Genesis 28-30 Tricking Myself

When we take actions that are sinful and disrespect God in His position as our Lord, we heap future consequences upon ourselves.  Such actions will not be left unpunished in some form or another.  Jacob is going to find that out much later in life.

The way he and his mother conspired to cheat his older brother Esau out of his father’s blessing was the start of a long lifetime of living up to his name – trickster or conniver.  Jacob and Rebekah lied again to Isaac about the purpose of Jacob’s trip, which was actually to run away from the vengeance Esau was plotting.  Jacob’s supposed obedience to his father’s command not to marry a Canaanite woman ended up leading Esau to disobey the command out of hatred and spite for his brother.  Esau never had been an obeyer.

Jacob traveled to Haran and found Rachel, working seven years to obtain her as his wife.  But his uncle substituted her older and less attractive sister in the veiled ceremony, causing heartache in their family and Jacob to have to work for 7 more years to get Rachel.   Jacob made the first marriage work, but because it was clear that he loved Rachel much more than Leah, animosity set up between the sisters.

The slave girls of his two wives were added to the mix as each wife attempted to gain ground on the other.  I can just imagine how the poor kids felt, carrying names that told the world all about the struggle between the two sisters: 

                “He has seen my troubles”

                “He has heard”
                “Be close to”
                “Praise”
                “He has judged”
                “My struggle”
                “Lucky”
                “Happy”
                “Paid for”
                “Honor”
                “He adds”

It seemed that Jacob hadn’t learned from his grandfather Abraham about the problems that multiple wives cause.  Had Jacob simply put his foot down and said, “No, I will not take these slave girls as wives?  God will make things right,” things might have really turned out differently.

Father, please help me to listen to Your wisdom and not listen to the errant advice of the world.  When I do, I only compound my problems rather than preventing or solving them.  Like Jacob, I’m only tricking myself, thinking that I know best.  I don’t.  You do.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford