What a time we're having as we discuss the life of Jacob in our class discussion time on Sunday mornings! Our discussion last Sunday of Jacob and Rebekah's deception of old Isaac reflected the confusion found in the story itself, where everyone is lying to everyone. It's a crazy, dysfunctional scenario--hard to see where God would want to have anything to do with any of them! And yet, three of the four people in that drama are hand-chosen by God to bring his people, the nation of Israel, into this world, and ultimately, Jesus, the Messiah, and Savior of the entire world! Whew!
So, what have we learned so far, in a nut shell (appropriate terminology for dealing with this dysfunctional group):
Week 1--Jacob and Esau's birth (Genesis 25:19-26)
Principle: God is sovereign and has a plan for the lives of his people. But men and women have a lot of freedom to choose right or wrong within that plan.
Week 2--Esau sells his birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:27-34)
Principle: God not only wants, but requires, that he be at the center of our lives. We must value what God values.
Week 3--Jacob deceives his father to get the blessing (Genesis 27:1-40)
Principle: God's plan will not be derailed by the sins of his people or by the sins of the unrighteous.
On Sunday, we will tackle the story of Jacob's fleeing from his brother Esau's murder plot, and of his stopping for the night, resting his head on a rock for a pillow and dreaming of a ladder that reaches from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. God met Jacob there and affirmed many blessings and promises to Jacob.
So what will we learn from the story of this lying, manipulating fugitive on the lam from his older twin brother's (rather justified) murder plot?
Week 4--Jacob flees; dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven (Genesis 27:41-28:22)
Principle: The consequences of our sin can chase us right into the arms of God!
Pull up a chair, or a rock, and join us for a good discussion of one of God's good men.
--Posted by Mama O.
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