I have a bit of a problem. I don't know what to do with the biblical character named Jacob.
Jacob deceived his father, cheated his brother and stole a special blessing (Genesis 27:35). While Jacob's own father-in-law cheated him (careful, Howard and Chris!), you have to admit he really came out of the whole experience doing pretty well for himself. In fact, it seems Jacob was able to trick his father-in-law in their commercial partnership and later raked in the profits (Genesis 30:37-43).
There are several possible meanings for the name Jacob. The most popular definition is "supplanter" or one who takes the other's place. Perhaps a modern definition would be "hustler." He was one of those guys who is always looking for the right deal to fall into his lap.
When Jacob stole his brother Esau's blessing he took more than the nice words we might associate with the term. This was much more than getting his old father, Isaac, to say something special while laying hands on him. No,when Jacob stole the blessing he received at least three things: one,superior rank in the family (Gen. 49:3); two, a double portion of his father's inheritance (Deut. 21:17); and, three, the priestly office in the family (Num. 8:17-19).
Considering everything stolen, it seems to me Jacob really didn't suffer much for it. Yes, he had to go away for about twenty years. However, as Ih ave already mentioned, he didn't come out of that deal too poorly.
It bothers me a bit that people don't seem to worry much about Esau being cheated out of his privileges. Maybe he wasn't a real sympathetic guy. Maybe he was one of those characters you like to see fail. I don't know.
Even when Jacob was running away from his brother he gets to experience the good stuff. In Genesis 28:10-19 we are told that Jacob was given a special vision of God's presence and saw some things that no one else had been privileged to see. You could say the hustler saw the deal come down.
Even though I have ambivalent feelings about Jacob, I have to admit that I envy one of his experiences. In Genesis 32:24 we find Jacob alone having sent his family, possessions, and servants across the river ahead of him. Apparently he wants to have one more night alone in the land where he has lived for the past twenty years before moving ahead into the new life to which God has called him.
In my imagination I see him sitting by the fire, thinking about what he has experienced and what lies ahead. He had already seen a band of angels on this trip. I wonder if he didn't anticipate having another vision from God. Instead, someone unknown approaches and they begin to wrestle.
I was once invited to have a special meal with a group of Muslims living in Germany. The resident missionary assured me the invitation was unusual and I should be prepared for a tough conversation. After we had eaten, my host said, "You are wise man who has come from a Christian nation. We have an important question to ask you." Mentally I prepared myself to defend the deity of Christ or the importance of the cross. My host continued, "Tell us, is professional wrestling real or fake?"
After I blinked a few times and let out my breath, I responded, "I think itis theater. It is pure farce." At that the room erupted in noise. About a dozen Muslim men began to argue in a Turkish dialect about the subject. Finally, my host said, "Most of my friends think you are lying."
Trust me, Jacob did not find himself "wrestling" Andres, the Giant. This was the real deal for the hustler.
The Bible account says that Jacob wrestled with his assailant "until the breaking of the day" (Gen. 32:24). The story doesn't reveal to us at what point Jacob realized with whom he was wrestling. Only afterwards he said,"I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Gen. 32:30).
Up until this wrestling match occurred Jacob had some special experiences with God but still had an underlying attitude of resistance. There is a sense he thought he could out-hustle God. One commentary puts it this way,"His language had been the language of dependence but there was evidence of a latent defiance in the way he fought the grip of God on his life." (The Preacher's Commentary)
From this moment on Jacob became a different man. His perspective changed. His attitude changed. His name changed. (He became Israel). He crossed the river to catch up with his family and encounter his cheated brother, Esau, limping, but with a special confidence in God.
At this point in my life I find it too easy to speak "Christian-speak." I can talk the lingo pretty well. However, only God and I (and occasionallySusan) can see the underlying attitude of resistance that sometimes resides in my heart. My prayer today is that I might have "less hustle and more limp" in my life. Lord, allow me to be one that has wrestled with you and walks like one who has been defeated by you.
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