Sin and the sinful desires of the heart strike in a lot of ways. That certainly is the picture before us today. We heard four people conspire, scheme, and plot to attain what they think is good, right, and salutary—four different sinful visions of what should take place. None of these four sinful desires considered the glory and honor of the Lord. Yet, the Lord’s merciful will is done.

Before the twins—Esau and Jacob—had even been born, the Lord declared, “The older shall serve the younger.” Their father Isaac didn’t like that message. Foolishly, he believed in his soul—what we might call the deepest desires of his heart—that Esau should get the blessing.

Ignoring God and listening to one’s own sinful desires is a sin that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Sin—seizing the opportunity—says, “Go ahead, listen to your heart. Disobey God. Go against your conscience. You know you want to do what feels good. Who cares what God says!?!”

How many times have you and I gone against God’s Word because we desired something in our heart that isn’t pleasing to the Lord? A great number of times, for even the sinful desires of the heart are contrary to the Lord. Isaac fell into that trap. God declared that Esau would serve Jacob—that Jacob would get the blessing—but Isaac desperately felt that his oldest son—his favorite son—should get the blessing. Who cares what God says? He’ll get over it.

Esau and Jacob’s mother Rebekah received and believed God’s message concerning the unborn twins. She took His declaration very seriously. Yet, in desperation for her favorite son Jacob she had convinced herself that if Isaac was determined to bless Esau, she had to do anything and everything in her power to stop it from happening.

Doubt is also a sin that began in the Garden of Eden. Sin—seizing the opportunity—says, “If God’s not going to take care of things how you want and when you want, then it’s all up to you. You have to make it happen even if it means deception.”

How many times have we made a decision to sin—for example to lie or deceive—because we convinced ourselves that it would bring about a greater good? We sinners can willingly mislead those we love because we think we’re doing so for a higher purpose. And so, believing the magnitude of God’s promise to her favorite son Jacob, but being uncertain of the Lord’s willingness to make it happen, Rebekah schemes and plots, attempting to force God’s hand. Who cares about the Lord’s holiness and righteousness? She wants Jacob blessed no matter what.

Esau struggled to have much care and concern regarding anything related to the Lord. First, he considered his birthright to be an insignificant matter, by which he revealed he didn’t deserve it. He also shows that he doesn’t care for the worship life and religious customs of the family, as he married two Hittite women. The Hittites were a group of people that had migrated down to the land of Canaan from the north, and had fully bought into the wicked Canaanite beliefs and practices. Therefore, Esau did not honor his father and mother and—without their blessing—married idolatrous women who made life difficult for his believing parents. Then, when he lost the blessing, he did not consider God’s original Word but only grew angry at Jacob’s deceit.

Apathy or lukewarmness can be an especially dangerous sin. Sin—seizing the opportunity—says, “Who cares what God says? You have other more important things to worry about. The things of God don’t matter near as much as the things of this world.”

How many times are we tempted to be lukewarm and apathetic toward the things of God? It is, after all, a sneaky sin that lures people into its trap. Jesus warns: “The one who isn’t with me is against me.” In Revelation, Jesus warns that He will spit the lukewarm out of His mouth. Esau took the lukewarm approach throughout his life, seeming to care more about other things than the “one thing needful.”

Last but not least is the younger twin, Jacob. As I’ve said before, Jacob is a bit of a con-man, one of the shades of meaning to his name. He is willing to trick, deceive, and cheat in order to get what he wants. When his mother suggests deceiving his father for the blessing, Jacob has no qualms about doing so. He doesn’t question it, doesn’t challenge it, doesn’t second guess it. He just says, “But what if I get caught?”

The arrogant desire to be a god infects all humanity. Sin—seizing the opportunity—says, “You don’t need God at all. In fact, you can be like God. You can achieve what you want by your own craftiness and cunning. You are number one. Look out for yourself, take care of yourself, and you’ll achieve great success.”

How often do we fall into the temptation to think that we are the gods and goddesses of our own little world? Every selfish desire and thought, every self-serving action shows that our sinful nature seeks to take God’s place. And that’s what Jacob did throughout his life. Notice one little statement he makes to his father Isaac, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” In fact, it took Jacob many years, hardships, and lessons before he declared God to be “his God.”

The entire family of Isaac is thoroughly caught up in sinful desires, thoughts, words, and actions—just as we are. We all—the whole human race is sinful and unclean... we justly deserve [His] present and eternal punishment. We don’t deserve any grace and mercy from the Lord. The Lord justly could have said, “None of you deserve my blessings. I’m taking them all away.”

But He didn’t do that. In His steadfast, unfailing love for His people He accomplishes His will despite our sin. As we will later hear Joseph say to his brothers: “You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good.” Despite the rebellion and apathy, despite the self-idolatry and doubt the Lord’s will was done. Jacob received the blessing from Isaac. The younger—as God had foretold—received the promise that the Messiah would come through his family lineage. The Savior of the world passes to the next generation. From Eve to Noah to Shem to Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob.

Because the promise of the Savior carries forward—all the way to Jesus Christ who takes away the sin of the whole world—the Lord blesses you despite rebellion and apathy, despite the self-idolatry and doubt. The Lord breaks your heart of stone by His cross and creates in you a new and clean heart by His resurrection. For in Baptism, you were made partakers in Christ’s death and resurrection, so that in Christ you are forgiven and renewed to serve the Lord—not as rebels but as disciples, not as apathetic but as zealous, not as a worshiper of yourself but as a worshiper of your redeemer, not as doubting but as trusting.

The Lord who showed His faithfulness to Isaac’s family in spite of their sinful dysfunctions also shows His faithfulness to you, and even though we often foolishly seem to hinder God’s purposes, He will accomplish His merciful will for the Church through His unfailing, eternal Word—the same Word you hear, receive, believe, and confess to the world. Amen.