God With Us: Looking For A People

God has always wanted to tabernacle with his chosen people.

Exodus 25:8-9 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. 9 You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.

Hebrews 8:1-2,5 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. 

5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”

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In the beginning God created a place where he could be Emmanuel, God with us, but it didn't take long for Satan's rebellion to become our rebellion. We took Satan's advice and now we are guilty of the same sin, wanting to be God instead of serving God, but thankfully we don't have to get the same punishment that he will receive.

If you think about their circumstances in the garden it appears that Adam and Eve existed in a priestly manner. Priests are special representatives who can go into God's presence and since they were made in God's image they were ideal representatives of God. They had God given jobs to serve him by caring for his creation and filling the earth with other people that would also represent God and make him known.

God could walk his garden and fellowship with them, without sin there wasn't any fear and there wasn't any need for a special place to meet with God, the entire garden was a holy place where God could be Emmanuel.

(Video: Royal Priest of Eden on bibleproject.com)

If Adam and Eve are priest then the garden where they worked would be a foreshadow of the Tabernacle which foreshadows the Temple which ultimately foreshadows Heaven. In each of these locations God is making a way for him to be Emmanuel.

The tabernacle, like the garden of Eden, is where God dwells, and various details of the tabernacle suggest it is a mini-Eden. These parallels include the east-facing entrance guarded by cherubim, the gold, the tree of life (lampstand), and the tree of knowledge (the law). Thus God’s dwelling in the tabernacle was a step toward the restoration of paradise, which is to be completed in the new heaven and earth.

-ESV Study Bible

To get us back to God with us, God chose a people, ordinary people with hurts, habits and hang ups. God called them out from the kingdom of darkness to be his people, he called them to give up their false gods to be a kingdom of priest that would represent the true God and make him know to the rest of the world.

The priest job is most vividly seen in the way that Moses related to God and his people. Moses was God's representative, he would speak to God in intercession for the people and he would speak to the people on God's behalf.

Even with all of the miraculous events that have taken place since they left Egypt and with God's presence so visible on the mountain in the wilderness, God's people still turned on him. Israel would disobey God so much that God would leave the sacred places where he chose to meet his people and be Emmanuel, God with us. 

Jeremiah 7:4 But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the LORD’s Temple is here. They chant, “The LORD’s Temple is here! The LORD’s Temple is here!”

Unfortunately the Tabernacle and the temple became a good luck charm. They thought that they would always have God's presence just because they had God's house. They became like the pagans by making an idol of the sacred places and believing that God would always be with them regardless of their behavior.

God left the temple but he never left his people, he has always been Emmanuel, God with us for those that truly seek him. We can see that God was with his people even when they didn't have a physical, sacred place for corporate worship and even when they were in exile because of their national sins. We can see that in the lives of people like Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther, and many other believing exiles.

The Son Of God Has Come To Dwell

Matthew 1:23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

God's plan to dwell with man has gone to the next level with the arrival of Jesus. God came to us as a simple man, an average Jewish baby, grew up in an average Jewish home, he was God yet he was fully approachable and touchable, God became more with us than man had ever know before. (John 1:1-4, Romans 1:3-4, Colossians 1:15-17)

It sounds really exciting to see so many Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled but most people didn't even take notice. God became touchable and accessible even while the priest were still working in the temple following the Old Testament rules. They didn't know that they could have Emmanuel if they would have listened to the shepherds.

Those priest didn't know it yet but they will soon be out of work. After his baptism Jesus priestly ministry began and instead of working in a temple he went to the people. Jesus priesthood looked totally different as he did God's work seeking people that needed to be restored, healing their imperfections and forgiving their sins so that they could approach God. 

(Video: The Royal Priesthood on bibleproject.com)

The New Priest And The New Temple

1 John 4:14-15  Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  15  All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.

