Providence, Esau, or just Hard Luck?
Today is Labor Day in 2025. For most people, it is a day to enjoy the day off, or spend time relaxing, see some friends & family, and have a barbecue. For this Average Joe, Labor day has become an annual time of reflection and continued seeking of the why’s and why not’s we people suffer through. LAST NIGHT, it became multiplied to the Nth degree when a very close friend of ours died in his sleep, presumed to be from a heart issue! He was getting ready to retire, having just turned 65. My wife and I have labored with him for five years at a thrift store with a huge warehouse that is used to raise money for an organization that helps and houses domestic violence and child abuse victims. He was friendly, courteous, a protector, and would always drop everything in a second to help someone. Working with him a few days ago, and gone just like that.
Was it Providence, an Esau pick from God, or Hard Luck?
I like to try to be a half-glass-full person and look at every situation for the good side. Instead, we say I’m not suffering, I am learning something. And I have had enough good things happen that the good times far outweigh the hard times. But there have been some doozies on the hard-times list that make it really tough.
My thoughts go right to wow, that could have been me! Four years ago, on Labor Day I had a massive stroke. Miraculously, I not only survived but have no residuals that most stroke victims have to deal with for the rest of their lives. The medical field itself calls it a “stroke,” for a medical event derives from an old belief that a person who suddenly became paralyzed was similar to a “stroke’ of lightning. The odds of getting struck by lightning are 1 in 1.2 million. While there is no direct connection to a lightning strike, the descriptive power of the word links both events through their shared sense of a sudden, violent, and devastating blow.
“Since that near fateful Labor Day, I wake up each morning and thank the good Lord for giving me another undeserved day of life on earth. It all comes down to gratefulness, because nobody deserves to be here, and fate, if you call it that, can strike anyone, at any time. Thus, be thankful that the controller of all things granted you another day to live.”
When we moved into our home, where my stroke occurred on Old Providence Road, I distinctly remembered and noted in my daily journal that the crossroad of Essaw attached to it would present a lot of deep thoughts. What I did not expect was all the coincidences, good luck, hard luck, fate, oddities, and whatever one calls phenomena that we don’t understand. Providence in the dictionary is such a simple thing.
In the Webster’s ALL they say for the definition of Providence is one sentence – God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny.
Cambridge says: an influence that is not human in origin and is thought to control people’s lives: divine providence.
The Britannica dictionary says: God or fate is thought of as the guide and protector of all human beings.
This Average Joe wrote his own definition 10 years ago – “God’s grace being displayed through people’s (our) circumstances.” Or change grace to sovereignty. I prefer grace alone from the viewpoint; if God did not have His grace on me, I would not be here right now. I’d have zero chance of making it to heaven.
John Piper, on the other hand, wrote an entire book called Providence. One reviewer says, ‘In what is perhaps his most important book so far, John Piper demonstrates with great cogency and exegetical skill that God’s providence is his purposeful sovereignty in which he will be completely successful in the achievement of his ultimate goal for the universe.’
Piper defines God’s sovereignty as his ultimate right and power to do whatever he wills, meaning no external power can prevent God from accomplishing his purposes, which are always carried out according to his wisdom, justice, and mercy. His sovereignty is purposeful, encompassing his wise and loving control over all of creation and every human action, ensuring that nothing happens apart from his ultimate plan and counsel.
I did not read the book, so I can’t say much more and leave it at that for further review for those who need a deeper dive. I don’t. The summation is one I agree with, but certainly don’t have the theology expertise to add much beyond that.
There is much I do not understand on the negative side, where one can call it HARD LUCK, bad breaks, or some go as far as calling your tough circumstances curses. No comment on the latter. When we first moved into the house I sit and type in right now, it was nothing but a nightmare. If you want to hear all about the woes (that miraculously all ended very well, although I lost 10 years off my life from the stress), you can read “How storms transform worriers into warriors”
After the stroke, and post dealing with a $350k medical stack of papers that my health insurance company would only pay part of, things were smooth. Noting afterward, the insurance company got kicked out of the state of North Carolina, and they had to pay nearly every cent of the tab. That was until last summer, when hard to understand events decimated our household. I cannot share all the gory details, but I can say it rocked my viewpoint on a number of things I had previously thought I knew everything about. In the words of U2’s Bono, ‘I knew so much more back then than I do now.’ All of us are recovering from PTSD but maintaining course in life.
