WHAT DOES GOD CALL STRENGTH?
THE SEED
‘The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”’ Genesis 25: 23 NIV
In our scripture above, God told Rebekah that of her two babies, one person would be stronger than the other. If you watched Jacob and Esau growing up as children and young men, I am sure you would believe Esau was the ‘stronger’ one. Any natural person will view them that way. Esau was the one who went out into the wilderness to hunt wild animals. That took strength and skill. However, Jacob displayed his ‘strength’ by coveting and paying the price for the spiritual advantages of the firstborn. And make no mistake, he paid a price. He offered a service (food) in return for that birthright. You might think it wasn’t a fair price, but the seller (Esau) did not complain about it then. What God sees as strength is not physical. It is the ability to stand and contend for spiritual things. Verse 34 of this chapter shows us clearly what made Esau the weaker of both brothers. Proverbs tells us that a man who has control over himself is better than a warrior who takes over a city (Prov. 16: 32). He didn’t have the strength of character to see that his birthright, with its benefits and responsibilities, was infinitely more valuable than a bowl of soup and some bread. He wilfully sacrificed the eternal on the altar of the temporary. This is one of the greatest demonstrations of weakness in the Bible. He may have ‘looked’ strong, but Esau was certainly not the ‘stronger’ person in this story. Let us cultivate true strength in our lives by prioritising spiritual things over physical things. By choosing to go through the difficult things today, our tomorrow will be easier.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 25: 19 – 34
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, teach me how to grow in true strength; day by day, in Jesus name, Amen.
KÍNI ỌLỌ́RUN ŃPÈ NÍ ÀGBÀRÁ?
IRUGBIN NAA
“Olùwà sí wí fún un pé, orile-ede méjì ní mbẹ nínú rẹ, irú ènìyàn méjì ni yío yà láti inú rẹ: àwọn ènìyàn kan yíò lé ju èkejì lọ; ẹ̀gbọ́n ni yíò má sin àbúrò.” Genesis 25: 23.
Ninu iwe-mimọ ti o wa loke Ọlọrun sọ fun Rebeka pe ninu awọn ọmọ ikoko meji ti o wà nínú rẹ, ẹnikan yíò lagbara ju ekeji lọ. Bi o bá ń wo Jákọ́bù ́ àti Esau tí wọ́n ń dàgbà gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọmọdé àti ọ̀dọ́kùnrin, ó dá mi lójú pé ìwọ yíò gbà pé Esau jẹ́ “alágbára ” julọ. Ènìyàn ẹlẹ́ran ará yíò máa fí ojú wò wọ́n lọ́nà bẹ́ẹ̀. Esau jẹ́ ẹni tí ó njáde lọ sínú aṣálẹ̀ láti dọdẹ ẹranko. Èyí gba agbara ati ọgbọn. Bí ó ti wù kí ó rí, Jákọ́bù ́fi ‘agbára rẹ̀ hàn nípa ṣíṣe ojúkòkòrò àti sísan owó náà fún àwọn àǹfààní inu ẹ̀mí pe o jẹ́ àkọ́bí. Ati pe ko ṣe aṣiṣe, o san owo kan padà fun iṣẹ rẹ̀ (ounjẹ) ti o gbà gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹtọ fún ọjọ ibi rẹ̀. O le ro pe kii ṣe iye owo ti o tọ, ṣugbọn Esau ti o ta ọja naa, ko ṣaroye nipa rẹ lẹhinna. Ohun ti Ọlọrun ri bi agbara kii ṣe ti ara. Èyí jẹ́ agbára láti dúró làti jà fún àwọn nǹkan tẹ̀mí. Ẹsẹ 34 orí Bíbélì ti a kà yìí jẹ́ ká mọ ohun tó mú kí Esau di aláìlera lárin àwọn arákùnrin méjèèjì. Iwe Òwe sọ fún wa pé, ẹni tó bá ní agbára lórí ara rẹ̀ sàn ju akíkanjú ti ó jagun gba ìlú nla kan lọ (Òwe 16:32.) Oun ko ni agbara ati iwa lati rii pe awọn ẹtọ ogun ibi, pẹlu awọn anfani ati awọn ojuse rẹ, jẹ iyebíye ju ìkòkò ọbẹ kan ati akara diẹ. Ó mọ̀ọ́ mọ̀ ṣé irúbọ ayérayé lórí pẹpẹ ìgbà díẹ̀. Èyí jẹ́ ọ̀kan lára àwọn àfihàn àìlera tó ga jù lọ nínú Bíbélì. Ó ṣeé ṣe kó jẹ́ pé “ó rí bi alágbára, ṣùgbọ́n o dájú pé kì í ṣe Esau ni ẹni tó ‘lágbára ju’ nínú ìtàn yìí. Ẹ jẹ́ kí a ni agbara tòótọ nínú ìgbésí ayé wa nípa fífi àwọn nǹkan tẹ̀mí sí ipò àkọ́kọ́ ju àwọn ohun ti ara lọ. Nipa yiyan lati lọ nipasẹ awọn nkan ti o nira loni, ọla wa yíò rọrun.
BIBELI KIKA: Genesisi 25:19-34.
ADURA: Bàbá wà ọ̀run kọ mí láti dàgbà nínú agbára tootọ, ní ojoojumọ ní orúkọ Jésù. Amin.