Reluctant Prophets - Balaam and Jonah

Be willing to seek out God's plan and adopt it as your own.

Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.

Jonah 4:11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?"

One of the predominate themes that runs through the Bible is the contrast between something true and something that is false. There is true and false: worship, doctrine, believers, and as we have recently studied there are true teachers and prophets and there are also false teachers and prophets.  

In my study of Balaam I have learned that God used the ungodly prophet that had every intention of cursing God's people and preventing them from receiving the blessing that God swore to give them. That study made me think of another prophet that was unwilling to bless a people that he would rather curse. 

Reluctant Prophets

I started considering the contrast and similarities of Balaam and Jonah and how God worked through both of these men despite their desire to allow people to perish. God had much better plans for the people that they were called to bless that could not be stopped by man's free will.

It is interesting to notice that after sparing Nineveh from the punishment that Jonah prophesied they would be raised up against God's people to bring God's punishment to the Jews. The Jew and the Gentile were both used by God to bless and to punish their enemies.

God's undeserved mercy is available to everyone, the reluctant Jewish prophet and the reluctant Gentile prophet both saw God's undeserved mercy given across ethnic barriers to their most hated enemies.

We like to think that we are in control but Balaam and Jonah help to prove that man's free will isn't as powerful as we would like to think it is. Neither one of these men were willing and they both actively resisted God's will but that didn't stop God, he changed their plans, not his own.

Rebuked Prophets

A refusal to obey God isn't going to hinder his sovereignty, both of these men experienced life threatening situations with nature that were sent to correct them so that God could use them as a tool for his purposes and his glory. 

Saved by a donkey - Balaam had a visit on the road to King Balak that was probably God himself and Balaam suddenly finds out that he owns a talking donkey. (Numbers 22:20-22)

Saved by a fish - Jonah's intervention with God that also involved nature, he had an experience with a huge storm and a huge fish that ate something he didn't like. (Jonah 1:17-2:10)

In church circles we like to say that we need to be willing to be used by God, that' a great attitude to have, but Balaam and Jonah prove that God can use us and have great outcomes even when our hearts are not in it. 

God Is In Control

God's plans cannot be opposed successfully, he often works through human resistance or ignorance to bring about his will. (A few more examples: Genesis 50:20, Isaiah 10:5-10, Romans 9:17) 

God's control causes Balaam to bless Israel and he goes even further and includes a prophecy about King David and the victory that he would have over many nations including the people of Moab that Balaam was trying to help. (Numbers 24:15-19 // 2 Samuel 8:2) 

God's control causes Jonah to bless Nineveh as he reluctantly gives them God's message of repentance that brings a great revival that puts off their destruction. Jonah's short sermon brought about a greater response than the prophet ever saw from preaching to Israel but he didn't like the response. (Jonah 4:1-3)

God's control will bring a greater blessing, the ultimate fulfillment of these two prophets are seen in Jesus. Balaam and Jonah both give us a picture of who Jesus is and what he will do, Jonah gives us a picture of Jesus resurrection and Balaam tells us that we still have the reign of Jesus to look forward to.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

God's will takes over our story, even when we don't want it to, his will is causing everything to work together in harmony for his unstoppable purposes but we still think that we know better. Since it is all working out to God's good purpose, we should be more willing to seek out his plan and adopt it as our own.

Faithful Prophet

Jeremiah 10:23-24 I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.

Jeremiah's willingness and faithful obedience despite suffering stands in contrast to Balaam and Jonah. His concern for the people really stands out as he is called the weeping prophet, Balaam and Jonah were never for the people.

I need to remember the prayer of the prophet Jeremiah, he knew that "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." In fact Jeremiah came from the Tribe of Levi so being a priest was probably his plan but God called him at a young age to become a prophet instead. (Jeremiah 1:4–10)

I need to remember that my life is not my own, I need to hold on loosly to my plans and be anxious to change when God shows me what his plan is. Thankfully he has bigger and better plans than I have ever made for myself so I need to trust and obey.

I Am The Lord

You really should mean it when you call him Lord.

Leviticus 19:1-4 The LORD also said to Moses, 2 "Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. 3 "Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the LORD your God. 4 "Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.

Exodus 20:2-3 "I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 "You must not have any other god but me.

Luke 6:46 "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?