I lean back on the irony of the crossroad sign for Old Providence. When you savor memories of a miracle, anything that happens thereafter is measured by the grandiose first event. I replay the scene of how PROVIDENCE saved my life from the odds of survival from an ischemic stroke:
- Stroke kills about 140,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths.
- Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for all Americans and the leading cause of serious long-term disability.
- Stroke reduces mobility in 60% of stroke survivors. NEARLY ZERO FOR ME
- 85% of strokes are ischemic, which mine was. ONLY 11% were eligible for a mechanical thrombectomy. What are the odds that I was eligible??
- Only 900 hospitals in America have equipment to do any thrombectomies; the Charlotte Atrium Hospital, where I was taken to, is one of 10 ranked with the highest certification to do a mechanical thrombectomy.
- In North Carolina, only 7 Helicopters for Life Flight are in operation. Wind and weather conditions must be right for a flight, and the chopper and pilot must be available. I happened to be fortunate that it happened when one was ready for me immediately.
And this is the unusual tie to ‘Providence’ that took place in a 3+ hour sequence of events:
- I live on Old Providence Road
- The ambulance that arrived in only three minutes after the 911 call was parked behind a school on Old Providence Road
- The Volunteer Waxhaw Fire dept that arrived in four minutes is located just off Providence Road
- The trek from my house Old Providence Road had a short run through town and turned onto regular Providence Road
- The E.R. was located on Providence Road
- The Heliport is located on Providence Road
- We flew directly in line all the way down Providence Road to the Atrium Stroke Center
- The Stroke Center/Hospital gigantic complex is located in uptown Charlotte a block or so from Providence Road (16) in Charlotte. This picture is from the rooftop of the building overlooking Charlotte.
- And lastly a brand-new church on Old Providence Road opened up 30 months ago that we still attend. It is within walking distance from my home which meets at the very elementary school where the ambulance parked. We have since grown above 200 attendees and had to move for a good reason. Two years ago, I shared the providence or luck story, NO the MIRACULOUS how God saved me from dying story which can be found by clicking on Miraculous.
On a different not, our street has become a big topic in my little town that I live in. When we moved in the traffic was mostly motor cycles and cyclists driving by on the weekends in big groups heading out to see the beautiful landscapes in North Carolina. Now it has become a log jam of cars flying by 50 mph in a 35 zone and during rush hours it can be backed up a good half mile from the only artery to both the downtown of Waxhaw and what is now a 90-minute drive to downtown Charlotte (it used to be 30). I joke that the traffic here is all my fault because every home we have ever owned (9 of them) started out rural and ended up major high density suburban sprawl. We all have played like Jacob wrestling with the towns commissioners and the developers that are destroying everything.
There is a never-ending list of things we can complain about isn’t there? I can give you my thoughts on why I have spoken on camera at 4 consecutive board meetings and why I have this political candidate sign in my yard on the corner. 
Edmund Burke, an 18th century philosopher, puts it this way “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” There is a time for doing nothing and a time for action. My story today is to share that God is not doing nothing, ever. He really doesn’t need us to do anything either as He has it all in control. But, He in his sovereign, grace-filled, providence driven, I believe all-loving self, puts us here, and leaves us here, to tell testimonies to either prove His glory, or disprove it if so daring to do as some do. I choose to do the first part, but try to do it in a way to not be pushy and let you decide with your free will how you feel about it.
So far, like usual, this is not the end of this story. I have not said anything about the Essaw/Esau part. It is reserved for Part II. If not interested, have a wonderful Labor Day weekend (or I hope you had one if reading this past the post date) OR read on to part II …..
