Having tricked his brother into giving him his birthright, and his father into giving him the blessing of the firstborn son, Jacob gets what he wants but earns the hatred of his twin brother Esau, who plans to kill him. Tipped off by his co-conspiring mother, Jacob flees to uncle Laban until everything cools down.
Clearly, Jacob has a long way to go before he becomes a man of faith and character. But God begins working on him by both revelation and renewal of the Promise. God reveals himself to Jacob in a dream of a “stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.” (Genesis 28:12)
In the dream, Jacob sees God at the top of the stairway. He identifies himself as “the Lord, the God your grandfather, Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac.” The third generation of the Promise has begun, and accordingly, God renews his covenant promise with Jacob. Jacob learns by this unusual dream, and by the covenant renewal, that God is always working on earth to bring about his Promise to bless the nations.
Chapters 29-31 give the detailed account of Jacob returning to his uncle Laban to find a wife. He quickly discovers that Laban is just as tricky as he is. Laban fools him into marrying his daughter Leah when he thinks he’s marrying Rachel, whom he loves. He ends up with both, working 14 years for Laban to pay the dowries.
But despite Laban’s treachery, God blesses Jacob and he becomes wealthy during his years with Laban. Between Leah and Rachel, Jacob has 12 sons who become the 12 Tribes of Israel. The rest of chapters 30 & 31 recount the maneuvering of Jacob and Laban to outwit one another, but eventually Jacob is able to leave.
What strikes me so far about the story of Abraham and his son and grandson, is the messiness of it. These are not super-heroes but real people. They have character flaws, make bad choices, display questionable character and occasionally fall on their faces (and not for prayer!). And yet, God in his sovereignty, chooses them (like he chooses us) to serve him in the world. Though we are deeply flawed now, God sees what we will one day become when his grace has finished its work in us.
Prayer: Father, help us to not grow anxious by thinking that your love for us is dependent upon our performance. Teach us what it means to live by faith through grace. Amen!
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