God's Perfect Plan Equals God's Perfect Peace - Genesis Part 62

Well as you know, when a verse by verse study of the book of Genesis and last week we look to Genesis chapter 27 and we talked about Isaac and Jacob and Rebecca and Esau and how these folks plotted against each other and how they lied to one another and how they schemed against each other and how they behave sinfully towards one another but yet in spite of all of that.

How God's sovereign plan and will try in the end. Now if you miss that. I urge you to get the CD before you leave in the lobby or go online to McLean Bible.org and download a podcast. That message but today what were going to talk about is something else that's in the story of Jacob and Esau. I didn't have time to deal with it last week but it's a great truth about God that we need to know so were going to talk about it today already dreading here we go restart in Genesis 25 and Rebecca the Bible says conceived twins.

This is Jacob and Esau.

Of course, but the children jostled within her. So she went to inquire of the Lord and the Lord said to her two nations are in your womb and to people, shall be separated from your body and the older that is Esau shall serve the younger.

That is Jacob not Francis was on heard of in the ancient near East. This was unheard of in ancient Hebrew society because in those societies. The oldest son was the preeminent child in those families.

Every body else in the family served that oldest son, the blessing of the father went to that oldest son. The biggest part of the inheritance went to that oldest son, and yet here God is saying that in the case of Esau and Jacob. It is the younger son who's going to be favored over the older son knowing the New Testament. The apostle Paul draws on this conversation that God and Rebecca had to teach us a great truth about God's character and God's attributes. So let's look at that Romans chapter 9 verse 10, Paul says Rebecca's children had one and the same father, Isaac, yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad. Rebecca was told that the elder Esau will serve the younger. Jacob know what this means is that when God decided to favor Jacob over Esau to choose Jacob over Esau Paul's telling us that God was not rewarding. Jacob for any good things he done and he was not punishing Esau for anything that he bad things that he done already in time and space, because as Romans nine reminds us at the time God made this choice between the two boys. They were both still in Rebecca's womb that done a thing point the Paul's making is that God's choice between these two boys was based on another basis. It was based on something else, then their actions up to that point in time because they had no actions up to that point in time you're with me by with me okay so what is this other basis upon which God chose between these two boys well part of it for sure is God's immutable, inscrutable, unsearchable sovereignty.

In other words, God decided to favor Jacob simply because God wanted to. When God is says he's sovereign, what he's telling us is that the entire universe belongs to him and he can do whatever he pleases in this universe is his universe. And Paul goes on to say Romans nine verse 15 for God said to Moses Exodus 33 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

It's my universe. Moses I'll run it the way I choose to run it. That's the sovereignty of God, but folks God's sovereignty wasn't the only part of the reason why he chose Jacob over Esau.

The other part of why God did this was based on God's omniscience. You say God's relatively little about what notice know what that word throw you omniscience simply means when we say God is omniscient. What were saying is that God knows everything about everything, not just everything that's already happened. But God knows everything about things that are yet going to happen.

Isaiah 40 verse 13 God says, with whom has the Lord ever consulted to enlighten him or who was it that taught him knowledge. Listen folks, God is never been taught anything God is never learned anything God has never discovered anything, and God has never been enlightened by anyone because there is not a single piece of information in the universe that God doesn't already know everything about praise the Lord, and this was the other basis upon which God chose Jacob over Esau namely God's complete and utter knowledge while they were still in the womb of just how each of these boys was going to turn out lyrically what I mean. Let's start with Esau.

Genesis 26 says.

And when Esau was 40 years old. He married Judith the daughter of beery, the Hittite and also Baeza map, the daughter of Elon the Hittite Esau married. The Bible says not just one Canaanite woman, but to Canaanite women and remember what we said two weeks ago we said about these women that these women didn't know the Lord, and these women didn't love the Lord and these women sacrifice their own living children to their idols to their demons and that these women practice sacred temple prostitution, the sex act as part of their temple worship.

And yet these were the kind of women that Esau like this is why in the New Testament in Hebrews chapter 12. The Bible calls Esau a sexually immoral and godless man. Why was he sexually immoral will because of his activities with his wives and the temples of their gods and why was he godless well because of his complete disregard for the things of God. Including letting his wife sacrifice his living children to their demon gods point listen carefully, is that even in Rebecca's womb, God in his omniscience could look down the corridors of time and could see what kind of man Esau was going to turn out to be that he was going to be a man driven by the loss of the flesh that he was going to be a man who was spiritually on qualify to inherit the blessing of Isaac, and who was spiritually on qualify to inherit the promises of the Abraham a covenant and so knowing this in his omniscience, God chose against Esau. Do we see that you see that okay now what about Jacob. Well Jacob for sure got off to a bad start little rugged start lying, deceiving, stealing, conniving, got off the not a great start, but in his omniscience, God could see also down the corridors of time that Jacob was going to end up at a different place than Esau were to see as we keep going to the book of Genesis that Jacob eventually is going to give his life to the Lord and he's going to end up becoming a godly man who love the Lord with all of his heart and friends. God knew that this was going to happen to Jacob decades before Jacob knew it was going to happen to Jacob and this is why God sovereignly chose him while he was still in Rebecca's womb because God knew that Jacob would grow up to be spiritually qualified to inherit the blessing of Isaac, and Jacob would grow up to be spiritually qualified to inherit the promises of the Abraham a covenant and that's why God chose them. And God knew all about about both of these boys while they were still in the womb.

