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Today, we're reading Genesis 23 through 28, but chapter 27 specifically begs the question,

how do you define integrity?

Or said differently, maybe not how do you define it, but how does integrity play out in your life, if at all? Growing up, my elementary

school focused on different character qualities or traits every month. They'd talk about them on

the morning announcements at the end of the day and at special assemblies.

And each character quality had an official definition. For integrity, it was doing what's right

when no one is watching. And it's easy to think about integrity in simple terms. We should pick up

our trash. We should return our grocery carts to the proper receptacle when we're out shopping,

etc. But what about the things that are more challenging to identify? How do you respond when the

Holy Spirit convicts you? No one can see that response or even that conviction. How do you

respond when you read God's word? No one is seeing the instruction you're taking it in.

Now, because this is the year of the Word, and we're celebrating 20 years of join the journey,

back in 2022, Watermark member Benjamin studied Genesis 27 and reminded us to take God's communications to us seriously.

Benjamin wrote, chapter 27 demonstrates a

pivotal moment when we see how God's promises to Rebecca, Genesis 25, 23, and Isaac, Genesis 26, 24,

begin to unfold. Two relationships are highlighted, Rebecca's with Jacob and Isaac's with Esau. As was typical for the time, Isaac shows Esau preference as the firstborn.

Rebecca's preference for Jacob, therefore, is more unusual. There's a significant difference, however, and it has to do with God's earlier promises.

God spoke to Rebecca in Genesis 2523, saying,

Two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you shall be divided. The one shall be

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