Genesis-97 – Exodus from Canaan

Genesis 27:46-28:5

 

“And Rebekah said to Isaac, 'I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob marries one of the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of this land, what good will my life be to me?' Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham.' Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother." Amen.

 

The People Unchanged After Jacob's Deception

We have looked at four individuals: Isaac, Esau, Jacob, and Rebekah. Through them, we have seen a disheartening portrait of a "wicked family," and for several weeks, we stood before God's Word, realizing that the same sin exists within us. After Jacob's deception—the event that shook the entire family—what happened to them? What became of Jacob and Esau?

 

To put it simply, no one changed, except for Isaac. The fact that no one repented and that their attitudes remained completely unaltered is astonishing every time we read the Bible. Look at Esau. Enraged by the fact that Jacob had received the blessing, he was filled with fury. He was so angry that he said, "I wish to kill him." What he first thought in his heart, he eventually spoke aloud, and the story reached Rebekah.

 

I believe Rebekah was like a "human wiretap." Just as she had overheard the stories of Abraham and Isaac, she again heard Esau's words, which he had spoken to a very select few as if to himself. Esau's attitude was still consumed by anger, and he never once reflected on his own mistake of despising his birthright. His rage had robbed him of the opportunity to look inward. This is something that often happens to us as well. Instead of thinking about what's important, we often get caught up in things that anger us or put us at a disadvantage.

 

After hearing all this, Rebekah informed Jacob and prepared for his escape. In the process, she again used Esau. She used Esau's marriage to a Hittite woman as a pretext to speak to Isaac, saying, "How weary and sorrowful we are because Esau married women from the Hittites. Therefore, Jacob must not do the same." While this was technically true, it was a considerable ploy. Do you remember how Isaac got married? Isaac did not go to find a wife himself; Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to keep Isaac in the land of Canaan.

 

But now, Rebekah tells Isaac, "Let's send Jacob to Laban's house to find a wife," and Isaac agrees. Because of this, Jacob leaves the land of promise, Canaan. It is ironic that Abraham entered Canaan at the age of 75, and Jacob leaves it at a similar age. Abraham 'came into' Canaan, while Jacob is 'leaving' Canaan. This event has a much deeper connection to the entire Bible than we might think, so let's delve into this topic more deeply.

 

Isaac's Transformation and the Meaning of 'El Shaddai'

Isaac's transformation is clearly evident. The moment he realized Jacob had entered in Esau's place, he trembled and confessed that God had given all the blessings to Jacob. He acknowledged that his own stubbornness and plans were wrong, and in accordance with God's will, he told Esau, "I have nothing left to give you."

 

This time, surprisingly, he did not bless Jacob out of necessity or because he was deceived, but voluntarily. His attitude had completely changed. As he sent Jacob away, instead of scolding him for deceiving his brother, he assured him that God had given him the "blessing of Abraham." Isaac was now setting aside his own will and submitting to God's will. The word he used at this moment is very important.

 

Let's look at today's passage, Genesis 28:3: "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples." The phrase "God Almighty" is the word 'El Shaddai'. Do you remember the old praise song "El Shaddai" sung by Michael Card? It came out 20-30 years ago and became more widely known through famous gospel singers like Amy Grant. The lyrics and melody are truly wonderful, especially the redemptive history they contain.

 

The song speaks of God as the Most High and as our caregiver, singing about God's redemptive history, such as the Exodus and the covenant with Abraham. The reason 'El Shaddai' appears repeatedly in the lyrics is because this name was the most important name for God before the Mosaic covenant.

 

However, this famous name was translated as 'God Almighty' in our language, which came from Jerome's Latin Vulgate, a translation of the Septuagint. That authoritative Latin translation, which Catholics hold in high regard, carried the Greek translation over as 'God Almighty,' and this was naturally passed on to the English-speaking world. The translation isn't wrong, as it contains meanings of 'power' and 'strength,' but it doesn't encompass the full, deep meaning of the word.

 

'Shaddai' is a word whose origin is very difficult for scholars to determine. The most widely held origins are 'power' or 'to satisfy.' However, a more recent meaning, which many scholars agree on, is 'Mountain' or 'Mountain range.' 'El,' meaning 'God,' and 'Shaddai,' meaning 'mountain,' come together to mean 'Mountain of God.' While 'God Almighty' is a correct translation, the meaning of 'Mountain of God' is crucial because it makes us think about the significant flow of the entire Bible.

