God Knows

As we consider the story of Jacob stealing the blessing from his brother (Gen 27), we have come to wrestle with what God had planned for these boys (albeit now 40 years old). God does indeed have a plan that promotes Jacob, changes his name to Israel, and continues to build a family of children that he will love to call "HIS OWN PEOPLE". This rascal, who chooses to follow his mother's scheme despite the dangers of discovery, will eventually, by the providence and sovereignty of God, become the father of the nation of Israel. The people that come from his loins will be called by his new name, Israel, not his old supplanter name. I believe that this is significant.

God chose, by His own pre-knowledge and forethought to bring this conniving, rebellious trickster to supplant the older "heir apparent" and turn the whole system on its head. This boy from a troubled, dysfunctional family will become part of the triad of "great-grandfathers" of promise and covenant. (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)

His father, Isaac, who tried to undermine God's intention chose to violate God's stated will. He still gets into the greats! Also a lying, weak husband/leader (Isaac) also gets used by God to perpetuate greatness and grace.

Are you still with me? God knows what is happening. He is not surprised, unsettled, confused, off-his-game, etc. His omniscience and sovereignty meld into his grace and merct perfectly and without flaw.

These events of Gen 27 are "seen" by God before man was created. There is no space-time constraints on God's knowledge. He knew exactly the junk that Esau was packing. So while he may have been operating correctly for once in his life (obeying Dad) he was still probably wrong because he goes so that he might gain the blessing at least above his brother. (notice the whining and tantrum that follows his realization that the blessing is not going to come to him as he had planned).

God knew Gen 28 before it was written. God knew Gen 28 before it happened. God knew that Gen 27 was going to happen and that Gen 33 would come out of this Gen 27 situation. God knew that Gen 34 would happen as a natural consequences of Israel's/Jacob's lifestyles and rebellious choice against God's best for him. Jacob missed out on a lot of good stuff and had to deal with the baggage for the rest of his life. God knew that this decision point -- do I follow my mom's manipulation plan -- would affect the rest of Jacob's life. Yet He allowed it. Yet He sovereignly controlled every aspect of this ruse, including the fact that the trick worked. (How else do you explain the fact that tying goat hair on your arms and wearing your brother's clothes would actually succeed.)

Personal application time:

• God knows my junk and He still loves me
• God knows the trouble that I will get myself into and how it will trash the rest of my life
• God knows that my heart is tender towards Him and has responded in faith to Him
• God knows how many more times I will blow it
• God knows how I will atempt to hide it
• God knows how to expose it
• God knows how I will respond to discipline
• God knows my junk and He still loves me
  
  Simple enough for even a 3rd grader,
  Mike