Jesus came to be our High Priest, he is in Heaven interceding for us, we then have the right to be priest that do God's work and intercede for others down here. Jesus perfect sacrifice makes us acceptable to God so that we can become priest that show God to the rest of the world. (1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 8:1-2) 

And now, thanks to Jesus, we can have Emmanuel, God with us living within us, you can't get any closer than that. The barrier has been removed because our sin has been forgiven and we have God's spirit living in us. The Jews at the Western Wall don't realize that they are closest to God when they are standing at the wall next to a believer. (Romans 8:10-11, 1Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 2:20)

As God's chosen people and his royal priest we can only please God when we are living by the rules that his priest should obey. We should be famous for love without boundaries, for turning the other cheek and treating others much better than we think they deserve. When we do these things we fulfill our role as a royal priest and a peculiar people. (Leviticus 19:16-18, 33-34 / 1 John 3:11-18 / Romans 12:9-21)

Revelation 21:1-3  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.  2  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  3  I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.

Throughout scripture you can see over and over again that one of the ultimate themes of the Bible is to have a people that chose him so that he can dwell with them so that their lives will point to him. I need to fulfill my role as a royal priest and live a peculiar life that shows the people around me that I have found the source of all goodness, love and mercy.

God Is Looking For A People
Old Testament (biblegateway.com) New Testament (biblegateway.com)

History will end just as it started, with God dwelling with his people but this time it will be for eternity. God has created a place where he will be Emmanuel, God with us, without the effects of sin on our relationship with him. We will enjoy the unlimited goodness of God for an unlimited amount of time!

Are you ready to leave the bondage of the kingdom of darkness to spend eternity in the promised land? Find out how you can have peace with God so that you can dwell with him forever.

RELATED ARTICLES

God With Us (discovertheword.org)

God Leaves the Temple (ligonier.org)

31 Reasons Why Jesus Came (kevinhalloran.net)

Timeline - Abram To Moses

From the call of Abram to the arrival of Moses at the Promised Land. 

Here is a chronological overview of key events from Abram (later renamed Abraham) to Moses, based on traditional biblical dating. 

Note that these dates are approximate and derived from a literal interpretation of the biblical text.

This timeline was created using Grok.com

Abram/Abraham (c. 2091–1991 BC)

2091 BC: God calls Abram and sends him to Canaan (Genesis 12); journey to Egypt during famine.

2085 BC: Abram and Lot separate; God promises Abram many descendants (Genesis 13).

2084 BC: Abram rescues Lot from kings (Genesis 14).

2081 BC: God's covenant with Abram; Hagar conceives Ishmael (Genesis 15–16).

2080 BC: Ishmael is born (Genesis 16:15).

2067 BC: Covenant of circumcision; promise of Isaac's birth; destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; 

Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech (Genesis 17–20).

2066 BC: Isaac is born (Genesis 21).

2064 BC: Hagar and Ishmael are sent away (Genesis 21:8).

2054 BC: Offering of Isaac (Genesis 22).

2030 BC: Death and burial of Sarah (Genesis 23).

1991 BC: Death of Abraham (Genesis 25:5).

Isaac (c. 2026–1929 BC)

2026 BC: Isaac marries Rebekah (Genesis 24).

2006 BC: Birth of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25).

1978 BC: Esau sells his birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:29).

1977 BC: Isaac's dealings with Abimelech (Genesis 26).

1929 BC: Jacob receives Isaac's blessing; Esau's anger (Genesis 27).

Jacob/Israel (c. 1928–1859 BC)

1928 BC: Jacob flees to Laban; vision of the ladder; begins serving Laban (Genesis 28–29).

1921 BC: Jacob marries Leah and Rachel; birth of his children begins (Genesis 29:28–30).

1916 BC: Rachel gives birth to Joseph (Genesis 30:22).

1908 BC: Jacob leaves Laban for Canaan (Genesis 31).

1906 BC: Jacob wrestles with God and is renamed Israel; reconciles with Esau; settles in Shechem; 

Dinah incident; returns to Bethel (Genesis 32–36).