Why, because, as Paul is trying to teach us God is omniscient. He knows everything about everything, past, present and future. At the very same moment, praise the Lord for God like that. Amen, amen. Now were to stop in our treatment of the passage of work in the ass now. Our most important question you know what that question is, so are you ready okay now I just want you to know that God in his omniscience, knows how good this so what's going to be so are you ready okay because he already knows.

Here we go to a I was beautiful salon look understand what you're saying here.

Do not and I get it, but I will see what this has to do with me at all in my life. I mean, I'm already out of the womb, was with me okay let's try to help with that. You know when I was growing up. In fact, my whole life I've had a big mouth.

My father used to always say to me long. If you would just keep your mouth shut. 90% of your troubles will go away and I actually think that percentage is low. I think more my troubles would go away and you know what the worst part of it is folks. The worst part is that half the time I don't even know what's coming out of my mouth till it comes out of my mouth. That's why my wife, Brenda, godly life for 35 years has set in the services of this church and would her bed head bowed and hands over her face going all Jesus help them up there Lord whole Jesus told a think about in his mouth all Jesus put a muzzle on that mouth all Jesus. She's the biggest prayer warrior in this church. 35 years he spent more time in prayer on Sunday that I bet you you have sent in the services that all Jesus watch them up there Lord watching a man I got a great wife and the but I got a big mouth and yet I want you to see what David said look at this Psalm 139 David said even what say the next word out loud even before right. There's a word on my tongue. Oh Lord, you know it say the next word completely is amazing. David said before the words even come out of my mouth. You know exactly what I'm going to say.

And Lord, I read this novel Lord, how could you possibly know what I'm going to say before comes out of my mouth when I don't even know what I'm going to say till it comes out of my mouth rinse. This is how deep the omniscience of God goes, he knows to say what I don't even know what I'm going to say he knows when you go to say when you don't even know what you're going to say and David goes on farther than that to say in all the days ordained for me and all the events of my life were written in your book God before even one of them came to be. God said the same thing to Jeremiah he said to Jeremiah Jeremiah before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born son. I set you apart to be a prophet for me. I had your whole life planned out Jeremiah before you ever came out the womb. David says the same thing God has every event. My life already written in his book before I was even born. And this is not just true of David and this is not just true. Jeremiah folks is the true are you and this is true of me.

God, on the very same thing for us in his omniscience, and is in his sovereignty he has planned our whole life out also and it's a plan that is perfectly fitted, just for you and me. Jesus said your father knows what you need before you ever ask him and I love how Jesus personalizes this Jesus didn't say your father knows what the average person needs. Your father knows what the average American knees, your father knows what human beings in general need.

He said your father knows what you need before you even ask for dialogue.

How personal this is and how individual this is God says hey let me just tell you I know when you need success and I know when you need failure as an individual you don't eat at the same time Ron needs it and launder need at the same time you needed. I know when you need it.

And God says I know when you need healing and when you need sickness and I know when you need discipline and I know when you need encouragement and I know when you need your washing machine working and I know when you need it broken.

God says I know when you need a mate and I know when you need a child and I know when you need a job and I know when you need a house, and I know when you need a scholarship and I know when you need a broken leg. I know every bit of it because I'm omniscient and I know what you need and I have put together a plan for your life to make sure this is now that you get personally what you need.

Personally, right on schedule. Praise Lord as great. I had a lady called me the other day and see what was going on my footsteps of Paul tour in April to follow Paul's missionary journey, second, third, fourth, and she called me up and said you know she said I really hated to make this phone call she said but I'm knocking to be able to join you and I say why not, she said, well, a week or so before I gone out and fell on the ice and she said I broke my leg in four places and I lay there 20 minutes before anybody found me and when they finally found me and took me and the surgeon said it was the worst break he'd ever seen. She said my foot was turned around backwards facing behind me and so I had to go to surgery and I can't walk on my foot for the next nine weeks so she said I'm heartbroken that she said I am.

I am just heartbroken. I can't go but I can't go and I said well I set out you know my heart goes out to you understand what you're saying.

I said sauté what let me pray with you always try to pray with people whenever they call me up and they got a problem always say, before you hang up, let me pray with you as it would let me pray with you before you hang up.

