Human Weakness Cannot Thwart God’s Plan

Human Weakness Cannot Thwart God’s Plan

Preacher Huijun - 6 August 2015

Jesus Misplaced?

All English Service

When you need Jesus, can you find Him? Often, despite learning more bible knowledge, we find ourselves a spiritual handicap when we're being put on the spot - when trials come, when inconveniences arise and things become not smooth-sailing, we lose the peace and joy we had a moment ago, as if Jesus has left us. The truths we heard seem to become irrelevant to the reality we're living in, and Jesus is no where to be found. However, Jesus is not found in any other place but in your heart, when your heart solely want to seek Him for who He is, not what you want Him to be and do in your circumstances. A lot of times, we cannot find Jesus because we fit Jesus into our humanistic ideals, only to find ourselves disappointed and frustrated toward God. Jesus is not our ideal but the ideal, perfect God, originally and principally the way He is. However, a lot of times, we cannot seem to reconcile His perfection in our imperfections, His spirituality into our earthly human roles, causing us great distress because we can only feel ourselves to be so distant from Him. God said, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." The spiritual distance we feel from God is to drive us into prayers. As we seek Him, willing to be taught by Him and hear His voice, Holy Spirit will work through the truths we know and drive us into deeper reliance on Him. God can soften our wilfulness in prayers, He can also restore a fighting heart against the forces of darkness within us.. Pray as we live, live as we pray. In the things we cannot completely understand right now because of our limitations, let's restore a humble heart before God first, profess that He is the true and living God, and let Him work through the truth stored in our hearts. Our faithful God will work through the Holy Spirit within us to shape us into His likeness, increasingly and progressively in His grace and love.

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Gen 27:30 After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 

31 He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”

32 His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”

“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”

33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!”

34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!”

35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

36 Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.

39 His father Isaac answered him,

“Your dwelling will be
    away from the earth’s richness,
    away from the dew of heaven above.
40 You will live by the sword
    and you will serve your brother.
But when you grow restless,
    you will throw his yoke
    from off your neck.”

 4 key characters, none commendable.

1) Isaac

  • Flesh > God’s word

 

Reflection for us:

  • Are our eyes looking at those who are impressive and who can please us?
  • Are we able to discern who we should bless?

 

2) Rebekah

  • Means > End

 

Word for us:

  • “The end justifies the means” is not biblical.
  • Human duty: Do right thing, let God work.
  • God does not need our meddling or help.
  • Problem is not that Christians are not zealous, but they try to be God.

 

3) Jacob

  • Human methods > God’s way

 

Word for us:

  • We claim “we believe”, but is the way we live built upon gospel truths?
  • Need healing from tendency to be “human-driven” instead of “God-driven”.
  • Unbelief makes us do foolish things.
  • Lacking faith prevents us from doing what is right.

 

4) Esau

  • Material > Spiritual

 

Word for us:

  • Having heard gospel, realize how blessed we are?
  • Don’t only pursue earthly blessings, but miss the God who provides them all.
  • Beware of the devil’s lie: “I will give you the splendor of the world, if you will bow down and worship me.” <Mt 4:8-9>

 

God triumphs over evil and still establishes His plan.

1) Despite Isaac’s weakness, God still used him to bless Jacob.

  • Despite being weak, our intercessions can be effective.

 

2) God fulfills promises, but also disciplines disobedience.

Gen 27:41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. 43 Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44 Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. 45 When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

  • Both Jacob and Rebekah suffered for their deceitful scheme.

 

Conclusion:

(1) God exercises sovereign grace in spite of human weakness.

(2) God triumphs over evil and still establishes His plan.

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Preacher Hui Jun
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Huijun serves as Secretary of The Blessed RUN Ministries. She is also the Preacher at The Life Church and Missions (Singapore). She graduated from Singapore Bible College and currently lives in Singapore with her husband, Chengji.

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