Tag: Jacob

When God is My God

~ Sowmya Gali ~ 2 Comments

Genesis 27: 20

Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the Lord Your God caused it to happen to me.”

Jacob, when he was about to deceive his father Isaac, lied about his identity. Isaac, in his old age, relied on his touch and smell than his hearing. Jacob was familiar with the God of his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. At this juncture, he was yet to acknowledge God. He must have heard stories about the faith of his grandfather Abraham and all the wonderful things God had done in his life. He also must have been familiar with his own father Isaac’s relationship with God. Isaac was a living testament of God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises to both Esau and Jacob. Yet, both of them failed to acknowledge God.

When Isaac sat up to eat the game that Esau was supposed to cook and bring, Jacob, disguised himself in his brother’s clothing and offered the meal to his father. Suspiciously, Isaac questioned Jacob how he was able to find the game so quickly. In order to not expose himself he boldly told Isaac that Isaac’s God gave him success. Not Jacob’s God but Isaac’s God. This statement clearly indicates that Jacob was familiar with God Almighty and His ways. Yet, Jacob didn’t believe in Him.

Genesis 28: 20-22

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.

Jacob is on the run after deceiving his father Isaac and robbing Esau of his rightful blessing. Esau had vengeance on his mind. Rebekah urged Jacob to flee to Paddan-Aram to her brother’s house until situation calmed down. Jacob, while fleeing from Esau’s anger, he rested at a place called Luz, where he took a stone for a pillow. He sees the stairway to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. The Lord introduced Himself that He is the Lord of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. He promised him that He will watch over him where he goes and will bring him back to his father’s house. The Lord stood above and declared to him that the place where he was sleeping will be his. Just witnessing the dream, Jacob was in awe. He remembered how his father Isaac built altars whenever God spoke to him.

It is interesting to know that God doesn’t ask Jacob to obey Him. He just pronounced the promise that He will bless Him, unconditionally. What favor rested on Jacob! Jacob, on the other hand, instead of claiming that promise and believing in God, places a condition before God. His obedience or acknowledgment of God was conditional. If God blesses him, then he will believe and follow him.

Many of us are like Jacob. Despite God’s promises, His faithfulness, His provision, His blessings, His protection, we still place conditions before Him. If God solves my problem, then I will believe. If God takes me out of my trial, then I will follow him. We have witnessed numerous times how God always remained faithful but we fail to recognize His faithfulness. On the contrary, we place conditions before him.

Despite, Jacob’s arrogance, God was with him. He waited patiently, until Jacob realized that God was truly on his side. A deceiver, when deceived by his father-in-law Laban, understood the pain of being wronged. A once ruthless negotiator, when negotiating with Laban, was cheated out of fair wages. He must have realized the unfair way he negotiated his birthright with Esau for a bowl of stew. He now found himself running again away from Laban. He also realized that if he returned to his father’s house, Esau would kill him.

Jacob was at the crossroads of his life. If he turned to Paddan-Aram, Laban will not spare him and take away all his possessions, including his wives and children. If he forged ahead and returned to Canaan, Esau would kill him and his family and seize all his possessions. While he was agonizing, he wrestled with God. At this juncture, he didn’t let go of God. The God of Abraham and Isaac, now became the God of Jacob.

God changed Laban’s heart after God warned him not to harm Jacob. After God’s intervention with the situation with Laban, Jacob realized that he was at the mercy of Esau. However, God changed Esau’s heart as well. Two long lost brothers now embraced despite the animosity and past hurt. Jacob realized that when God became His God, situations turned favorable to him. When He realized that the God of his fathers was on his side, He worshipped Him.

Genesis 33: 29-30

Then Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. So Jacob named that place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”

Dear Saint of God, we may not wrestle with God and see Him face to face like Jacob. Are we conditionally acknowledging God? Or are we loving, Him, obeying Him unconditionally, just for who He is? Are we worshipping Him for who is or for what He can do for us? Let us lay aside our conditions and let us love Him and follow Him because He is our God. Let us make God our God because there is none like Him.

The Battle of the Twins

~ Sowmya Gali ~ 1 Comment

Genesis 25: 23

The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.”

Rebekah was pregnant with twins – two individual people in one womb. They may have been the first set of twins the world has ever seen. As Rebekah was struggling with her pregnancy and wondering why she is having such symptoms, God answered her saying that she was carrying two babies in her womb. He also prophesied about them saying that the twins will be separated, one will be stronger than the other and the older will serve the younger.

According to the prophecy, Esau gives up his birthright for a bowl of stew and Jacob deceives his father to steal the blessing. After Esau has been robbed of the blessing, Jacob runs away. Thus, they have been separated. Jacob becomes strong and rich by seeking God. Esau, on the other hand, makes one bad decision after another and brought heartache to his parents. The nation of Israel becomes powerful while the Edomites are left to fend for themselves and are constantly warring with their neighbors. Two nations emerged from Rebekah’s womb: Esau or Edomites and Jacob or Israelites. Esau represents flesh and Jacob represents spirit.

When we are born, we too are born with twin nature. The nature of flesh, which is evil, causes us to sin, while the nature of spirit, which is God-given and breathed into us, causes us to choose good over evil. As the battle rages on from a very young age, through life’s struggles and choices, there comes a point in our lives that we have to separate the flesh and spirit. Our constant battle with flesh and its desires, causes us to stray away from God. We make poor choices. We compromise in key issues of life. We stray too far only to find ourselves hopeless and frail.

When we confess and accept Christ in our lives, then we learn to subdue our fleshly desires and prioritize the matters of the spirit. When Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the middle of the night, Jesus tells him that only a person who is born again can see the kingdom of God. Baffled, Nicodemus questioned Jesus of such a possibility. Jesus explains to him, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3: 5, 6. God in His divine plan wants us to live spirit-filled lives. The flesh and its desires are passing but the spirit lives on. Esau chose flesh while Jacob chose spirit. That is why God hated Esau but Jacob, He loved (Malachi 1:2, Romans 9: 13).

What then is the outcome of this battle of the twins within us? If we pursue flesh and its desires, they may satisfy us temporarily but there is no eternal satisfaction or joy. Endlessly, tirelessly, and aimlessly, we will be chasing after the wind trying to grasp something of this life. The wise teacher of Ecclesiastes says all life’s pursuits, fame, pleasure, and everything our eyes and hearts’ desire, are but a chasing after the wind. Instead fear God and live in obedience to Him, then our lives will be filled with hope and meaning. When we keep God’s commandments, then our lives are lived with a purpose. Live by faith and not by sight.

It is when we walk in the spirit, then we can subdue the flesh. The flesh even though, is still present and persistent, we are much more equipped to subdue our fleshly desires. The twins are separated. The younger twin subdues the older because the spirit is more powerful than the flesh. One day the younger twin will reign over the older twin and the older twin will serve the younger twin. Our flesh will be conquered by the spirit and the day is not too far when we will live by the spirit not by flesh. The flesh will serve the spirit for God’s glory. We may be born of flesh but when we are born of the spirit, we are more powerful.

Jacob inherited the blessing of God while Esau was left with naught. Dearly beloved, as the battle of the twins’ wages on, let us persevere in the truth that our God who conquered sin and the grave will equip us to overcome and be victorious. He will equip us to be more than conquerors so that we can live victoriously by the spirit. The flesh will be there but only to serve the spirit.