Abraham and Jacob

Eventually, after his faith had been tested for many years, Abraham did have the son of promise by his aged wife, Sarah. Isaac was born miraculously in the couple’s old age. Apart from divine intervention the child could not have been born, for Sarah was long past the age for bearing. In course of time, Isaac married and had twin sons. The inheritance of the divine promises was not complicated by the rivalry of the twins.

By right, Esau was the heir because his birth was just before that of his brother. But Esau scorned the value of his birthright, not being a man of faith, and sold his inheritance to his brother for only a savoury meal. Did Jacob fully understand the significance of the birthright he had so craftily obtained? As Jacob experienced increasing difficulties in his life, so his faith increased. Just as God had confirmed the promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:2; 13:16), so he did to Jacob. As also with Abraham, Jacob matured so much that God saw fit to change his name to another one that had a deeper significance. The name Jacob means ‘following after’, descriptive of his birth. It also means ‘supplanter’, descriptive of his cunning acquisition of the birthright. God’s new name for him, ‘Israel’, means ‘ruling with God’ or ‘prince with ‘God’. This described his personal, faithful, life, besides being prophetic of God’s purpose for him and his descendants. In spite of the difficulties that we may go through, in the end, the truth is a very personal matter between ourselves and Jesus.

Bro Moses Dhlakama (Chipinge, Zimbabwe)