong body." Thus, even before he was born, Jacob was defeated by Esau and was born the second.
Although Jacob was defeated, he would not admit that he had been defeated. Instead, he held on to Esau's heel (Gen. 25:26), indicating that he refused to admit defeat. The same is true with us. Many times we are defeated by our Esau, but we do not admit it and still hold on to his heel. Sometimes the sisters are defeated by their husbands, but, refusing to admit defeat, they hold on to the husband's heel. At other times, the husbands are defeated by their wives and they become the heel holders. Perhaps even today you have had such an experience. We all are Jacobs. God has chosen us, and we are under His dealing hand.
Let me share something from my own experience. I have been in a number of local churches. In every church the elders felt that they were under my dealing, but I felt that I was suffering their dealing. In the first two or three places I was not clear, but later I became very clear about God's dealing hand. I came to realize that one of the elders was my Esau, that another was my Isaac, that still another was my Rebekah, and that I was their Jacob. I needed all of them. God can never be wrong. All the co-workers, elders, and leading sisters whom God has given me have always been my opposite. For example, when I preferred to have a careful person, God did not give me one. But every dealing has been a profit to me. Every incident has helped to transform me a little more. When certain things happened, I was unhappy with all the dear Isaacs, Rebekahs, and Esaus. But deep in my heart I could say, "Praise the Lord. I am thankful for everyone and everything."
It was no accident that Jacob was born to Isaac and Rebekah and that Esau was his brother. All this was prearranged by the Father for Jacob's transformation. From the time he was in his mother's womb, Jacob needed one to be physically stronger than he was. We often say that twins are the same. But if Jacob and Esau had been the same, Jacob could never have been dealt with. Jacob was a quiet man who always exercised his mind, and Esau was a hunter who exercised his physical strength. Thus, Esau was exactly what Jacob needed.
Do not be dissatisfied with your married life, for your husband or wife is the best one for you. Out of a hundred married people, probably not one husband would say that he is satisfied with his wife, and probably not one wife would say that she is satisfied with her husband. Before we were married, we all had a dream about married life. Eventually, our marriage turned out to be the opposite of our dream. But whatever our husband or wife is like, he or she is God's gift to us and is exactly what we need. Throughout my whole life I have never seen a person whose second marriage, after remarrying following a divorce, was better than the first. I know of some who were married four times and who have said that each marriage was worse than the preceding one. The marriage of those who have been chosen by God is under His sovereignty. Rebekah was brought to Isaac and she became his wife. Whether she was good or bad, she was Isaac's destiny. He had no choice. I have had much experience in spiritual life, in human life, and in married life, and I can advise you not to take your choice. If you make your own choice, you will suffer.
Look at the picture of Jacob's experience. It was not his choice that Esau be his brother, nor that Isaac and Rebekah be his parents. The father Isaac, the mother Rebekah, and the brother Esau were all an exact match for Jacob's need. As we have seen, when Jacob was in his mother's womb, he struggled and was under the dealing of God's sovereign hand. From the very beginning of his life, Jacob was defeated. That was the start of his transformation.
Jacob's father was an enjoying person who did not exercise much discernment. Being a simple person, he just enjoyed grace all day long. He did not like to think, consider, or exercise himself very much. He did not like to do anything. As he was meditating in the field, Rebekah came to him. Isaac simply enjoyed. Whether the sky was clear or cloudy did not make any difference to him. As long as he could eat and enjoy, he was satisfied. When Jacob came to him disguised as Esau, Isaac did not exercise his discernment. When Rebekah was concerned that Jacob might marry one of the daughters of Heth (Gen. 27:46), Isaac called him, charged him not to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, and sent him to Laban, his mother's brother. Isaac's simplicity was for Jacob's benefit. If Isaac had not been so simple but had exercised more control, it would have been difficult for Jacob to get the birthright and receive the blessing.
As we have already pointed out, Rebekah was the opposite of Isaac. She was full of consideration. She might have exercised her mentality day and night considering how to obtain the birthright for Jacob. She might have been constantly watching to see how Isaac was dealing with Esau. If she had not been watching, how could she have overheard the conversation between Isaac and Esau regarding the blessing (Gen. 27:1-5)? After overhearing this conversation, she immediately called Jacob in and told him what to do (Gen. 27:6-13). Because Isaac and Rebekah were so different from one another, Jacob obtained the birthright and received the blessing.
Esau was a careless person. Regarding the birthright, he seemed to say, "Jacob, do you want the birthright? It doesn't mean very much to me. If you give me something to eat, I'll give it to you." By this we see that Esau was rude and careless. The simple father, the ingenious mother, and the rude and careless brother caused Jacob to suffer and to be dealt with.
After Jacob had supplanted the birthright (25:27-34) and the father's blessing (Gen. 27:5-29), Esau hated him and intended to kill him (Gen. 27:41). When Rebekah learned of this, she told Jacob to go to her brother Laban until Esau's fury had turned away (Gen. 27:32-45). After telling Jacob this, she manipulated the father to send Jacob away. This brought Jacob into the pit of God's transformation. Although it was difficult for Jacob to leave his loving mother and his father's home, he was forced to escape (Gen. 27:42-49; 28:1-5). He had no choice. He was forced to flee into a strange land. Later on we shall see that when Jacob was in Laban's home, he was in the oven. Laban, Leah, Rachel, the maids, and all the children were used by God to burn Jacob on every side. Jacob suffered from every angle, in every corner, and in every aspect. God placed him in such a situation that he might be transformed.
