"And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
Isaac pleaded with God for his wife because she had been barren. God had promised Isaac's father to have descendants that would be a great nation, but now just a generation later, Isaac found that his wife could not have children. God heard his prayer and opened her womb so that she conceived twins. The Bible says that the twins struggled with one another inside her womb. With the turmoil inside her, she asked, “If all is well, why am I like this?” (v.22) The Lord told her that there were two nations in her womb. That is why there was such a struggle. There were two manner of people: one would be stronger than the other, and the younger would serve the older. Even before they were born, there was a struggle between these two manner of people.
Today, there are essentially two manner of people. There are people that want God and people that don't. It may seem to you that I am over-simplifying things, because if you look around, there are all sorts of people. But it does really come down to two types: God-seekers and God-rejecters. There will always be a struggle between righteousness and sinfulness. There will always be a struggle between those that love God and those that don't.
There is another struggle that we need to look at today—perhaps one that is more often over-looked, but perhaps more crucial. Rebekah quickly saw that there was a struggle between two manner of people that were inside of her. Now eventually her babies were born, but we all have two nations inside of us that have a constant struggle. I'm talking about the struggle between good and evil, of life and death, and of spirit and flesh. Paul described the struggle with sin and his desire to serve God. “...When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (Romans 7:21-23) He goes on to proclaim that Jesus Christ will rescue him from this body of death. Jesus also made mention of the struggle within: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) There is a struggle between the spirit that wants God and the spirit that does not. In Rebekah's case, God told her that the older would serve the younger. The sin nature is older—we're all born with that. But, praise God! I have been born in the Spirit. God has saved me, and I'm a new person. The righteous nature is definitely younger, and the sin nature doesn't want to give up the birthright, but the older will serve the younger. There may be a struggle with sin and temptation, but as long as I trust in God, the righteous nature will be triumphant! God is able to keep those who trust in Him!
~ Joel Warren
