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This post is such a reminder to me of God’s grace! Some of us look pretty good on the outside, some of us have made a royal mess of our lives. Either way, we are sinners in desperate need of the grace of God – and how merciful He is to save us and redeem our lives from the pit!

In Genesis 37, we have a very troubled family. Keep in mind that Jacob started his real relationship with God much later in life. By that time, he’d had 2 wives, 2 concubines, and 12 sons. The sons had grown up in a very dysfunctional household with four mothers between them, two of whom were sisters – one who was loved, one who was unloved, and two that were forced to marry Jacob to have children on behalf of the other two wives.

Genesis 37:3-4 clarifies the situation further.

“Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father’s partiality. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.” (NLT)

More family bliss!

Now, I have heard people defend Joseph valiantly when discussing this chapter. Some claim he’s just naive, some describe him as almost sinless. Let’s face it. He’s a 17 year old boy, his father loves him more than the rest of his brothers and shows him extreme partiality, and they hate him. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. Don’t you think he knows that?

Verses 5-9:

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: “There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” (NKJV)

He knows they hate him. He tells them he dreamt they would bow down to him. They hate him even more (shocker!) Then he has another dream, and he tells it to them again! Hmmm… blameless?

Then one day Jacob sends him to find his brothers, who are tending the sheep some distance away. Keep in mind he knew he would be wandering a quite a distance in the wilderness. Look at verse 23-24 (I like the way the NIV says this):

“So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe – the richly ornamented robe he was wearing - and they took him and threw him into the cistern…”

He wore the coat!! A richly ornamented robe. I’m guessing that isn’t a big seller in the hiking apparel section of Cabella’s.

Another reminder: The Bible is not about the people. It’s about God. Please do not get upset that Joseph may not have been flawless. He’s not the point!

Now, when the brothers see him coming from a distance, they start talking about killing him. Two brothers offer specific plans for him: Reuben and Judah. Reuben (vs. 21-22) persuades them not to kill him but to throw him in the cistern, planning to pull him out later and take him back to Jacob. Judah, however, convinces them that they could profit more from this situation by selling him. After carrying out their plan, the brothers return home and Jacob is inconsolable and broken. The text says that all his sons and daughters gathered to comfort him, but he “refused to be comforted.” Is it a big surprise that we see Judah leaving home in chapter 38? Imagine living in that household knowing what he had been responsible for!

My summary of chapter 38: wow. Bad moves, Judah. [make sure you read it!]

Chapter 39: Well done, Joseph!

Judah’s immorality and messed up life in 38 provide a stark contrast to Joseph’s decisions in chapter 39. Joseph, despite his integrity, ends up in prison for a very extended length of time. After years of refining and strengthening, Joseph changes from a 17 year old seemingly arrogant brat to a very godly man who humbly leads the most powerful nation in the world safely through a famine and gives God the glory for it all. That is the work of God’s mercy and grace!

There is another story of grace happening, as well. Judah, responsible for selling his own brother into slavery, and then father of a son through his daughter-in-law (but don’t worry, it’s not that bad – he thought she was a prostitute! *sarcasm*), has an amazing story of grace here in the end of Genesis, as well.

He obviously eventually returns to his family and we see him journeying with the other brothers to Egypt to buy grain, surprisingly to all, from Joseph. After Joseph (to them just a powerful Egyptian ruler) tells them that they must prove the truth of identity by bringing back their youngest brother (Benjamin is Joseph’s only full-blood brother and he wants to see him!), Judah convinces Jacob to let him go by placing his life in pledge. After the ordeal with the silver cup (see ch. 44), all the brothers return to Joseph together. He tells them that only the “thief” should stay (did he ever really intend to reveal who he was to the rest of them? I’m not so sure!), and then we have Judah giving a heartfelt plea in 44:18-34 that boils down to: My father loves him deeply. Please take me instead. That’s quite a change in our boy Judah.

