Prioritising
- 2
- Jan
- 2013
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest […] He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:32,33)
Let’s talk about Who will reign forever, and why over the house of Jacob…
Jacob had a very big goal: he desired the birthright, the blessing from Abraham and Isaac, his father. And proof of this is that he risked his life to get it.
The birthright blessing belonged to Esau, Jacob’s brother, but Esau did not value it, so much so that he exchanged it for a stew of lentils. When faced with a physical need, he did not think twice and denied what would become his most valuable asset.
I’m about to die; so what is this birthright to me? […] Thus Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:32-34)
Jacob’s desire had never been forgotten or despised. Even though the blessing did not belong to him, he did not give up, but fought until the end to take possession of it.
Inside the Church itself there are many “Jacobs” and “Esaus”: the first ones prioritise the promise of God and fight, in the Spirit, to become a blessing itself; whilst the “Esaus” do not prioritise the blessing, but exchange it for anything.
And it is over those who thirst for justice in their own lives (not in other people’s lives) that God will reign. They do not live according to the circumstances; they do not allow time or their apparent inability or incapacity to make them give up their faith or “kill” their dream!
They are ready to risk everything, even their own lives, to enforce God’s justice.
This is why Jacob put all his strength to first take possession of Esau’s birthright and then “wrestle” with God—and he prevailed!
Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed. (Genesis 32:28)
In this fight, he did not use physical weapons or asked for the transformation of others, but he fought for himself, so that he could be transformed.
Those who belong to the “house of Jacob” are the ones who will remain forever—not those who struggle “in the flesh”, who trust in their own strength, who are bitter, who hate and keep grudges, but only those who struggle with God in faith, making use of spiritual weapons.
It is over these ones—and not everyone—that the Lord Jesus will reign!
He stood out because he considered God to be more important than everything else. And this is what happens today: those who stand out are the ones who revolt against their own sins.
They do not revolt against other people’s sins; instead, they fight to be justified by God and receive His approval.
The Lord Jesus will reign forever inside those who make the right choice, that is, those who thirst to please God, who keep themselves pure, who do not corrupt themselves or are influenced or limited by circumstances.