What kind of person was jacob

Left alone in his camp, God came and wrestled with Jacob until daybreak Genesis God blessed Jacob and gave him a new name — Israel Genesis and with it a new identity. Names in the Bible have a bigger significance than they do now. Now, when we give someone a nickname, we do it for fun or because we enjoy a certain aspect about someone.

But when someone changed a name in the Bible, it was a massive deal. It determined their whole identity moving forward. As a continuous reminder of their encounter and His blessing, God gave Jacob a permanent limp Genesis Like Jacob, we can enter into a relationship with Christ today by asking forgiveness for our sins and declaring God to be our Savior and Redeemer.

Through admitting our brokenness to Him, God can give us a new life as His children, and we can enter into an eternal relationship with Him, full of His blessings and good promises over our lives. Jacob was able to experience a new identity through his new name, Israel. Another interesting fact is that this deception to steal the blessing immediately led to Jacob having to leave the Promised Land.

Reflection : What is the root reason people practice deceit to achieve their desired ends? Genesis — Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

In this amazing story, Esau sells his birthright to Jacob. A birthright is the inheritance rights of the firstborn including a double portion of all the inheritance and the title as head of the family after the passing of the father. Jacob sees that Esau is desperately hungry, perhaps after a long hunting trip without success. Esau foolishly agreed, showing his irreligious and disrespectful heart as well as a hasty and undisciplined character.

The scheme to steal the blessing Genesis 27 — Rebekah and Jacob conspired to trick blind Isaac into blessing Jacob instead of Esau. It was disrespectful to Isaac and cruel to Esau, who reacted in kind. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you. Jacob secretly leaves Laban Genesis — In this story, Jacob decides not to tell Laban the second time that he is leaving, but just leaves on his own. He is afraid that Laban will use force to restrain him or take away his wives and herds.

So he secretly leaves and it is three days before Laban finds out. Laban blamed Jacob for sneaking away instead of bidding a proper farewell. Genesis — Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?

And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. This is another case where Jacob relies on his own wit instead of on God. It nearly caused a violent reaction by Laban and his family. He hatched a plan to divide his family into several companies sending gifts in front and his most loved family members coming at the back. Favoritism — Jacob favored Rachel over Leah this was at least a bit understandable since he was deceived into marrying Leah, but he should not have continued on with this attitude for so long till the point when Leah said several times she was unloved This is a very likely result of polygamy and one of many reasons it should be avoided.

He also favored Joseph and Benjamin over the rest of his sons Genesis While there is no specific command about loving all children the same level, there are many commands against favoritism. Parents should make sure they treat all children with the love of Christ. Jacob was willing to do it completely voluntarily. This verse shows us that the practice had already begun and likely true believers in God had already begun doing this.

Jacob was willing to act on his faith in God by returning one tenth of all that he got. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. This was a long time in coming. We see in verse 10 that Jacob admits he is unworthy of all that God had done for him. It is often when we face the greatest dangers that we will finally humble ourselves and turn to the Lord for help.

Genesis — The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.

Jacob was left alone. It is often when we are alone that we truly can encounter God deeper. All alone and without any resources left, the night before the greatest potential danger Jacob had faced, the Lord comes to him.

The whole fight is somewhat mysterious and very unique. He could have beaten Jacob instantly, but allowed the struggle to continue throughout the night. Certainly the Lord would have wanted to teach Isaac some lessons. Perhaps it was that he should hold on to God and His blessings and never let go. This is the question that cries out to us in episode after episode of his life. The first time we hear a description of him he is called ish tam : a simple, quiet, plain, straightforward man.

But that is exactly what he seems not to be. These are troubling episodes. We can read them midrashically. The Midrash makes Jacob all-good and Esau all-bad. It rereads the biblical text to make it consistent with the highest standards of the moral life. There is much to be said for this approach.

Alternatively we could say that in these cases the end justifies the means. In the case of the birthright, Jacob might have been testing Esau to see it he really cared about it. Since he gave it away so readily, Jacob might be right in concluding that it should go to one who valued it. Yet the text remains disturbing. Nor does the story end there. After his wedding night, he discovers that he has married Leah, not, as he thought, his beloved Rachel.

He complains to Laban:. Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me? The younger Jacob pretended to be the older Esau. Now the elder Leah has been disguised as the younger Rachel. A fundamental principle of biblical morality is at work here: As you do, so shall you be done to.

Yet the web of deception continues. God blessed him with many children, a productive lifestyle, and a long life. Abraham had one son, Isaac, who had twin boys, Esau and Jacob. Although Esau was the firstborn, he was man of natural passions without regard for spiritual things. In route the Lord visited Jacob to reassure of the promise He made to Abraham. Unfortunately Laban deceived him into marrying her sister, Leah, and Jacob had to work seven more years to marry his first love.

Eventually Jacob would run away from Laban with his family and possessions to return to his homeland. Jacob had the exceptional experience of having his name changed to Israel as he wrestled with God and man to overcome.

They sold Joseph to traveling merchants and brought back his bloody coat so Jacob believed he was dead. As an elderly man, Jacob was eventually reunited with Joseph and he worshipped God. Just like Jacob we have a past with regret, shame, and failure.

We must go forward in the hope that the Lord will turn our failures for good. We have hope in Christ that our sins are completely forgiven even though we may have to deal with the consequences. Relationships are difficult to maintain in the best of circumstances. Sometimes family and friends break up over the smallest of events and we are left to pick up the pieces of brokenness.

Question to Ponder: Are you struggling with rejection from family or friends? Every believer will have struggling moments with God. We are finite creatures and He is an infinite, all-knowing God and Father of heaven. While the Lord orchestrates the joy and sorrow of our lives, we must continually trust Him through the difficult days.

Our struggle with God is necessary for us to prove our confidence in Him. Jacob struggled from his birth until his death more so than Abraham and Isaac. Yet he was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Start today with releasing all your struggles to the Lord and He will bring you peace in the midst of adversity. All rights reserved worldwide.