God’s Providence in a World of Sin (Genesis 27:35)

“But Isaac said to Esau, your brother came deceitfully and he has taken away your blessing.”
– Genesis 27:35

So this chapter is quite a story and there’s a lot of complexity that goes to it in many ways. In other ways, it’s pretty simple. It’s all about deceit and lying as Rebecca and Jacob conspired together to steal the blessing of Isaac that was intended for Esau, from Esau so that Jacob might receive it. Jacob outright lies to his dad saying he’s Esau and Isaac doesn’t realize that Jacob is lying. And so he gives his blessing that was supposed to be for Esau to Jacob. Then Esau comes in expecting blessing of his father. And his father said, I already gave my blessing to Jacob who came deceitfully. Genesis 27:35 says “Has taken away your blessing.” Like what we’re reading about is God’s promise to bless Jacob in a unique way. And yet it comes about through sin in Jacob’s life.

God’s Power Over Sin

So how are we to understand this picture of sin and evil in the providence of God? God is working in this story here. We know God is not the author of sin in any way. God is perfectly Holy. So how do we understand God’s work in a world of sin? And this is where I want to maybe help us with Genesis 27, by looking forward to what the Bible describes in the cross of Jesus.

So think about this. As Jesus is being nailed to a cross is God working? Is God providing? Is God bringing salvation for sinners? Absolutely he is. And how is God doing this? He’s doing this as people are committing the worst sin ever. If you could classify sins this way, the murder of the son of God, and the picture we’re seeing is that God is sovereign over even the worst sin, worst evil imaginable. It doesn’t mean that God is the author of sin in any way. All throughout scripture, we see the responsibility for sin and evil on sinful men and women.

Genesis 27:35 Thanks God for His Unrestricted Power

And yet the beauty of what the Bible teaches is that the Holy God of the universe is not restricted. When the accomplishment of his purposes, by the designs of sinful men and women, that even in a sinful world, God is always working, ultimately for the good of everyone who trusts in him. God is working in the cross of Jesus for the salvation, eternal life for all who trust in him.

And so when you look around at a world of sin and evil, and when you think about the effects of sin and evil in your life, both the things you have done or things that have been done to you. When you see sin and evil in the world, look up and see the Holy God of the universe, whom you can trust. You can trust him to bring about justice in the end. When you look at sin and evil around you, be confident that sin and evil will not have the last word, that the justice of God will have the last word.

Now, if we just stopped there, we’d all be hopeless because we are all sinners who have committed evil, but that’s the beauty. Look up and see the Holy God of the universe, the just God overall, who offers mercy for all who trust in him. Mercy that will cover over our sin and our evil and our hearts that will save us from the judgment we deserve an eternity, and mercy that is always available to us in our suffering as we experience the effects of sin and evil in this world.

Praising God for His Perfection

So God, we praise you for your holiness, for your perfection. We pray that there is no sin in you. We praise you that you are perfectly righteous, that you are completely good, that everything about you is good and perfect and holy and right. God, we shudder to think of what it would be like if you, the King of the Universe with all power and all knowledge, if you were not perfect and holy, if you were evil, God, we would have no hope.

We hope in your goodness. We praise you for your holiness and we praise you for your sovereignty over the sinful world. God, we praise you for your justice that is perfect. We praise you that your justice will one day be completely clear. And God, we praise you for your mercy. God, we shudder to think of where we would be in eternity if you were just and not merciful. If you had not made a way for the salvation of our sins, through the crucifixion of your son.

Genesis 27:35 Thanks Jesus for Covering Our Sins

Jesus, we praise you for dying on the cross to pay the price for our sins, for all of our evil, for rising from the dead, for the hope we have of eternal life in you. And the hope we have that you are working all things together for the good of those who love you and have been called according to your purpose.

So we look to you in this world of sin and suffering and evil. And we say, our hope is in you. Our hope is in your mercy and your salvation and your mercy amidst our suffering. As we experience the effects of sin and evil in our lives, and we see the horrors of sin and evil around us, we cry out for your mercy and we praise you for your majesty, your sovereignty, your rule over sin and evil that guarantees one day it will be no more. We look forward to that day when there is no more sin and no more sorrow and no more suffering and no more death. We pray, Lord Jesus, come and help us to keep our eyes fixed on you every day in this sinful world, until you return. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.