Jacob receives the promises of God without working for them.
Romans 9:10-12 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”
In the previous post we saw how an entire family was working outside of the will of God. Isaac and Esau conspired together to go against God but Rebekah and Jacob were also outside of God's will even though they were trying to accomplish God's will. They really thought that they needed to help God and protect his interest even if it meant sinning.
Because of all of this deception the family became even more dysfunctional than it already was. As a result of all of these sinners actions, Jacob would have to leave everything behind even though he received the blessing and would be the heir of God's promises.
But before Jacob leaves home his father Isaac willingly reaffirms the blessing to Jacob without the deceit that happened the first time around. Validating the authenticity of the blessing will be helpful to Jacob when he begins to be confronted by guilt and doubts start to creep in.
Despite the wrongs that were done to get the blessing God's plans would not be changed. God said that Jacob would be the heir of the covenant that he made with Abraham and nothing that man can do will change that. Jacob hadn't done anything to be chosen and he didn't do anything that would make God change his mind.
The conflict between our rotten sin nature and God's holy grace lives on in God's story with mankind. Jacob proves that he isn't the hero of the story that deserves the blessing any more than his brother or his forefathers did but he receives it anyway.
Genesis 28:12-13 As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. 13 At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, “I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.
After Isaac confirmed that Jacob was the chosen son, Jacob gets another confirmation that would be much more impressive. God restated the covenant that he made with Abraham and Isaac while Jacob slept. Jacob found out that resting in God's grace and mercy is much better than striving to accomplish his will by working it out in the flesh.
God made all three provisions of the original promise to Jacob: the land, descendants who will be like the dust of the earth, and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through his descendants.
Jacob learned that the gateway to Heaven cannot be approached by our good works and determination. Jesus told us the same thing, he saw people all around him that were striving to get to God by grit and determination, he taught them over and over again that you can't get yourself to heaven.
John 1:49-51 Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”
51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”
In Jacob's dream Jesus was up in Heaven at the top of the ladder that God provided but now Jesus has come to earth to be our access to Heaven. Jesus told his audience everyday that he is the straight and narrow way that we must use to get to Heaven. (John 3:16, 5:18, 10:9, 14:6)
Jesus wasn't all talk, his claims were validated by his extraordinary abilities, he saw Nathanael under the fig tree and he sees each of us. Jesus miracles proved his identity so that we will know that he has the authority to tell us how to get to heaven. We are saved only by resting in His Word and His work on our behalf.
Thank you God that you provided us access to Heaven that mankind has been struggling to achieve. Help me to rest in you and in the promises that you have made. (Isaiah 64:6, Titus 3:5)
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