Hi dear
When we left Jacob’s story, he was about to face his biggest fear: Esau’s wrath. We noted there’s a backstory; and examined it for a bit. In today’s Holy Nougat, we get even more details about this reunion:
“Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, ADONAI, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will do good with you.’
Deliver me, please, from my brother’s hand, from Esau’s hand, for I’m afraid of him that he’ll come and strike me—the mothers with the children.” Genesis 32:10, 12 TLV
It is assumed that Isaac would have died shortly after blessing the brothers; but having been blessed, one may presume that they could rightly assume their inheritance roles. And though the birth order suggests that Esau the elder twin was due the birthright; in a moment of depression; he lost it to Jacob. Thus on Isaac’s death, Jacob received the larger share of the family holding. A birthright that he (Jacob) almost lost because he was on the run for having stolen the blessing that normally accompanied the handing over of the birthright.
One key thing to note here is that it is God Who sent Jacob back home to confront his past. And it was only God’s Grace that would secure the property after 21 years of hard labor. I suspect that this is and was a challenge for many of us on the road to God’s Grace.
It is one thing to be Philemon or Paul, but not always easy to be Onesimus, Saul or Jacob. Yet they faced their lurid past in their quest for abundant life. Of course, it didn’t begin with the physical confrontation between themselves and the past. Rather, having responded to God’s invitation to be transformed, there may be a mental moment of transformation; where we face our opponents on perhaps the most difficult battlefield – our minds. For if it is well with our minds, we can overcome our worst fears.
For Jacob, peace comes by way of God’s deliverance. He was very direct – ‘please deliver me’. A reminder that the peace which comes from confronting the past comes first from God before passing through to our system. In his prayer Jacob also noted part of his fear was centered around the impact of the past on his present and future. He was concerned that returning home would be detrimental to his wives and family. Yes, he was concerned about himself, but he also worried about his family. (Could it be that they didn’t know the truth about his past life?) Sometimes confronting our past may affect how we are perceived in the present.
Jacob worked 20/21 years as a servant for his uncle before coming into the realization that his inheritance awaited him. And even then he was afraid of his past. The fact is; grace is FREE – it is freely extended to us, with a No Strings Attached policy. For us to appreciate grace however; we have to undergo our own transformation – mental, emotional or even physical. For grace, though freely given ain’t Cheap. Not for the giver, nor the recipient.
We pray wisdom to receive God’s Grace in our lives as we confront our past en route eternity.
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