 

The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, has a unified theme and flow, as if it were a single book. It's astonishing that despite being written by over 40 authors across thousands of years, there is a consistent flow concerning such important things. The people of the Old Testament didn't know the New Testament, and the people of the New Testament didn't read all of the Old Testament. It hasn't been long since the Bible was compiled into a single book that anyone could easily read. Before Gutenberg's invention, only a select few had access to the Bible. Yet, despite this, the unity of content throughout the Bible is an important factor proving that the Holy Spirit is its Author.

 

This unity in the Bible's content is truly amazing. It is one of the key requirements that prove the Holy Spirit is the Author of this book. Within this unified flow are major themes like 'the kingdom of God' and 'Jesus Christ,' but if you look more closely, a recurring motif is the 'garment' or 'clothing'.

 

For example, the story of 'clothing' begins with God making garments of skin for Adam and Eve. This narrative continues consistently and coherently through the priest's garments and Christ's garments all the way to the final days in Revelation. In this way, the Bible is a book with a sense of history, and another object that demonstrates this historicity is the 'mountain'. The concept of the 'mountain' that begins with the Garden of Eden in Genesis continues to the end of all biblical stories in Revelation.

 

Do you remember another important image that often appears in the Bible? It's the great statue in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream—the one with a head of gold and feet of clay. No one could interpret this dream, but Daniel explained it. It was a revelation from God showing the ancient history of humanity.

 

And at the end of that dream, there is a story about a mountain. A "stone cut out by no human hand" flies from that mountain and smashes the statue. Here, 'cut out' means 'removed with a shovel.' That stone, which God cut out, flies and shatters the statue, and at the end of that history, the kingdom of God will be established forever.

 

As we know, this is what will happen in Revelation. We already discover in the book of Daniel that the "stone cut out" is the Messiah, the Savior, and it is a wonderful act of judgment on the world and salvation for God's people. The statue and the mountain of God stand in opposition like two mountains. The story of the mountain of God is the language that shows that God will tear down the mountains of the world and establish His own mountain. Thinking this way, we can see that the word 'El Shaddai' has a much deeper meaning than just 'almighty.'

 

When an origin is unclear or imprecise, it is most important to follow the context rather than the etymology. The reason we can understand what someone else is saying, even if we use different words, is that we understand the context. The reason why even people with poor English skills can get by in society is also because they understand the context. Even if they don't know the difficult words, they can 'roughly' grasp the context in their own way.

 

I know a wise deaconess who always mailed packages to Korea from the post office. She always sent them 'Express.' However, her daughter found it difficult to ask how to send things 'Express' due to her limited English. But her mother would go to the post office, show her package, and just say, "Wheeik!" and the clerk would understand it meant 'Express.' Language is not just about words; it's about communicating through context and atmosphere.

 

The word 'El Shaddai' is the same. We can understand its meaning better by looking at the parts of Genesis where it is most frequently used. It is because it is closely related to the covenant with Abraham. This word, which appears in chapters 17, 28, and 35, is deeply connected to the covenant.

 

Therefore, 'El Shaddai' can be defined in this way: God's accomplishment of the covenant is expressed as 'almighty.' It does not simply mean a powerful God who can do everything, but rather, 'the One who accomplishes the covenant that He has promised, despite anything.' When we think about this alongside the concept of the mountain mentioned earlier, 'El Shaddai' means that 'even if there are any obstacles in the world, God will oppose them, tear down the mountains of the world, and fulfill the covenant of the kingdom of God.'

 

God's Promise and Our Existence

When God promises, 'I will save you and be with you,' it is this 'El Shaddai' God who is making the promise to us. However, we often doubt. We wonder if God has left us, or if He is only with us when we are close to Him and living in obedience, but frowns upon us when we are a little lazy. We even think, "Lord, just look away for a moment. I'll be back after I finish this."

 

But God says that such a moment can never exist. He means that He will never let you be separated from His promise. This is difficult for us to understand because we make and break promises. But God does not.

