Jacob: Crafty deceiver, to become God's patriarch.

 

                                                                      JACOB

 

                                                   

 

Jacob lay dying, old, feeble and ill, while outside his tent, his sons grazed their sheep on the fertile lands of Goshen. He called his twelve sons to his side, rallied his failing strength, and sat up on his bed.

 “Listen to me, my sons, as I prophesy your future. Reuben, you’re my firstborn, the first sign of my strength, but you’re as turbulent as the sea. You slept in my bed with my concubine, and you’ll pay the consequences of your lust.”

 “Simeon and Levi are violent men, and God will scatter you among my people.”

“Judah, your brothers will praise you, and you’ll be as strong as a lion, the ruler of the nations…”

 Jacob prophesied over each son and left instructions about his funeral. They must bury him beside Abraham and Isaac, in Machpelah, in the Mamre cave. When he’d finished his parting speech, he lay down again to die.

 Jacob’s wisdom had been hard won. 

   As a boy, his mother doted on him over his twin brother, but his father favored Esau, who owned the prized birthright. Jacob burned with jealousy. He hatched a devious plot and stole Esau’s inheritance from under his father’s nose.

Esau pleaded with Isaac, his father as he lay blind in his tent.  “Don’t you have more than one blessing, Father? Bless me too!”

“Jacob has stolen it, my son. No, you’ll live by the sword, and you will serve your brother.”

  Cheated and angry, he slunk away. “Grr, as soon as my father is safely buried, I’ll kill Jacob, the rotten scoundrel!”

 Jacob’s mother got wise to Esau’s anger. “You must leave at once. Go back to my brother in Haran until Esau cools down. Besides, it’s time you find a wife, and you should look for one among my people.”

He fled, bitterness and anger festering in Jacob’s heart. He rested in Bethel at sunset, lay down with a stone for pillow, and fell asleep. Caught in a vivid dream, he saw a ladder, on which angels climbed up to heaven and came down to earth, and above it, God stood. 

  “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, and your father, Isaac. You’re laying on the actual land which your descendants will inherit. They will spread across the world and through their descendants, every nation will be blessed. I am with you, and I will not leave you until I have kept my promise to you.”

 Jacob awoke, awed by the vision. God was in this place. His family would bless every nation, regardless of Jacob’s bitterness, fear, or anger. And Jacob, the deal maker, promised to give back to God a portion of the blessing if God protected him. He knew God was real and would be true to his promise.

 On his arrival, he met Rachel, Laban’s beautiful daughter, by her father’s well, and fell instantly in love with her. Laban greeted him warmly, and Jacob settled into the household, working seven years for Laban as the bride price for Rachel. But the wedding night didn’t go as Jacob expected. Laban sent the less attractive Leah, his older daughter, into Jacob’s darkened tent. When morning dawned, there was Leah! Jacob burned with indignation.  (Just as Jacob had deceived his blind father, he now suffered from Laban's deceit because of darkness.)        

 “What have you done to me? I served you for Rachel. Why have you deceived me?”

“It’s our custom to give an older daughter in marriage before her younger sister. If you want Rachel too, you’ll have to work another seven years.”

  Jacob resented and despised Leah, and the sisters fought, jealous of each other. God gave Leah many sons, but when Rachel couldn’t conceive, she sent her maidservant to Jacob. Not to be outdone, Leah offered Jacob her servant until Jacob fathered twelve sons from his four wives. Jacob took revenge on his father-in-law by manipulating the breeding stock of his goatherd to increase his own flocks and weaken Laban’s. Jacob claimed God had blessed him rather than admitting his subterfuge. They argued, and Jacob fled for the second time in his life. But God told him to go back to his father’s house.

 As they reached Mahanaim, angels accosted him. “We visited your brother, Esau, and he’s on his way to meet you.”

 Overcome by fear and trepidation, he sent his family across the ford at Jabbok, along with flocks to broker peace with Esau. He spent the night alone in a camp.

 “O God, I’m not worthy of your kindness and faithfulness. I left home with nothing but I'm coming back with flocks, herds and a large family. Please protect us from Esau’s plans to attack us, for you promised to multiply my descendants.”

 Under the lonely moonlight, a man grabbed him, and they wrestled all night. At dawn, the man wrenched Jacob’s hip from its socket.

   “Let me go.”

 “I won’t, unless you bless me.”

  “What’s your name?”

 “Jacob.”

   “Your new name is ‘Israel’ because you’ve struggled with God and men.”

 Jacob had survived another hurdle as he experienced God’s mercy and grace because God had spared Jacob from death. Despite rampant jealousy, deceit, and multiple wives, God was keeping his promises, despite Jacob's weakness and failure, building Jacob’s faith step by step.

  Rachel gave birth to Joseph, and Jacob loved him above all his other sons, favoring him with a multicolored jacket. Joseph boasted about how great he was, and his older brothers hated and despised him. They sold him to slave traders, traveling to Egypt, but pretended to Jacob his favorite son was dead. Jacob had lost his most precious child, and he refused to be comforted. For many years, Jacob suffered heartache and grief until God restored his favorite son to his side.

 Although Jacob didn’t know it, God was working on a rescue plan. God humbled Joseph before elevating him to Pharaoh’s prime minister. He saved hungry nations from famine by gathering grain during the plentiful years to store and sell. When Jacob’s family realized they could buy food in Egypt, he sent his sons. After a heart wrenching reunion and reconciliation, Joseph asked them to return with Jacob, and when he saw the cartloads of bread and grain Joseph sent from Egypt’s storehouses, his spirit revived.

 “I’m convinced. Joseph is alive, and I will go to see him before I die.”

 On the way, Jacob rested at Beersheba and worshipped God with sacrifices. Did he wonder if God had been punishing him for the years of lies and deceit?

 God met him in that place.

 “Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt. I will go with you and will bring you back to your land again.”

 Was Jacob doubting if God would ever restore his inheritance? With this affirmation, Jacob led his wives and children, his flocks and herd to meet Joseph. He ushered Jacob into Pharaoh’s presence, and the king of Egypt allotted them the land of Goshen where Jacob ended his days, confident God would eventually deliver this fledgling nation and restore their land.

 Jacob is listed in Hebrews 11 among the faithful patriarchs. His life was no model of righteousness, and he suffered the harsh consequences of his sins. Yet, he ended his race exactly where God intended, loved and revered by his family, having fulfilled God’s purposes regardless of deception, jealousy, and manipulation.

God’s grace is sufficient for the worst of us. When we earnestly ask Jesus to forgive our sins, we begin a new journey. He removes our past and greets us as his beloved children when we join his perfect family. God is always true to his promises, and he will deliver us despite our mistakes if we place our complete trust in him. Will you be among the cloud of witnesses who testify to God’s grace? There is no sin so great he cannot forgive this side of the grave. He created you for a reason, and he will fulfill his plans either through you or despite of you.

 Which path have you chosen? The road of obedience or the crooked path? Will God watch us detour through deceit and jealousy before we recognize our need for him? He is the perfect father who longs to train us in the way we should go. Let’s listen to him now and embrace his deep love and mercy before we reach our journey’s end.