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Many
are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's
purpose that prevails. Pro 19:21 (NIV)
God's promises are true and He fulfils them in His own
time. The irony is that man tries to help God through
his crafty methods to accomplish God's promises in his
life. God is exceedingly self-sufficient and powerful
enough to make bring to pass every single utterance made
by Him. His will for us is to wait upon Him patiently.
God says: "I will never leave you nor forsake you".
A mother who was in a hurry to see God's promise
fulfilled in her beloved son Jacob is a good example
that illustrates human folly.
The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and
two peoples from within you will be separated; one
people will be stronger than the other, and the older
will serve the younger." Gen 25:23.
It is obvious that Rebekah inadvertantly shared God's
promise she received about her sons. She loved Jacob
more than she loved Esau, her first-born. Probably, when
she repeated the promise several times at home, Jacob
thought of achieving it by crafty methods. Jacob knew
that Esau being the firstborn will inherit the power and
authority of his family. Being aware of the promise of
God that the older will serve the younger and the
yearning for to see it fulfilled caused Jacob to deceive
his brother. He traded some bread and lentil stew with
Esau to get his birthright. Though he was successful in
his scheme the fact cannot be disregarded that seeds of
hostility between the brothers were sown at that moment.
Moreover, with the help of his mother he was successful
in deceiving his father too to get the choicest paternal
blessings. May our mothers and fathers be free from the
malaise of showing partiality among their children to
bless one at the expense of the other(s).
His ambition to inherit Abraham's blessings made Jacob a
cheat. Indeed, God had chosen Jacob to inherit the
blessing even before his birth. But Jacob didn't have to
be a man of deceit in order to receive divine promises.
God is all powerful and capable to fulfil His promises.
Jacob used all his cunning to rule over his family. As a
result, contrary to what he expected, he was forced to
leave his home to keep his life. Without taking any
wealth of his father, he had to run away from his house
as his brother was planning to kill him. At this
juncture he threw away the birthright he cunningly
purchased from his brother and abandoned the blessings
he deceitfully obtained from his father. Such moments of
desperation can come upon us. We may be more interested
in saving our lives rather than to amass wealth.
When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the
night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones
there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
Gen 28:11
Through his deception Jacob purchased loneliness,
poverty and fear. He was alone. He had run away from his
home, didn't have even a safe place to lie down and
sleep. He longed to be leader of the family, inheritor
of the the wealth of his father and powerful. Reliance
on his own wisdom brought misery upon him.
But, our God is compassionate, caring and forgiving. A
bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he
will not snuff out. (Isa 42:3) When Jacob was left alone
God Almighty came to meet with him to comfort him. God
reminded Jacob about His promises assuring him that His
eyes were on him always. "I am with you and will watch
over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to
this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I
have promised you." Gen 28:15.
Here we see a Jacob who began to trust in God. He
entered into a covenant with the God who formed him in
his mother womb. Instead of trusting in his schemes, he
totally surrendered himself into the hands of One who
can fulfil all promises. "Then Jacob made a vow, saying,
"If God will be with me and will watch over me on this
journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and
clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's
house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that
I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of
all that you give me I will give you a tenth." Gen
28:20-22
Let the One who promised to bless us make good His word
in our lives too. God bless you!
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