 

Why is it important to know such a God? We often remember Jacob as a great and wonderful person, someone who, despite many ups and downs, clung to God and wrestled with Him until he was called 'Israel.' We mistakenly try to find a condition in Jacob, thinking, 'Wasn't Jacob different from the beginning, which is why God held on to him?'

 

However, we must emphasize once more that when God is with a person's life, He places all the weight on 'God will surely accomplish what He has promised.' He does not think this will happen because of our conditions or our existence.

 

Simply put, the root of Jacob's blessing does not come from his obedience. Rather, Jacob was a criminal who deceived God and profaned His name. This is how Jacob's story began. It didn't start because Jacob was obedient, nor did he suddenly stand up and say, "God, from now on, I will only follow You." God called him, and even in that moment when he was a deceiver, God was with him and made him receive the blessing of Abraham.

 

In this way, through Jacob, we come to know again where our root is. We start from the truth of Romans 3, "There is no one righteous, not even one." If this starting point feels too obvious, we may be taking the meaning of this verse too lightly. If we deeply realize the fact that 'there is no one righteous, not even one,' our entire life and way of thinking cannot help but change.

 

The Truth That We Are All the Same Sinners

My friends, we all met as the same sinners. We gathered as sinners who deserve eternal punishment before God. Is there any difference between this person and that person? No, there isn't. Then, is it appropriate for me to say to someone else, "Why do you live that way?" No, it is not. This doesn't mean we shouldn't say it because we are already doing it; it means it is an invalid statement to begin with.

 

Last night, a water pipe burst at our church, and we had no water. It was because a homeless person living near the church cut and stole the pipe. When we hear this news, it is easy for us to think, "Oh, it's a big problem that there are so many homeless people around the church. They pile up trash in front of the church, and it's getting messy." Our first thought is, "I wish these people would just leave." Anyone would think that.

 

But if we truly realize that we and they are the same sinners, what would be the right way to think? Wouldn't it be right to start with empathy? We might say, "Oh, how difficult and hard it must be for them. We are only inconvenienced for a few hours without water, but they may have resorted to stealing just to survive because they have no food." Of course, this does not mean we should leave things as they are. We must handle the situation with wisdom, but we all, without knowing it, tend to think we are better than them.

 

This is the same as saying, "We are all sinners. There is no one righteous," but then adding, "Of course, there is no one righteous, but there are some differences among sinners." However, this is not true. We are all the same sinners.

 

If we thoroughly grasp this truth, there is no reason to be offended. This is because we don't have special expectations for ourselves, nor do we have special expectations for others. What can we expect from a sinner? The same goes for the pastor. The pastor is also a sinner. Therefore, it is right to have no expectations for the pastor. How important is it for us to meditate deeply on this truth?

 

God's Love and Blessing for Sinners

God knows exactly what kind of sinners we are. He is so holy that He cannot be with us. And yet, this God says to us, "I will give you a blessing." This is truly an amazing thing. To us, who live in deceit, hatred, anger, and pride, thinking our own cleverness is the best, God says, "I will start with you." This is God's love.

 

Through 'El Shaddai,' God is saying with certainty, "Nothing can block, stop, frustrate, or destroy My love for My people." This is the same for Isaac when he speaks of 'El Shaddai' to Jacob. "Now I know. I know that the word God has given us will surely come to pass, and it will be as He promised. And I want that blessing to be fulfilled in you, too," he says, speaking of the blessing of Abraham.

 

Because of this, we must remember where we started. Although I emphasize sin, this message is actually very comforting. The words "There is no one righteous, not even one" sound even warmer when spoken by Jesus. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden." But we all think we have no burdens. We only consider life's difficulties, business failures, problems with our children, or family struggles as the heavy burdens we carry.

 

But that's not right. Our very existence is in emptiness, pain, and tears. The immediate problems in front of us are not our core issues. Even if we solve a problem, another one will surely arise. If a child's problem is solved, a problem with a spouse arises, and if that is solved, we might be hurt by someone in the church. If we start clinging only to these problems, life will end in an endless cycle of solving problems.

