13 Seven days after the man gets well, he will be considered clean, if he washes his clothes and takes a bath in spring water. 14 On the eighth day he must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of my sacred tent and give them to a priest. 15 The priest will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me,[a] then I will consider the man completely clean.
Ezekiel 45
24 He will also provide twenty pounds of grain and four quarts of olive oil to be offered with each bull and each ram.
Jacob
2. Jacob’s Labors under His Uncle Laban
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Jacob went to the land of Haran and worked as a servant for his maternal uncle Laban for twenty-one years. His uncle had promised to give him his daughter Rachel as his wife. But after seven years, Laban deceived Jacob and gave him her sister Leah instead. If it had been you, you would have immediately protested. But Jacob kept silent, worked for another seven years, and got Rachel. Even after that, his uncle Laban deceived him again and again, trying to cheat him of the possessions that God had given him. Still, Jacob did not complain. Here we must know that even though Jacob was in the loneliest of situations, still he thought of nothing else but God’s Will. Because of that, other things in his life did not matter; the important thing was to accomplish God’s Will. He grew farther from the world but came to receive more love from God. (52:64-65, December 22, 1971)
After being chased out and spurned by his relatives, how did Jacob overcome his difficulties? He never forgot the blessing he received from God, and he kept unwavering faith in God. He vowed he would not change no matter how his circumstances changed. Jacob had such faith that, even if Heaven did not believe in him, he was determined to make his family believe in him. He was determined to complete the unfinished task of the blessing given to him, and thus laid the foundation upon which God could advance His providence. With a burning desire to inherit the will of Heaven’s principle that God had tried to establish through Abraham’s family, Jacob could form a family of faith and return after twenty-one years. (4:139-40, March 30, 1958)
You are in the position of Jacob. You knew that God’s blessing was yours, and with faith in this movement you left your homes. Those of you who faced opposition and persecution from your parents and siblings, raise your hands…. After leaving his home, could Jacob go directly to God? No, he had to go to Haran. You, too, must go to your own “Haran,” the world where you must experience drudgery and there restore people and possessions. (67:123, May 27, 1973)
It has been said that those with power will rule the world. We should not compete with others on the basis of power. Those with power have created environments, in which they can become more powerful, and they have swept away those that are weak; they act as champions and record-breakers. This is not the result of victory won through a competition of goodwill, as desired by God. Hence, all this must be cleared away from the face of the earth. (301-19, 1999.4.16)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 917
You should value the right of the chosen people and their lineage. The right of the chosen people is the right of the eldest son. Korea is the country of the eldest son. The purpose of Korea becoming a race that loves their genealogy was for the sake of carrying on the lineage. It is not wrong to worship your ancestors and perform services in their memory. In the future, there will be a time when we revere our parents more than those who belong to Confucianism. Do you understand what I am saying? (226-277, 1992.2.9)
Jacob
2. Jacob’s Labors under His Uncle Laban
Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and lovely. Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her… And in the morning, behold, it was Leah; and Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the first-born. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to wife… So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years… Then the lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was, and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my strength; yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me. If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. In the mating season of the flock I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream that the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that leap upon the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go forth from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’” Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? Does he not regard us as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has been using up the money given for us. All the property which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, whatever God has said to you, do.” Genesis 29.15-30; 31.3-16
10 Once, when the flocks were mating, I dreamed that all the rams were either spotted or speckled. 11 Then God’s angel called me by name. I answered, 12 and he said, “Notice that all the rams are either spotted or speckled. I know everything Laban is doing to you, 13 and I am the God you worshiped at Bethel, when you poured olive oil on a rock and made a promise to me. Leave here right away and return to the land where you were born.”
Nahum 1
10 They are like drunkards overcome by wine, or like dry thornbushes burning in a fire. 11 Assyria, one of your rulers has made evil plans against the Lord.
12 But the Lord says, “Assyria, no matter how strong you are, you are doomed! My people Judah, I have troubled you before, but I won’t do it again. 13 I’ll snap your chains and set you free from the Assyrians.”
Jacob
1. Jacob’s Rivalry with Esau
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
What happened as a result of the fall is that Satan’s son [Cain] was born as the elder son. Therefore, God had to replace the elder son with the younger one. Otherwise, there would be no way for God’s Will to be bequeathed to future generations. Hence, God had to set up a dispensation of conflict between brothers, which happened in the lives of Jacob and Esau. (102:177, December 24, 1978)
In God’s world it is the elder son, not the younger, who is to receive the blessing and inheritance. Thus, unless Jacob as the second son first gains the birthright and takes the position of the elder son, he is not qualified according to the standard of the Principle to receive God’s blessing. What was Jacob’s wisdom? Knowing that his elder brother Esau was hungry, he bought the birthright from him in exchange for some pottage of lentils. By this purchase, he was entitled to receive the inheritance of the elder son from his father, even if his father opposed or he had to deceive him to acquire it.
