July 1, 2008 12:49 PM
Rich wrote:
Like Rik said yesterday, lies and deceptions. First, didn't Jacob actually trick the spotted and streaked animals to breed with one another? He does not say that when he tells his "wives" about his dream. He also runs away without saying anything and his wife reflects his deceitfulness by stealing her father's gods (which seems to be another story in itself!).
What is even more amazing to me is that God does not seem to mind. In fact, he appears to Jacob in a dream telling him he is going to protect and save him. Jacob was not treated correctly by Laban (kept changing the rules and underpaying him) and so God is protecting Jacob. But Jacob is also deceitful. Perhaps, as I said yesterday, this is just a true picture of what we are all like. No one, except for Jesus, did right all the time. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. Jacob and the other "pillars of the faith" are no different than any of us. They were all full of sin. But God chose with Jacob, as he chooses with us, to look beyond the sin and to love and protect in spite of the sin. Seeing the OT God in this light does not sound like the fire and brimstone OT God I have heard often described.
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Amen to that!!! Reply to this
Like Rik said yesterday, lies and deceptions. First, didn't Jacob actually trick the spotted and streaked animals to breed with one another? He does not say that when he tells his "wives" about his dream. He also runs away without saying anything and his wife reflects his deceitfulness by stealing her father's gods (which seems to be another story in itself!).
What is even more amazing to me is that God does not seem to mind. In fact, he appears to Jacob in a dream telling him he is going to protect and save him. Jacob was not treated correctly by Laban (kept changing the rules and underpaying him) and so God is protecting Jacob. But Jacob is also deceitful. Perhaps, as I said yesterday, this is just a true picture of what we are all like. No one, except for Jesus, did right all the time. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. Jacob and the other "pillars of the faith" are no different than any of us. They were all full of sin. But God chose with Jacob, as he chooses with us, to look beyond the sin and to love and protect in spite of the sin. Seeing the OT God in this light does not sound like the fire and brimstone OT God I have heard often described.
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Amen to that!!!
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