 

Jacob's Genesis and Our Pilgrim's Progress

If you cling to God, you will not focus on the problems right in front of you, but will get to know God, realize the meaning of eternal life, and enjoy the joy of walking with Him. Which life will you choose? You must remember that Jesus Christ has called you.

 

Now, a word as important as 'El Shaddai' appears in Jacob's story. Isaac says, "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples." You've heard the phrase 'be fruitful and multiply' before, right? It was part of the covenant given to Abraham, but God also said to Adam in the covenant, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." We often interpret this in a biological sense, as in, 'quickly have many children to increase the number of God's people.'

 

Of course, it also includes the meaning that the nation of Israel will multiply physically. But this pattern is the same as in Genesis. This is precisely the beginning of Jacob's Genesis. Just as Adam left the Garden of Eden, Jacob now leaves Canaan. Why does he leave? To return. Just as Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, God is preparing for the restoration of the Garden of Eden. And this journey becomes Jacob's life.

 

Let me say it again. Where did we say we begin? "There is no one righteous, not even one." The original Genesis begins with "There is no one sinful, not even one," but our Genesis begins with "There is no one righteous, not even one." God does not rescue His people from a place where there is no sin, but from the very place that is destined for destruction due to sin. The first Genesis fell into sin, but since God has re-created us who were in sin, we do not remain in sin but move forward toward the complete kingdom of God.

 

In this way, God's history has completely changed. The same Genesis that happened to Jacob has happened to us. To borrow from John Bunyan's words, Jacob's 'Pilgrim's Progress' has begun, and our Pilgrim's Progress has also begun with it. And the eyes to see this Pilgrim's Progress are contained within Genesis, and this is the topic we are trying to understand.

 

Psalm 24 and the God of Jacob

In Psalm 24, from verses 1 to 6, there is this passage:

 

"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob."

 

Reading this passage, a perplexing question arises. The text says, 'He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lie,' but why is the God they seek the 'God of Jacob'? Jacob was a liar, so shouldn't it be the God of Abraham?

 

Why does God say He is the 'God of Jacob'? It is because the life of Jacob as God sees it is not the same as the life of Jacob we are reading about. The statement that those who seek the God of Jacob are the righteous is connected to the verse that follows.

 

"Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors!"

 

Here, the 'gates' refer to the gates of the temple. The temple today means us, who are in Jesus Christ. The verse, "Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in!" explains why the preceding content is possible. The reason why the phrase 'God of Jacob' sounds strange is not because of Jacob, but because of the King who perfects Jacob—namely, Jesus Christ.

 

Only that King of glory has clean hands and is holy. Jacob was not like that. God sees Jacob through the holy Jesus Christ, and that is why He says, 'the generation of those who seek the God of Jacob.'

 

Does that make sense? If I were to stand before God now, I would confess, "God, I am a liar and one who does not know Your grace. I am not worthy to stand before You." This is the truth. However, God calls us, "You are My child, a righteous person, clothed in the garments of Christ." He says, "My joy, My praise, My love."

 

My confession and God's words do not align at all. But whose words are correct? My words are also correct for the present, but when God judges us, He does not just see from the perspective of now, but from the perspective of the eternal kingdom He will share with us. Therefore, we are who we are now, but at the same time, we are also who God has promised we will be in the future.

 

The Life of One Who Knows Victory

Let me give you an analogy to explain this. You all know famous basketball players like Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson, right? Imagine you are on a team with them, playing against the Nam-Po Church basketball team. Who would obviously win? It's a no-brainer. But what if Jesus is a player on the Nam-Po Church team? Would we win then? It doesn't make sense. We've never heard that Jesus is good at basketball.

 

But Jesus says, "You will win. The score will be 1000 to 500." Even though it's Jesus, how many would believe and follow that? As expected, at the end of the first quarter, the score is 250 to 0. At the end of the second quarter, it's 320 to 0. We haven't scored a single point.

 

At this point, we might think, 'Ah, Jesus must have said we would win 1000 to 500 to encourage us. It's something to celebrate if we even score one point. Jesus, let's just make one three-point shot. One point against them is like 100 or 1000 points to us.' We try to convince ourselves of a spiritual victory, but not a single shot goes in. As the third quarter ends and ten minutes of the last quarter pass, Jesus calls a timeout. "Do you remember what I said?" Everyone answers, "Yes, we remember." "Do you believe you will win 1000 to 500?" they are asked, and everyone would probably answer, "Of course, we must believe what You said, Lord." But deep down, they would be thinking, 'Lord, you've done enough. Thank you just for playing with us.'

