Genesis 33: 4: “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept”
Jacob did everything that he possibly could to make sure that he was in complete control of the situation. He thought of every possible outcome except for the final outcome. He didn’t dream that his twin brother would be happy to see him. How many times in our lives do we worry and scheme to make sure that we can control the outcome but when the events take place we find that we were not in control at all and were surprised. Psalm 118: 8 (“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”) is the middle verse in the English Bible and it gives us the core message of the Bible. This includes trusting ourselves and our ability to manipulate situations for our own advantage. If we trust in God, and this is harder than just about anything else, then He will always work for good in every situation. (See Rom 8: 28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”) It is a good time to note that the Lord chose Jacob over Esau, not because Jacob was better than Esau but to establish a pattern for the Bible. This is not the first or only case of the person less qualified being chosen. The fact that we are chosen, for everlasting life (say), places the emphasis on God and His goodness rather than on anything that we have to offer to God. No one has anything to boast about before God. (Compare Eph 2: 8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”)
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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