She said wait a minute, she's not not yet see you not to what she's not mortar. I got more want to say to you, is it okay and she said I want to tell you that I was in the hospital after the surgery and the spiritual advisor of the hospital came in, not the chaplain, the spiritual advisor and she said this woman walked in to see me and my leg was up we know it is cast and everything and she said we got to talking and eventually I was telling her about the trip that I was supposed to go on and that I couldn't go and I said to her as the spiritual advisor. I said you know God's will must be for some reason that I don't go on this trip, God must know when his perfect plan that I don't belong on this trip and the spiritual advisor. She said said to me she said oh no money. She said that God had nothing to do with this. She said it was just the luck of the draw and this lady who called me she's a lot. I remember we were in Israel and we were standing at the pool of Bethesda and we were regarding John chapter 5, and I remember when you challenged everyone of us that don't. We should never let somebody reinterpret Jesus and re-make Jesus, but we need to stand our ground for who Jesus really is and she said so I said to her I said ma'am, I'm sorry but you're wrong. There is no such thing as the luck of the draw.

She said there is just God's perfect plan for my life is broken leg as part of God's perfect plan for my life and she said because I know that that's how I can live here and have perfect peace even though I'm disappointed because God wants me in this bed, and in this cast. It was God's plan for my life. Praise Lord and she said spiritual advisor just turn around walk them through how great is that all right now. What's the one sentence summary of what I'm trying to say to you today. It's this that God's sovereign plan for our life is perfect because God's omniscience about our life is perfect and therefore we can have perfect peace. No matter what that plan brings our way, let me say it again, God's sovereign plan for us is perfect because God's omniscience about us is perfect, which means that we can have perfect peace. No matter what God's plan brings our way. Folks, there are no mistakes in God's plan.

There are no miscalculations in God's plan. There are no accidents in God's plan.

There are no coincidences in God's plan for errors jaws perfection in the plan of God a man and that's why I should remind you, you'll never see an eraser in heaven because is nothing to erase God never makes a mistake.

So, God never needs an eraser. God gets it right the first time every time he got a right for David he got a right to Jeremiah, he is going to get it right for you is going to get it right for me how he gets it right for 8 billion people at the same time I don't have the slightest idea. David even says in Psalm 139. This concept is knowledge is too high for me. I can't even comprehend it. While neither cannot but that's how great our God is praise the Lord.

That's how great is that even with 8 million people you'll get it right for you. Don't you worry. He's got it just right. So let me close with Isaiah 26 the Bible says you will keep him in perfect peace. Let me stop saying that what we want when you like to go through life with perfect peace. So no matter what comes into your life. You can face it, without fear, without anxiety, you just got peace Lily great well Bible says you will keep him in perfect peace. Watch, whose mind is stayed whose mind is fixed, whose mind is focused like flint on the perfect peace comes from being perfectly stayed on fixed on a perfect God and his perfect plan for our life, perfect peace comes from being stayed on our perfect God and his perfect plan for our life. Got that perfect peace doesn't come from being stayed upon your emotions, sorry. Perfect peace doesn't come from being stayed on your feelings.

Perfect peace doesn't come from being able to figure out everything that's happened in the you perfect peace comes from saying all God you are perfect God and all God. You have a perfect plan and oh God this is part of that perfect plan and all God.

Whether I like it or understand it. Whether I wanted to make a bigger difference if it's part of the perfect plan of God. I have peace spray together with our heads bowed in our eyes close.

Let's all admit can we did many of us did not walk in here today with perfect peace. Many of us walked in here today with anxiety about things going on in our life and may be fear maybe griping to the Lord, even anger will affect you my friend.

You came to the right place today is working give you the chance to trade all that stuff you for the perfect peace of God, we just said there's only one way to do it. That's to bring all those things and surrender them to the perfect plan of God. Acknowledge them as part of the perfect plan of God. Doesn't matter how I feel doesn't matter what I think it only matters what the Bible says in the Bible says this is part of God's perfect plan. One day you'll look back you'll thank God. So let's thank God ahead of time by faith.

So friend affect you the way you walked in here today while we take a quiet moment wanted to take the opportunity right now to bring those things to the foot of the cross lay him down there and say Lord. These along to your perfect plan. I'm over my pay grade to be trying to handle these things I'm leaving them with the perfect plan of God. And I'm just going to trust you Lord turn those things in for God's perfect peace today. Lord Jesus, I have to come to you today myself because I got some tough things going on in my life, Lord, the life my family that I don't understand.

I don't like I don't want to hurt you know what they'll Lord I tell you about them every morning, but all God, thank you for reminding me that what I need every day is to re-surrender my life to the perfect plan of God, not to depend on my feelings not to depend on my motions, but believe the Bible and operate on biblical truth.

So, Lord Jesus, help me and help all of us here to do that remind us of the words of the great old hymn that says stay either upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed. Finding as he promised, perfect peace and rest help us be stayed on you, Lord, and on your plan for our life and we pray these things in the name of Jesus, God's people said