Jacob, the son of Isaac, had two wives and two maidservants. These women gave him twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel. This home was filled with deception, greed, jealousy and manipulation. Yet God demonstrated His great mercy into the family relationships in ways only He could. Jacob loved Rachel more than the others, but God showed compassion to Leah. She was the first to give Jacob sons, and Jesus came from the descendants of her son Judah (Genesis 30). The story reads like a novel twisted in darkness. However, God’s plan was not thwarted in the midst of all the lies and deception or the tension in the family relationships. Chapters 30-50 of Genesis unravel an unbelievable story of control and manipulation, but that is not the point I want to make in this blog post.
God’s Plan of Redemption in Unexpected Circumstances
Are there times you feel that your story is too far gone or that you are not worthy to be in the kingdom of God? Whatever your despair, it is not out of God’s reach. Jacob’s story unfolds in an incredible plan of redemption when Joseph, Rachel’s son, is sold into slavery in Egypt. When a famine struck Canaan where Jacob and his family lived, he sent ten of his sons to get grain from Egypt. By a wonderful chain of events, Joseph had endured slavery and prison and then he became governor of Egypt, second in command to the Pharaoh. Joseph forgave his brothers for rejecting him and selling him to the Egyptian slave traders. He not only provided for his family; he brought them to Goshen, the choicest land of Egypt.
God rescues people today too. Friend, regardless of your past, God will make all things new for you when you accept His love; a love He showed when He gave His only Son to suffer on the cross so you could be forgiven and experience eternity with Him. Let God love you. He stands at the door of your heart waiting for you to receive Him. Will you lay down your despair, loneliness, and anxiety to receive His love, joy, hope and peace? I am praying you will say “yes” if you haven’t yet.
Prayer
Thank you, Father God, for stories like Jacob’s in the Bible that show us that no one is beyond hope. Thank you for your redemption and new life through Christ Jesus. In His powerful and precious name, Amen.
A Closer Walk with God 