Our Tragic Flaws ... Jacob

Walking...& Stumbling...with God

November 10

Genesis 25:1—36:42

Seeing the Face of God

Read Dr. Spina’s commentary at www.spu.edu/lectio
(scripture quotes in this post are from The Message)

Jacob

Summary

The twelve chapters this week focus on the story of Jacob and the relationships by which his story is told: father Isaac, mother Rebekah, brother Esau, his sons, etc.  Like last week, there’s a lot of reading to do.  Be sure to pace yourself – set aside daily reading time to make regular progress through the text. 

Walking with God

Jacob enjoyed a close walk with God.  In Genesis 28:12-22, God reveals himself to Jacob while he dreams about a ladder extending up into heaven.  The words God speaks to Jacob at this moment reflect an amazing intimacy: “Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.”  Jacob responds with a deep sense of God’s abiding presence: “’God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!’ He was terrified. He whispered in awe, ‘Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.’”  

Again, in Genesis 32:24-32, God comes into close contact with Jacob, with the result that Jacob calls the place of encounter “God’s face” because it was there that “he saw God face-to-face and lived to tell about it.”  Throughout the narrative, Jacob prays to God, reflecting a conversational intimacy.

Stumbling – the Tragic Flaw (Hamartia)

Deceitfulness - willing to cheat others to gain an advantage

The interesting thing about Jacob’s closeness with God is that it seems to be based on false pretenses.  He gets God’s blessing through trickery – forcing himself into the favored position initially held by his older brother Esau.  For all of Jacob’s praying and amazing personal encounters with God, he sounds a bit self-serving in the relationship (“If God does this for me, then I’ll do this for Him”).  One thing that helps Jacob to be a sympathetic character is that he is not only the perpetrator of trickery, but is victimized by it as well, illustrated by the story of how he ended up with his two wives Leah & Rachel.  Genesis 29:25 tells it vividly.  “Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed!  Jacob confronted Laban, ‘What have you done to me? Didn’t I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?’”

Personal Identification Questions

• Where might this tragic flaw show up in your story?

• Have you ever intentionally deceived someone else while looking out for your best interests?  Why do you think you did this?  What kept you from being honest or revealing all the facts?  What ended up happening?

• How honest are you with God?  Do you ever find yourself bargaining with God?  In what ways do you wrestle with God?  In what circumstances might it be said that God wrestles with you?

Restored…God continues to walk with us

When Jacob was running for his life from Esau (because of the consequences flowing from his tragic flaw), God revealed himself to Jacob and reaffirmed his covenantal presence (Gen. 35:1).  Jacob wrestles with God and is given a new name – Israel, which means “God-wrestler.”  Perhaps more significantly, God continues to wrestle with the wrestler.

Prayer of Confession

LORD, why do I sometimes deceive or trick others in order to get something that I want?  I’m sorry…

• For taking advantage of others
• For seeking my interests over those of others
• For not considering information that reflects poorly upon me

Lead me not into temptation, and deliver me from evil.

Amen.

Encouragement

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.