The Character of the Five-fold

The Character of the Five-Fold

Ministry.

 

There is a well-known story in the Torah, of two brothers, that gives a perfect illustration of diametrically opposed character, symbolizing two different attitudes towards ministry. The story is about Jacob and Eau.

It is easy to read through the story about these two men and get lost in the detail. Upon a close examination the human character is being displayed, ministry decisions, ministry error, ministry strength and weakness. It is like standing on the field during a Football game, we will see the intricate details of each play, but miss the bigger picture.

The same is true here. Both men were born from the same mother and father, one however had the birthright, but the other desired it more. The Story in Genesis is a good example of a vivid example of ministry dealing, deceptions, conflict and even hatred. Let us be aware that we do not get lost in the mire of biased human reactions and dealings, we must take a moment to step back and analyze these actions through the sovereign eyes of the Spirit of Understanding.

Let’s start with the father and mother. The scripture says that Isaac was blind, could this be a physical blindness that was a result of a spiritual blindness. The Mother, Rebekah, was unable to bear children. However it does indicate that she did pray and after she conceived. YAHVEH got her attention by creating a little difficulty inside of her. The twins have been fighting ever since!

The result was that both father and mother were driven closer to YAHVEH. It is just like YAHVEH to use all the events concerning the birth of Jacob and Esau, including the barrenness of Rebekah to cause both parents to continually seeking YAHVEH.

YAH’S sovereign hand was also demonstrated in the actual birth of the twins. The first evidence of this is in the predictive prophecy that was given to assure Rebekah. A predictive prophecy is a portion of YAH’S sovereign plan that He has chosen to make known to man before it actually happens. Since YAHVEH is eternal; then all of His thoughts are from eternity.

Since the prophecy about Jacob and Esau reveals what YAHVEH thought about each of them, it is He who determined their roles on earth. The twins in the womb were two entirely different characters. The nations, which they were to establish, would inherit these tendencies. The struggle, which begins in the womb, would continue throughout their lives and history.

Another example of seeing the character at work in this famous birth is that Esau was born first. He was named because of how he looked, very hairy. Jacob was named from something concerning his birth also. As the second child, he entered the world holding onto his brother’s heel.

The Hebrew root word means heel is bqf..  By giving Jacob a name from a Hebrew root, which means heel his parent were unwittingly contributing an important part towards the fulfillment of the prophecy given to the mother by YAHVEH. This first Messianic prophecy, elucidate the struggle between the see of the serpent and the seed of the woman, the serpent’s seed would bruise the woman’s seed on the heel.

Lets start to look at the character of these two men. The birthright trkb meant several things. First, it signified that the possessor of it, usually the first male to be born, was considered the family priest. As such he was the one who would facilitate between family members and YAHVEH, by performing the sacrifices necessary in order to relate to YAHVEH. By rejecting the birthright, Esau demonstrates that he did not possess a personal relationship with YAHVEH, nor did he care enough to help others draw closer to the Holy YAHVEH.

Second, the receiver of the birthright was the immediate inheritor of all that his father possessed. Moreover, in him was the continuation of his father spiritual heritage. For whatever reason, Jacob either attempted to earn his father’s favor or just because he wanted to do so, he deemed himself worthy of the task to do so.

In Jacob’s thinking, the firstborn’s main task was to ensure the permanence of family traditions, and the responsibility to carry on with complete continuity with what the founder of the redeemed family had started. For Esau this responsibility was unacceptable. It involves considerable sacrifice and a devotion, which would constantly curb his freedom to follow his innate tendencies as a hunter. What is important to Esau is not a long and exacting labor, which would bear fruit only after death, but immediate enjoyment and momentary physical satisfaction.

The important outcome is that Jacob ended up securing the birthright from Esau. It seems clear from the text that Jacob did not do so because of a great desire to maintain the family heritage. He did so because his mother understands the value of such a position, remember she had a vision of the plan of YAHVEH during her pregnancy.

