God chose Abraham and Isaac, but Jacob seemed a little odd choice to carry the birthright. After all, he and his mother dressed him up in fresh goatskin so he would feel like his older brother, Esau, who was hairy. Then, he marched in where his father Isaac was ill and could not see very well. He flatly lied to his father and walked off with the birthright. When Esau found out about it, he was very angry and Jacob thought Esau would kill him.
When we first see him as your neighbor, he is running for his life. He ran until it was dark. He grabbed a rock for a pillow and lay down to sleep. He dreamed he saw a stairway leading up to Heaven. He climbed up about halfway and met God there. They wrestled for quite awhile. Then God said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I will give you the land on which you are lying. All people on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” – [NIV]
God had made his choice. He made several choices like that. He looked at the heart instead of what he has done. Maybe he has a plan for you that you have ignored? Read psalm 91, and you’ll find out how much he loves and cares for you. We all have done things that were not what God wants, but He will always forgive us when we ask Him.
Jacob felt God was with him as he continued his journey. Finally he was at at Uncle Laban’s where he met his match at cheating. Uncle Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob wanted to marry Rachel and offered to work five years if he could marry her. Uncle Laban said yes and had a big feast to celebrate the decision. When the feast was in high gear, Laban took Leah to Rachel’s bed. Jacob went in and slept with her. When he learned about what had happened he asked Uncle Laban if he could work another five years and marry Rachel, but he still married Leah. Uncle Laban agreed and added that every animal he had which carried a speckled color would belong to Jacob. So, he went out to count. He took the flock, both Leah and Rachel, and settled down near by. He figured out how to make most of Uncle Laban’s animals and eventually had much more than he began with.
Jacob’s children were many. Leah had three children when Rachel became very jealous and asked if some of the servant girls couldn’t serve as concubines as much as Leah. He agreed and they had 10 sons and several daughters before Rachel had Joseph and Benjamin. So, Jacob had 12 sons and next time we will know about Joseph. God had a tough time finding and making those three men, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but God can do anything. can’t He?
GramMa's Thoughts 