In 46:28, Jacob entrusts Judah with the responsibility of going ahead of them to Egypt and helping find the way, which makes me think that obviously some trust has been rebuilt between them. In 49:10, Jacob gives a prophecy – the promised Seed, the true possessor of the scepter, would come from Judah’s line.

Our God is a merciful God. Some of us don’t look that bad from the overall story of our lives, and we may even have been the victim of some terrible crimes from no fault of our own. But none of us are perfect. Perhaps we’re a deceiver like Jacob, perhaps we’ve destroyed the lives of others like Judah, or perhaps we’re just arrogant like young Joseph!

No one is righteous. Not one. And God can redeem every story. I love that this story not only shows God’s work in the life of Joseph, but also in the life of Judah. Judah’s story was looking pretty bleak, but not one of us is a lost cause.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
Psalm 51:1-2 (NLT)

**For more reflections on the Old Testament with personal application, you might want to download a free Bible study ebook!**

Oh, girls – this is good. God’s Word is so rich!!

Remember how I said that my “study foci” were lining up amazingly well? Well, this one just about knocked my socks off.

So, as I mentioned, I’ve been pulled to the Gospels, particularly the Sermon on the Mount. I keep reading Matthew 5 over and over again, turning some things over in my mind. As I mentioned before, that term “blessed” shows up time and time again in the Psalms, and the beattitudes line right up with those beautiful Old Testament chapters.

After some time in Matthew 5, I flipped to Revelation 1. I’ve also felt compelled to really study Revelation, and have started reading through it along with John MacArthur’s 2 volume commentary. Yesterday as I read Revelation 1:3 -

“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near”

- I noted that that word “blessed” is the same greek word used in Matthew 5. Interesting.

Well, today John MacArthur was talking to me about that ;), noting that the book of Revelation is bracketed by promises of blessing – first in 1:3, and echoed in 22:7

“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”

In addition, he listed five other promises of blessing in Revelation.

•14:13 – blessed are those who die in the Lord
•16:15 – blessed is the one who stays awake (because He will come like a thief)
•19:9 – blessed are those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb
•20:6 – blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection
•22:14 – blessed are those who wash their robes so they may have the right to the tree of life and enter by the gates into the city

I had to come inside from my outdoor quiet retreat with my coffee to consult with an online concordance… so far Psalms, The Sermon on the Mount, and Revelation were all echoing one another. Anything else?

WOW! ♪♪♪Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me!!♪♪♪

Ok, how long was it going to take me to think back to the Abrahamic covenant, the Land Nation and Leader promises that we’ve discussed… I don’t know, 100 times? …all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Through the promised Seed, through Jesus, all peoples on earth would be ‘blessed.’

Why wouldn’t Jacob let Jesus go after wrestling with Him? He wanted His blessing.

The Psalms echo with the idea of those who are blessed, and after comparing those passages with Matthew 5 we summarized:

True blessing begins in a right relationship with God as our only Savior and Lord, continues as we deal rightly with our sin and thirst for His righteousness, deepens as the Word sinks into our hearts and lives, and pours out of us in genuine love for those around us.

The rest of the New Testament has plenty to say about those who are blessed, as well (this is just a smattering of the many references):

•Matthew 11:6 – “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

•Matthew 25:34 – “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

•Luke 11:28 – But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

•John 13:17 -“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

•John 20:29 – Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

•Galatians 3:9 – The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ” ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

•James 1:25 – But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

•1 Peter 4:14 – If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

From Genesis through Revelation, the Scriptures echo with the blessing of God poured out on mankind through an opportunity to know Him, walk with Him, hear from Him, live like Him. An invitation to be one of the blessed ones.

God’s Word is rich. His grace is deep. The blessing is amazing – and undeserved.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3

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From Genesis 29-32, 20 years go by that we won’t dwell on here. Jacob goes to Laban, works seven years to marry Rachel, is tricked by Laban and marries Leah instead, marries Rachel a week later (!!), works another seven years for her… and all the while this family is showing not only a lack of understanding of biology 101, but is also revealing a lack of faith in God and His sovereignty.