Please don’t go away yet! Read below the red line for more. If this is your first time visiting Average Joe’s Portico, every post is written in two parts. You have just read the portion challenging the mind, body, and soul. In or on The Portico (as in Solomon’s Portico or porch), I seek to tap into your spiritual side, but only IF YOU DARE. If you are in a mood of ‘don’t shove God down my throat’, this part is not for you, it is your out. Otherwise, Keep reading past the Red Line Below and read Part 2 for the Spiritual side of this story. (For an explanation of this creative writing attempt – read the ‘Do You Dare’ Tab)
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As the beginning, I provide a slightly modified addition to the quote on my outlook I try to grasp starting each day.
“Since that near fateful Labor Day, I wake up each morning and thank the good Lord for giving me another undeserved day of life on earth. It all comes down to gratefulness, because nobody deserves to be here, and fate, if you call it that, can strike anyone, at any time. Thus, be thankful that the controller of all things granted you another day to live. That sovereign God is Jesus Christ.
Essaw is the name of the road I live on, but the Bible character Esau is one where the topic of providence and sovereignty is displayed in great and entertaining detail.
Esau, I think, gets a real bad rap for both having a bad heart as point one, and not appreciating the goodness of his birthright, the respect it deserves. We can easily criticize him, but I present a majority of the Bible sections regarding his life alongside parts of his much more famous brother Jacob, whose name was changed by God to Israel. Esau’s name is mentioned 88 times, while Jacob 363 times, plus his new name, Israel, a whopping 1159 times. (KJV version for the stats).
I limit the commentary but include all the scripture for your edification and wisdom increase.
Their life stories began in the 25th chapter of Genesis, following Abraham and Isaac’s monumental promise of God’s blessing in Genesis 12, fulfilled completely in the New Testament by Jesus. The major promise God made to Abraham was a covenant to make him a great nation, give his descendants land, and bless all the families of the earth through him. This included promises of numerous offspring, the land of Canaan, a great name, personal blessing, and to be a blessing to others, which is fulfilled through Jesus Christ
“Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east, away from Isaac. Abraham lived for 175 years, and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.” Genesis 25:5-9 NLT
“This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.
But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.” And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.” Genesis 25:19-26 NLT
The key notation in the previous verses was in God’s divine providence, He pushed Jacob, the 2nd born, ahead of the firstborn born which is not what the family would do in the normal custom. God chose to make Jacob stronger and chose him ahead of poor Esau. Romans 9 goes as far as saying God rejected Esau or in some other translations, said that God hated him.
“This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.” Romans 9:10-13 NLT
In the ESV 9:13 says “As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.””
It is important to understand first that God still loved Esau, it is just that he loved Jacob less. Why we don’t know exactly but in the parentheses, we see an explanation that God calls people, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO THEIR GOOD OR BAD WORKS. Theologians have reasons they say things like God knew Esau would have a bad heart, which is later revealed by his actions. But few discuss how Jacob did some things that were quite bad himself.
We could stop right here and have a lesson on salvation with that alone. We as Christians are taught that no one is righteous, not a single person except Jesus. Therefore, by putting our faith alone in Him, we are made righteous through our belief. His sacrifice on the cross covered everything we did in the past, present, and future. It is the good news Gospel most hear every Sunday.
But don’t stop there, be sure to go and read all of Romans 9,10, and 11 and gain a full understanding of how God first chose the Israelites, who deserved nothing, to be His chosen people. He then spread it out via Jesus to all the world. For those who grasp the magnitude of that, it should bring you and I to our knees every time we think of it and praise Him for allowing us the opportunity to receive His offering from Him to be chosen. And then run a life acting like it, not in a haughty way, but humbly bringing Him glory and sharing the testimonies of what He did in your life to save you. And when He does great things (maybe not saved from dying like I was, but anything and everything) tell people about it.
Esau and Jacob’s stories help us see the back story to all God and Jesus in the human example tie together. It is the intersection of how Providence and Esau (and Jacob/Israel) are tied together to us today.