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Communication is a problem for everyone and God's people are no exception, we have our own language that can easily confuse newcomers, our use of certain words and phrases can be foreign to people outside of Christianity. 

In any culture, language is so individualistic, so much so that people that claim to speak the same language really don't. Just look at America's version of English that obviously came from England yet we insist that Americans are the ones speaking English correctly.

The word "Lord" is seldom spoken outside of religious circles, in a respectful way, and the concept of having a Lord over us is so against our culture that we tend to shy away from the idea. Sure we use the word Lord plenty of times each Sunday but it's meaning and the consequences of having a Lord is lost in the overuse of the word. It's like the word awesome, most of the time we use that word when things are nowhere near causing us to be in awe.

A search in my Bible study software for the short phrase "the Lord" in the New Living Translation comes back with 6,836 matches, found in 60 of the 66 books of the Bible. Perhaps the most significant thing I saw in this search is that God is usually speaking about himself when this phrase is spoken. 

Top ten books to use "the Lord"

1. Jeremiah - 600
2. Psalms - 485
3. Deuteronomy - 447
4. Isaiah - 405
5. Numbers - 358
6. Exodus - 355
7. 2 Chronicles - 304
8. Leviticus - 300
9. 1 Samuel - 238
10. 2 Kings - 225

The story of "the Lord"

God's story begins with the beginning of the Lord's work, it was the Lord that created the perfect world for the first man and his wife to enjoy. (Genesis 2:4) It was the Lord that shared his authority to reign, he gave mankind the authority as lord over the rest of creation, and it was the Lord that walked with mankind in the garden each day until the day that they questioned God's authority as Lord. (Genesis 1:26, 3:8)

It was the Lord that graciously made the first sacrifice to forgive their sins, since the offense was against him he had the authority to decide how the sins would be forgiven. (Genesis 3:21) I find it interesting that Adam, Eve nor the serpent say "the Lord" as they discuss the idea of rebelling against God which is the basis for every sin. (Genesis 3:1-7)

It was the Lord that approached Cain and gave him a choice, he could embrace sin as his parents did or he could learn from their mistake and also from his own sin to embrace God's warning to worship him correctly. (Genesis 4:1-8)

It was the Lord that had the authority to wipeout mankind, the Lord chose Noah to preserve the seed of the coming redeemer while he eliminated the rest of the population because of their wickedness. (Genesis 6:5-8)

It was the Lord that scattered mankind when they rebelled so quickly after the flood. It is amazing how fast the descendants of the flood survivors started living without any thought about the Lord, it seems that they must have known about the recent worldwide flood but they still ignored God's authority as they decided to make a name for themselves. (Genesis 11:1-9)

It was the Lord that chose Abram and even chose which of Abram's (Abraham) many children would be the heir of the promise. It was the Lord that continued choosing a son from each new generation, father Abraham had many sons but the Lord chose Isaac and then he chose Jacob over Esau and then from the 12 sons of Jacob, God chose Judah and then he chose a son from Judah.

We could keep on going through all 66 books of the Bible but it is already obvious from this quick outline of the book of Genesis that someone is in charge and it isn't the humans.

I am the Lord and I will do...

Exodus 6:6-7  “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.  7  I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.

In the book of Exodus, the Lord is about to do something important so he goes to Moses with important information. God told Moses who he is and what he will do for his people, he will do things that only God can possibly do, and he will do it without asking for the approval of the thousands of people that it would affect.

When God was about to take his people out of Egypt, he just did it! This is a very strong argument in favor of God's sovereignty and the election of a chosen people. When our Lord decided that you are his chosen child he didn't extend an offer to you and ask for your consent, he just did it! Our Lord does not answer to anyone and he isn't depending on something that any of us might do.

In fact it is a very good thing that God didn't require a minimum amount of faith or goodness before he took them out of Egypt because they would have never been able to leave. You would probably expect the faith of God's people would have grown during each of the ten plagues that the Lord sent upon Egypt but somehow they didn't learn.

The Lord Gives Us The Perfect Example

John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will."

God didn't just command us to live a certain way he also gave us the perfect example of someone that did live under the authority and reign of our Lord. Jesus submitted to the Lordship of God and obeyed him despite the physical difficulties and the spiritual opposition.