1903 BC: Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin (Genesis 35:18).

1859 BC: Jacob's illness, blessings on his sons, and death; burial in Canaan (Genesis 48–50).

Joseph (c. 1898–1806 BC)

1898 BC: Joseph's dreams; sold into slavery by brothers; prospers in Potiphar's house (Genesis 37–39).

1889 BC: Accused by Potiphar's wife and imprisoned (Genesis 39:7–20).

1887 BC: Interprets dreams of the cup bearer and baker (Genesis 40).

1886 BC: Interprets Pharaoh's dreams; appointed overseer of Egypt; seven years of plenty begin 

(Genesis 41).

1875 BC: Famine begins; Joseph's brothers come to Egypt; family reunion and relocation to Goshen (Genesis 42–47).

1859 BC: Jacob's illness, blessings on his sons, and death; burial in Canaan (Genesis 48–50).

1806 BC: Death of Joseph (Genesis 50:26).

Oppression in Egypt and Moses' Early Life (c. 1800–1486 BC)

1800 BC: Jacob's family settles in Egypt (Exodus 1).

1700 BC: Israelites multiply in Egypt (Exodus 1:6).

1600 BC: New pharaoh oppresses Israelites (Exodus 1:8).

1539 BC: Pharaoh orders killing of Hebrew firstborn males (Exodus 1:22).

1525 BC: Birth and adoption of Moses (Exodus 2).

1486 BC: Moses kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian (Exodus 2:11).

Moses and the Exodus (c. 1446–1406 BC)

1446 BC: God calls Moses at the burning bush; Moses returns to Egypt; the ten plagues; Exodus from Egypt; journey to Mount Sinai; receiving the Ten Commandments and Law; golden calf incident; tabernacle construction (Exodus 3–40; Leviticus 1–10).

1445 BC: Tabernacle erected; laws on purity, sacrifices, and feasts; census and tribal duties; complaints in the wilderness; spies sent to Canaan; rebellion and 40 years of wandering decreed (Leviticus 11–27; Numbers 1–15).

1426 BC: Korah's rebellion; Aaron's staff buds; priestly laws (Numbers 16–19).

1407 BC: Water from the rock at Meribah; Aaron's death; bronze snake; Balaam's oracles; second census; Joshua appointed successor; laws reviewed; conquest of Midian; summary of journey (Numbers 20–36; Deuteronomy 1–4).

1406 BC: Recapitulation of the Law; Song of Moses; blessings on tribes; death of Moses on Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 4:44–34).

For more detail of Moses and God's people in the wilderness.

Timeline - Creation To Abram

The first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis. 

This timeline is based on the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11, calculating years from the point of creation. 

It focuses on major events, births, and deaths. Some events lack precise dates and are approximated based on context. The chronology spans from creation to the birth of Abram (Abraham).

Key omitted events without dates: 

• The Fall (Genesis 3)
• Increasing wickedness leading to the flood (Genesis 6)
• God's covenant with Noah and the rainbow (Genesis 9:8–17)
• The Table of Nations (Genesis 10)

This timeline was created using Grok.com

Creation to Abram:

Year 0: Creation of the world in six days (Genesis 1).

Year 0: Creation of Adam and Eve; placement in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2).

Year 0: Birth of Adam (Genesis 5).

Year 100–130: Cain and Abel's offerings; Cain kills Abel (Genesis 4).

Year 130: Birth of Seth to Adam (Genesis 4:25; 5:3).

Year 235: Birth of Enosh to Seth (Genesis 5).

Year 325: Birth of Kenan to Enosh (Genesis 5).

Year 395: Birth of Mahalalel to Kenan (Genesis 5).

Year 460: Birth of Jared to Mahalalel (Genesis 5).

Year 622: Birth of Enoch to Jared (Genesis 5).

Year 687: Birth of Methuselah to Enoch (Genesis 5).

Year 874: Birth of Lamech to Methuselah (Genesis 5).

Year 930: Death of Adam (Genesis 5).

Year 987: Death of Enoch (translated to heaven; Genesis 5).

Year 1042: Death of Seth (Genesis 5).

