During the ancient times of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the custom was that when the father died, the eldest son would become the head of the family and receive a double portion of the inheritance. This was his birthright. Said birthright was sometimes transferred to another person, in uncommon circumstances. The Lord, of course, could sovereignly bestow this birthright on whomever He chose. This was the situation with Isaac’s sons, Jacob and Esau.
 
And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”
- Genesis 25:21-23
 
The Lord promised that Jacob (the “younger” in v23) would possess the birthright which would’ve customarily been bestowed on the eldest, Esau. In two instances, Jacob schemed to receive this birthright, which wasn’t necessary (he and his mother should have trusted the Lord’s promise – see also Romans 9:6-13). First, he swindled it from Esau for some stew (Genesis 25:29-34). Second, he and Rebekah (his mother) tricked Isaac into blessing him with the birthright.
 
So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.”
 
Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”
 - Genesis 27:18-24
 
What’s interesting here is that Jacob first lied to Isaac about being his brother, Esau. When Isaac put his proclamation to the test, Jacob then lied in a much bigger way to support the first lie. He lied about God’s will. Yikes!
 
Lies beget lies. When lies are challenged we often need to tell another to uphold the first. The longer we continue in our dishonesty, the larger the web of lies we must weave! The larger the web, the greater the discipline incurred.
 
In Jacob’s case, the discipline was mighty severe. For example, he never saw his mother after his lying took place, Esau wanted him dead, he spent years of servitude to his crooked uncle Laban, his family was dysfunctional on multiple levels, and he was an exile from his family for years. Consider the alternative if he had just trusted the Lord and received the birthright in God’s good timing.
 
Like Jacob, we always have an option to come clean and take our lumps. This is always the better option! The primary Person to confess our lies to is the Lord, of course. The good news is that He is a forgiving, merciful, gracious God!
 
For example, later on in his life, apparently once Jacob grew up a bit and matured in the faith, the Lord who cursed him decided to bless him.
 
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
 
And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
- Genesis 32:24-30
 
Despite his earlier transgressions, Jacob confessed he was “Jacob”, a supplanter, a “con man.” In other words, he recognized the way he used to seek blessings (e.g., by his own scheming and conniving). The lesson he learned that day wrestling the Lord resulted in a great spiritual victory – he learned triumph through defeat and strength through weakness (and he was left with a persistent limp as a physical reminder). This is the same lesson that Paul espoused thousands of years later.
 
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 12:10
 
Let’s not lie anymore, especially about ourselves. Let’s confess who we are before the Lord and be blessed. Lies beget lies, which never ends well. Life’s too short to spend it spinning webs.

Love in Christ,

Ed Collins