A SUPPLANTER

1. “Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary.
2. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore, his name was called Edom.
3. But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”
4. And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so, what is this birthright to me?”
5. Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So, he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.
6. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus, Esau despised his birthright.”
   Genesis 25:29-34 (NKJV)

• Jacob being a crafty person who knew the weakness of his brother, Esau; took advantage of him when he was in need, collected his birthright.

• We can deduce that the Birthright which belonged to Esau, though he did not value it, was a prize, coveted treasure to Jacob.
• What you have which was given you by God, endowments, or gifts that you seem not to value or attach importance to, is being craved by someone.
• Esau did not know the enormous importance of what he had until he lost it. When the need for it warranted, he wanted to collect the blessing but was not given because he did not have the birthright. It was divinely arranged that the blessing should be given to the person who has the birthright (Hebrews 12:16,17).

• A believer should not be crafty and deceitful.

• If you have any negative traits or habits in your life, you should cooperate with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to deal with the trait that you may overcome it.
• What Jacob did, tricked his brother to collect the birthright, hunted him for many years of his life until he met God, had an encounter with Him (Genesis 32:22-32).
• Also, Jacob did deceive his father to collect the Blessing that was to be pronounced on his brother, Esau.
• These deeds of his haunted him for the rest of his life, until he had an encounter with God at Penuel (Genesis 32:22-32).

• If Jacob did allow God to work things out in His own way, the birthright and the blessing could have still be given to him without using deception or trickery.

• God had said it when they were in their mother’s womb that the older, Esau, will serve the younger, Jacob (Genesis 25:22-23).
• If God has said anything, it would surely come to pass.
• God would not need Jacob’s help to bring what He said to pass, fulfillment; it was impossible for God to lie (Numbers 23:19).

• Let God deal with the character defects in your life.

• If you do not allow God to deal with it, transform you; the fruit of it would become a shadow that hunts you.
• Whatever you do is a seed sown that you will later reap in life, whether you know it or not (Galatians 6:7).
• The intriguing possibility is the harvest is always greater than the seed you have sown.
• When Jacob left home, his parents’ place: because he had a hint that Esau was after his life. He met someone, Laban, who is a senior to him, higher in rank than him in trickery and deception.
• Rebecca, Jacob’s mother was a trickster as well as Jacob; but Laban’s trickery is much more higher than that of Jacob and his mother put together (Genesis 27:5-17).
• What Jacob sowed before he left home, tricked his father and brother; he started to reap when he got to Laban (Genesis 30:29, 30; 31:38-42).
• He not only tricked by Laban, but also tricked by his children. They told him a lie that their younger brother, Joseph, was devoured by a wild animal, whereas they were the ones who sold him into slavery. Jacob wept for his son Joseph, but none of them divulge the secret to him—yet they were his sons (Genesis 37:23-35).

• Whatever a man sows, he shall reap (Galatians 6:7).

• Before that negative traits, character defects, in your life started yielding negative fruits; you would do well to run to the Lord to receive help that you may overcome by it.

1. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
2. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
   Hebrews 4:15,16 (NKJV)

• Jacob had an encounter with God when he wrestled in prayer all night with a Man depicted God (Genesis 32:22-32).
• His name was changed from Jacob, Supplanter or Deceitful [One Who Takes the Heel], to Israel, Prince with God (Genesis 25:26, 32-34; 27:36; 32:28).
• Shortly afterwards Jacob met Esau who was after his life, and Esau received him with embrace and tears of joy (Genesis 33:3,4).
  “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
  Proverbs 16:7 (NKJV)

• There is hope for you to overcome that negative traits in your life if you come to God for help.

• The traits of deception, lie, or any other character defects can be dealt with and overcome as Jacob did.
• For you not to be hunted in life by the shadows of what you did in the past, allow Jesus to work on your character defects and make you a new person indeed.

1. “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
2. and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
3. and that you PUT ON THE NEW MAN which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
4. Let him who stole STEAL NO LONGER, BUT RATHER LET HIM LABOR, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
   Ephesians 4:22-24,28 (NKJV)

• You will not fail in Jesus’ name.
Peace!