By Olubunmi Adebayo
*1) Why his own mother was hell-bent and completely willing to work against him by diverting his blessing for his twin brother should be a shocker to everyone of us.*
*A mother should be the closest person to a person. Head or tail, a mother should be there for you, rooting for your progress and success.*
*The above was the painful story of Esau in the hand of his own mother – Rebekah.*
*No doubt, we all have our preferences, but the way Rebekah expressed her prejudice against Esau and her preference for Jacob, is one out of this world – most painful and quite regrettable.*
*At a point in time when Jacob – the preferred son was having fears and developing cold feet about the possible failure of the switch of blessing against his brother, Rebekah made one of the most diabolical and profoundly painful statements in the entire Bible :*
*Genesis 27:[11] And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:*
*[12] My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a CURSE upon me, and not a blessing.*
*_[13]And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them._*
*Do you realize the implication of Rebekah’s statement quoted above?*
*She was intentional, she was determined, she was deliberate about her scheme against Esau. For Rebekah, it was a case of “do or die” action.*
*When the Bible says :*
*”The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”(Jer 17:9)*
*The action of Rebekah against her own son -Esau, was a typical one.*
*2) The hatred of the brothers of Joseph against him was extraordinary (all on the account of his dreams).*
*But do you know that not even several years of separation between the brothers and Joseph was NOT enough to melt their hatred for their brother?*
*They have been separated from Joseph for 13 years, but still imagine what they said about his memory and personality :*
*Genesis 42: [13] And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.*
*The word in verse 13 above -“one is not,” simply means one is no more, ie, he was DEAD.*
*Imagine the brothers of Joseph, they stood before the very person in question and they told Joseph inerdvertently to his face that as far as they are concerned, – the missing Joseph from the family tree was dead.*
*Do you know that there are people around you who in their hearts wish that you are dead? This is why you must never joke with your relationship with God, and with prayers.*
*3) Shiloh was a place of God’s power and presence. The glory of God undoubtedly manifested there.*
*But do you know that year in, year out that Hannah went to Shiloh, Peninnah was always excited that her rival CAME BACK WITH NOTHING?*
*Or how do you explain a fellow woman mocking the other who couldn’t conceive when she knew that the fellow in question visits God yearly for divine intervention!*
*You may not know it, some people are excited and rejoicing that your prayers are not answered :*
*1 Samuel 1:[3] And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh…*
*[6] And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.*
*[7]And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.*
*One would think that Peninnah – being a fellow woman, should be the one most sympathetic towards Hannah and the challenge she was facing, but alas!*
*If you think the hands of some of the men and women you see around you are meant to clap for you and celebrate your progress in life, then you are either joking or you are operating in plain delusion.*
*This is why you must be careful and be prayerful about your personal issues and matters.*
*But as The Lord liveth, and his spirit is alive, those silent waiting mockers around you will wait for ever in shame in Jesus mighty name.*
*Am excitedly waiting for your testimony, just like Joseph and Hannah did testify.*
*Shalom 🙏*
©️ Olubunmi S Adebayo.
