Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, Oh My!

As we continue to explore Jesus’ lineage we are going to see more and more that God uses all kinds of people for His plan and for His glory.

He made a covenant with Abraham that he would have many descendants and would become a great nation. Abraham had faults and made mistakes like anyone, but he did have moments of strong faith. I can learn from both of these for I experience both on a daily basis-the longing to have a strong faith but the reality that many times I act in the flesh.

Let’s keeping going! We are continuing to follow the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1, and we are covering a lot of ground in Genesis today.

The next three men in Jesus’ lineage are Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. When I was younger, for some reason in my head I always seemed to glorify some of these people in the Bible as perfect heroes of the faith with unattainable character traits. These men and women of faith whom God uses are often also men and women who struggle greatly with selfishness, deceit, and bad decisions.

Isaac was the miracle child of Abraham and Sarah with whom God said “I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” (Gen 17:19) Now let’s not forget that before God blesses Abraham at 100 years old and Sarah at 90 years old, they get a little impatient and start to take matters into their own hands. According to Genesis 16, Sarah encourages Abraham to have a child with their maidservant, Hagar. Maybe it is just me, but that seems like disaster waiting to happen. Abraham and Hagar have a child named Ishmael who according to Genesis 16 will be a wild man who lives in hostility toward everyone and everyone toward him. It is interesting to follow Ishmael’s family line and see where he ends up, but that is for another day.

Although Isaac’s parents were initiators and often forceful in creating their own way because of the difficulty they had in being able to wait patiently for God’s promises, Isaac was more of a quiet, non-confrontational person who did not interfere in others’ business.

Isaac married Rebekah and was the father to Jacob and Esau. Jacob and Esau were twins who from the moment they were born were fighting for their place in their family and the world. Isaac favored Esau and Rebekah favored Jacob. (Parenting 101: Don’t show favoritism to your children!) Although Esau was a man who worked with his hands and provided, he was very impulsive, so much so that he gave his birthright away in order to have immediate satisfaction of hunger. He also chose wives that were in direct opposition of his parents’ desires because of cultural and religious concerns.

What is the answer to making sure Jacob is the chosen son who receives the firstborn birthright even though Esau was the firstborn? Of course!-Rebekah takes matters into her own hands and deceives her nearly blind husband (Isaac) into blessing Jacob instead of Esau. Whew…are you tired yet? Wait, there is more!

Jacob, the one who helped his mother deceive his father is also the one who becomes the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. Although he deceived his family in his early life, he also experienced being on the other side when he was deceived by a man named Laban. Laban had several daughters one of which Jacob fell in love with and wanted to marry. Jacob committed to work for seven years to in order to marry Rachel. Unfortunately, his soon to be father-in-law tricked Jacob, and he ended up marrying Leah, the older, less desirable sister. Jacob still wanted to marry Rachel so he kept Leah as his wife and agreed to work another 7 years. During this time, Leah longed to be loved by Jacob, but she was always second best. She ended up giving Jacob several sons and each one was named to indicate that God was blessing her since her husband refused to love her. Her hope was that since she was giving him sons, he would love her. Finally, she gives birth to a son a names him Judah. She says, “This time I will praise the Lord.” (Gen 29:35)

Don’t miss this…it is so beautiful! For so long Leah longed for Jacob to love her, and she competed with her sister for his love and attention. In the end she realized that she is not defined by the love of her husband, her ability to give more children, or how she compares to her sister. She is defined in His great love. Leah, not the beloved Rachel, is often referred to as one of the mothers of Israel. She is a part of the lineage of Christ. How beautiful the way God uses all kinds for His plan.

Ok…we are almost there. So Rachel ends up having two sons with Jacob, one of which is Joseph. If you are familiar with Joseph and the coat of many colors story, you now understand why Jacob favored him so much-he was the son of the woman that he loved so dearly. And Judah (Leah’s son) was the one who suggested selling Joseph into slavery. Probably not his best choice, but now you may understand a little about the family tensions going on. Judah would also be in Jesus’ lineage. Joseph’s story is found in Genesis as well but since he is not in the direct lineage of Jesus, we will save his story for another day as well. Jacob ends up having six sons with Leah, two sons with Rachel, and because of the sisterly competition, they encourage him to have four sons with their maidservants as well. I can only imagine the immense conflict among the brothers. These 12 sons (with the exception of Levi who does not get land, and Joseph gets double) become the 12 tribes of Israel, which is important in continuing God’s covenant with Isaac and Abraham.

Okay we are arriving at one of my favorite parts in this part of Genesis. Stick with me.

In Genesis 32:22-32, we find Jacob having an encounter with a man that he wrestles with all night. The man says, “Let me go…” and Jacob’s reply is “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man then changes Jacob’s name to Israel saying that he has struggled with God and men and has prevailed. Jacob then asks what the man’s name is and the man replies, “Why do you ask my name?” As if to say you know exactly who I Am.

Jacob wrestled with God and refused to let go. He clung to Him.

Jacob’s life as well as his family’s, had been made up of deceit, selfishness, conflict, impatience, and jealousy. His sin had been at the root of many of the situations in his life, but he held on tightly to God and refused to let go. God changed him. God said to him that he no longer was Jacob, the deceiver, but he is Israel, the one who struggles with God but prevails.

These stories are such beautiful examples of how everyone is an imperfect work in progress that God can and will use if we cling to Him. Whether it is Abraham and Sarah’s impatient waiting, Isaac and Rebekah’s favoring of children and not supporting one another as husband and wife, Jacob’s deceiving his father and brother, Leah and Rachel’s jealousy of one another, or Judah’s jealousy of his brother that strikes a cord with you, we can learn so much from these people who walked before us, but I think we can learn even more from how God responds to them with love and blessing despite their mistakes and flaws. He loves you. He longs for you to cling to Him. He can mend your brokenness and use you no matter your faults or missteps.

Seek Him today. Cling to Him. Refuse to let go.

Shared with love,

Lindsay