THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

GENESIS 33

Lesson #50

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

• Memory verse: Romans 8:1
• Read Gen 33:1-16 Jacob encounters Esau
  • We have seen God give Jacob a divine revelation along with a new name. It is one thing to get a special revelation from God and another to live in the power of it. Unless faith remains active, you cease to live in the power of it. We, therefore, see Jacob’s faith go up and down just as we did with Abraham.
  • Jacob’s failures at faith:
  • He failed to use his new name.
    • We fail in the same way. God calls us children of God, saints, and heirs with Christ Jesus. But we fail to live in the power of those names.
      • Jacob was still secretly afraid of Esau. Fear is the opposite of faith. Jacob arranged his family putting those he loved most in the rear.
      • Jacob was trusting in the large gift of 3 herds of animals he had prepared to give to Esau in order to appease his brother.
    • Jacob is still operating under a guilty conscience for having wronged his brother even though God has forgiven him.
      • It is interesting that whenever the people of Israel act in the flesh nature and not by faith, God calls them “Jacob”, not Israel.
      • God forgives us of our sins, and we need to forgive ourselves and walk in our new nature.
  • Jacob’s humility and Esau’s response:
    • Jacob bows 7 times before Esau. (3) This is an act of complete humility.
    • Jacob continually calls himself Esau’s servant and Esau his lord, but Esau continually calls Jacob his brother.
  • Esau eagerly runs to meet his brother. (4)
    • Evidently the 21 years of separation has made a change in Esau so that we see a beautiful reunion rather than a battle.
    • Jacob’s well-planned gift:
      • Jacob had planned three large herds of animals as a gift for Esau, but Esau refuses them. Why?
      • The gift was unnecessary. Jacob’s scheming was not needed for his brother had forgiven him the wrong.
    • Jacob continues to pressure his brother to accept the gift as proof that there was no ill will between them.
    • For Esau to continue to refuse it, would have been rude and an insult, so he agrees to accept it.
  • Esau’s suggestion and Jacob’s secret fears (12-15)
    • Esau suggests that they journey on together, but Jacob is uneasy in Esau’s company.
    • Jacob makes the excuse that the children and animals are too young to go quickly.
      • The debilitating effects of lingering guilt prevent open and honest relationships to flourish.
      • How do we know Esau’s attitude is honest?
        • Jacob sees divine forgiveness in Esau’s face as though he saw the face of God (10).
        • Esau suggests that some of his men travel slowly with Jacob as protection.
      • Jacob declines the offer and promises to meet Esau at Seir the city where Esau lives in Edom. (14)
• Read Gen 33:17-20 Jacob settles down and worships God
  • There is no record of Jacob ever keeping his promise to Esau by going to Seir to meet Esau. Instead verse 17 says Jacob went to Succoth.
    • Succoth means = shelters.
    • Out of fear and guilt, Jacob had lied to Esau because he still did not trust God to work out his promise that God would be with him wherever he went.
    • Guilt and fear defeat faith.
  • How do we know he was supposed to go to Seir with Esau?
    • God had told Jacob to return to his kindred (Esau) (Gen 31:3), and to return to Bethel where he had first made his commitment to God (Gen 31:13; 28:10-22).
    • But Jacob was disobedient.
  • From Succoth Jacob goes to Shechem and purchases land.
    • He bought the land where he dug Jacob’s well.
      • This is where Jesus offered the water of eternal life to the woman at the well in John 4.
      • He bought the land for 100 pieces of silver from Hamor which means =donkey. He was probably a donkey caravanner.
    • The altar at Shechem
      • Jacob also builds and altar in Shechem.
      • He called the altar El-Clohe-Israel which means = God, the God of Israel.
        • It seems God was not tremendously pleased with this altar.
        • Read Gen 35:1.
        • Jacob was supposed to return to Bethel and build the altar there in strict obedience to God.
        • Remember that Bethel is the place of doing your first works over again…the place of commitment.
        • Why was God not pleased?
        • Obedience is better than sacrifice. (1Sam 15:22)
        • There is a link between faith and obedience.
  • Discussion: Describe how this connection of faith and obedience works in a person’s life.
• Summary:
  • We again find a believer in the permissive will of God rather than in the perfect will of God.
  • There are consequences and losses in God’s permissive will which we will see in the next chapter of Genesis.

Homework

Genesis 34

• Application of Genesis 33
  • Consider your general level of obedience to God and your general level of faith. Mark your levels. (1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest)
    • Faith 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
    • Obedience 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
  • What relationship do you see in life between faith and obedience?
  • What step of obedience have you been resisting in your life?
  • Are you ready to make a commitment to obedience in this area?
• Preparation of Genesis 34
  • Read Gen 34:1-31
    • What do you notice as being especially significant about the attitude and actions of Jacob’s sons?
    • If you were sitting as judge and this court case came up before you, how would you rule regarding:
      • Shechem:
      • Simeon and Levi:
      • Jacob’s other sons:
      • Jacob himself:
• Memory verse: Hebrews 10:30