Genesis chapter 28

Genesis 28:8-9 Esau then realised how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had. (NIV)

Esau overhears Rebekah and Isaac discussing Jacob and the Canaanite women and he realises then how grieved his parents were at his choice of wives.  So to please his parents, he marries one of the daughters of Abrahams's son, Ishmael.

I wonder though, why it took Esau so long to realise this - after all, surely he knew from the things Isaac and Rebekah had said and done over the years that they did not approve of the Canaanites?  Maybe he was so enamoured of each of his wives that he married them regardless of what his parents thought.   Maybe he was more concerned with his own wants and desires than in respecting his parents wishes and it was not until he actually overheard Rebekah and Isaac talking that he fully appreciated what he had done.  Maybe he had just acted instead of thinking things through, never even bothering to think  about whether he should marry a Canaanite or not. So, when he overhears his parents talking, he starts to consider their point of view and goes for the quick fix solution, taking a bride that they will approve of. 

Esau's third marriage is, to me, somewhat like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. After all, Esau could not undo his marriages, the two wives were there living with him and the rest of the family, and now he has a third wife to contend with.  For most men, one wife would be more than enough, but here he is taking on a third (kind of makes me wonder whether he is very brave or very stupid!  Mind you, Esau with three wives is nothing compared to Solomon!!).    But then, don't we all do this, try and fix something quickly?  When we do something wrong, we try and put it right in the simplest and quickest way, but this is not necessarily what God would have us do, or at least not in the way we try to do it.  

It is easy to carry on our lives regardless of others, giving no consideration to what they are thinking or feeling, how they are reacting to the things we have done or said.   After all, we have a "right" to be happy, don't we? Then when we find out we have hurt others or disappointed them,  we try a quick fix to put things right.  But as believers, we have a responsibility here on earth to live our lives as God would have us live them, to be an example of the love of Jesus and to be his disciples.  Everything we do is liable to be held up to scrutiny by others when they know we are a Christian.  I know my children and husband watch the things I do and say, and they will pull me up if they think I am not behaving as a Christian should - which is both a help and a hindrance!  It keeps me on my toes (except those occasions when I lose my temper or am so wrapped up in work and stuff that I forget to watch what I am doing or saying), and means I must always be aware of what I am doing or saying, of how my behaviour will effect others and whether or not I am really displaying the love of Christ when I get cross and crabby or moan and grumble. 

I'll admit, there are many times I would do or say something I shouldn't but the knowledge that my children are watching stops me.  There are also many times when I do or say something I shouldn't despite the fact that they are watching.  I am definitely far from perfect. Yet I know God is always watching too, whether my children are there or not, but there are times when I ignore God, when I just go ahead and do what I want rather than what I should do but He always gives me a nudge, and brings it to my attention.  And I should be giving God the priority here, knowing that He is always there watching me, caring for me, and putting Him first in my life.

Meanwhile, Jacob sets off of for his uncle Laban's house, and on the way there he stops at Luz, where God appears to him in a dream. 

Genesis 28:13-15 Then God was right before him, saying, "I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I'm giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they'll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I'll stay with you, I'll protect you wherever you go, and I'll bring you back to this very ground. I'll stick with you until I've done everything I promised you."  (The Message)

Jacob is amazed, in awe, at these unconditional promises from God.  But look at his reply to God:

Genesis 28:20-22 Jacob vowed a vow: “If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I’m setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, and brings me back in one piece to my father’s house, this God will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I’ll return a tenth to you.” (The Message)

Jacob has seen angels ascending and descending into heaven, evidence of God's hand at work, visions of heaven and the life to come, yet he has a conditional response.   His heart has not yet been changed and he promises God will be his god, the stone he has set up will mark the place where God lives and he will give God 10% of everything God gives him if, and only if:

• God stands by him;

• God protects him;
• God keeps in him food and clothing; and
• God returns him safely to his father's house.

How many times do we do that?  Put conditions on our following God?  Agree to follow Him and only Him if he heals our loved one, if we get that new job, if we move into that house, if our children start coming to church with us, if He gets us out of whatever mess we are on, if...if...if.

But God has already given us Jesus, had His one and only Son pay the price for our sins, the mean and rotten and often disgusting things we have each done.  We have the promise of eternity in heaven because of what Jesus has done (and nothing can change that), yet so often we try and barter our worship, our praise, our service.