The God of Jacob

Jacob wasn’t a very nice person. As a young man, he stole his brother’s inheritance. He stole it by deceiving and lying to his father. The deception wasn’t some accidental mistaken identity, but a well thought out plan of lies. He timed the deception for when his brother would be gone a long time, and wore his brother’s clothes to act the part.

Jacob also had troubles in his life. He had a difficult relationship with his in-law family. He was deceived by his father-in-law in marriage and in business. His daughter lay with a Canaanite and his sons avenged her by massacring the men of a whole city and then looting the city. Jacob had to flee the area to avoid retaliation. Later, those same sons sold their youngest brother into slavery and covered their crime by telling Jacob that his son was killed by a wild beast.

And yet, one of the names that God Himself uses to identify Himself is “the God of Jacob”. Why would God identify Himself as the God of Jacob?

God is not just the God of those who made no mistakes or have no troubles. He is the God that brings you through trouble; He is the God who loves you even when you do wrong. Whenever Jacob did wrong or had a great trouble, he went to God and recommitted himself to God. He went to the source of power and forgiveness with the resolve to change his life and follow God better than before. God calls Himself the God of Jacob as a reminder to us that His salvation is of grace.