It was inevitable that God set up this situation, to restore through indemnity what was lost at the fall. (131:180-81, May 1, 1984)
Jacob thought, “If I am several times more persistent than my elder brother, and if I am better than my siblings in serving God, my father and my mother, then I can win the position of the elder son.” It was logical for Jacob to believe that if he were better than Esau in attending God, his parents, siblings and kinsfolk, they would want to place him in the position of elder son and support him.
Jacob was wise. He envisioned this goal from the beginning and fought with this objective in mind, all the way to the end. Esau, on the other hand, was only looking at his immediate situation. (108:96, June 29, 1980)
Jacob deceived his father by wearing a goatskin to imitate his brother Esau, who was a very hairy man. Jacob approached his father, who was practically blind, and let him touch the hide on his arms to convince him that he was Esau. Then his father blessed Jacob with the blessing intended for his brother.
Why did God’s dispensation require this? According to the Principle of Creation, only the eldest son can receive the inheritance. Therefore, in order to receive God’s inheritance, Jacob had to take the birthright from his elder brother. However, he could not just take it without a condition. Since Esau had already sold the birthright to Jacob, Jacob was simply taking possession of what was already his. That is why Jacob was not wrong; rather, Esau was wrong for having sold his birthright.
Jacob truly cherished the birthright; he was anxious to inherit it and bring together all the generations of his family. That is why the Bible speaks of “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Jacob knew the will of God and God’s dispensation, and he wanted to become the heir who could receive the inheritance…
What does this mean for us? The fallen world is in the position of the elder son. But through this course, Jacob restored the birthright of the elder son on the side of Heaven. Similarly among nations, from a worldly standpoint the leading powers have the right of the elder son, but from the standpoint of God’s Will Israel is the elder son. These two elder sons would confront each other on the national level as Israel confronted the Roman Empire.21 Even to this day, the mission of the chosen people is to restore the birthright from Esau, beginning on the individual and family level all the way to the world level. (102:177, December 24, 1978)
When their father gave his blessing to Jacob the birthright was restored. However, because of this Esau was extremely angry and wanted to kill Jacob—just as Cain had killed Abel. (55:112, April 1, 1972)
Where should Japan return to now? She should return to a place similar to the Roman peninsula. By doing so, she should connect with the continent. The focal point enabling her to do so is the Korean peninsula. It is not the Indochina or Malay peninsulas or even Singapore. There is only one single Far East region, and that can only be the Korean peninsula. The history of this peninsula should be similar to that of the Israel nation. That is because Christianity is an extension of Judaism. As a single ethnic group with a long history, Korea should go through hardships and shed much blood. They should be a righteous people. How much blood has been shed throughout the ages because of treacherous people? This is how it was for five or six hundred years during the Chosun dynasty. The number six must be indemnified. Since it was such an age, the blood of many good people had to be shed during that time. (204-161, 1990.7.8)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1357
Your situation is akin to that of Jacob’s clan, which could not be formed within a seven-year course but rather through three seven-year courses. All you 777 Couples of the Unification Church must realize that your Blessing signifies the establishment of the tribe that can relate in all directions to the world. The fact that people from several nations were blessed proves that a tradition has been established through which the whole world can be connected to heaven. Thus, you must become earnest families comprising true husbands, wives, parents, and children who can set the standard of being able to uphold God’s will; such a responsibility lies with you 777 Couples, who are currently in your thirties, because you are the ones who best rep-resent the families of the Unification Church. The couples in their forties are too old, and those in their twenties are not mature enough for this task. Since those of you in your thirties are standing in such a position, when you fulfill the duties entrusted to you, the foundation of heavenly tradition can be laid, upon which the rich legacy of the history of the Unification Church can be transmit-ted to the world.
Jacob
Jacob is one of the most victorious figures in the Bible, and one of the most problematical. Clever and ambitious, he tricked his brother into selling him his birthright and deceived his father Isaac into giving him his brother’s blessing. Yet, as he went through hardships in Haran and was himself deceived and mistreated by his uncle Laban, we sense a growing maturity that comes to fruition when he is able to win over his hostile brother with gifts and genuine humility. Through all the vicissitudes in his life, we can see his genuine faith in God and his desire to guard and perpetuate the godly tradition of his forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Father Moon has the highest regard for Jacob, whom he regards as the most successful providential figure in the Old Testament. In reconciling with his brother Esau, Jacob is the first person in biblical history to win over his enemy with love and sacrifice. in Father Moon’s view of God’s providence as a course of restoration, to turn right-side up all the things turned upside-down by the human fall, Jacob restored much: by defeating the angel he restored for the first time Adam’s defeat by the angel Lucifer, and by winning over his brother Esau he restored for the first time the failure of Cain and able. Jacob is a role model to Father Moon, and to anyone who understands that God entrusts to us a certain portion of responsibility—to exert ourselves to overcome adversity and restore the mistakes of the past. Therefore, his appellation “Israel,” meaning “he who strives with God” is well deserved.
