And he said, “Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times…”
– Genesis 27:36
As those called by the Lord, there are three parts to our experience. The first part is the experience of Abraham—knowing God the Father as our source. Like Abraham, we see God and follow Him. We know God as our way and portion, so we give ourselves to Him. The second part is the experience of Isaac—inheriting all the riches in God the Son. Like Isaac, we are supplied with all the Father’s riches. The third part is the experience of Jacob—being broken and constituted with God by the Spirit.
Even if we have the experience of Abraham and Isaac, we may not have the experience of Jacob—having God constituted into us. We may still be wild, natural, stubborn, crooked, proud, and selfish, just like Jacob before he was constituted. No one is an exception before God. Our difference is only a matter of degrees. Some may seem gentle, soft spoken, and timid, but those who really know them realize how difficult they are. We all are Jacobs in the eyes of God. We may know God is our way and our portion, and we may enjoy our inheritance in the Son, but if we never experience the breaking and constituting of God the Spirit, it will be impossible for us to mature spiritually. God constitutes Himself into us through His breaking.
Adapted from A Sketch of Genesis, by Titus Chu, page 137.
Tomorrow: “The Breaking and Constitution of the Spirit”