Philippians 2:7-8  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,  8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Whatever rights, control or privileges that we think we should have must be given up to please our Lord. If our Lord stooped down from his high position to submit to God's lordship then we must do the same. We need to state the same thing that Thomas declared "My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) and we also need to let it really be true in the way that we live. (Luke 6:46)

God help me to call you the Lord and grasp what it really means and allow you to truly be the Lord. Help me to live like it is really true so that your kingdom will come and your will, will be done in my life for your glory.

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Redeemed For God's Glory

We think it's all about us but God's plans are bigger than that.

Exodus 14:10-13  As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 

12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” 

13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.

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We saw in the previous post that God saved his people from the sting of death and the world reacted by sending them away. The Egyptian people had enough of God's power being used against them but they were not ready to change their ways. They chose to stay with their powerless gods that didn't do anything to protect them from the real God.

It didn't take long for Pharaoh to get over the death of his firstborn son and think about what he had just allowed to happen. The Egyptians asked each other "What have we done?" but they are not the only ones asking this question, God's people also had their share of regrets for leaving. (Exodus 14:5, 10)

When the report came in that the Hebrews were in a vulnerable position that Pharaoh could use to get them back, he thought it was all about him, he didn't realize that God allowed him to see this irresistible opportunity for a bigger purpose.

When God's people saw that Pharaoh was coming after them and they saw their helpless position between the mountains and the sea, they thought it was all about themselves. Just like Pharaoh, they saw their circumstances from a selfish perspective, but that's exactly what we all would do. 

It isn't natural to view our trials and suffering from God's point of view, we think about our safety and our chances of survival just like they did, but God allowed his wrath to be seen by his children as he judged the world to teach them some lessons that they would never fully embrace.

God's people need to learn that:

1. God is sovereign over all things, including the trials that come into our lives, it is difficult to understand that not only does he allow trials, he also sends trials. 

2. God sends trials and difficulty so that he can show his glory to his people and to the rest of the world. The supernatural way that God saved his people, proved that the little gods that man creates are nothing compared to the strength of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob's ancestors.

3. God ordains trials so that we will trust Him to deliver us. God wants us to cry out to him in faith, but sometimes he wants us to stop crying and get to work. Just like God told Moses to end his prayer meeting and get to work, we can also be slow to put our faith into action. (Exodus 14:15)

Exodus 14:30-31 That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore.

31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

God revealed himself to the Egyptians in a very special way but as plain as the evidence is, most of them were still blind to the truth, they rejected all of the obvious displays of God's power that should have proved to the Egyptians that he alone is God but they still rejected him. (Exodus 7:5, 9:16, 14:4, 14:18)

Satan is happy if we have a god or two just as long as it isn't the God and only the God. Satan is pleased that most people believe in the idea of God as long as they don't believe in a biblical view of God. We try to change who God is and what he requires of us so that we can feel comfortable about our lives and our destiny after death but God is perfect and therefore he is unchangeable. (Psalm 53:1, Romans 1:18-19, Hebrews 1:10-12)

Philippians 1:28-29 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

We have been saved from the kingdom of darkness and evil to live as pilgrims and ambassadors that represent a better country that will be our future home for eternity. (2 Corinthians 5:20, Colossians 1:13-14, Hebrews 11:13-16)

We have not been saved from the trials of this life. The same God that asked Abraham to leave home is the same God that asked Noah to build a huge boat and he is the same God that led his children to Egypt to suffer for hundreds of years.

Exodus 18:10-11 “Praise the LORD,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”

My rescue is a testimony to the rest of the world. Moses left his father in law on a mission from God, after the mission was completed Jethro told his son in law that he was convinced about God because of the display of God's power in the lives of his people. When God's glory is displayed in our lives, some people will react like Jethro but other people will be more like the Egyptians.

Through all of our difficult and challenging situations God reminds us that he created us for his glory and he saved us to display his glory to the world so that all of mankind will know him.

All of the glory for my salvation goes to God. If I can help God in the process then I can share some of His glory, but he came to give me the rescue that I couldn't possibly achieve on my own. The possibility of me saving myself are no better than what God's people had as they were camped out by the Red Sea with Pharaoh coming after them.

Thank you Lord for my rescue from the kingdom of this world. Help me to show your glory to the world as I wait patiently for my ultimate rescue when you take me to the Promised Land.

