Jacob Builds his Family (Genesis 29-30)

"She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, 'This time I will praise the Lord.' So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children."
-Genesis 29:35
     Yesterday at the Genesis Bible Academy I was designated to give a testimony on the passage. To save myself some energy, I decided that I would just post my testimony instead of writing a reflection as I normally do. I hope you enjoy it.
     Genesis chapters 29 and 30 present a very interesting story. When I first read the chapters, I didn’t even really know what I should focus on. Chapter 29 talks about how Jacob searches for a wife after being sent out by his parents. Jacob finds his uncle Laban, and decides to live with him. Jacob sees that Laban’s daughter Rachel is very beautiful, and he wants to marry her. Laban sees Jacob’s desire for Rachel, and decides to use it as leverage. This is similar to when Jacob saw Esau’s desire for food, and used it as leverage to get the birthright. I guess it’s true; what goes around comes around. Jacob works for Laban for seven years, only to find that Laban gives him Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob demands an explanation, only to get a lame excuse from Laban. Laban then makes Jacob work another seven years to have Rachel as his wife. I don’t know about you, but if I were in Jacob’s situation, I would just cut my losses and take Leah as my only wife. However, Jacob does agree to Laban’s terms, and works another seven years for Rachel.
     After finally marrying Rachel, Jacob must have felt relieved. He finally married the woman he loved dearly. He probably thought this was a great chance to settle down, have some kids, and enjoy life. However, in chapter 30, Jacob’s life gets a bit complicated. His wives Leah and Rachel start to compete with each other. They keep telling Jacob to sleep with them, or their servants, so that they can be the one to bear the most children. What’s funny to me is that Jacob never really argues with his wives; he just does what they tell him to do. I guess Jacob knew the secret to living a longer life as a married man.
     One common theme in this passage and even throughout Jacob’s life is his struggles. Jacob struggles with Esau, with Laban, with his wives, and eventually with God. The Bible says that when Jacob worked for seven years it only felt like a couple days, but I know that working seven years must have been terrible. What is admirable about Jacob is that he was willing to go through so much struggle in order to receive Rachel as his wife. Even when he finally got Rachel as his wife, he still had struggles in his household when Rachel and Leah competed with each other.
     In the spring of this year, I wanted to find an internship for this summer. I knew that since I was a junior, I needed to find an internship if I wanted to get experience in my field. I thought that since I had a decent resume, GPA, and favorable major, that finding an internship wouldn’t be too difficult. I applied to some places, thinking that I would hear back from some if not most of them. However, as time passed, I only heard back from one company. Despite only hearing from one company, I was optimistic because they asked me for an interview, and they seemed to have decent interest in me. I went for the interview, thought I did well, only to find out later that they didn’t want me. Now I started to panic a little bit, because my most promising opportunity ended up not working out. I started to apply to more internships, hoping that someone, anyone, would hire me. More time passed, but I still hadn’t heard back from any of the places I had applied. I thought I was doomed to never get an internship for this summer, which would really hurt my chances of getting a job after college. One day my professor sent an email to the class asking if any of us wanted an internship. I immediately responded to him and sent him my resume. Honestly, I didn’t think I had a chance at getting the internship because my classmates are all just as smart if not smarter than me. However, after a couple weeks passed, I was asked for an interview. I was extremely happy, and I prepared myself for the interview. After the interview was conducted, I thought I did pretty poorly. I was sure that there was no way they would hire me, since I’m sure other students were being interviewed. At this point, I decided that the best course of action was to pray. I prayed that God would grant me this internship. Only a couple days later, the company emailed me back and said that they would hire me for the summer. The last time I was as happy as I was then was probably when I was accepted into college.
     So what does my story have to do with this passage? Like Jacob, I really wanted something. If you think about it, I’ve been working for more than 14 years to put myself in a position to get a job or internship, because that’s how long I’ve been in school. Like Jacob, I met disappointment. I didn’t get the first internship that I thought I would, just like Jacob didn’t get the wife he thought he would. However, like Jacob, God provided for me. God is so amazing, and I know that the only reason I got this internship is because of His grace. I still have many human struggles in my life. I’m not going to lie and say that knowing God gets rid of all of my struggles. I have many things that I struggle with that are not in God’s plan. However, as in Jacob’s life, God always finds a way to take my struggles and use it for His purpose. When Rachel and Leah opposed each other, God used their struggle to make the twelve tribes of Israel. My next biggest struggle is the Summer Bible Conference. I have the responsibility of giving the opening message, which coincidentally is about a passage in Genesis. I pray that I would struggle with God’s Word and that He would use my struggles for His plan.  
-Smart  

Jacob Meets God at Bethel (Genesis 27-28)

