“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 ESV
If there ever was a shady and dishonest character in the Bible that God redeemed for His use in a HUGE way it has to be Jacob. This fella's name quite literally means "deceiver." I want to slow down today and take a look at the man who started out as a liar and a cheater but ended up as the father of a great nation.
If you have read the book of Genesis then you already know that Abraham had a son named Isaac and Isaac had two sons, one named Esau and one named Jacob. The two boys were twin brothers that were born seconds apart and that is where the trouble started. It is said that Jacob came out of his mama's womb holding on to Esau's heel for dear life. From that moment on Jacob was not content to be who God had birthed him to be. He wanted the birthright and the blessing that belonged to his "older" brother Esau.
In Genesis 25 we find that Esau has come home from a long day at work and he was starving. Jacob had made some stew while his brother was off working and in typical brotherly fashion tells his brother he can't have any of it unless he first gives up his birthright. Now let me say this, I have been awfully hungry before but I never have been that hungry. Esau pulls probably the dumbest move in human history right here and sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Esau couldn't have been a rocket scientist but Jacob was a grade A liar and showed some terrible character in this moment. He basically was fine to let his brother starve in order to advance his own agenda. Jacob would have made a great lawyer.
But this isn't the end. In Chapter 27, just as their father Isaac is about to pass on and be with the Lord, Jacob tricks the old man into thinking that he is actually Esau in order to steal his brother's birthright. He went as far as to dress up like his brother and mimic his voice to fool the elderly man. And even worse he out and out lies about who he is. At this point I can't see anything remotely close to him being a leader let alone the father of a great nation.
After his brother finds out about what Jacob had pulled over the old man, Jacob fears for his life and runs away. But this is where God starts to transform Jacob into the man He needs him to be. Over the next few chapters we learn that God teaches Jacob who is actually in control of his life. And in what can be described as a "karma" moment for Jacob, he is lied to by his future father in law, Laban.
Jacob ends up facing a great many trials over the years but God continues to move strongly in his life. In fact God ultimately restores the broken relationship of the brothers Jacob and Esau. And in one of my favorite parts of the story, Genesis 32, Jacob and his family are headed back to be with Esau and Jacob "wrestles" with God. At the end of the night Jacob has shown the stamina God was looking for and Jacob wouldn't let him go without God first blessing him. (Guy has some stones doesn't he!) God renames Jacob to be called "Israel," which means, God strives, God heals, God rules, or he that strives against God.
It is this pivotal point in Jacobs life that he is forever changed by his experience with God.
God can do the same thing for each one of us. He can change our "name" any time He sees fit. But it only comes after we have "wrestled" with Him. He can and wanted to transform each one of us. Ultimately He reigns and wins, He will change your life like you never could. There is no "self help" book that can effect the kind of change that giving your will over to God's will can do.
The one thing that always sticks out to me from Jacob's story is the transforming power of God. Jacob started out as a liar who God saw as more. He would grow from a deceiver to be the father of God's chosen people. God raised up a nation from a manipulator who was willing to deceive his own family. His story is an inspiration to me that no matter how bad off I am or what I have done that God is never ever finished with me. God can use who ever when ever. Never forget that.
If there ever was a shady and dishonest character in the Bible that God redeemed for His use in a HUGE way it has to be Jacob. This fella's name quite literally means "deceiver." I want to slow down today and take a look at the man who started out as a liar and a cheater but ended up as the father of a great nation.
If you have read the book of Genesis then you already know that Abraham had a son named Isaac and Isaac had two sons, one named Esau and one named Jacob. The two boys were twin brothers that were born seconds apart and that is where the trouble started. It is said that Jacob came out of his mama's womb holding on to Esau's heel for dear life. From that moment on Jacob was not content to be who God had birthed him to be. He wanted the birthright and the blessing that belonged to his "older" brother Esau.
In Genesis 25 we find that Esau has come home from a long day at work and he was starving. Jacob had made some stew while his brother was off working and in typical brotherly fashion tells his brother he can't have any of it unless he first gives up his birthright. Now let me say this, I have been awfully hungry before but I never have been that hungry. Esau pulls probably the dumbest move in human history right here and sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Esau couldn't have been a rocket scientist but Jacob was a grade A liar and showed some terrible character in this moment. He basically was fine to let his brother starve in order to advance his own agenda. Jacob would have made a great lawyer.
But this isn't the end. In Chapter 27, just as their father Isaac is about to pass on and be with the Lord, Jacob tricks the old man into thinking that he is actually Esau in order to steal his brother's birthright. He went as far as to dress up like his brother and mimic his voice to fool the elderly man. And even worse he out and out lies about who he is. At this point I can't see anything remotely close to him being a leader let alone the father of a great nation.
After his brother finds out about what Jacob had pulled over the old man, Jacob fears for his life and runs away. But this is where God starts to transform Jacob into the man He needs him to be. Over the next few chapters we learn that God teaches Jacob who is actually in control of his life. And in what can be described as a "karma" moment for Jacob, he is lied to by his future father in law, Laban.
Jacob ends up facing a great many trials over the years but God continues to move strongly in his life. In fact God ultimately restores the broken relationship of the brothers Jacob and Esau. And in one of my favorite parts of the story, Genesis 32, Jacob and his family are headed back to be with Esau and Jacob "wrestles" with God. At the end of the night Jacob has shown the stamina God was looking for and Jacob wouldn't let him go without God first blessing him. (Guy has some stones doesn't he!) God renames Jacob to be called "Israel," which means, God strives, God heals, God rules, or he that strives against God.
It is this pivotal point in Jacobs life that he is forever changed by his experience with God.
God can do the same thing for each one of us. He can change our "name" any time He sees fit. But it only comes after we have "wrestled" with Him. He can and wanted to transform each one of us. Ultimately He reigns and wins, He will change your life like you never could. There is no "self help" book that can effect the kind of change that giving your will over to God's will can do.
The one thing that always sticks out to me from Jacob's story is the transforming power of God. Jacob started out as a liar who God saw as more. He would grow from a deceiver to be the father of God's chosen people. God raised up a nation from a manipulator who was willing to deceive his own family. His story is an inspiration to me that no matter how bad off I am or what I have done that God is never ever finished with me. God can use who ever when ever. Never forget that.
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