Year 1056: Birth of Noah to Lamech (Genesis 5).

Year 1140: Death of Enosh (Genesis 5).

Year 1235: Death of Kenan (Genesis 5).

Year 1290: Death of Mahalalel (Genesis 5).

Year 1422: Death of Jared (Genesis 5).

Year 1556: Birth of Noah's sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 5:32).

Year 1558: Birth of Shem (Genesis 11).

Year 1651: Death of Lamech (Genesis 5).

Year 1656: Death of Methuselah (Genesis 5).

Year 1656: The Great Flood begins; Noah, family, and animals enter the ark (Genesis 6–7).

Year 1657: Flood ends; waters recede; ark rests on Ararat (Genesis 8). Noah's drunkenness; Ham's disrespect; Noah curses Canaan (Genesis 9).

Year 1658: Birth of Arphaxad to Shem (Genesis 11:10).

Year 1693: Birth of Shelah to Arphaxad (Genesis 11).

Year 1723: Birth of Eber to Shelah (Genesis 11).

Year 1757: Birth of Peleg to Eber (Genesis 11).

Year 1757–1996: Time of Peleg ("division"); Tower of Babel built and languages confused, scattering people (Genesis 10:25; 11:1–9).

Year 1787: Birth of Reu to Peleg (Genesis 11).

Year 1819: Birth of Serug to Reu (Genesis 11).

Year 1849: Birth of Nahor (the elder) to Serug (Genesis 11).

Year 1878: Birth of Terah to Nahor (Genesis 11).

Year 1948: Birth of Abram (Abraham) to Terah (Genesis 11:26).

Year 1996: Death of Peleg (Genesis 11).

Year 1997: Death of Nahor (Genesis 11).

Year 2006: Death of Noah (Genesis 9:29).

Year 2026: Death of Reu (Genesis 11).

Year 2049: Death of Serug (Genesis 11).

Year 2083: Death of Terah (Genesis 11:32).

Year 2096: Death of Arphaxad (Genesis 11).

Year 2126: Death of Shelah (Genesis 11).

Year 2158: Death of Shem (Genesis 11).

Year 2187: Death of Eber (Genesis 11).

Notes:

This follows the traditional literal interpretation of the ages given in the text (e.g., "Adam lived 130 years and begat Seth"). 

Variations exist in other textual traditions (e.g., Septuagint adds ~600 years to the pre-flood period).

Exalted By God

God's favorite people to use are usually the most unlikely.

Genesis 41:37-40 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?”

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

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Most of us can relate to the story of Joseph, we have all been loved and yet also hated and just like Joseph it seems like hate is winning most of the time. When Joseph's story begins he is the favorite son and he has prophecies from God predicting his great destiny but then his brothers hatred for him begins a long downward spiral.

Everything looks good until he is betrayed by his brothers, first they want to kill him but then they decide to sell him for the price of a slave, it is the first of three times that Joseph is betrayed, after his brothers it would be Potiphar's wife and then the cup bearer.  They all seemed to have their own agenda and Joseph wasn't included. 

This story bothers us but it is a great lesson for us to remember in our life story. We like to think that good things happen to good people but from the very first book of the Bible God shows us that it doesn't work that way. The Bible proves to us that when things don't go as easy as we want them too, that is a good thing that God has sent your way, the school of faith has opened and you have been enrolled. 

Joseph is just as blind as Job was to the reasons for his miserable suffering, the Book of Job tells us that Job is "blameless— a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil" but that isn't enough to ensure that Job would live without trouble and as good as Joseph is he also had his share of problems.

Just like Job, Joseph probably wasn't aware that God was using him to bring him glory even when it looked like he didn't even have the favor of God. Joseph was down and out without any explanation from God for 22 years, he could have assumed by his circumstances that God didn't like him and his visions of greatness were just crazy dreams. (Genesis 37:1-11)

God brings his own promise to the brink of failure, only to show that he has been in charge all along.

