And I Did Not Know It: Jacob Goes To Mt. Rushmore
A rock, a ladder and a promise to a man who is running for his life.
That is what we get in our story from Genesis today.
Jacob is in a very bad situation. He stole not only his brother Esau’s birthright, but also his blessing, and Esau has finally had enough.
Esau resolves in Genesis 27 to set aside a decent time of mourning for his father Isaac, but once it is over, he will kill Jacob.
Rebekah finds out and tells Jacob he needs to get out of town, fast. So Jacob sets out.
There is very little that is admirable about Jacob.
Even his name means “cheater,” and he lives up to it every time.
We might even question why God keeps providing for him, why God continues to come through for him, why God chooses him to be the vessel through which the entire nation of Israel will be built.
We should actually take God’s choice of Jacob as great good news.
Why? Because it takes away the burden and the illusion of personal worthiness being necessary for us to serve God. Continue reading