Eventually we come to Isaac the father on his death bed, and like most father had to hand over the birthright to one of his sons. The mere fact that he was blind physically illustrates that he was blind spiritually also. It was YAHVEH who gave the vision to the mother, symbolizing that the ability to see in the spiritual realm was also available to the Rebekah.

The dispensing of the blessing is what all fathers did before they died, as did Jacob, and Moses ect. Rebekah favored Jacob while Isaac favored Esau. When it came time for Isaac to give his final blessing, Rebekah overheard Isaac ask for some of his favorite food as a part of the festive occasion.

While Esau went to hunt for meat, Rebekah seizes the opportunity to maneuver Jacob into the position by deceit. The deception worked. When Esau returned to receive his blessing, it was too late. Both Jacob and Rebekah had tricked Isaac into giving this very important blessing to Jacob.

It is amazing enough to see the deception perpetrated by Rebekah and Jacob to secure the blessing, but the real drama is Isaac refusal to reverse his blessings, despite the fact that Jacob received it dishonestly. I believe that Isaac’seyes finally opened to the fact that it was YAH’S will. His blindness caused him to rely on tradition other than the will of YAHVEH. Isaac could not see the tree in the forest, he only saw the forest. He did not realize who Esau was spiritually, and was willing to give him the blessing even though it was not YAHVEHs will. This however did not justify Rebekah’s action, even though see knew YAHVEHs plan for Jacob, she took in upon herself to institute it. She should have relied on YAH’S divine purpose to fulfill itself, YAHVEH needs no help. She later paid a very high price for her role in this deception, she never saw her son again after he ran away.

Through the permissive dealings of YAHVEH, Jacob will be forced to flee from an extremely angry brother. He would end up in the land of his ancestor, where he finally learns to be submissive, and where he also found a wife.

All ministries must realize that what goes around comes around. As Jacob deceived Esau, so Laban deceive Jacob, costing him many years of his life. In the process YAHVEH was sovereignly working sanctification into the character of Jacob as YAHVEH did in the life of Abraham and Isaac. At the same time YAHVEH was moving people to accomplish His eternal Ministry regarding the future of the Nation of Yisrael and the progressive unfolding of the history of redemption.

Now we see Jacob again fleeing from his uncle Laban. Amid his spiritual journey we still see Jacob caught up in a game of deception. In is quest to out smart others, we see a young Jacob, whose life has this far been characterized by shrewdness, is up against an older more experience Laban.

Let’s see the development of Jacob’s character as he conducts himself, and what he learns during those difficult years in his life. In the process, we learn how YAHVEH sovereignly uses all events in Jacob life in order to carry our His eternal will for Yisrael. The following outlines the approach to the match of wits with Laban:

§        The preparation for battle YAHVEH speaks to Jacob.

§       The Battle of wits.

§                 First round laban Frustrates Jacob.

§                 Second round Jacob outsmarts Laban.

§                 Third round Rachel joins the Battle.

§                 The aftermath of the battle, YAHVEH spoke to Laban.

During his flight from Esau, as it was getting dark, Jacob lay down to sleep on a rock, and had a vision of a ladder which extended from heaven. It was at this same place where the covenant YAHVEH made with Abraham and Isaac was confirmed with Jacob.

Genesis 28:16 tell us that Jacob awoke from what was much more than a dream. Jacob’s reaction was such that he believed that YAHVEH had really appeared and had spoken to him, therefore he worshiped YAHVEH and calls the place by two name LX tyb Beit El, the house of YAHVEH and Mymwh rfw  sha’ar haShamayim, Gate of Heaven. Because he had such a significant encounter with the Holy One, he set up memorial stones to help him relocate this place whenever he returned to it. He did not want the blessedness of his meeting with YAHVEH at this spot to be forgotten. This was the ancient spot for the city of Jerusalem.

On his return journey, Jacob got into a wrestling match with an angel, symbolizing the righteous person’s inner struggle against the forces of the flesh. It is usually on the eve of our most formidable success that a struggle with the flesh usually takes place. This seems to me that this wrestling match was the set time for Jacob’s transformation of his character, from being a follower of men into being a mature Son of YAHVEH.