-John Piper

It is easy to forget that God's favorite people to use are the ones that seem to be the least likely. The world will tear you down and remind you of why you can't be used by God but his normal way of doing things is usually to allow things to look impossible so that when he steps in we are reminded that he is in control. God is looking past your hurts, habits and hang-ups to surprise everybody for his glory.

Genesis 50:19-20 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Joseph gives us a glimpse of Jesus thousands of years before the prophecy of his birth was fulfilled. They both forgave those that wronged them, they were exalted after suffering and their suffering was the vehicle that God used to save his people.

God was not surprised by the evil that happened in Joseph's life, God wasn't caught off guard and think to himself "how can I use that for good," God is in control of everything and it is all being used by God for his purpose. 

God may leave me in the dark about what he is doing but that's okay. I know that he can be trusted with every detail of my life knowing that it will all be used for his glory and for my good. Part of him receiving glory is found in the work of making me into a new, exalted creation that looks more like him as I study his word and apply it to my life. (Romans 8:29-30)

RELATED ARTICLES

Does God Intend Evil for Our Good? (desiringgod.org)

What Does It Mean That God Will Glorify Me? And How? (desiringgod.org)

Betrayed By Man

Through Joseph's story we get a glimpse of Jesus.

Genesis 37:2-4 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 

3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph— a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.

One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 

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We have learned a lot about God in the recent post in the book of Genesis, we have seen through the life of Jacob that God is in control and that he takes care of his people. We have seen God promise, prepare, prosper and provide for his people despite the mistakes that they make.

The blessings of the birthright were taken from Reuben because he sinned against his father but instead of the next oldest, the son that received the rights was the second to the last born son. Maybe Joseph was chosen because he is the first born son of Rachel, the wife that Jacob thought that he married at his first wedding, or maybe it was just because Jacob liked him more.

You may come to the conclusion that Joseph is a spoiled brat because of the favoritism, it seems that the fancy coat may have been a symbol of Jacob's decision to give the birthright to Joseph, Jacob has put his son in a situation that is very similar to the situation in his parents home. 

Favoritism destroyed Jacob's family and he was forced to run away from home because of it. Jacob was forced to run from Esau but Joseph would have to leave by force because his brothers were ruthless. It seems that his brothers were as immoral as the Canaanites that were around them. (Genesis 37:1-4) Joseph's willingness to inform his father about his brothers may have been the motivation for sending him to check on them while they were away from home. (Genesis 37:12-14)

It seems that Joseph is headed for greatness, he has the birthright, instead of the clothing of a shepherd he has the fancy coat that a ruler would wear and to top it all off he has God given dreams predicting his rise to a powerful position. What could go wrong?

Betrayed By His Family

Genesis 37:18-36

Joseph’s older brothers are a bunch of rowdy guys who slaughtered a whole village because one guy raped their sister. The Canaanite moms in the household, the maids of Rachel and Leah, may have had a very negative influence on all of the brothers. The family tree can be seem here.

God's people have always had a difficult time being in this world but not of it. You could speculate that the slavery in Egypt was God's way of separating his people from the Canaanites until the day of judgment when the Canaanites would be destroyed. 

How could God use his people to judge the Canaanites if his people looked just like them?

Betrayed By The World

Genesis 39:1-23

What looks like the obvious conclusion may be the furthest from the truth. In this situation, Potiphar thought that he had been betrayed by Joseph when in fact it was his wife that betrayed both of them.

Joseph was about eleven years old when his sister was raped. This may have been part of the reason that he had such an intense reaction to the advances of Potiphar's wife. Joseph knew the devastating effects that sexual sin could have and he didn't want any part of it.

Betrayed By A Friend

Genesis 40:1-23

The only thing that Joseph asked the cupbearer to do when his dream came true was to put in a good word for him. This guys life was spared and he couldn't remember the guy that predicted that it would happen.

Joseph was always the favorite, it make me think that he really wasn't a spoiled brat, he went from being a favorite in his father's house to being a favorite in Potiphar's house and then he became a favorite with the prison warden. Spoiled brats don't usually have that much success at making friends and influencing people. 