Jacob thinks his flocks are increasing because he has them mate in front of striped sticks (hmmm…), Rachel and Leah are competing to see who can have more sons (through themselves or their servants!)and earn Jacob’s love, and Laban is unethically using his nephew (and son-in-law twice over) Jacob.

Ahh, the family bliss. [And you thought your family reunion this summer was complicated!] :)

In chapter 32, we find Jacob fearful for his life as he nears his reunion with Esau. In verses 9-12, Jacob prays as we have never seen him pray before.

Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. “For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

This is the first time we have seen Jacob acknowledging God’s undeserved mercy and blessing toward him, and expressing faith in God’s promise to watch over him. And what is God’s answer to his prayer?

After dividing his family and possessions into two groups, hoping at least one of them would escape if Esau attacked him, he sends them across a stream ahead of him and prepares to spend the night alone. Then verse 24 says, “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” What? How random is that?? It seems strange, but really it is God’s answer to his earlier prayer. Please read this whole account in your Bible (again, if you don’t have a Bible handy go to www.Biblegateway.com) – Genesis 32:24-30.

Who is this random man who wrestles with him? Jacob apparently knows – in verse 30 he says, “…I have seen God face to face…”

He is wrestling with Jesus himself! (This is what is known as a “Christophany” – an Old Testament appearance of Christ.)

So Jesus is wrestling with him and Jacob just will not give up. He is fighting and fighting and fighting, so Jesus touches his hip socket, dislocates it, and forces him into submission. Then Jacob refuses to let go of Him unless He blesses Him. Jesus asks Jacob his name, he gives it, and then Jesus says he is no longer Jacob, but will be Israel.

Here is my rephrased version of this chapter.

Jacob, “the deceiver,” the “heel grabber,” finally cries out to God. He finally recognizes that he is absolutely unworthy of all of God’s blessings upon Him, and begs for God’s protection and deliverance. God’s answer to the prayer? Jesus Himself comes and fights Jacob into submission – it is a long struggle, but He physically forces Jacob to submit. Jacob then clings to Him until he receives His blessing. Jesus asks him what his name is. (Isn’t that a strange question, since God created Jacob and knows him intimately? Again, that should flag our attention – the point is not that Jacob’s “hello, my name is:” tag fell off during the wrestling match.) Jacob’s reply?

Imagine the tension here. He is clinging to “the Man” he somehow knows is God Himself and has asked for a blessing. Jesus looks into his eyes and says, “What is your name?” And now Jacob has to say it: I am Jacob. I am a deceiver. I am a heel-grabber. And he knows full well that he has done a bang-up job of living up to that name. Jesus hears his answer and then replies, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel…

This change of name was very significant. He is no longer the deceiver. His name has been changed because his character has been changed.

There are many, many people who get lost on the journey from Bethel (the place of Jacob’s dream) to Peniel (the place of Jacob’s wrestling.) We have been given an amazing gift – the opportunity to know God Himself through Jesus Christ. Some people decide to decline that offer and go on through life relying on their own intelligence, ability, or craftiness. They even arrogantly think that any blessings they have in their lives have been earned by their own efforts, failing to recognize God’s mercy and grace that shines on them every day.

Many times God allows a crisis point that turns into a place like Peniel to them. Maybe it’s a health crisis, a broken relationship, a miscarriage or other loss of a child, or reaping terrible consequences from their own choices. They realize that all they have is on the line, including their very lives. They realize that God has watched over them every step and now desperately beg for his provision and protection. And when we ask, God will come. We must yield to Him as Creator, Sovereign Lord, and Savior. When we are broken, humble, and aware of our dependence on Him, begging for His mercy and saving grace in our lives, He will ask for our name. He will not bless us until we admit our character, until we agree with Him about the depth of our sin.

We all have sin. What is your name that you must admit to the Lord? “Deceiver” (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). “Prostitute” (Rahab, Mary Magdelene). “Murderer” (Moses, Paul). “Adulterer” (David). Remember – people aren’t in the Bible because they were great. They’re in the Bible because their God is great.

