Sabbath: Jacob the Supplanter
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 25:21-34, Genesis 28:10-22, Genesis 11:1-9, Genesis 29:1-30, Genesis 30:25-32.
Memory Text: “And Esau said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!’ And he said, ‘Have you not reserved a blessing for me?’” (Genesis 27:36, NKJV).
We now pick up on the continued family history of Isaac, the miracle child and early ancestor of the promised seed. The story doesn’t start out particularly well, however. The flawed character of his son Jacob will be manifested in the rivalry between the two brothers over the birthright (Genesis 25:27-34) and consequently over the right to obtain the blessing of Isaac (Genesis chapter 27).
Because Jacob deceives his father and steals the blessing from his older brother, he will have to flee for his life. In exile, God confronts him at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22). From then on Jacob, the deceiver, will experience some deception himself. Instead of Rachel, whom Jacob loved (Genesis chapter 29), Leah, the older daughter, will be given to Jacob, and he will have to work 14 years to earn his wives.
Yet, Jacob will also experience God’s blessing, for in exile he will have 11 of his sons, and God will increase his wealth.
Thus, whatever else we can see in this story, we can see how God will fulfill His covenant promises, one way or another, regardless of how often His people fail.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 28.
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Anyone who has had more than one child knows about sibling rivalry. I have a son and a daughter, who in their childhood ran me ragged, keeping up with their squabbles and fights. They taught me about deviousness with a capital D when it came to putting it across one another. And now my daughter has given me two grandsons - and she has passed on sibling rivalry to them too!
Jacob and Esau - twins - fought in the womb and continued to fight and compete with one another for the rest of their lives. Brains versus brawn - and the cost of winning. It is not a "nice" story, but it is a "life story", that gives us a lot to think about and learn.
In-spite of our short cummings God looks beyond what we presents to him and brings out the best in us for his glory.
Today's lesson states that "... whatever else we can see in this story, we can see how God will fulfill His covenant promises, one way or another, regardless of how often His people fail." If we take the time to reflect and meditate upon stories such as the one we will explore this week, we can begin to get glimpses into the awesomeness of God who is able to facilitate salvation, navigate our 'failures' and perfectly preserve the freedom of those who choose Him as well as those who choose against Him. Despite the complexity inherent in all of this, God is able to 'orchestrate' all things to (ultimately) work together for good due to His infinite capacities to do so (Romans 8:28-30), and at the same time intimately journey with each of us along the way (Isaiah 41:10). No wonder Paul remarked, "if God is for us (which He is), who can be against us!" (Romans 8:31).
I would invite consideration of this as the backdrop to this week's lesson... and to your own experience this week, whatever you are facing or faced with.