Hi there! I hope you are having a great week and can take some time to look back and appreciate how much work God has done and is doing in your life. It’s always good to reflect and thank God for His goodness.
Thank you for taking the time to read this today. Thank you much more for every effort that you make toward your spiritual health. It is making a difference in your life and in the lives of others. I promise.
Genesis 27-30
Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. As you are continuing to read through Genesis, and especially through the life and legacy of Abraham, do you feel like things are sliding downhill? Yeah, me too. And as they complicate everything with what I’m calling “bargaining” they are missing out on the miracles that God had in store. We can learn something from this.
“Bargaining is the a simple form of the distributive negotiation process that is both competitive and positional. Meaning, bargaining doesn’t seek to create value but instead focuses on negotiators claiming value.” I see this line of thinking clearly within these chapters. What value can I take from you if I give up something that means less to me.
There certainly isn’t anything wrong with bargaining, but we are not talking about getting the best price on a few used kitchen utensils here. We are talking about lives, futures, God’s blessing, and the sacred covenant that has been made. The deals that are made are all about me, here, and now. Not about God, the future, and others.
God's way or man's way?
God’s promise to Jacob.
The ground you’re on belongs to you and your descendants.
Your descendants will be countless!
ALL of the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.
I [God] am with you.
I [God] will protect you wherever you go.
I [God] will bring you back here to live in the land I’m giving you.
I [God] will not leave until I have finished giving you everything I promised. (Genesis 28:13-15)
Enough said. God’s promises to Abraham and Isaac are not being passed to Jacob. God has a very big plan!
Man’s bargaining.
Jacob’s vow (Genesis 28:20-22)
Have you ever made conditional commitments to God? These are the kind of statements a child makes. I certainly remember making them in past years. Oh God, if only you’ll give me this job, I will be more generous in my giving. Oh God if you will heal me from this pain, I will go to church every Sunday. This is a good example of someone who has a really surface relationship with God at best. They’ve not spent time getting to know Him. They’ve not been worshiping Him. They’ve not been obedient with any amount of consistency. I totally get it. I’ve been there. Living my faith out vicariously through other stronger Christians that I followed when I felt like it and not just relying on God alone. Is that you today?
Jacob’s wives (Genesis 29:18-28)
Well, well, well, it seemed like a great deal at the time but “what goes around comes around” and Jacob now gets to experience the consequences of making crafty bargains. What I observe is that God was not in the picture when Jacob and Rebecca schemed to take what had already been promised to Jacob by God. God was also not involved with the selection of a Jacob’s mate. Did I miss something? Or did Jacob miss something? Do you suppose it could have made a difference if Jacob (like the servant who searched for a wife for Isaac) had prayed? Waited? Do you think Jacob’s results were God’s plan? The question for you is, do you get ahead of God? Do you see things that you want and just bargain your way to have them? Or do you wait? Do you pray? Are you growing and maturing enough to be able to say that God’s way is the best way? That is the direction I want to continually head as my trust in God deepens and my life becomes more saturated with Him.
Jacob’s children (Genesis 30:1-3, 9, 15-16)
Over and over “if-then” decisions that put themselves in the role of god. If we are honest, that is where our selfishness always leads. Control. Here is a great example for us to learn from. Why did God use Jacob after all of this? Why would God love us and meet us where we are today without getting all “cleaned up” for Him first? It’s about HIM it’s not about me or you.
Jacob’s wealth (Genesis 30:27-43)
Jacob concocts a scheme with branches and bark and the birthing of lambs. It’s a little out there! Rather than digging into every detail, I was caught wondering again. Did Jacob become wealthy because he was so crafty with his bargaining skills? Or did Jacob become wealthy because God had made promises to his grandfather Abraham, his father Isaac, and to him?
What difference does this make to me?
What difference does this make to me?
It’s really easy to point out all of the missteps and outright absurdity of Jacob’s family, isn’t it? I feel so many things from sadness to disgust to anger to just plain confusion when I read through these accounts of their life. It makes me think of how quickly a little knot can become a tangled mess when I try to quickly untangle yarn. The same could be said for cords, hoses, and strings of Christmas lights!
But God!
(Rebecca and) Jacob and Leah and Rachel
- God used them. Not just to deliver a package from Amazon (sorry, we just had a delivery here and it was fresh on my mind) but to deliver the SAVIOR of the WORLD! From Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Judah, …David…Jesus.
He can use you. - God blessed them. In spite of their choices, God made a way for their names to become great. Nearly 4,000 years have passed and here we are still learning about how their faith in God was developed and passed on. From their generations to ours.
He wants to bless you. - God taught them. Jacob started his walk with God on what I would describe as shaky ground. He was bargaining with God saying if you do “xyz” for me then I will do”abc” for you. This my friends, is not fertile ground for a good relationship. However, God continued to meet with Jacob, and allow Jacob to see the blessings of obedience and the hardship of doing things his own way. When Jacob was old he is forever grateful for his mighty God. (Genesis 48:15)
God will teach you.
You need to listen and obey Him.
Listening is key. Isn’t it. Talk talk pray pray and no listen is dangerous. How can you hear without listening
So true Tim.
Loved reading this!
Thanks!