1. Jacob’s Rivalry with Esau
Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the lord granted his prayer, and Rebecca his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is thus, 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.”
When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came forth red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand had taken hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Genesis 25.21-26
When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his game; but Rebecca loved Jacob.
Once when Jacob was boiling pottage, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red pottage, for I am famished!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25.27-34
When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son, and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me, and prepare for me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat; that I may bless you before I die.” Now Rebecca was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau… She prepared savory food, such as his father loved. Then she took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son; and the skins of the kids she put upon his hands and upon the smooth part of his neck; and she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. So he went in to his father, and said, “My father”; and he said, “Here I am; who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your first-born. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that you may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the lord your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said, “Bring it to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” So he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said,
“See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the l ord has blessed! May God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be every one who curses you, and blessed be every one who blesses you!”…
Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebecca; so she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran, and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away.” Genesis 27.1-29, 41-44
10 So they took a few handfuls of ashes and went to the king.[b] Moses threw them into the air, and sores immediately broke out on the Egyptians and their animals. 11 The magicians were suffering so much from the sores, that they could not even come to Moses. 12 Everything happened just as the Lord had told Moses—he made the king too stubborn to listen to Moses and Aaron.
2 Chronicles 20
5 After everyone from Judah and Jerusalem had come together at the Lord’s temple, Jehoshaphat stood in front of the new courtyard 6 and prayed:
You, Lord, are the God our ancestors worshiped, and from heaven you rule every nation in the world. You are so powerful that no one can defeat you. 7 Our God, you forced out the nations who lived in this land before your people Israel came here, and you gave it to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever. 8 Our ancestors lived in this land and built a temple to honor you. 9 They believed that whenever this land is struck by war or disease or famine, your people can pray to you at the temple, and you will hear their prayer and save them.
Isaac
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Abraham obeyed God’s command to sacrifice as a burnt offering his precious son Isaac, who was born to Abraham in his old age. In giving that command, God took a great risk unprecedented in history. Whether or not Abraham would comply would be the condition that represented heaven and earth; it would decide the fate of events in heaven, events on earth, and millions of lives yet to be born. Although Abraham was ignorant of its great import, once he received the command, he made a sincere attempt to place his son Isaac on the altar and sacrifice him. Think about the heart of Abraham as he picked up the knife to kill his beloved son. His mind truly transcended reality. In his time, who could have recognized that kind of faith? By meeting God’s expectation in that moment of great risk, Abraham’s daring act proved that he belonged to Heaven and his family belonged to Heaven. He demonstrated that he and his family, and all their cattle, follow God’s orders. He established this reality when he made the burnt offering of his only son. Abraham offered Isaac with the prayer in his heart, “Although Isaac is my son, he is Thine; therefore I shall offer him to Thee.” The realistic consequences of what he was doing did not matter to him. You should learn the center of faith from the example of these historical forefathers. (1:265-66, December 2, 1956)
After Abraham failed in the symbolic offering, God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. In this way God began a new dispensation, for the purpose of restoring Abraham’s earlier failure through indemnity… Abraham’s zeal to do God’s will and his resolute actions, carried out with absolute faith, obedience and loyalty, lifted him up to the position of already having killed Isaac. Therefore, he completely separated Satan from Isaac. God commanded Abraham not to kill Isaac because Isaac, now severed of all ties to Satan, stood on God’s side. We must also understand that when God said, “Now I know that you fear God…” He revealed both His reproach to Abraham for his earlier failure in the symbolic offering and His joy over the successful offering of Isaac. Because Abraham succeeded in his offering of Isaac, Isaac could carry on the providence of restoration in Abraham’s family. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Foundation 3.1.2.2)
It is not clear how old Isaac was when Abraham offered the boy as a sacrifice. He was old enough to carry the wood for the sacrifice, and when he saw there was no lamb to be offered, he inquired of his father about it. Isaac was apparently old enough to understand his father’s intentions. We can infer that he helped his father, even though he knew that his father was preparing to offer him as the sacrifice. If Isaac had resisted his father’s attempt to sacrifice him, God definitely would not have accepted the offering. In fact, Isaac demonstrated a faith as great as that of Abraham. Together, their faith made the offering successful, and there was no way for Satan to retain his hold on them. In making the offering, Abraham and Isaac went through a process of death and resurrection. As a result, Abraham succeeded in the separation of Satan, who had invaded him because of his mistake in the symbolic offering… Second, by faithfully obeying God’s will, Isaac inherited the divine mission.19(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Foundation 3.1.2.3)
We should give ourselves as offerings to Thee, Father, yet we are unable to. Therefore, even if Thou hast to drive us, even if Thou hast to drag us— please lead us to Thine altar. Abraham brought his innocent son, Isaac, on the way to Mount Moriah. When Isaac asked his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” his father answered that he need not worry about it. Every time I try to fathom Abraham’s heart, every time I try to fathom that parent’s heart, I feel how sorrowful Thine heart must be as Thou leadest us. (48:57, September 5, 1971)
