Jacob’s life is a fascinating study of God’s dealings with human nature in the lives of His own. We all can see something of ourselves in the lives of Jacob and his children, and we can and should learn valuable lessons from how God made all things work together for good for Jacob, in spite of his faults and failings. God was faithful to His promises to Jacob, while remaining faithful to His own holiness in His dealings with him.
Though Jacob was heir of the promises and valued God’s blessings, he did not seek them by faith, but tried in a sinful and deceitful way to obtain them: first in how he bought the birthright from his brother Jacob, and then in obtaining the blessing from his father by lying and deceit. As a consequence, Jacob became a wanderer for most of his life, but God was faithful to him, teaching Him, through many bitter personal and family lessons, to trust in God and not in himself.
At the close of his life, Jacob rose up to the height of God’s thoughts, and by faith he called all his sons before him and blessed them. Jacob, the supplanter, was, by God, renamed Israel, the prince with God. However, he and his descendents are frequently referred to by the old name instead of the new, as those walking in the character of the old instead of the new. Are we like Jacob? Do our lives show us as walking by our old nature or by our new one?