Back to Esau:
“As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.” Genesis 25:27-34 NLT
Esau made a really dumb decision here, but what kind of brother does what Jacob did to him? Just give him the stew dude, he’s your brother. From the God perspective, theologians say God knew in advance of the birth that Esau would do this thing. I hold comment as that concept maybe is 100% right, maybe not. Does it matter in the bigger picture of salvation? Most agree that Esau was not rejected from heaven, just his earthly status. As Esau adds a little more juice against his case, and his mother did not help:
“At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon. But Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.” Genesis 26:34-35 NLT
Rebekah’s life was miserable because of Esau’s wives, kind of funny, isn’t it? so look what she does —
“One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.” “Yes, Father?” Esau replied. “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”” Genesis 27:1-4 NLT
“But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, she said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.” “But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.” But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!””
Genesis 27:5-13 NLT
Poor Esau was not only rejected by God, but here we saw his own mother favoring the twin brother. Did that stop Jacob though? Let’s see….
Then Jacob lies 4 times before getting the blessing from Isaac on his sickbed and blinded, 4 Times!—
“So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread. So Jacob took the food to his father.
“My father?” he said. “Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who are you—Esau or Jacob?” Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”
Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” “The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied. Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him.
“The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s.
So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked. “Yes, I am,” Jacob replied. Then Isaac said, “Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.” So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him.
Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.” So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed!” Genesis 27:14-27 NLT
Isn’t it interesting how Isaac, who knew what Jacob did to steal the birthright from Esau, wanted to be sure Jacob wasn’t manipulating things again? But Jacob, with no conscience, did it anyway!
Here is the blessing – ““From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed.”” Genesis 27:28-29 NLT
And then a providence timing or ‘coincidental timing’ happened when Esau came home to find Jacob sitting and talking to his father. Jacob was caught with his hand in proverbial cookie jar.
“As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt. Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father. Then he said, “Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing.” But Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” Esau replied, “It’s your son, your firstborn son, Esau.”
Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, “Then who just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came. And yes, that blessing must stand!”
When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged. But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing.”
Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice.
First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved even one blessing for me?”
Isaac said to Esau, “I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine—what is left for me to give you, my son?” Esau pleaded, “But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!” Then Esau broke down and wept.
Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him, “You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above. You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck.”” Genesis 27:30-40 NLT
Then ESAU was bent on killing Jacob. So, Rebekah, still irritated with Esau’s foreign wives, sent Jacob off to marry one of Laban’s daughters, her uncle Laban.
“From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”
But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. Stay there with him until your brother cools off. When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.””Genesis 27:41-46 NLT
“So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.”” Genesis 28:1-4 NLT
Now ESAU got a bad rap for selling his birthright and marrying the Hittites (apparently finding a good wife was very tough in those days) If you read the non-Esau parts of this story-line, we find Jacob had to work 14 years to get the woman he loved (Rachel but Laban did a switcheroo on Jacob – giving him some of his own medicine sticking him with dull Leah). ESAU decides to do a somewhat righteous thing to please his father.
“Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women. So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael’s family and married one of Ishmael’s daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife’s name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.” Genesis 28:6-9 NLT
Was Esau the bad guy here also? Theologians say Esau was only doing it to please his Father, nothing else. Here’s my alternative opinion, we all don’t do very well in pleasing either our parents or God. I think the theologians try to paint a picture that Esau was evil, and that was the real reason for why he was rejected by God. While certainly we are all guilty of many things, God doesn’t pre-plan punishments, does He? This is where I actually buy the Providence explanation for why bad things happen to good people definition. A person recently passed away who was well-known for dousing miracle works of God saying ‘true’ miracles went away after the twelve Apostle’s and Paul era was gone. His explanation was always little miracles don’t exist it was just this long-winded explanation of His providence wisely being intertwined in the midst of all that happens in the world and in the church of Jesus Christ. Sorry, I don’t buy that, I think God is doing miracles in our lives every day. Thus I write again about one big one that happened in my life.
