It is hard to escape hearing about the college cheating scandal. It seems to permeate the news and dinner table conversations around my home and likely some of yours too. The world seems shocked that affluent parents would lie, cheat and steal on behalf of their undeserving children. Of course there is a lot to learn, but most of these lessons have been taught and learned many times before, and one of those times was recorded for us nearly 4,000 years ago. In the book of Genesis, chapters 25-28, we are given an opportunity to look at the lives of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Esau. Isaac and Rebecca were told by the Lord, before the birth of their twins, that the younger twin would rule over the older twin (Genesis 25:22-23). One would assume that this couple who were part of the great lineage of Faith, who had undoubtably been told by Abraham the account of God providing a sacrificial ram to spare the life of Isaac, and who had prayed earnestly for these twins and received the blessing of that answered prayer would trust that God would keep his word about the future of their sons…. Oh,….. but that assumes that there isn’t a mother involved who is blinded by child worship.
God did not need Rebekah’s help to secure Jacob’s future, but when she heard Isaac making plans with Esau about receiving the blessing reserved for and merited to the first born, she lied, cheated and stole in order to make sure her precious baby received the better inheritance. ( Genesis. Chapter 27). She even capitalized upon an Old Testament version of photoshop..
“Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, ’s which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.”Genesis 27:15-16 NIV
Rebekah’s lack of trust didn’t change God’s plan or design for her twins. Her lack of trust DID leave her alone and disgraced. Her cheating scandal forced her younger, beloved son to leave his home and run for his life. Her cheating scandal served as the foundation that her older son built a legacy of generational bitterness on that lasted for centuries http://catherinemoorenelson.com/genealogy-root-bitterness-genesis-36/
and Rebekah’s cheating scandal meant that she would never see her sons again.
It seems clear to me that as we watch the cheating scandal of 2019, we have a few lessons to embrace and teach those whom we love.
#1. God is worthy of our trust. He doesn’t need our manipulation to promote ourselves, spouses, or children. When we see our plans in jeopardy, our best and first response should be to pray. He loves us. He is always good. He can do anything. “Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.”
#2. We must always be on alert to eradicate any root of bitterness, lest it take hold and become a generational stronghold and characteristic. Other people may get promoted or blessed by things we believe we deserve more, but bitterness will not soothe our wounds or catapult us to that which we believe we are entitled to. Bitterness only serves as a tool of destruction.
“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15 NIV
AND
#3 “Rejoice always….. and again I say rejoice”. Phillippians 4:4