Very often it seems that our biggest calamities in life are actually the ones that never arrive. This is a great place to recall the words of William Cowper’s classic hymn, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” Its third stanza reads, “Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big […]
Read More… from August 10, 2021 — The Moment Jacob Has Been Dreading
God’s blessings often come in unlikely places: gravesides, hospital beds, or night wrestlings. After Jacob’s night of wrestling with the heavenly Man, we read a curious thing: “Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him” (Gen 32:31). It was like the sunrise was just for Jacob that morning! A new day had […]
We all grapple with issues, and then one day discover it’s actually a Person we’re wrestling with. As we heard, Jacob sent everyone over the Jabbok River and is left alone as night falls. He could hardly be expecting a good night’s sleep as he anticipates the showdown with Esau, the man from whom he […]
Read More… from August 6, 2021 — The All-Night Wrestling Match
After decades away in Padan Aram, Jacob now comes face-to-face with his moment of truth. Genesis 32 underlines for us a most important principle: When we’ve been away from the Lord and want to come home, He will insist that we deal with our past failures and offenses. One thing about the Christian life—God doesn’t […]
Jacob is soon going to meet Esau, someone known for both a long memory and a short fuse. With Laban in his rear-view mirror, look what’s straight ahead! “Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother” (Gen 32:3). Ah, yes, brother Esau—the man from whom Jacob first wrestled his birthright, then his blessing. […]
Read More… from August 4, 2021 — Look Who’s Waiting For Jacob!
The Lord is our Mizpah, our faithful Watcher; He who keeps you will not slumber or sleep. Galeed (in Jacob’s Hebrew), or Jegar Sahadutha (in Laban’s Aramaic) means “the Place of Witness.” Described in Genesis 31, it was really a kind of Iron Curtain between the two. Here’s how Laban described it: “This heap is […]
Even if you don’t use stones, building memory markers helps remind you of God’s loving care. For seven days, Laban has chased Jacob south, primarily to reclaim the family idols. Jacob is irate that Laban would accuse them of such a thing. “With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live,” he says […]
The “few days” that Rebekah told her son to take in Haran has turned into decades, but finally he’s heading back. As the animosity mounts in Laban’s household, “The Lord said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you’” (Gen 31:3). Does Jacob take […]
You’ve heard that “money doesn’t grow on trees.” But money does grow! Because loving it is “the root of all evil.” Due to Jacob’s God-given insights that led to remarkable breeding success, we read, “Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys” (Gen 30:43). With […]
Read More… from July 29, 2021 — Flocks Breed Wealth; Wealth Breeds Jealousy