But having man's favor doesn't last when you are living for God. If Joseph had shared the values of his brothers or Potiphar's wife things would have gone much better for him from man's perspective.

Genesis 39:2, 21 The Lord was with Joseph

But even if man turned against him, Joseph knew that he was in the presence of God which resulted in receiving the blessings of God. Living for God proves to be the best way even if it means living in a situation that looks like you are being punished. The difficulty we encounter may make us question God's presence and we may forget that his presence is always accompanied with his blessings.

2 Timothy 3:12  Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Through Joseph's story we get a glimpse of Jesus. The dearly loved son was a shepherd of his fathers flocks, he was sent to his brothers that hated him, they took his robe and sold him for the price of a slave. The father suffered the loss of his favorite son because the son was wrongly accused. The son was placed with two other prisoners which included one that was saved and the other one lost.

I know you may be disappointed where you are. I know you may be unhappy where you are, but I want you to look beyond where you are and thank God for where He's going to take you.

-Tony Evans

Joseph would overcome it all to become God's man that was prepared for God's purpose but for now he is still in prison. This story bothers us because we want good things to happen to good people but the reality is that God is using the good and the bad to shape us and most importantly to accomplish his purpose.

Thank you Lord for your interest in me and allowing me to be a part of your plans. Help me to realize that you are working all thing for my good and for your glory.

God Provides For His People

Prayer helps us rely on God to take care of us.

Genesis 32:9-12 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac— O LORD, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’ 

10 I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps! 

11 O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. 12 But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’”

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The childhood and early adult life of Jacob was such a mess that it produced a young man that would have a difficult time overcoming his upbringing. We can see part of his personality before he was born as he struggled with his brother in the womb. It is too bad that his parents didn't mold him and help him use his aggressive, outgoing personality for good but instead their actions only made him worse.

Despite his dysfunctional upbringing and his lack of godly character he still inherited the promises of God that began with Abraham and Isaac. Jacob was forced to leave home empty handed and all alone as he dealt with the consequences of cheating his brother.

God would use this time away from home to shape Jacob and prepare him for his future role in God's plans. He would have success and he would fail but God still prospered Jacob as he promised.

In todays scripture we see some progress in Jacob's spiritual journey, he is on a journey back to his physical home because God told him to go back, we can see some small amount of growth in his reaction to the news that his brother is on the way to see him but he still has a long way to go.

Jacob's fear of his brother drove him to pray and then immediately into implementing a plan of action. It seems to be the prayer of a weak, unbelieving man with little faith in the outcome. This guy is familiar with God, he knows his character and he has his great promises for the future but he still seems to be praying in desperation.

Jacob Prayed For God's Help Based On:

God's Covenant

The promises given to Abraham have been reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob. Notice that Jacob approached God on the basis of the old covenant but we approach on the basis of the new covenant.

God's Command

When God told Jacob to go back home it probably wasn't so that he could be killed by his brother. The will of God will never lead us where the power of God can't protect and provide for us.

God's Care

There was a history now of God's protection and care for Jacob, God has been working on Jacob's character for twenty years now, I don't think that God will let that go to waste.

God's Purpose

Esau's anger could not hinder God's purpose and plan for Jacob and his descendants, especially for Judah (Jesus lineage), Levi (the lineage of the priest and the Apostle Paul (from the tribe of Benjamin).

God's Promise

Jacob needs to review the promises made by God at Bethel. He should know by now that God's promises will come to pass. (Genesis 28:12-15)

We need to know that we can't mess up God's plans and purposes in our lives even if our trust and faith in him is weak. God uses the consequences of our success and our failures to help us grow closer to him.

Our prayers are an indicator of the state of our heart, if we struggle in our own strength to overcome our problems after we prayed about something then we have trust issues with the only one that we can fully trust without any doubts.

Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers despite my little faith. Help me to rely on you to sustain and protect me from anything that comes my way.