 

But you know, Jesus and God have a method they often use, right? "Sun, stand still!" What happened? All the players on the opposing team stopped, and all we had to do was put the ball in the hoop. With unlimited time, 1000 points would be a piece of cake. So who won in the end? The score was 1000 to 500. The Nam-Po Church team had no skill, but they were a team that was certain to win 1000 to 500. On the surface, the team might have looked weak and unimpressive, but in reality, they were not. Because Christ was with them, they were a team that was destined to win.

 

Two kinds of lives are before us. One person can walk this path with constant doubt. That life has no joy, is always frustrating, and is shaken. He can never enjoy this basketball game. Because he knows he will lose, he tries his best to score even one point before losing, but there is no joy.

 

On the other hand, another person, believing in Jesus, plays the game. Even though he can't score a single point right now, he plays with joy, believing he will certainly win. For him, it is always a fun game, whether the ball goes in or not. When the opponent scores a point, he can happily exclaim, "Wow, Michael Jordan is different! Amazing!" Why is that? Because the way he sees himself has changed. He knows that because Christ is present, he is a winner. This is what theologians call the 'eschatological life.' The leisure and joy of a person who knows the end is something no one else can understand.

 

God’s Seal of 'El Shaddai'

Which of you can know what tomorrow holds? Who knows what their life will be like, how long they will live, or how they will die? But the Bible clearly states what your end will be, and God puts His seal on it. 'El Shaddai,' I am the God who will surely fulfill this promise.

 

And through the entire Bible, He proves it. He shows us, "I did this to Jacob, and this to Esau, and this to My promised son Joseph, and this to Moses, and in this way, I fulfilled My will." And He says to us, "I am that God, and I will fulfill this promise in your life."

 

Now, you will live one of two lives.

 

One is a life of constant anxiety. A life filled with worry over scoring one point, a day spent in defeat and sadness. You live burdened by sin and consumed by self-pity. Thinking, "I am weak," you have never properly held the ball or thrown it toward the hoop. You might live your days looking down, asking yourself, "Why throw it if it won't go in?"

 

The other is a life where, even though the ball doesn't go in, you keep throwing it with joy. You do this because you know you will win. I want you to live today as one who knows your victory, as one who knows the incredible truth that you will enjoy God forever and live with Him. This is what your life is all about.

 

Now, your illness is not the same as before, your death is not the same as before, and your failures and frustrations are so different from what they were before you knew Jesus.

 

The illness that was once only a source of pain no longer gives us only pain. This is because we have resurrected bodies to share with God forever, and that is our eternal hope. We thank God who humbles us in this land, and in all these things, He causes us to walk in a good and beautiful way, fulfilling His eternal will. Therefore, whether I live or die, I do not despair because I know God's love and promise that no suffering, sin, or even death can overcome me.

 

Now, we are not the same people who experience the same failures, nor are we the same people who face the same death. Your pilgrim's progress, like Jacob's, will end in Jesus Christ. The value of your life is in Christ, who walks with us. Therefore, our end is in knowing that God's love will overcome all of this.

 

Beloved, you are the people who will end with the Genesis of Jesus Christ. You are the ones who can overcome today with the glory, holiness, compassion, mercy, and love of God. If victory is certain, why do you shed tears first? If victory is certain, why do you worry first? You are not too late to worry while winning. You are the people who, with the Lord, live not just in the 'now' of today, but in 'eternity.' You are in the kingdom of God.

 

Let's Pray

Lord, thank You. We have considered again where we begin. Yes, we start from Your words, "There is no one righteous, not even one."

 

Lord, we also know where we are going. We will go to the end with Christ. We will go to the end with His victory, with His holiness, and with His love, mercy, and patience. Christ will be our end; His glory will be our glory, and that will be our life’s final praise.

 

Therefore, Lord, let me see myself there. Let me see my beloved children and my wife there. Let me see my beloved church there. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

 

 

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