You know how something just hits you out of the blue, God points something out to you in a moment you didn’t expect? That happened to me this morning. A song on the radio had a lyric that mentioned God was the God of Jacob.
Well, I thought about Jacob and what a schemer he was. He wrangled the birthright from his older brother, Esau, getting him to sell his birthright for a simple bowl of stew (Gen. 25:29-34). Then when their father, Isaac (we’ll get to him in a minute) thought he was about to die and needed to give the blessings to his sons, Jacob disguised himself and pretended to be Esau in order to get the double blessing of the firstborn from their father.
Speaking of Isaac, he was a schemer as well. A famine had risen in Israel, and Isaac sought safety and success in the land of the Philistines after God had told him to stay in the Promised Land, and He would be with Isaac and bless him.
Isaac thought he “knew better.” When he arrived at the area of Gerar, he was told by King Abimelech to leave as the king had heard of the strength of the Israelite army and wanted no part of it. In order to gain favor with the king, Isaac pulled the same stunt as his father did to the son of the same king. He lied and told the king Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, was really his sister. Abimelech quickly discovered the deception, but they were allowed to stay.
Isaac’s sins were ignoring the will of God, and lying to protect his own life – a practice he learned from his father.
Abraham, Isaac’s father, was a real character too. He started out well. God came to Abraham and told him to leave his home country, his father’s house, and head out to a place “where I will show you.” That’s a real step of faith.
Once Abraham and family arrived, a famine arose. He decided to head to Egypt to look for food. Before he entered Egypt, he pulled the same deal his son would years later. He told the Egyptians his wife, Sarai was really his sister. Sarai was apparently a very beautiful woman, so beautiful Abraham feared the locals would kill him to get to her if she were his wife.
God had promised Abraham his descendents would fill the nations and be blessed. Abraham again doubted the Lord and took Sarai’s servant, Hagar, and had a son with her. But, God waited until they were so old it was absolutely impossible to have children, then Sarah became pregnant. She delivered a son, Isaac. So, Abraham’s real sin was doubt and not listening to God.
Why is this important?
When God first revealed Himself to Moses, the Law giver, He presented Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:
Ex. 3:6 (ESV) And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
These were all sinners, yes, but they were also people of promise just as you and I are. We’re also people of promise – dozens of them:
2 Peter 3:13 (ESV) But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Jesus is coming back. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, sinners but lovers of God. No matter the sins for which you think God will hold you accountable, if you are His child, a sinner but a lover of God. He will identify Himself to the heavenly host as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and (Your name here).
Believers Armed and Dangerous 