Wed.’s Devo - The First and Second Born

Read: Genesis 24:52-26:16; Matthew 8:18-34; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 3:7-8
Isaac got his wife and he loved Rebekah. Meanwhile, Abraham remarried a woman named Keturah and had six children. Interestingly he thought of them as sons of his concubine. They did not get his inheritance but received gifts of Abraham and were sent away from his son, Issac to the land of the east.
Abraham died and was buried in the same land that Sarah was buried.
Ishmael had twelve sons who became princes and settled near Egypt. They stove amongst one another. So the story continued with Isaac being the star. Isaac and Rebekah had twins that wrestled to come out first. Esau came first, but Jacob was holding on to his heel. These two babies are a picture of two kinds of people in the world. Esau, the first born stands for us when we are born of the flesh. We have a sin nature that rebels against God. Isaac, the second born stands for our second birth when we are born of God. The spiritual birth brings the inheritance but we have to go after it. Isaac valued and went after the inheritance. Esau despised it so God despised Esau. Our natural man is in enmity with God but our spiritual man is a friend of God’s.
Isaac goes back to follow his fathers’ footsteps. There is a famine so Isaac goes to Egypt to the very place his father had gone and does exactly the same thing Abraham did. He told his wife to say she was his sister. God had to rescue Rebekah just like he rescued Sarah. In spite of this, God blesses Isaac one hundred-fold return for his crops and makes him a rich man. Abimeleck had to send him away because he was becoming so prosperous.
In Matthew, we see all these people wanted to follow Jesus. He took his disciples across the sea to deliver a man from many demons. The devil did not want him to come so he caused a storm to steer them away. Jesus rebuked the storm and delivered the man. Satan will set up a smoke screen of storms when you are getting close to wrecking his party. We have to recognize these tactics of the devil and rest in the Lord like Jesus did. We have authority over the storms and the demons.
The people of the town were afraid of the authority Jesus carried but when he returned later, they were ready to receive him.
Lord, help us to learn spiritual strategy as we read through your Word. This year is the year to shut down the devil and his tricks. May we rise up with the authority your have given us and break forth your kingdom.