Week 2 / Patriarchs

Jacob

Read: Genesis 27:18-29; Genesis 35:9-15

SOAP: Genesis 35:11-12

"Then God said to him, “I am the Sovereign God. Be fruitful and multiply! A nation—even a company of nations—will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants I will also give this land.” (NET)

Into the Text

Remember, God promised to make Abraham’s family into a great nation. Here we meet one of Isaac’s sons, Jacob. Jacob’s name means “deceiver,” and he lives up to his name.

Jacob was a twin and the second born of Isaac’s family. Genesis 27 recounts when Jacob stole his brother Esau’s birthright in exchange for a bowl of stew and then stole the blessing of the firstborn son.

Jacob is one of the most unlikely people God could use to bring glory to His name and from whom the promised Rescuer would come. But God is in the business of doing the impossible.

Later, in Genesis 35, God meets Jacob and changes his name to Israel. God reaffirms the command to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply as well as the promise to Abraham that his family would be a great nation.

God would keep His promise and provide Jacob with twelve sons. These twelve sons would become the twelve tribes of Israel. Here again, God gives us another puzzle piece to find the Savior. Now, we know that He would be an Israelite.

You may read this and feel similarly to Jacob. You may feel like the most unlikely candidate for God to use. Remember, you were born with a purpose, and God uses the most unlikely of people, places, and things in His story of redemption.

Prayer

God, thank you for using what the world sees as unlikely for your glory. I pray that you would use me to make your name known throughout the world. Amen.