Finally, about 4 decades pass by when a possible major confrontation between Jacob and Esau presents itself! Was Esau’s hate towards his brother for stealing his birthright and his blessing going to turn into a Cain and Abel scenario? Lets’ see as it starts with Jacob preparing himself for the worst…
“Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.
THINK ABOUT THAT! Jacob the manipulator figured if Esau was going to do something horrible to his family, let it begin with the servant wives and their/HIS kids first. Then the wife he got the switcheroo on was next with her/HIS kids, and then finally his favorite wife last. Who had the biggest problem between these two brothers?)
Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.
Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”
“These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied. Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him. Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him.
“And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.
Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my Lord, to ensure your friendship.”
“My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourself.”
But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.”
And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift. “Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead the way.” But Jacob replied, “You can see, my Lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die. Please, my Lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.” “All right,” Esau said, “but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you.” Jacob responded, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you’ve received me warmly, my Lord!”” Genesis 33:1-15 NLT
Esau was totally over the hate he had towards his brother. Moreover, his life was blessed by God so much that he did not want anything from Jacob because he had no needs. God provided for the person ‘He hated’. God did not hate Esau, in fact it seemed like he personally got blessed more than Jacob. He did lose out in the history book, 100% because God had made plans and promises, things he can change on the plans, but NEVER NEVER NEGATES ON HIS PROMISES.
“Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.” Romans 9:14-16 NLT
It is all about GOD’s PROVIDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY TOGETHER WITH HIS LOVE FOR US. When He decides to do a miracle, He decides to do a miracle. The thing He does through someone else is not because they are good or they did something to earn a gift, it was 100% God’s Grace. If we got healed, it was not because we earned it or deserved it, we get and I got miraculously healed all because of His Grace. Nothing deserved or earned. And interesting, no prayer team was there nor any Pastors or Priests. No Facebook message was sent out to conjure up 1,000 people to pray for me to be saved from a stroke. My wife and children were there though. I believe their faith had much to do it, and no one invited them to lead the healing team, ever.
No doubt, we better be ready for hard times and turn on our trust in Him button and make sure we treat the miracle and blessing with utter respect, not nonchalantly like ESAU did. For that, he did deserve to be rejected. God knew his heart and predicted it. But is that the only reason? Jacob, on the other hand, wanted to do the right thing; he just couldn’t trust God to do it. Both were guilty, but both honored God in nearly everything they did. In the end it worked out well for them, through both the good and hard luck scenarios.
Just as Esau was hated from the womb without doing any wrong, Jacob was also chosen from the womb without doing anything good. Neither of them did any action to deserve where God put them. Perhaps the purpose of the Bible stating a hatred towards Esau and the love towards Jacob is to show the sovereignty of God. No matter how much we do, how much good Esau does, or how much Jacob sinned, and vice versa for both, the Lord had already chosen them to show the riches of his glory. Romans 9:21-24 spells it out with another example from Paul.
“When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?
22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.”
Think about that if you have accepted God’s more than kind offer to be part of His chosen people – ‘We are among those whom He selected’. An undeserving honor, whether in prosperity or poverty, filled with perfect health or not, the key is prospering spiritually. It all comes down to gratefulness, because nobody deserves heaven. God leaves us here, for some once in a while to get on stage and tell a testimony, others to speak at every service if that is important to you, or to be blessed with good health if that is most important to you, or wealth if that is important to you.
I pray this testimony of God’s mercy on me and deliverance from death and all kinds of ‘hard luck’ motivates you to tell your story and live for His glory.
“Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health physically, just as I know your soul prospers spiritually.” John 1:2 AMP
Let your Labor Day be filled with the peace of God’s comforting hand and guidance. Average Joe
P.S. Do you have a miracle story along these lines where you know God did an amazing thing, but you have no place to tell it? I have a ‘guest-imonies’ tab created for that exact reason. Send your idea of a story to me at my email address below for pre-approval and we can discuss the steps to have your testimony published for free.
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