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Exalted By God

God's favorite people to use are usually the most unlikely.

Genesis 41:37-40 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?”

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

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Most of us can relate to the story of Joseph, we have all been loved and yet also hated and just like Joseph it seems like hate is winning most of the time. When Joseph's story begins he is the favorite son and he has prophecies from God predicting his great destiny but then his brothers hatred for him begins a long downward spiral.

Everything looks good until he is betrayed by his brothers, first they want to kill him but then they decide to sell him for the price of a slave, it is the first of three times that Joseph is betrayed, after his brothers it would be Potiphar's wife and then the cup bearer.  They all seemed to have their own agenda and Joseph wasn't included. 

This story bothers us but it is a great lesson for us to remember in our life story. We like to think that good things happen to good people but from the very first book of the Bible God shows us that it doesn't work that way. The Bible proves to us that when things don't go as easy as we want them too, that is a good thing that God has sent your way, the school of faith has opened and you have been enrolled. 

Joseph is just as blind as Job was to the reasons for his miserable suffering, the Book of Job tells us that Job is "blameless— a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil" but that isn't enough to ensure that Job would live without trouble and as good as Joseph is he also had his share of problems.

Just like Job, Joseph probably wasn't aware that God was using him to bring him glory even when it looked like he didn't even have the favor of God. Joseph was down and out without any explanation from God for 22 years, he could have assumed by his circumstances that God didn't like him and his visions of greatness were just crazy dreams. (Genesis 37:1-11)

God brings his own promise to the brink of failure, only to show that he has been in charge all along.

-John Piper

It is easy to forget that God's favorite people to use are the ones that seem to be the least likely. The world will tear you down and remind you of why you can't be used by God but his normal way of doing things is usually to allow things to look impossible so that when he steps in we are reminded that he is in control. God is looking past your hurts, habits and hang-ups to surprise everybody for his glory.

Genesis 50:19-20 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Joseph gives us a glimpse of Jesus thousands of years before the prophecy of his birth was fulfilled. They both forgave those that wronged them, they were exalted after suffering and their suffering was the vehicle that God used to save his people.

God was not surprised by the evil that happened in Joseph's life, God wasn't caught off guard and think to himself "how can I use that for good," God is in control of everything and it is all being used by God for his purpose. 

God may leave me in the dark about what he is doing but that's okay. I know that he can be trusted with every detail of my life knowing that it will all be used for his glory and for my good. Part of him receiving glory is found in the work of making me into a new, exalted creation that looks more like him as I study his word and apply it to my life. (Romans 8:29-30)

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God Promises His People

Jacob receives the promises of God without working for them.

Genesis 28:3-4 May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! 4 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.”

Romans 9:10-12 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 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; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”

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In the previous post we saw how an entire family was working outside of the will of God. Isaac and Esau conspired together to go against God but Rebekah and Jacob were also outside of God's will even though they were trying to accomplish God's will. They really thought that they needed to help God and protect his interest even if it meant sinning.

Because of all of this deception the family became even more dysfunctional than it already was. As a result of all of these sinners actions, Jacob would have to leave everything behind even though he received the blessing and would be the heir of God's promises.

But before Jacob leaves home his father Isaac willingly reaffirms the blessing to Jacob without the deceit that happened the first time around. Validating the authenticity of the blessing will be helpful to Jacob when he begins to be confronted by guilt and doubts start to creep in.

Despite the wrongs that were done to get the blessing God's plans would not be changed. God said that Jacob would be the heir of the covenant that he made with Abraham and nothing that man can do will change that. Jacob hadn't done anything to be chosen and he didn't do anything that would make God change his mind. 

The conflict between our rotten sin nature and God's holy grace lives on in God's story with mankind. Jacob proves that he isn't the hero of the story that deserves the blessing any more than his brother or his forefathers did but he receives it anyway.

Genesis 28:12-13 As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. 13 At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, “I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.

After Isaac confirmed that Jacob was the chosen son, Jacob gets another confirmation that would be much more impressive. God restated the covenant that he made with Abraham and Isaac while Jacob slept. Jacob found out that resting in God's grace and mercy is much better than striving to accomplish his will by working it out in the flesh.

God made all three provisions of the original promise to Jacob: the land, descendants who will be like the dust of the earth, and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through his descendants.

