Genesis 27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12 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.
These words were spoken by Jacob in response to his mother's proposal to obtain the promised birthright by fraudulent means. God had already stated that the birthright would go to Jacob, and therefore, in His own time and way, God would have given it to him. Esau had previously despised the birthright as being a burden because it included the spiritual aspect of being honored to offer the morning and evening sacrifice after their father Isaac had passed on. It also included the honor of being one of the progenitors of Christ, yet none of these important roles had any interest for Esau, who was only bent on the fun and excitement of the moment.
Jacob on the other hand could not stop thinking about the birthright, and every opportunity he had to deprive Esau of the coveted blessing, was diligently improved upon. It was a good and upright motive that moved him, however the method he employed was contrary to the principles of righteousness, and therefore should not have been used. He should have waited on God to fulfill the promises He had made, even though it seemed as if time was slipping away.
This bitter experience of Jacob has very important lessons for the Christian living in the 21st century, for we often find ourselves in situations where we desire to do good, yet it seems as if the only way to do so is by clandestine means.
An illegal immigrant needed to find a job in the united states so that he could be gainfully employed, something which is good and upright in the sight of God, for the Bible teaches us that we should work if we can, in order to provide food and the necessities of life for our families.
After trying different legal avenues to obtain a valid work permit without success, he was approached by a lawyer who recommended that he get married to a US citizen who made her living by marrying illegal men for the purpose of proper documentation, after which she would promptly divorce them to move on to another contractual agreement. The man in this instance thought the whole idea through, and finally decided not to use the sacred institution of marriage as a means of obtaining his work permit, even though he would encounter great difficulty for many years until his status could be normalized.
This decision took a lot of courage, but God finally opened up a way so that he could both live and work in the United States within the legal framework of federal laws, and so he could sleep with an undisturbed conscience.
In our day we are often tempted to do good by employing wrong methods, and because of this many of us like Jacob often reap the unintended consequences of the wages of sin. It's okay to have the right motive, but this should always be coupled with the right method, so that like Paul, we can truly say that we have a conscience void of offense before God and man.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture that encourages us to stand for the right even in extreme circumstances, and if we do we will find that God's blessings would rest upon us, for He takes delight in those who live by His every word, in good times and bad. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 5:32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
May God add His blessing to the reading and doing of His every word. God bless!