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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Gen. 31
Jacob’s story here is consistent with what I see of the Christian life. Jesus said that people would persecute us because of Him. I don’t believe we have to be evangelizing or actively preaching His name, as the apostles did, for this to be true. The spirit of evil knows those who are faithful to God and seeks to destroy them. We see this with Jacob. He was clearly living under God’s blessing and, though he did no wrong to Laban or his family, Laban’s sons were jealous of him. Thus, they spread lies and accusations about him in an effort to ruin him without cause.
Besides the disdain we receive from those who oppose God, I see another truth about the Christian life in this story. Our lives are not really in the hands of those in authority over us. Can they mistreat us and attempt to make our lives miserable? Yes, of course they can. Laban cheated and took advantage of Jacob in every way possible. “But”, Jacob said, “God has not let him harm me.” (Gen. 31:7b). It is God who directs the outcome of our lives. This does not mean that we will never face difficulties or that we will always get what we want. But it does mean that we have the power to be content no matter the circumstance because we know that we are in God’s loving hands (see Phil. 4).
So I learn from Jacob what we see so many other places in the Bible. Life is hard. As Christians, we WILL face persecution and suffering. But if we keep our focus on God and strive to serve Him with our whole being, He will keep us in His care. He will help us endure with grace whatever life throws at us. And we have the assurance of eternal, abundant life if we endure and remain His to the end.
Gen 32-33
Here is another situation I have seen more than once in the Bible. Jacob obeyed God’s direction and almost immediately ran into trouble. That seems to happen a lot. God lays down the right path before us, but that doesn’t mean it is the easy path. In fact, I think He often intentionally introduces hardship with our obedience in order to test our faith and resolve. Remember, it’s not the one who takes the first step who finds salvation, it is the one who endures to the end. (See Matt. 24:13).
Jacob responded to the situation first with a pattern of prayer that I also see frequently in the Bible. He praised God, acknowledged his own unworthiness, then leaned into God’s promises. This is what gives us the courage to continue in obedience when it gets hard. We know that God is good, not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who He is. And we know that His promises can never fail. When we become one with Christ through faith, we become part of the promise, as Jacob was. So we can lean into God’s promises as a sure foundation, a mighty fortress, and a safe refuge.