“I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.” (Genesis 31:13)

Far away from the land of his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham, Jacob found himself working for his uncle Laban (brother to his mother Rebekah) for 20 years and acquiring two wives, two mistresses (his wives’ servant girls), 11 sons and one daughter. From our perspective today, this proved to be a classic dysfunctional family, with its intrigues, jealousy, fears, insecurities, and sibling rivalries at all levels. Yet in the midst of all this, God inserted Himself. Lest we become too bogged down in a debate on how a holy and righteous God could use such a messed up family like this, we might better muse on the question of what kind of people God routinely used.

Consider the apostles, a rag-tag collection of men, some uneducated, some fiery-tempered (James and John, the “sons of thunder” in Mark 3:17), impetuous (Peter), doubtful (Thomas), disloyal (Judas), etc. Think of Matthew, an extortionist tax collector or Paul, who by his own admission was “the chief of all sinners” (1 Tim 1:15). Why would God choose to use them? Consider even further why He chose to reveal Himself to you! As I write these words, the greatest question I ponder is, why did He choose to reveal Himself to me? How can we ever get over this wonderful, gracious, merciful movement of God toward any of us?

He chose to reveal Himself to lying, conniving Jacob—that is what God in His sovereignty did after Jacob lived for 20 years outside of the land of promise. Jacob had changed, though, and he acknowledged that “the God of my father has been with me…God did not allow [Laban] to hurt me” (Gen 31:5, 7). Then God spoke to Jacob in a dream, and Jacob was ready to listen. In identifying Himself as the God of Bethel, He reminded him of the vow made years earlier at Bethel as he fled the land of his fathers: “If God will be with me and keep me on this journey that I take … and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the LORD will be my God” (Gen 28:20-21). God was now calling in that vow!

Jacob had already received the blessing from his father, Isaac: “May [God Almighty-El Shaddai] give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham” (Gen 28:4). This was the expression of his father’s faith; Jacob had to come to faith in and relationship to God for himself.

Lord, speak to me that my faith may come from my own encounter with You.