In Genesis 27-30, Jacob is the “star.” At least Jacob is center stage in these chapters. The account of Jacob deceiving Isaac and taking Esau’s birthright makes me wonder, “Why did God choose Jacob instead of Esau?” While, Jacob was only following Rebekah’s instruction, when he went to his father and deceived Isaac into giving him Esau’s blessing, even that shows us Jacob’s weakness of character. The chief lesson we learn here is God doesn’t choose us for our character, goodness, or integrity. God chooses us because He does! After God chooses us He works on our character, goodness and integrity. Sin broke us all. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, the nature of rebellion became part of us. We are born with a me first attitude. Jacob exhibited that attitude as much as any character in the Bible. Even so, God blessed Him, and used Him to fulfill His promise to Abraham and giving Him many descendants.
While Abraham contributed only one son, Isaac, to the promise; and Isaac contributed two sons, only one of whom, would be considered part of the completion of the promise–Jacob; Jacob would eventually contribute twelve sons. Those twelve sons would become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. As we will see as the book of Genesis continues to unfold and we move to Exodus, it was the descendants of Jacob who multiplied and became a nation. The process took about 400 years, but God always keeps His promises, and thankfully, He uses ordinary, imperfect people in the process. We don’t have to wonder why. Ordinary, imperfect people are all God has had to work with ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against Him.
Mark 8 offers several important encounters between Jesus and others, but the most important of all is His encounter with His own disciples, when He asked them who people were saying He was. Peter’s response that Jesus was the Messiah marked the turning point in Jesus’ ministry. Everything in Mark’s gospel led up to that moment, and in the remaining eight chapters, Jesus walked into His destiny of dying on the cross to pay the penalty for human sin, and rising from the dead to demonstrate His victory over sin and death. While we are reading only one chapter of Mark each day, it is important for us to see how each chapter fits into the bigger picture of God’s plan for the redemption of humanity.
In the even bigger picture, one of Jacob’s sons, Judah, provided the human lineage for Jesus. As we read through the Bible during this year, we will see time and again how God’s great plan is lived out in simple events, including the births of particular people at just the right time. You and I were also born at just the right time to fulfill the plan God has for us. the next time you’re thinking you don’t matter all that much, remember that!