Jacob son of Isaac, son of Abraham has always been one of my least favorite bible characters. He was always portrayed as someone who was good at deceiving others and had a coniving spirit. And I never understood that whole incident of him wrestling with God.
After spending a couple of weeks studying Jacob in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this past month, I've come to identify myself with Jacob much more. Here was a man that thought he was pretty smart and cunning, able to find success in many things. But he also valued the promise of God given to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac unlike his older twin brother Esau.
This desire to be a part of God's blessing led him to use many of his own strategies and trickery to get the coveted birthright. It's important to realize that other than his father's cattle, Jacob wasn't going to inheriate a lot of things by buying the birthright. Isaac didn't own land and didn't own a large amount of slaves to pass down to his son. All he did have was the great promise of God to make them into a great nation and that kings would come from them and the inheritance of Canaan plus that God would be with them always.
In view of this, Jacob did want very much to be a part of the family of God, but like myself he tried to get that blessing through all of his own ways first until God molded him into a man that relied on God (that's where the wrestling match came in...after Jacob had learned a few of his lessons, God wrestled with him before he faced his biggest fear, Esau, to forever remind him that he needs to live by the strength of his God). What a great story of sinful fallen man that God chooses to use anyway.
