A Christmas wish Week 52, 2016

I ask again: what was the blessing given to Abram? That blessing passed down through Isaac to Jacob and bypassing Esau. Was it material blessing? Was it money; plenty of it? Was it wives and children and land? If so Esau never missed out. Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob Gen 36:6(ESV). He had them all, and that before Jacob. God told Israel on their way to Canaan: Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession Dt 2:5(ESV). Yet he failed to get it for scripture clearly says: For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears Heb 12:17(ESV). Even Ishmael had children, wealth and lands from the Lord unto this day (Gen17:20). Since those God rejects also have wealth what blessing did he miss?

What was the blessing Jacob craved for even when an angel wounded him and he cried out "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Gen 32:26(ESV)? At this time of his life he had 4 women: 2 wives and 2 concubines. He had 11 sons and (at least) a daughter. His flocks and herds had multiplied so greatly he was the envy of his in-laws. Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth." Gen 31:1(ESV).  Why did he cry bless me (not bless me more, or bless me again)? What was he seeking he didn’t already have? I tell you there is much more to the blessing of God than material things. See what God says of Israel: Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen Rom 9:4-5(NIV). The Divine Seed Jesus came through Jacob, not Esau.

Consider Mary the mother of our Lord. Was she blessed? “Of course” you gasp. “If anybody was, she is.” But Jesus her baby was born in a manger, she gave birds as an offering in Lk2:22-24, all evidence of poverty (Lev12:8). Why is she blessed? In her womb she carried the Messiah. And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” Lk 1:35(ESV). She brought forth the Son of God Most High into the world. O that God will through you bring Jesus into your family, workplace, into your entire world. It’s a blessing those who run after money cannot touch. You cannot serve God and money. That’s my Christmas wish.

Merry Christmas!