Jacob learned that the gateway to Heaven cannot be approached by our good works and determination. Jesus told us the same thing, he saw people all around him that were striving to get to God by grit and determination, he taught them over and over again that you can't get yourself to heaven.

John 1:49-51  Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”  50  Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”

51  Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

In Jacob's dream Jesus was up in Heaven at the top of the ladder that God provided but now Jesus has come to earth to be our access to Heaven. Jesus told his audience everyday that he is the straight and narrow way that we must use to get to Heaven. (John 3:16, 5:18, 10:9, 14:6)

Jesus wasn't all talk, his claims were validated by his extraordinary abilities, he saw Nathanael under the fig tree and he sees each of us. Jesus miracles proved his identity so that we will know that he has the authority to tell us how to get to heaven. We are saved only by resting in His Word and His work on our behalf. 

Thank you God that you provided us access to Heaven that mankind has been struggling to achieve. Help me to rest in you and in the promises that you have made. (Isaiah 64:6, Titus 3:5)

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The Promised Son Rebels

Gods sovereign will cannot be stopped.

Genesis 25:21-23 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. 22 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. 23 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.”

Genesis 27:1-4 One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.” “Yes, Father?” Esau replied. 2 “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. 3 Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 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.”

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Hold on, did you see what just happened? In chapter 25 of Genesis God said that the older son, Esau would serve the younger son, Jacob and then over in chapter 27 Isaac is attempting to turn all of that around.

Even before he was born, God made it clear that Jacob would be the heir of the covenant promises made to Abraham but suddenly Isaac calls in his son Esau to try and give him the inheritance. But Isaac doesn't realize that his wife is going to step in and "help" God with his will so that Jacob will get what has been promised.

All four of the characters in this family drama are working outside of God's will, Isaac and Esau conspired together to go against God but Rebekah and Jacob were also outside of God's will even though they were trying to accomplish God's will.

The Deception

• Blessing the oldest son was usually done with the rest of the family present but Isaac and Esau didn't want anyone reminding them of what God told them. Isaac was more concerned about what his wife thought than he was about God.
• This is probably not the first time that Rebekah has been eavesdropping on the conversations between Isaac and Esau. That's why the props needed to make the deception work were so accessible.
• Jacob didn't refuse to go along with the deception for the right reasons, he was more concerned with getting caught than doing the right thing, he is a grown man that could have easily stood up to his mom. (40 years old)
• Isaac intended to give all of his blessings to Esau without anything being left to give to Isaac. That's why there wasn't anything left when Esau begged to have something after it was all given to Jacob.
• Jacob must have been anxious to get the blessing done before Esau returns. He had to keep telling more lies as he answered his father's questions. Jacob had the nerve to say that God helped him.

The consequences 

• Isaac set his heart on that which was contrary to the will of God, this is the same man that got on the altar when God told his dad to sacrifice him, he has gone from huge faith and obedience to one of the biggest examples of rebellion in the Bible.
• Esau wants to kill Jacob so that the blessings can then come back to him. But instead Esau would father the nation of Edom which would bring trouble to the descendants of Jacob.
• Jacob was forced to leave home and leave behind all of the inheritance that would someday be his. He had gained everything but he temporarily lost it all.
• Rebekah lost her awesome relationship with Jacob and her relationship with Esau become strained even more that before. Esau purposely annoyed her by marrying more of the local Canaanite women.
• Esau and Jacob will have a strained relationship, it will be 20 years later when the two meet and settle their differences.

Attempting to help God accomplish his will and purposes is a crazy idea, we can't even guarantee the outcomes of the events that happen in our lives, how can we believe that God needs our help.

God has always had a people, he chooses whoever he wants and makes his sovereign will come to pass, even the rule about the firstborn son doesn't matter to God. The first born doesn't always win:

• Abel over Cain
• Isaac over Ishmael
• Jacob over Esau
• Ephraim over Manasseh 
• Judah over Reuben

God didn't need Rebekah to deceive her husband to thwart his plan to rebel against God, even if Isaac's plan to pass the blessings on to Esau had been successful, God could have killed Esau and the rights as the oldest son would have gone to Jacob.

The most unnecessary job in the world is trying to help make God's will come to pass. Worse yet is lying and cheating to make his will come to pass. God has a long history of working out his will without my help.

Keep me in the center of your will Lord.