THE PEOPLE IN THE BEGINNING: JACOB

Abraham has been called the father of the faithful! His grandson, Jacob, wasn’t accused of being faithful, at least not in his early years. Jacob was a con-man who conspired and schemed to steal his brother’s birthright and blessing.

But God doesn’t call the innocent, the impressive, the pure, and the perfect. God is like the fisherman… he catches the fish and then he cleans them. That’s the point of Jacob’s story.

Jacob was a runaway. He ran from the consequences of his own bad choices. He ran from his brother, and he ran for his life!

Alone, with only a rock for a pillow, he fell asleep under the stars. In the middle of his mess, heaven opened. God spoke. “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13–15).

The promises made to the runaway con-man that night were the same promises made to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). God promised an unnumbered multitude of offspring and vast land as an inheritance. Furthermore, God promised His unconditional blessings.

Years later, Jacob was still running. Once again, Jacob was alone under the stars when he encountered God… the God who gave Jacob a new identity. No longer Jacob, God called him Israel, meaning one who strives with God and prevails.

Jacob, or rather Israel, was still flawed. God didn’t erase his past. By grace, He redeemed it.

If you’ve ever felt too far gone, too messed up and too mixed up in your own schemes and failures to be useful to God … look at Jacob.

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).