Genesis 27: Time Heals all Wounds...Really?

[MUSIC] Welcome to Chapter by Chapter, a four-year journey through the greatest book given to the human race, the Word of God, the Bible. And we get to go through it chapter by chapter, seven minutes a day and seven days a week. Join us each day and share it with others so they can join this journey that will be life-changing. We'll stop at unexpected places on the journey and be challenged. Some verses will create awe and wonder. We'll have chapters that will be instructive and others will find joy and comfort. We will occasionally be convicted and want to change but all in all the journey will be worth it. Once in a while we may take a detour on the journey and hear from some of God's servants on their favorite passages from a chapter of scripture and let them give you their insight. Every journey needs an occasional detour. The best way to get the most from this podcast is read the chapter we're discussing before after. It's his word that transforms. You'll find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Genesis 27. I can't believe it. Jacob did it again. He swindled his brother Esau out of his family blessing this time. First, a birthright, now the paternal blessing. This time it was with the help of his mom. This story is so outrageous that needed two people to invent. He really is living out what his name means. He truly is a supplantor. A supplantor is a person that takes the place of another, usually through deceit, trickery or underhand tactics. How does God have this child to fill in this last space of this phrase? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I don't see it in this story kind of proves my case. Isaac is close to death and he asks Esau for his favorite meal, a gamey dish. He tells them that he would then give him his fatherly blessing. Esau goes hunting and Rebecca goes scheming. She has a plan. I'm going to dress up Jacob as Esau. Give him some fresh food to present and he will get the blessing instead of Esau. Just so you can remember the depth of debauchery, this is a mother scheming against her other son. It works. Jacob gets the blessing. Esau comes away with nothing but a grudge so big that he wants to kill his brother. Here's what the Bible says after this successful counterfeit. This is verses 41 through 45. So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said to himself, the days of morning of my father are near, then I will kill my brother Jacob. Now in the words of her elder son Esau were reported to Rebecca. She sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you. Now therefore my son obey my voice and arise, flee to her wrong to my brother, Laban. Stay with him a few days until your brother's fury subsides until your brother's anger against you subsides. And then he will forget what you did to him. What a lie. Time heals all wounds. Time is not that powerful to fix a grudge, a wound, an offense or a hurt. This is such horrible advice to a son on how to mend a relationship from a mother who is part of the shenanigan. When there has been wrongdoing, it's unbiblical to depend upon memory and not upon repentance and forgiveness. It is not true that time shall heal all wounds. Only repentance and apologies can do that. People like Rebecca rely upon the hope that when your brother forgets what you did to him, then everything will be okay. Time can't fix anything, but time can make the wound larger over time. Repentance is owning something, not excusing what you've done. Here is a small warning checklist that may be of help when an offense is taken place. First, it will always be from your bros. The hurt is deepest from those closest to you. Second, if the hurt is not dealt with, it always get ready, grows. Sin is never static. Sin can't not grow if I'm dealt with. It gets worse tomorrow than it was today. Third, who you talk to about it, shows. Esau never talked to God about it, but talked to himself and it shows. His counsel to himself was kill him after you've finished mourning the death of your father. No one is giving good advice in this chapter at all. Finally, letting time heal all wounds brings woes. The word woe means great sorrow and distress. For Esau would be forgiveness that would heal the wound, not bearing a grudge and revenge. When you are offended, it will be from the bros. The offense always grows. Who you talk to about what happened shows. And if you leave your hurt in the hands of time, expect a lot of woes. The bros, it grows, it shows, and a lot of woes. When Rebecca tells Jacob to leave his angry and grieving brother, she tells him it will only be a few days. When Esau said and done, it will be 20 years. A whole generation. What happened? The devil will always counsel you days when in actuality it will be years. Rebecca, who are already counseled her son to lie to his father, her husband is now counseling him to leave the premise and go with Uncle Laban. You would think that Jacob would go hold on mama, not this time. You already counseled me wrong. I need to know the truth. But Jacob listens. He starts on a journey to Mesopotamia with his staff and a bundle over his shoulder. Take one last look at your mother, Jacob. Take one last look at your son, Rebecca. Because it's just not true. It will not be a few days. It will be decades over two decades. You will never see your mom and dad's face again. Life is not always the way you scripted it. But make sure you don't get bad script writers involved. If you love them, just marry her. That's such a bad advice. You don't need church to be Christian. Just leave them. Just divorce them. God wants you to be happy. These are bad script writers just like Rebecca. Anything unbiblical is wrong counsel. And the Bible has a lot to say. It's just not read. Someone's words and counsel can cost you the precious resource of time. Here is a good question to ask yourself. Who are your truth tellers in your life? Who are the script writers and counselors? If all you have around you are your peeps, your bros, your posse, even your family, you will turn days to years. To have someone who loves you in your life but doesn't tell you the truth, that's dangerous. It's amazing how humility, repentance and forgiveness can prevent days from becoming years. For Jacob, it should have gone like this. Dad, I lied. Brother Esau, I was wrong. Please forgive me. Think of that ending to the story. Sin makes things longer but promises shortcuts. Sin will promise days but will deliver years. There's no getting around it. God can eventually get you to the place he intended. But when you choose sin for a shortcut, then you are inevitably making the shortcut the long way. Don't miss this. Jacob is still going to have to face Esau in the future. The years did not take away the inevitable confrontation between the brothers. Here is how to fix what you broke. Take responsibility by saying, I'm sorry. Show sensitivity by naming the offense. I'm sorry for this that I've done to you. Finally, demonstrate humility and preserve the future by saying, please forgive me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doing this. Please forgive me. This is much better than time healing all wounds. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, the Bible, the Word of God, seven minutes a day, seven days a week. We'll see you tomorrow.