In the church congregations, there will be some individuals who do not have the Spirit of God but have "joined" the church and have even been baptized in water ... and there are also some individuals who are born again by the Spirit of God. These are the Christians, those born of the Spirit of God, children of God.
Romans 8:14 as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The Holy Spirit in us does the following for us:
* teaches us all things (John 14:26)
* reminds us of all that Jesus has said (John 14:26)
* guides us into all truth (John 16:13)
* shows us things to come (John 16:13)
The children of God:
Romans 9:6-8 ... For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Jude vv. 17-19 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators: those who copy those persons who seem to be spiritual) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
God chooses to reveal HIMSELF to some people. These are the children of God. They are born again by God by HIS Spirit by that WORD which God speaks to them.
Jesus says: John 3:5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ... 7 Ye must be born again.
When we are born again, we are changed by God instantly. We are like a different person instantly. When this happens we want to know things of God. We want to see what the Bible says. We are changed. We still have more changes ahead as we choose to obey scriptures and we are recreated over and over through the coming years each time we choose to obey the scriptures. But the initial change is instant.
Now we can see things of God.
Before, we just did those things the preachers told us to do and we copied people who seemed religious.
Now we are religious, spiritual.
I Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
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God revealed himself to Noah. Then Noah was a child of God.
Genesis 6:13-14 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood;
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God revealed himself to Abraham. Then Abraham was a child of God.
Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
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Abraham had 2 sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was a child of the flesh of man and Isaac was a child of the promise, a child of God. (Ishmael was not a child of God.) Isaac was a child of God.
Genesis 26:1-6 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham.
And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed MY voice, and kept MY charge, MY commandments, MY statutes, and MY laws.
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
24-25 And the Lord appeared unto him (to Isaac) the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord,
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Isaac had 2 sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau was not a child of God. Jacob was a child of God.
Genesis 28:10-16 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
Until God reveals HIMSELF to us, we don't know HIM.
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Until God reveals HIMSELF to us, we don't know HIM.
It may be as simple as this: All of a sudden something happens and we just "know", and we are changed. Often God will bring a concept of truth to our mind and we are changed as a result. Or there may be words brought to our mind which bring us truth and change us.
And after that initial moment, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit lives in us and brings concepts to our mind to show us the way to go as we face issues of this life. And the Holy Spirit brings to our mind truth concerning scriptures from time to time, "revelations" from God.
Without these things we are dead. With these experiences, we are alive to God. We are children of God.
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Concerning Jacob and Isaac:
Romans 9:10-13 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of HIM that calleth;)
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
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If we are the called of God, then at some point God has revealed HIMSELF to us and has changed us causing us to be born again by the Spirit of God.
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As you read the following story of Esau and Jacob, you will witness God revealing HIMSELF to Jacob. Multiple times this happens. And you will identify it for it also happened to you when you are born again. God revealed HIMSELF to you!
Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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Genesis 27:1-5 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.
And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
But Rebekah knew the blessing of God was to go to the younger son, Jacob, and not to Esau.
Romans 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rebekah instigates plans to stop this blessing from going to Esau.
Genesis 27:6-27 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 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.
And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.
And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.
And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 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.
And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
(It is shocking to us that Jacob lied to his father, Isaac. This is before God revealed HIMSELF to Jacob. This is perhaps the difference. But the New Testament scriptures in Romans 9 make it clear that Jacob is the child that is of God and later in these passages in Genesis we will see God revealing Himself to Jacob.)
(It is shocking to us that Jacob lied to his father, Isaac. This is before God revealed HIMSELF to Jacob. This is perhaps the difference. But the New Testament scriptures in Romans 9 make it clear that Jacob is the child that is of God and later in these passages in Genesis we will see God revealing Himself to Jacob.)
And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.
And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.
And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:
(Rebekah had dressed Jacob in Esau's garment.)
Isaac then said:
Genesis 27:28-29 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
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Genesis 27:30-45 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
Remember when Abraham sent his servant to fetch a wife for Isaac? Abraham sent his servant to Laban, Rebekah's brother's house.
Laban was tricky.
When the servant wanted to depart to take Rebekah back, Laban tried to get him to tarry a few days, "at least 10 days." Genesis 24:55
But Abraham's servant was wise, having dealt with all of Abraham's goods, so the servant got Laban to agree to an immediate departure, returning to Abraham with Rebekah who was to be Isaac's wife.
Now Jacob is going to be tricked by Laban. He ends up having to serve 14 years to get the wife he was promised by Laban, Rachel.
But God turns this for good and for HIS own purpose. Jacob has sons by Leah, the eldest daughter, and by Rachel, the daughter he loves, and by two handmaids.
Twelve sons are born to Jacob.
These sons will be the 12 tribes of Israel.
And salvation will come to Jacob, now named Israel by God, by his firstborn of Rachel, Joseph.
For there is a famine coming and Joseph will end up being their route to nourishment during this famine.
70 men will end up going down into Egypt. Over 600,000 men will come out of Egypt when God delivers his people after the next 400 years.
It is all God's plan by God's will.
Isaiah 55:8-11 For MY thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways, saith the Lord.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of MY mouth: it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The word of God is destruction to one and salvation to another.
II Corinthians 2:15-17 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ (The Word), in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways, and MY thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of MY mouth: it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The word of God is destruction to one and salvation to another.
II Corinthians 2:15-17 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ (The Word), in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
But the Word always accomplishes that which God pleases, whether destruction or salvation.
And we, who are of God, go forth with joy and peace, speaking that Word which is given us by God.
And we, who are of God, go forth with joy and peace, speaking that Word which is given us by God.
Isaiah 55:12-13 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
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