"He was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.'”
-Genesis 28:17
     This passage highlights a couple things that happen while Jacob and Esau grow older. Isaac is nearing his death, so he wants to bless his sons. More specifically, Isaac wants to give Esau a blessing as the firstborn in the family. As we learned previously, Isaac favors Esau more than Jacob, since Isaac liked to eat wild game. Isaac instructs Esau to find some wild game for Isaac to enjoy. Isaac then promised to bless Esau when he returned with the finished meal.
     When Esau leaves, Rebekah tells Jacob of what Isaac has instructed Esau to do. Rebekah remembered the message that God gave to her about Jacob ruling over Esau, and she wanted to ensure that God's prophecy came true. Rebekah tells Jacob to pretend to be Esau, since it would be fairly easy to trick Isaac. Jacob agrees, and successful takes the blessing that was intended for Esau. When Esau returns and finds out that Jacob took the blessing, he is extremely angry and demands that Isaac bless him as well. Isaac says that he is unable to, since the blessing has already been given to Jacob.
     Rebekah knows that Esau is now very angry at Jacob, so she wants to get Jacob to safety. She again tricks Isaac by telling him that Jacob must be sent away to find a wife in another land. Isaac agrees, so Jacob is sent away to find a wife. Esau learns of this, and he too finds a wife in another land. Esau now was desperately trying to please his parents, since it seemed that they clearly were favoring Jacob at this time. However, Esau marries someone from the line of Ishmael, who was not part of the covenant with Abraham.
     What can we learn here? Clearly, God has chosen Jacob, and Jacob begins receiving much blessing. As we know, God told Rebekah that He has chosen Jacob to rule over Esau, even though Esau was the firstborn. What I find fascinating is that no human intervention can interrupt God's plan. In the passage, both Jacob and Esau try to win over Isaac for his blessing, but only Jacob succeeds. This is not a coincidence; God has orchestrated everything to happen as it did. Even though Esau tries to change God's plan, he is unsuccessful.
     No matter how we try to force our own agenda, God's plan always prospers. If God has chosen to bless, He will bless. If He chooses to curse, He will curse. Nothing we can do can change what God has planned. He is completely sovereign over everything in our lives. The best thing that we can do is to find out what God's plan is and to work with Him, and not against Him. Rebekah knew God's promise, so she did what she thought would ensure its fulfillment. Even though her methods are questionable, she was trying to follow God's plan. Esau had no idea what God's plan was, and he spent a lot of time fighting against God, which of course was fruitless.
     The passage is not over yet. While Jacob is journeying to find a wife, he stops to spend the night. He has a dream where God promises to bless him and his family. Jacob responds by building an altar to God. He then vows to make God his own God. In short, Jacob finally meets God at a personal level. Jacob has probably heard the promise that God gave to Rebekah, but he has never heard directly from God. When God speaks to Jacob in a dream, Jacob begins his personal relationship with God. He learns to fear God and revere Him.
     We cannot rely on others to sustain our faith. God wants to us to have a relationship with Him, not someone or something else. We have to meet God personally and continually grow in Him. Jacob thought he knew God, but when God met him he realized how awesome God really was. Jacob now realized who it was that God was. I pray that we all find out who God really is and start a personal relationship with Him.
-Smart

Isaac's Family is Blessed (Genesis 26)

"Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham."
-Genesis 26:3
     So I actually was not able to attend the Bible study yesterday, but I still wanted to write a few thoughts on the passage. Genesis 26 recounts the life of Isaac, and how God blesses him and his family greatly. There are a lot of similarities between Isaac and Abraham's life. Today's post is going to be shorter than usual, since I wasn't able to be at the academy.
     In this passage, God reaffirms the covenant He made with Abraham to Issac. God says that because Abraham obeyed God, Isaac will remain in God's blessing. This teaches me that we should not only be faithful to God for ourselves, but for the sake of others. Our actions can affect others whether we want them to or not. If we are faithful to God, it can inspire others to also be faithful to Him. Our service to God can bless someone who is in need.
     Later in the passage, Isaac lies about his relationship to his wife by saying she is his sister. Sound familiar? Abraham did the same thing when he was in Egypt. This shows a negative consequence of Abraham's actions. Although Isaac did not know about Abraham's life in Egypt, I believe that Abraham's weakness passed on to his son Isaac. Despite Isaac lying about his wife, God protects him and Rebekah the same way He protected Abraham and Sarah. God was faithful to His promise to Abraham and Isaac.
     God continues to bless Isaac with great possessions and wealth. In this passage I learn that God remains faithful to His promises. Even though Abraham is dead, it does not negate God's covenant with him. God blesses Isaac as a continuation of the covenant with Abraham. I also learn that we should remember that our actions have consequences not only for ourselves, but for others. How we live not only affects us but those around us, whether good or bad. We should strive to be faithful to God so that we can be a blessing to others, rather than a hindrance. May God bless us to continue to live faithfully for Him.
-Smart

Ten Style Not Pet Peeves

     A couple weeks ago I did a post on ten of my style pet peeves. I've heard some interesting responses to my list, but the one that stuck out to me is "why do you always have to look at the negative"? This person thought it would be a better idea for me to say what I do like rather than what bothers me. So today I decided to list ten of my style not pet peeves (I don't think there is an opposite of pet peeve). In other words, these are what I do appreciate in style.