As we read Genesis 25, 27, and 28, we see that God's sovereign hand was upon Jacob to transform him. At that time, however, Jacob did not realize that he was under God's transformation. He only knew his brother's rudeness and hatred, his mother's cleverness, and his father's simpleness. Actually, he was under God's dealing day after day. Not one day was wasted. Every person he met and everything that happened to him was a dealing. Jacob surely represents the aspect of transformation in our spiritual life. If we would know what transformation is, we must read Jacob's story again and again.
By reading Jacob's story, I have become fully convinced regarding God's dealing hand. After I began to comprehend this, I realized that everything that happens between others and myself is a dealing for me. The elders, the brothers and sisters, my wife, and my children are not to blame. Everything is under God's sovereign hand as a dealing for my profit. I have needed it all. Perhaps tomorrow I shall need another dealing. The Lord knows what kind of wife, husband, children, in-laws, and grandchildren we need. Nothing is accidental. Everything has been prearranged and happens according to God's plan and schedule. Nothing is either too late or too early. Everything occurs on time. Eventually, we shall say, "Father, thank You for Your sovereign hand. Thank You for Your dealing, for Your prearrangement, and for everything You have done. Now I know that everything has been under Your sovereignty. I am just a chosen Jacob under Your hand."
Do you think that Jacob liked to go to Laban's home? No, he was forced to go. He was not sent by his father or mother; he was sent by the sovereign hand of God. Yes, Jacob was God's choice, and God planned to give him the birthright. Nevertheless, God knew that His chosen one required a great deal of transformation. Thus, it was not merely a matter of the birthright nor of the blessing; it was also a matter of transformation. From the first day until the last, God's hand was upon Jacob. How we must thank and praise the Lord! He has chosen and predestinated us, and now we are under His sovereign hand that we might be dealt with day after day. God is dealing with us through all kinds of persons and circumstances. In the past, a brother said to me, "Everyone in my life has been arranged by God except my wife." I said to him, "Brother, your wife is the number one person whom God has arranged for you." Without exception, every person in our life is used by God for our transformation.
Now we must consider God's sovereignty in fulfilling the purpose of His selection. Firstly, we need to see that Esau despised and sold the birthright (Gen. 25:30-34). The birthright, which God intends to give to His chosen people, includes three things: expressing God, representing God, and participating in the kingdom of God. We all have been chosen to express God in His image, represent Him with His dominion, and participate in His kingdom. The practical kingdom of God today is in the church life. By our second birth we all have obtained the birthright that we might express God in His image, represent Him in His dominion, and participate in His kingdom, both in the church today and in the kingdom in the future. Every regenerated person has this birthright.
Due to his love of physical enjoyments, that is, his love for the world and the worldly enjoyments, Esau despised his birthright (Heb. 12:16-17). The seller of the birthright should not blame the buyer. Although Jacob was subtle in buying it, Esau was willing to sell it. The deal could not have been consummated by one party alone. Like Esau, many regenerated Christians have despised their birthright, loving the worldly enjoyments and not caring for the preciousness of God's birthright. Most of today's Christians are like this. They do not care to express God, to represent Him, nor to be in God's kingdom in the church life. Thus, when the kingdom comes, they will have no share in it. In their life today they have sold their birthright. Due to the enjoyment of the physical things, they have neglected and despised their birthright. If they cared for God's expression, representation, and kingdom, they would stay in the proper church life, which is God's kingdom today.
How we thank the Lord that in the midst of today's degradation He has brought us into the church life, where we are practically in God's kingdom and where we are practicing how to express God and to represent Him. Here in the practical kingdom of God we are enjoying our birthright. We are unhappy with anything which frustrates us from expressing God or hinders us from representing Him, and we feel badly about anything that keeps us from the proper church life. If you are a Christian who is not practicing the expression of God and the representation of God in the practical kingdom of God today, then you are probably one who is despising your birthright. Be careful! None of us should despise our birthright, giving it up for a little enjoyment of the physical things. Rather, we must despise all the things of today's world. Nothing is as precious as our birthright. Nothing is more valuable than expressing God, representing God, and participating in the kingdom of God. If we remain in the church life enjoying our birthright, we shall share in the coming kingdom where we shall express God and represent Him for His purpose. This is our birthright. May we all be today's Jacobs, not today's Esaus. We should praise the Lord for His selection and thank Him for His transformation. Yet, we must be warned to honor and respect our birthright.
God was sovereign in Esau's despising and selling of the birthright, in Rebekah's ingeniousness in her partial love, and in Isaac's blindness in blessing. All that Esau, Rebekah, and Isaac were and did worked together for Jacob's good, that God might sovereignly fulfill the purpose of His selection. Praise God for His sovereignty! And thank the Lord for His dealing with us in every situation.
