Why didn't Jacob just put his faith in God?

In Genesis 32 we have the story of Jacob return from his 20 years in Laban's household.  Jacob is traveling home with his wives, children, and great heads of goats, sheep, and camels.  As he approaches Edom, the country where his brother Esau lives Jacob becomes fearful. 

He fears that Esau is coming out to meet him and Jacobs thinks Esau means to do him harm.  So what does he do?  He comes up with a plan to appease Esau with gifts and Jacob sends those gifts to Esau in stages. 

Here is my question.  Why didn't Jacob just put all of his trust in God?  God told Jacob to go home and God said he would protect him.  And yet in his moment of fear, Jacob resorts to his own devices instead of just trusting God.

What an odd thing to say.

Check this out.

Genesis 31:42(NKJV)

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

Genesis 31:53(NKJV)

The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 

The fear of Isaac?  He uses the phrase twice.  I don't get it.  What exactly is he referring too?  As I recall when they parted Isaac and Jacob were on good terms.  So why "the fear of Isaac"?

Hmm.  Something to ponder.

Rachel the pimp?

Don't know how many of you have ever caught this?

Genesis 30:15-16(NKJV)

But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”

When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.

Here we have Rachel pimping out Jacob for Rueben's mandrakes.  I know that sounds crude but isn't that really what happened here?  It says explicitly that Rachel sent Jacob to have sex with Leah in exchange for Leah's son's mandrakes.

Weird.  Not sure what to make of that!

"By covetousness they will exploit you"

2 Peter 2:1-3(NKJV)

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 

And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 

By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

Covetousness.  I believe this explains why many are drawn to socialism/communism.  "They" have more than you have and it "isn't fair". 

Interesting that the Bible predicted this all the way back in Genesis. 

So folks, be aware of messages camouflaged in covetousness.  If it is rooted in covetousness then it isn't from God. 

As a Christian I'm not sure what lesson to draw from Genesis 27

Genesis 27 is puzzling to me. Not really sure what lesson I am supposed to draw from it. 

Genesis 27 is where Jacob tricks Isaac into giving Jacob his older brother Esau's blessing.  Now we know that back in Genesis 25 Esau sold his birthright to Jacob.  So why was it even an issue in Genesis 27 regarding Esau's blessing? Was Isaac never told that Esau had sold his birthright? 

In the end Jacob and his mother Rebekah successfully conspire to deceive Isaac into giving Esau's blessing to Jacob.

Now here is what I don't get.  So far I don't see any condemnation of the deceit. 

Is prosperity a blessing or a curse?

There seem to be many Christians who think being prosperous is not a good thing.  I happen to disagree.  Here is one example of why I disagree.

Genesis 26:12-14(NKJV)

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 

The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 

for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

The Lord blessed him with boundless prosperity.  Since we know that God is good and abhors evil it would be totally put of character for God to give evil blessings.  Therefore the only logical inference from that is that prosperity is a good blessing.  

"A murder, a thief, an evil doer, or a busybody?

"A murder, a thief, an evil doer, or a busybody? 

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

9:25 AM

Take a look at this verse.

1 Peter 4:15(NKJV)

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 

How does a busybody get lumped in with a murderer, a thief, and an evildoer?  Is being a busybody even remotely as bad as the other three?  Apparently so, otherwise why would God have put them together.  I doubt He did it by accident.