“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 28:15
When Jacob fled from Laban, he was met by the angels of God and called that place Mahanaim (32:1). He learned that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with an army of four hundred men (v. 6). Here he had a little progression in that he prayed to God for protection from his brother (vv. 9–12). However, he didn’t fully trust in God—He divided his people into two camps (v. 7–8) and tried to appease Esau with lots of presents (vv. 13–21). Jacob was truly Jacob! We worship God that such a person could become Israel. God’s calling is irrevocable. His grace is boundless. He uses our weaknesses and failures to manifest His faithfulness. Through His breaking and grace, God can mold such people into the image of His Son.
Adapted from A Sketch of Genesis, by Titus Chu, page 140.
Tomorrow: “God’s Breaking and Boundless Grace” (2)