“Behold, I am with you and will keep you
wherever you go, and will bring you back
to this land; for I will not leave you until
I have done what I have promised you”
– Genesis 32:28
Jacob was a schemer who experienced many difficulties, and God preserved him through them all. After he had worked for his uncle Laban for many years, they made an agreement that all the striped, speckled, and spotted of the flock would belong to Jacob. He then placed wooden rods before the eyes of the flock when they were breeding, and God caused them to bring forth young that were striped, speckled, and spotted (Gen. 30:37–43; 31:11–12). In this way, Jacob took away the flocks that belonged to Laban. Laban and his sons were so mad that they chased after him when he fled. But God preserved him. Even Laban admitted, “It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob’” (31:29). This is God’s preserving power. He preserved Jacob in spite of his scheming.
Adapted from A Sketch of Genesis, by Titus Chu, page 150.
Tomorrow: God’s Preserving Power (2)
