Scripture Thoughts #8

Genesis

In Genesis 27, and really all the chapters detailing Jacob’s early life, we see a man few would expect to father a nation. Jacob is sneaky, isolated, weak, troublesome, and a mama’s boy. He gets caught up in his mother’s schemes and does nothing honorable or brave or righteous. Jacob’s life is confusing, dysfunctional, and full of mistakes. He even goes on to physically fight with God!

And yet, between the lines of the story, we do see him slowly transform. Jacob is brought low and humbled; he has nothing when God establishes His covenant with him. Why would God choose this man to father His chosen people? Why would God name the nation after Jacob?

Jacob may have made lots of mistakes, but his ability wasn’t in his leadership skills or righteousness; it was in his willingness — or perhaps desperation — to let God take the lead in his life. Sneaky, deceitful schemes had clearly brought only pain and suffering to Jacob. And like his vision of a stairway to Heaven, Jacob probably came to understand that he was at the very bottom of those stairs and nothing he did on his own would change that.