Christ Church Daily Devotion June 20 2024

In this passage, Jacob pretends to be his brother Esau to receive his father's blessing. He lies about his identity and about God helping him on a hunt. Jacob is a deceiver, adding one lie to another to trick his father. We are capable of deception too, lying about our identity and sins. Only in Christ can we reveal our true identity and receive God's grace. Let's be honest with God today and ask for forgiveness. Welcome to Christchurch's Daily Devotion for June 20th, 2024. Today we will be reading from Genesis chapter 27 verses 15 through 24. Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. He went to his father and said, My father. Yes, my son, he answered. Who is it? Jacob said to his father, I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing. Isaac asked his son, How did you find it so quickly, my son? The Lord your God gave me success, he replied. Then Isaac said to Jacob, Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not. Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau. So he proceeded to bless him. My son Esau, he asked. I am, he replied. In this passage, Jacob pretends to be his brother Esau in order to receive his father Isaac's blessing, which included special promises from God. He blatantly lied to his father about his identity. He also lied about God helping him on the hunt that never happened. We can imagine Jacob nervously waiting while his father eats, knowing that in just a short time Esau will return and these lies will be revealed. Jacob was clearly a deceiver, adding one lie to another to trick his aged father. Jacob even faked the way he smelled. We are capable of deception at all levels in order to get what we want. It has the capability of affecting many people. Are we that much different from Jacob? We often lie about our identity, thinking that we can even impress God by being good people. We lie about our sins and the harm we do to others. Only in Christ can we reveal our true identity, a deceiver, a sinner in need of grace. Be honest with God today and receive his grace and forgiveness. Your personal worship option today? Father, forgive us for trying to deceive you and to cover our true identity as sinners. You know who we are. Forgive us that we may receive your blessing. Amen.