Have you had an internal struggle? Have you experienced giving birth? Do you know a set of twins? How much are they alike? How are they different? Can you imagine having a set of twins fighting it out before they are even born?
Twins are somewhat common, yet they are unique. We see brother and sister twins. We see identical twins, whether male or female. We even see twins that do not necessarily look much alike. Just like other siblings, twins may fight amongst themselves, especially when they are young.
Rebekah had a set of twins who fought before they were born. Their fighting got so bad she was ready to die. I cannot imagine what it is like to have a baby kick inside you. Therefore, imagining two of them fighting inside is beyond comprehension. Yet, that is exactly what Rebekah experienced. So, she reached out to God.
God’s response to her is prophetic. There would be two nations that would come from her. The elder son, Esau, would eventually be the father of the Edomites. Though he may have forgiven his younger brother, Jacob, later in life, the Edomites continued to hate Israel for centuries.
Jacob took advantage of his brother in distress. Yet, he became the one who ruled over his brother. Israel continued to be the stronger nation long after Esau and Jacob had died. There were many more battles between those two nations.
We, too, can have a lasting impact on our families, one that lasts long after we are gone. It comes through our actions, behaviors, and teachings to our children and grandchildren. What we teach them when they are young, they will remember when they are older. Biases we teach children become very difficult for them to give up when they become adults. Perhaps we should be very judicious in what we teach, even in the small, seemingly inconsequential things.
I pray we all desire to have a positive impact long after our life is over. I pray we seek to teach our children and grandchildren well. I pray we are judicious in deciding what we teach them. Seek to be a positive impact. Be judicious in your teaching. Be thoughtful in your actions. Seek to have behavior beyond reproach.
Genesis 25:22-23 The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the elder shall serve the younger.”
Marty Pressey 