Genesis 25: 23

The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.”

Rebekah was pregnant with twins – two individual people in one womb. They may have been the first set of twins the world has ever seen. As Rebekah was struggling with her pregnancy and wondering why she is having such symptoms, God answered her saying that she was carrying two babies in her womb. He also prophesied about them saying that the twins will be separated, one will be stronger than the other and the older will serve the younger.

According to the prophecy, Esau gives up his birthright for a bowl of stew and Jacob deceives his father to steal the blessing. After Esau has been robbed of the blessing, Jacob runs away. Thus, they have been separated. Jacob becomes strong and rich by seeking God. Esau, on the other hand, makes one bad decision after another and brought heartache to his parents. The nation of Israel becomes powerful while the Edomites are left to fend for themselves and are constantly warring with their neighbors. Two nations emerged from Rebekah’s womb: Esau or Edomites and Jacob or Israelites. Esau represents flesh and Jacob represents spirit.

When we are born, we too are born with twin nature. The nature of flesh, which is evil, causes us to sin, while the nature of spirit, which is God-given and breathed into us, causes us to choose good over evil. As the battle rages on from a very young age, through life’s struggles and choices, there comes a point in our lives that we have to separate the flesh and spirit. Our constant battle with flesh and its desires, causes us to stray away from God. We make poor choices. We compromise in key issues of life. We stray too far only to find ourselves hopeless and frail.

When we confess and accept Christ in our lives, then we learn to subdue our fleshly desires and prioritize the matters of the spirit. When Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the middle of the night, Jesus tells him that only a person who is born again can see the kingdom of God. Baffled, Nicodemus questioned Jesus of such a possibility. Jesus explains to him, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3: 5, 6. God in His divine plan wants us to live spirit-filled lives. The flesh and its desires are passing but the spirit lives on. Esau chose flesh while Jacob chose spirit. That is why God hated Esau but Jacob, He loved (Malachi 1:2, Romans 9: 13).

What then is the outcome of this battle of the twins within us? If we pursue flesh and its desires, they may satisfy us temporarily but there is no eternal satisfaction or joy. Endlessly, tirelessly, and aimlessly, we will be chasing after the wind trying to grasp something of this life. The wise teacher of Ecclesiastes says all life’s pursuits, fame, pleasure, and everything our eyes and hearts’ desire, are but a chasing after the wind. Instead fear God and live in obedience to Him, then our lives will be filled with hope and meaning. When we keep God’s commandments, then our lives are lived with a purpose. Live by faith and not by sight.

It is when we walk in the spirit, then we can subdue the flesh. The flesh even though, is still present and persistent, we are much more equipped to subdue our fleshly desires. The twins are separated. The younger twin subdues the older because the spirit is more powerful than the flesh. One day the younger twin will reign over the older twin and the older twin will serve the younger twin. Our flesh will be conquered by the spirit and the day is not too far when we will live by the spirit not by flesh. The flesh will serve the spirit for God’s glory. We may be born of flesh but when we are born of the spirit, we are more powerful.

Jacob inherited the blessing of God while Esau was left with naught. Dearly beloved, as the battle of the twins’ wages on, let us persevere in the truth that our God who conquered sin and the grave will equip us to overcome and be victorious. He will equip us to be more than conquerors so that we can live victoriously by the spirit. The flesh will be there but only to serve the spirit.