Those names listed above may be familiar to you, and their past is shocking. And you know what? Their God was great enough to save them. Our sin can never be so bad that God us unable or unwilling to wipe it away through Christ! But, we must recognize that sin, confess it to Him, and ask for His blessing of salvation. And when we do, our “name” changes, for we are covered with Christ’s righteousness. We are “Jacobs” no longer.

Weak and wounded sinner, lost and left to die,
O raise your head for Love is passing by.
Come to Jesus, come to Jesus, come to Jesus and live.
-Chris Rice

**For more reflections on the Old Testament with personal application, you might want to download a free Bible study ebook!**

I think it is fascinating to look at Jacob’s journey to personal faith – I believe that today’s subject matter is the first step to Jacob’s ultimate acceptance of God as His God. Wherever you are on the journey, I pray that you will recognize and accept God’s amazing offer of access to Him and a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, the only Way.

In Genesis 28, we find Jacob on his way to Uncle Laban’s house in order to escape Esau’s murderous rage after the whole blessing deception scheme. He ends up laying down to sleep with his head on a rock and he has a dream.

Genesis 28:12-13 says, “Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants…”

God goes on to restate the promises, originally made to Abraham, specifically to Jacob – his descendants will be like the dust of the earth (nation), the land will be theirs (land), and through them all the families of the earth would be blessed (leader). Jacob wakes up, is afraid as he realizes he was in the presence of God Himself, and anoints the rock he was sleeping on.

We could have pages of discussion about this passage, but what we want to focus in upon is the dream itself. Remember the wording: a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (28:12).

What’s the deal with the ladder reaching to heaven? Access to God. God is basically offering Jacob a personal relationship with Him – which is the only access to heaven.

How does Jacob respond to God’s offer? Check out 28:20-21.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.

In other words: Ok, God. IF you are with me and bless me and give me everything I need or want and bring me back to my family, THEN you can have the privilege of being my God. Is this a genuine response of faith and gratitude for God’s amazing offer? I’m afraid not. And Jacob’s continuing deceitful, scheming character in the coming chapters will show us that he hasn’t changed at this point.

Now, keep all of that in mind and fast-forward to the New Testament. In John 1:51, Jesus says

“Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

(The Son of Man is a title used for Christ). The wording Jesus used would not be lost on the men he was speaking to at this point- He was claiming to be Jacob’s ladder! He is the only point of access to the Father!

Through Christ, God has offered us an unbelievable gift – a way of access to Him! Unfortunately, our wayward hearts often respond similarly to Jacob’s: “If God will take care of me and keep me safe and keep me comfortable and give me everything I want, THEN He can be my God. [And if He allows me to experience pain or suffering or sickness or the results of my own bad choices or if He just does things I don't understand, all bets are off.]“

This isn’t a genuine relationship with God. It’s a weird way of trying to bargain with Him to get what we want. Jacob didn’t understand that the real treasure was knowing God. All those other things were just peripherals. Abraham messed up time and time again, but he understood this idea. God offered a unique relationship, and Abraham picked up and left everything behind in order to follow. That is saving faith. Oh, may our hearts respond with grateful, sincere faith when God offers us access to Him through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Michael Card, a well known Christian musician, has a CD of lullabies. One of the songs is entitled “Are you Dreaming Jacob’s Dream?” I love it because it encapsulates the meaning of this story in such a simple, yet profound way, and then sets it to a simple tune I sing to my babies!

Are you dreaming Jacob’s dream? Could that be why you’re smiling?
Could you not be a man like he, so wily and beguiling?
Do you see a ladder there, reaching up to heaven?
Do the angels fill the air? Could you reach out and touch them?
Jacob dreamed about Someone, a Way to heaven, God the Son.
And someday it’s my prayer for you that in your heart his dream comes true.

**For more reflections on the Old Testament with personal application, you might want to download a free Bible study ebook!**