1. Matching belt and dress shoes. Why? Matching the leather of your belt and shoes makes you look coordinated. If you don't match your shoes and belt, it makes you look sloppy. I especially like when the belt and shoes match both in color and in finish (how shiny the leather is).
2. Proper width tie. Why? When a tie is the proper width, it helps put together an outfit. Most of the time, guys wear ties that are too wide, which makes you look a bit larger. The key to finding the right width is to match the tie to the lapel of your suit jacket. If you aren't wearing a jacket, a good width to shoot for is 2.5 inches. 
3. Wearing a nice watch. Why? I appreciate a nice watch.
4. Wearing a pocket square. Why? A pocket square is a small accessory that I think makes a suit look better. It draws attention to your chest which makes your overall figure look better. It also provides a nice break in the suit.
5. Brown shoes (and belt). Why? So many guys only wear black shoes. Wearing brown shoes gives an outfit more life to it. It also sets you apart from most other guys. However, brown shoes shouldn't be worn with a black suit. 
6. Spread collar. Why? A spread collar looks very good especially when you wear a tie. It gives more space for the tie knot to fill.
7. Ironed clothes. Why? Clothes should be as wrinkle free as possible.
8. Dress shirt cuff showing when wearing a jacket. Why? This is how your shirt and jacket sleeves should relate to each other. Your dress shirt cuff should always have about a half-inch showing from under your jacket sleeve.
9. Wearing a tie bar. Why? A tie bar is both functional and stylish. It helps keep your tie in place, and it helps with proportion. 
10. Clothes that fit. Why? I know I mentioned this last time, but clothes that fit make you look great. Finding clothes that fit properly is never easy, but it will definitely pay off if you put time into it.

I hope you enjoyed my list of style not pet peeves. Again, let me know what you think about my list in the comments.
-Smart

The Birth of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25)

"The Lord said to her, 'two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger'."
-Genesis 25:23
     Yesterday at the Genesis Bible Academy we studied Genesis chapter 25. The chapter covers the death of Abraham, Ishmael's family, and the birth of Jacob and Esau. While there are things that can definitely be learned from the first two topics, today I just want to focus on the birth of Jacob and Esau. When I first read the passage that we were going to study, I honestly questioned how much we could really learn from it. However, after attending the Bible study I realized there is actually quite a few good things that can be learned in this passage.
     Last time we learned that Isaac marries Rebekah. In this passage we learn that they have a familiar problem; they cannot have children. I say that this is a familiar problem because it is similar to the problem that Abraham had when he was with Sarah. We have learned in previous passages that Abraham and Sarah tried to solve their childlessness by their own means, leading to the birth of Ishmael. Isaac is different than Abraham; instead of trying to solve the problem on his own, he prays continuously to the Lord until Rebekah conceives. Isaac's prayers were not answered until twenty years later, so we see his patience and complete trust in the Lord.
     When Rebekah becomes pregnant, she notices that the babies within her are jostling with each other. Rebekah also consults the Lord to find an explanation for her babies restlessness. God tells Rebekah that two nations are in her womb, and that the older will serve the younger. What does this mean? It means that the nation of the younger son will rule over the older son. I'm not really sure why God wanted things to be this way, but one thing we know for sure is that God's plans always prevail. He is sovereign, and He is in control over everything. Human wisdom would say that the older son should rule over the younger, but God says otherwise. If you have read Genesis, you know that God's covenant with Abraham is continued through Jacob, and not Esau.
     Jacob and Esau are born, and they are very different from each other. As they get older, we learn that Esau liked to go outside to hunt, and probably lived a more wild life. Jacob on the other hand liked to stay indoors and live a quiet life. One day, Esau comes home after being away and is very hungry. He asks Jacob to give him some food that Jacob had prepared. Jacob, realizing that Esau is desperate, asks Esau to give him the birthright. Esau agrees, and allows Jacob to receive the birthright that is reserved for the older son. After giving Jacob the birthright, Esau despises the birthright. It is unclear why this is, but it may be that Esau never really wanted it in the first place.
     So what can we learn from this exchange between Jacob and Esau? To be clear, I do not think that Jacob stealing the birthright was a good thing. He stole something that did not belong to him. That being said, one thing we can learn is that God is sovereign. I said this earlier, but now it is evident that Jacob is starting to fulfill God's prophecy. Jacob took the first step to becoming a nation that would continue the covenant promise to Abraham. Although God's plan unfolds in an unpredictable way, it certainly is evident that it is being fulfilled.
     The second thing we can learn is that we should value our "birthright". Esau clearly did not value his birthright as he should, since he gave it to Jacob for some stew. Esau got used to living a self-pleasing life and probably didn't want the responsibility of the birthright. He even despises the birthright after giving it Jacob. Unlike Esau, Jacob understood the value of the birthright. Although he took it in a malicious way, he knew that it was valuable. We too have been given a "birthright". I believe that our "birthright" is our identity in Christ. Jesus died and gave us the right to be called God's children. Esau did nothing to earn his birthright, and perhaps that played a part in why he didn't learn to value it. We also did nothing to earn our sonship in Christ, but we must be careful not to believe that it is unimportant. We must protect our identity in Christ and continually live out our calling as sons and daughters of God.
-Smart