“Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?” Job 3:23 The confinements of God serve His end to those who understand His ways. Liberty in the Spirit often comes to those who feel hedged in in the flesh. The light of God is given in times of darkness. The constrictions of circumstances bring enlargement, patience and strength to those who see beyond the walls of this life. There is a hidden ministry, veiled from the prisoner, during the silent and painful work of a pearl being formed. The graces of God must be fashioned in the life of His own in the dark and lonely experiences of life. “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison” Genesis 39:20 There are dark places within the soul of man which require dark times to bring and fill them with the light of God! Joseph could not comprehend the end God had determined for him. He had a dream of authority in the family of God, but he had never even considered the greater sphere in which he would rule and reign! God’s end is always larger than what we can see. What was the secret hidden in Joseph’s captivity? “But the Lord was with Joseph…” Genesis 39:21 There is treasure locked within the dark times of our lives. There are purposes to be mined in the deep places of confinement and loneliness. The promise of greater things is bound up within our faithfulness to serve God in these prisons. Joseph’s faithfulness to God was the key to his release. His faithfulness to the gift of interpreting dreams became the very means of unlocking his prison door. Let not the dark places crush your vision. Let not despondency rob you of your service unto the King of kings. Remain faithful in every circumstance to serve and honor God; for we shall surely reap in proportion to our sowing. We will stand in the Day of harvest, bringing our sheaves to lay at the feet of the One alone who is worthy. “I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law” Psalm 119:55
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“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel” Isaiah 45:3 Brian Troxel
“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed” Romans 4:16
The Struggle
“And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” Genesis 25:22 – 25
Within the life of every true believer is the struggle between two natures; two ways of living, two sets of desires and two eternal consequences. The conflict is between the first Adam and the Last Adam, the first Adam being that nature which is earthly and sensual and the second Adam being the heavenly man, the Eternal Son of Man. We see the very portrayal of this within the womb of Rebekah as she by faith brought forth the one who would become Israel in the purposes and dealings of our great God.
Esau was the firstborn, a man of passions, wild and undisciplined. He was of the earth, earthly and devoid of any real love of spiritual things. He was born first, bearing the likeness of the first Adam, which in the Hebrew means “red earth”. At his birth the scriptures take great care to describe his appearance (See The Things of Esau).
“And the first came out red*(see note below), all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau” Genesis 25:25
Jacob, though a schemer and a conniver, had one thing that set him apart. He had respect for the things of God. The birthright, which was rightfully Esau’s by virtue of being the first born, meant little to Esau and he surrendered it for a mere mess of pottage in a moment of extreme hunger. Jacob, on the other hand, coveted this blessing. Jacob was the son of promise, a man called to become the Israel of God, not by strength, nor by might but by the mercy and strength of our God.
These two distinct “manner of people” struggled within the womb of Rebekah, yet the promise was THE ELDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER. Jacob’s journey of faith to become Israel was one of many dealings and breakings in the hands of a determined and merciful God. The promise of God tarries until the man Jacob is broken. It is in our submission to His dealings that we become the people upon whom the promise falls.
“The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel” Isaiah 9:8
The promise to Jacob was a sure thing but the severity of the dealings of God and the determination of God is what made the promise sure. The man Jacob must become the worm that he might indeed become strong.
“Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff” Isaiah 41:14 – 15
We must see that the inabilities in our life to do God’s will are the result of our strengths not our weaknesses. When we speak of weakness we are speaking of all that has not been brought into submission to the Son; in whatever measure we have known the fellowship of His sufferings there is a corresponding experience of His resurrection life.
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” Philippians 3:10 – 11
Let us realize that the struggle within is a struggle that is to be unto life and glory; HIS LIFE and HIS GLORY. The struggle of Rebekah is prophetic of all that we must know within ourselves. Jacob will remain Jacob until he is broken. We too will remain barren unless we discover the wonder and the power of HIS faith in our lives. A faith like gold submitted to the fire is purified and fit for the master’s use. Teachings will not produce this life; only a broken and surrendered will in the hands of the God of Jacob! This is not a day to tarry but it is a day for us to “press toward the mark, for the PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.
Let our confidence be not in ourselves, our knowledge or our associations. Rather let our confidence be in the God of Jacob who was able to bring forth a PRINCE* (see note below) from the worm and who is able to complete that which He began in us. The beauty of Jacob’s heart was clearly revealed at Peniel as we see Jacob clinging to the ONE who wounded him for in that place we see and hear God’s declaration…
The Crown
“Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” Genesis 32:28
* אַדְמֹנִי ʼaḏmōniy, אַדְמוֹנִי ʼaḏmôniy: An adjective meaning red, ruddy. from the Hebrew Word ADAM *Israel – Prince with God
