PARABLES OF THE TALENTS AND
THE POUNDS
SUMMARY: cont.
JACOB AND ISRAEL
The
story of Jacob in the Old Testament,
depicts this relationship between the
spirit and the soul of a person.
Jacob represents our soul.
His name was changed to Israel, by God
(Gen. 32:28; 35:10).
The name Israel means Prince with God,
and the name Israel represents our spirit.
Our name was also changed,
when we came to know Jesus Christ as our
Savior.
We are now called Christians, our spiritual
name.
Notice in Gen.
46:2-3: God spoke to Israel, and said
"Jacob, Jacob;.....fear
not."
It says, God spoke to Israel, but
he mentioned the name of Jacob.
Why is this? After God said to Jacob,
"You shall
no more be called Jacob?"
Jacob is still there as he represents our
soul.
God speaks through our spirit (Israel),
but He wants our soul (Jacob) to
listen,
for it is our soul that has fears.
When emotions such as fears come,
Jacob is alive and active.
When faith and trust is there,
Israel is alive and active.
Both Israel and Jacob exist
in the body of a person,
as they depict our spirit (mind, Israel)
and our soul (emotions, Jacob).
In Gen. 45:26-28;
after Jacob was told of Joseph,
(his son whom Jacob thought was dead
all these years),
that he was alive, and he was the governor
of Egypt,
Jacob's heart fainted and he did not believe
it.
But when Jacob saw the wagons,
that Joseph sent to take him to Egypt,
the spirit of Jacob revived and Israel
said,
"It is enough:
Joseph my son is yet alive."
The flesh, is the
desires of the heart, which is the core of the soul,
and become sinful under the law
(Rom. 7:5).
The flesh is represented by Esau, whom
God hated.
Esau was Jacob's twin brother,
and our flesh and our soul are like twins,
as our desires comes from the heart of
our soul.
As Jacob
was afraid of Esau,
As Christians, we too are afraid of our
sinful desires.
Esau was a hunter, as our desires are
like a hunter,
always seeking to be satisfied.
There is an Israel
(spirit), Jacob (soul),
and Esau (flesh) in all Christians.
Who is dominant depends on which tree is
before us?
The tree of life,
or the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil.
Under God's Grace,
or under the works of the law.
When we put ourselves under
the works of the law,
we walk by our souls and there are fears
and doubts.
When we are under grace,
and walk in the spirit by faith and trust
God's Word,
there is peace and joy.
Walking by faith, is walking by our spirit
(mind)
that is filled with the Word of God,
and our soul (emotions) is in subjection
to our spirit.
The soul is resting and there is peace
and joy in our hearts.
Our body is active for the Lord by the
Grace of God through His Spirit,
and by faith in His Word.
Laban was Jacob's father-in-law
and he represents the law.
Jacob's relationship with Laban was one
of service.
Everything that Jacob did for Laban,
was related to service and payment.
Jacob says to Laban
"you have
changed my wages ten times"
(Gen. 31:7, 41).
He labored seven years for Rachel,
but Laban gave Leah according to law.
Jacob serve another seven years for Rachel,
because he loved her.
As long as Jacob was
with Laban,
Jacob had trouble with Esau,
and was afraid of him.
Jacob and Laban made a pact,
with a heap and pillar of rock between
them.
Laban said to Jacob,
"I will not
pass over this heap to thee
and thou will
not pass over this heap for harm."
The heap of rock speaks of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
The law cannot harm us because of Christ,
as we are not under the law.
Laban departed from
Jacob,
after they made this agreement.
Laban returned to the place where he came
from.
As soon as Laban left Jacob,
God changed Jacob's name to Israel,
and Jacob and Esau became friends
(Gen. 31:52; 32:1-33:20).
The moment we receive God's grace by faith,
we become a Christian,
and the law no more condemns us.
As long as we are under the law (Laban),
Jacob (our soul) is afraid of Esau
(our flesh).
As soon as Laban went away from Jacob,
Esau was no longer a threat to Jacob.
As long as we are under the law,
we will have conflict with our flesh (desires).
but under Grace,
our desires are wonderful and we have
love, peace, joy, etc.
Gal. 5:17-18 says:
"For
the flesh lust against the spirit,
and the spirit
against the flesh,
and these
are contrary the one to the other,
so that you
cannot do the things that you would."
"But
if you be led by the spirit,
you
are not under the law."
The
Gospel of God
is the answer to all our trials and adversities,
and we must first begin at the Cross.
It carries us when we realize and know,
that we are dead.
Whatever trials and adversities come our
way,
they will have little or no effect
on us emotionally,
for we are dead.
The basic problem
that most of us have,
is that we care too much for our own lives
here on earth.
We fret about our cars and homes.
We are overly concerned about our finances,
and about material things and our physical
health.
I am not saying that we should let our
body deteriorate,
but how about our spiritual health?
Although physically we are alive,
our souls (emotions) are dead toward
the things of this life,
that we should not be overcome by adversities.
We should trust in God and His Word,
and know that all things worketh for the
best according to Him.
If we can realize and
say,
as the Apostle Paul
said,
"To die is
to gain"
and
"I rather
be with Christ which is far better",
Many of our emotional problems will dissipate,
if we know the reality of our death.
Paul could say this because he realized
that he was dead.
He said,
"we had the
sentence of death in ourselves
that we should
not trust in ourselves,
but in God
who raiseth the dead"
(2Cor. 1:9).
We
too,
must understand the deeper meaning of
the Cross.
Of how I am crucified with Him,
and we will see the attributes of God,
the Glory of God.
Many have difficulties because they are
introspecting,
looking into themselves,
I must do this and I must not do that,
I should do this and I should not do that,
etc.
We fall right back into Rom. 7:15-19.
Do not
look to yourselves,
for what you must do or want to do.
Discouragement, frustrations,
and even guilt and fears will be present.
You will not find the answer in yourself.
Keep your eyes focused on Christ,
on the Word of God.
Let the Word grow in your heart,
and Christ will be the Lord of your life.
The answer is found in Him,
through the deeper knowledge of the Cross.