Up to this point in his life all the achievements Jacob had gained were the result of his own initiative. One of deception, craftiness, and cunning, the way of the flesh, man’s way as opposed to YAH’S way. Now on his return to Canaan, Jacob found himself to be in a situation that was totally over his head. To make matters worse his mother was already dead, he had no friends, only YAHVEH.

He could not face Esau with a deceiving spirit any more. It was at this point that YAHVEH Himself stepped in to change Jacob’s character. He did so by engaging Jacob in a divine wrestling match, which brought to a end, a life time of fighting against YAHVEH, by doing it his way. It was not against Esau or Laban that Jacob was fighting it was YAHVEH Himself, if he had just learned to surrender and see the power of YAHVEH, fulfilling His own Sovereign will. The lesson is so obvious, we cannot live like a Son of YAHVEH if we are a follower of the traditions of men.

As a result of this match, YAHVEH gave Jacob both spiritual victory and defeat of the flesh. Deception and following after man’s way would have to go, The Angel left a permanent reminder, to remind Jacob that this was a real experience, he would walk with a limp ever since, showing that his walk has been Altered by YAHVEH Himself. This encounter was also a victory for Jacob, YAHVEH dealt with his flesh and caused a new man to emerge.

This is important for today’s ministries, we are a new creation, being restored from having layers of flesh, which hinder the new creation from functioning and showing itself. YAHVEH is continually sanctifying us at the Laver so that we can yield our members more and more to Him. He must constantly wash our inner most parts in the water of the Laver as a sign of sacrifice to Him, and more of the righteousness, which He planted in us, can come forth. I believe that Jacob was wrestling with himself, the person who he would eventually become and his present or former self that had to be left behind. How could a man wrestle with a divine being? Inside of us dwells a continuous struggle, between the flesh and the spiritual man.

The aftermath of this struggle within Jacob is the success of the Spiritual man. Jacob was now sufficiently prepared for his traumatic encounter with Esau. Before the wrestling match, Jacob had made all sorts of preparations, which have been very natural for a man whose mind was of the flesh. None of the precautions taken by Jacob really matters, the text says that after twenty years Esau ran towards him, embraced him, fell on him and kissed him and they wept together. When we are spiritually in tune with YAHVEH, our very enemy will be at peace with us. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace. Longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All these were evident in the meeting of Jacob and Esau, a total transformation of Jacob’s character.

YAHVEH changes us from the inside by His dealings with us. The perception of the flesh is never true. Like a fully-grown elephant that is held captive by a small chain that he can easily break. But the conditioning of years being held as a young elephant by a very large chain, that elephant is conditioned in its mind that he is unable to break free. Similarly years of conditioning by the flesh, has taught us that we are not capable of overcoming, but that uncap strength that is created by the Blood of the Messiyah is able do break us free.

The story of the sexual violation of Dinah is another example of the spiritual maturity of Jacob. While Dinah’s brothers were full of emotional indignation, Jacob, for his part, seemed more reserved and held his emotions in check, as a wise man ought to. Jacob needed help to decide what the best course of action should be for all the parties involved. While Jacob was still deliberating, the impulsive youth took over and forced a decision, ending with the slaughter of the male in the town.

 Jacob nevertheless was beside himself with anger towards his sons. They tried to focus Jacob’s mind on what they thought was the obvious right thing to do. Jacob however did not see it that way. It was not because he thought Shechem did right by hurting Dinah, but in every situation, all of the extenuating factors must be weighed before any action is taken. Jacob was trying to act with long-suffering, self-control and wisely in an obvious emotional situation.

As ministers in The Mighty Hand of YAHVEH, we will be called to deal with situations as Jacob had been called to do when his sons try to deal with matters in the nature of the flesh. As I have said a few paragraphs early, the perception of the flesh in never true. Shechem thought that he was doing the right thing, but he was not. Our YAHVEHly character is the result of the extent that we are under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of YAHVEH.