This week we will be talking about Jacob, The father of all Israel. His story begins in Genesis 25 when he was born, continues in Chapter 27 where he steals his brother's blessing, and chapter 29 where he cheats his father in-law. There are more stories on Jacob, but we will be focusing on these chapters today.

1 Cor 1:26 says,

“My dear friend, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world did not think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power and not many of you came from important families”.

As a background for this series we have this anchor scripture. Most of us who are being used by God do not have any exceptional backing so why do we believe that only people who are exceptional or are worthy in the eyes of the world are the only ones that God uses? Verse 27 says

“Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong”.

Jacob was such a person before he became known as the father of Israel.

He started off fighting to be born first by holding onto his brother’s heel. Gen 25: 26. As a baby he was already battling for first place with his brother in the womb. His name means to “follow behind” which is normal as he is the second twin. His name also means to circumvent, overreach and to replace. God had already told his mother when she had inquired that he would lead his older brother. From the get-go, Jacob already hated being second and wanted to be first so badly that he stole his brother’s birthright. Funny story, you sell your right to be first born to your brother because of some food. Whenever I read this story I am amazed as to how wanting makes us disregard important things to us just because we do not think that it is important enough.

In the early chapters of the bible whenever a first child is born there is a first blessing that is poured out on the first child. All the children who received these blessings all turned out to be exceptional people. Why did Esau think it was ok to throw it away for some food? Verse 34 says

“…He showed contempt for his rights as the first born”.

Did he think Jacob would forget? Did he think no one would realize that he sold it? I guess because the birthright wasn’t a tangible thing, he believed he could bater it and it wouldn’t matter. Well this is a story for another day. We are talking about the foundation of who Jacob was and he still was used so mightily by God that people in the present day still refer to him.

In Chapter 27 he steals his brother’s blessing by pretending to be his brother and gets the blessing that was originally planned for Esau. The bible said Jacob was a simple man. Does he look like a simple man? Why did the bible use those words to describe him? He schemed his way to being the first born, plotted his way to the blessing for the first child and even got almost all of Laban, his father in-law’s cattle for himself. In all this he never suffered. He always had the God of hosts fighting on his behalf. Irrespective of his shortcomings, which when you read his entire story is a lot, he was still used mightily. His lineage brought out the birth of Christ. His entire life was carefully crafted and ordained by God.

God paved the way for his prophecy on Jacob's life to come through (or true which one is it?). He was a cheat, a thief, but an exceptional tool used by God. You always read in the bible. “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thank God today that he has made you perfectly imperfect to be used in his kingdom. Spend some time this week thanking God for using you in-spite of who you are. Trust me I do this every day.