Two Peoples in Rebekah's Womb
2004-02-18 14:10
Salvation by the promise of God is not according to man's works, but according to God's election.
It is written, "For this was how the promise was stated: 'At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.' Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls--she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy (Romans 9:9-16)." Salvation is the result of God's mercy alone.
Twins are two lives. But the two lives are not conceived by two men. The two lives were conceived in the water in the midst of an expanse, as it is written, " Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac."
Both the first man the first Adam and the second man the last Adam were made by the will of the only true God. This world is divided according to these two men. The first man--the natural--is a man of darkness, but the second man--the spiritual--is a man of light.
Therefore, the Bible said, "Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls." And also, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
The Bible testifies that "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." Then someone might reply against God, "If both of the two men were made by the only God, why was the one born according to the flesh, the other according to the Spirit?" But God forms the light and creates darkness, He makes peace and creates calamity. It is written, "I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things (Isaiah 45:5-7)."
And also it is written, "Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory (Romans 9:21-23)." The first man Adam is the vessel of wrath, but the second man Adam is the vessel of mercy.
One of the two peoples in Rebekah's womb is a people of the flesh, but the other, a people of the Spirit. The Bible says about it, "those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." As the Bible said, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
It is wondrous that the first man, who was born a soul, ended up the flesh, but the second man, who was born the flesh, ended up the Spirit. It is written, "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you (Matthew 21:28-31)." It is the message of the cross that the spiritual children, who were worldly before, put off the flesh and walk according to the Spirit.
Therefore, Esau is a natural man, but Jacob is a spiritual man; Esau is darkness, but Jacob is light. All people in the world are Esau who was born of the flesh. However, there are some people in whom there is Jacob who will be born of the Spirit. The Bible says about it, "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. (2 Timothy 2:19)." Here, "those who are his" mean those who are born again of the Sprit.
"Being born again" means that Jacob was born after Esau was. The Bible says, "The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46)." Esau who was born first--he who is in the flesh--cannot please God. The Bible says, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
All Scripture divides people into two: darkness and light, the evening and the morning, the first Adam and the last Adam, Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isacc, Esau and Jacob, Saul and David, an outward Jew and an inward Jew, the old man and the new man, and those who are in the flesh and those who are in the Spirit.
Therefore, everyone in whom there is Jacob--everyone who is in Christ--can say, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)!" It is written, "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed,' and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3)." And again, "he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17)." Amen. Thank you, Lord.
The least brother, Kim Yun-gu
It is written, "For this was how the promise was stated: 'At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.' Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls--she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy (Romans 9:9-16)." Salvation is the result of God's mercy alone.
Twins are two lives. But the two lives are not conceived by two men. The two lives were conceived in the water in the midst of an expanse, as it is written, " Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac."
Both the first man the first Adam and the second man the last Adam were made by the will of the only true God. This world is divided according to these two men. The first man--the natural--is a man of darkness, but the second man--the spiritual--is a man of light.
Therefore, the Bible said, "Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls." And also, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
The Bible testifies that "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." Then someone might reply against God, "If both of the two men were made by the only God, why was the one born according to the flesh, the other according to the Spirit?" But God forms the light and creates darkness, He makes peace and creates calamity. It is written, "I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things (Isaiah 45:5-7)."
And also it is written, "Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory (Romans 9:21-23)." The first man Adam is the vessel of wrath, but the second man Adam is the vessel of mercy.
One of the two peoples in Rebekah's womb is a people of the flesh, but the other, a people of the Spirit. The Bible says about it, "those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." As the Bible said, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
It is wondrous that the first man, who was born a soul, ended up the flesh, but the second man, who was born the flesh, ended up the Spirit. It is written, "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you (Matthew 21:28-31)." It is the message of the cross that the spiritual children, who were worldly before, put off the flesh and walk according to the Spirit.
Therefore, Esau is a natural man, but Jacob is a spiritual man; Esau is darkness, but Jacob is light. All people in the world are Esau who was born of the flesh. However, there are some people in whom there is Jacob who will be born of the Spirit. The Bible says about it, "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. (2 Timothy 2:19)." Here, "those who are his" mean those who are born again of the Sprit.
"Being born again" means that Jacob was born after Esau was. The Bible says, "The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46)." Esau who was born first--he who is in the flesh--cannot please God. The Bible says, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
All Scripture divides people into two: darkness and light, the evening and the morning, the first Adam and the last Adam, Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isacc, Esau and Jacob, Saul and David, an outward Jew and an inward Jew, the old man and the new man, and those who are in the flesh and those who are in the Spirit.
Therefore, everyone in whom there is Jacob--everyone who is in Christ--can say, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)!" It is written, "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed,' and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3)." And again, "he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17)." Amen. Thank you, Lord.
The least brother, Kim Yun-gu
