Readings for today: Genesis 27-29
Family dysfunction. It’s universal. Every family has their issues. Every family has skeletons tucked away in the closet. Every family passes on sinful patterns from one generation to the next. This is as true for the families in the Bible as it is for our own families in the 21st century. This is also one of the reasons the Bible continues to hold such authority after thousands of years. It is raw. It is honest. It doesn’t cover up or make excuses for the sins of believers. It lifts them up and puts them on full display in order to convey the fundamental message that all human beings are broken. All human beings are sinful. All human beings have wandered and gone astray and stand in desperate need of God’s saving grace.
Consider what we read today. The sibling rivalry between Esau and Jacob has escalated to the point where even their parents have taken sides. Isaac favors Esau while Rebekah favors Jacob. Things come to a head when Isaac calls Esau in to prepare him to receive the “blessing.” This was a legally binding arrangement whereby all the power and authority of the clan would pass from one generation to the next. Esau stood to inherit everything while Jacob would be left with nothing. Rebekah catches wind of the plan and hatches a plot to elevate her favored son. The whole story is full of deception, rage, betrayal, and murderous plots. Jacob is successful in stealing his brother’s birthright and inheritance but has to flee for his life to Haran where Abraham’s brother settled years earlier. There he is served a dish of his own medicine by his cousin Laban who tricks him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel.
Amazingly enough, God meets Jacob in the midst of all this turmoil. Jacob sets up camp for the night on his journey from Beersheba to Haran. As he slept, God spoke to him through visions and dreams. (Cue “Stairway to Heaven”…) “I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I’m giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they’ll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15 MSG) Once again, note the unilateral nature of God’s promises. Their fulfillment is not contingent on anything Jacob will or will not do. They are not dependent on Jacob’s works or even his faith. God simply declares to Jacob that He will be his God and Jacob will be His servant. This is the essence of grace.
All of us grew up in dysfunctional families to a certain degree. Some more so than others. Thankfully, God is gracious and merciful to work through our dysfunction to make us into the men and women He calls to be. The great news of the gospel is that God will indeed stick with us until He has fulfilled all His promises towards us. And what has God promised us? He will wash away every sin. He will wipe away every tear. He will use all things for our good and for His glory. He will make us new. Take a moment and rest in the assurances of these promises today!
Readings for tomorrow: None