The Scourge Of Racism
E-Book Availability 4/12-26
Released January 5, 2024
Download Your Copy
Now In The Strong Man Store!
God’s promises to Jacob were unconditional, but his to Him made on the condition God would keep His.7 Such is the baby, but heartfelt faith of 77 year-old Jacob beginning his life journey with God as he traveled to the land and people of his mother he had undoubtedly learned most about from her. Though the Lord initiated the relationship with and conveyed the covenant promises of his fathers to Jacob, just as with baby Christian men aspiring to become strong in Christ’s image, God would begin working with him to dislodge his grip on sin and self-reliance in using deceit to gain his way in conjunction with molding his character through the crucible of painful life experiences.
Reaching near to his destination after about ten days or so, Jacob confirms his uncle, Laban, is still alive with men from the same area of Haran. The men point out Laban’s daughter, “Rachel,” was coming toward them at the well they stood next to (Genesis 29:1-6, NKJV). Beyond the joy a close relative approached, it must have been love at first sight for Jacob since he immediately tried to move the men along so he could talk to her alone, but they declined. Then, as any love struck male, he set about helping Rachel until he could contain himself no more and tearfully kissed and loudly told her who he was; she ran and told Laban who came to welcome his nephew (Genesis 29:7-14).
At the end of a month in which Jacob served in the family business voluntarily, his uncle asked him “what should your wages be,” (Genesis 29:15-17 NKJV). Without seeking God in prayer and moved by love for Rachel, Jacob blurted out, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter,” (Genesis 29:18-19, NKJV). Let every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ recognize Jacob’s error and first hard lesson about relationship with God: take everything to Him in prayer (Luke 6:12-16; Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Hebrews 5:5-7)! As it turns out, Jacob the deceiver was deceived by his uncle with painful and enduring consequences (Genesis 29:20-30).
Among the natural consequences of his failure to consult God about Laban’s offer was the reality he had two wives to be a husband to. Out of marital obligation he slept with the first one, Leah, who desperately wanted from him the kind of loving devotion he was giving her sister, Rachel. Also, while Leah bore him children, the love of his life he surely prayed for God to bless bore him none. Her unfruitfulness frustrated and created conflict between them (Genesis 29:31-30:2). The sinful competition between Jacob’s first two wives and their remedy for unfruitfulness (it was only a lull for Leah) added two more wives to him; no doubt causing him to pray regularly (Genesis 30:3-21)!
Jacob’s regular consultation with God becomes very evident at the end of the fourteen years he had spent working off the bride-price of his wives and finally, Rachel having her first child, Joseph. He was ready to leave and told Laban so (Genesis 30:22-26). His uncle, however, after acknowledging “the LORD has blessed me for your sake,” talked Jacob into staying or so it seemed. For his wages, the ability to “provide for” his “own house” and ultimately ‘“Return to the land of’” his ‘“fathers and…family’” as God commanded, Jacob presented a plan he later tells his wives came from Him (Genesis 30:27-31:16, NKJV). Jacob was now, fully trusting in, relying on and obeying God!8
Twenty years after his departure from Canaan, at God’s directive Jacob with all his family, servants and possessions pulled up stakes to return. He does so without telling Laban (who was warned by God “in a dream” about how he should “speak to” him) for fear of losing his family he tells him at his query after catching up to them (Genesis 31:17-31, NKJV). God at times directs His aspiring strong men to do things that in the natural produce fear. But just as He promised Jacob to be with and protect him in his journey, so, we are to trust God will do as promised us! Jacob in anger at Laban’s pursuit and (unknown to him) true accusation of theft of his idols by Rachel, rebukes him and testifies to God’s involvement in his life leading also to peace (Genesis 31:32-55).
Even after the good end with Laban and seeing angels along their travel route, great fear would again rise up in Jacob with severe distress at the prospect of seeing his twin brother, Esau, who despite the elapsed time, might still bear a murderous grudge. So, he took natural action (Genesis 32:1-8). Then, as he had learned, Jacob prayed with experiential knowledge of, humility before and faith in God seeking His deliverance from Esau while also afterward hoping to persuade him from doing harm with a gift (Genesis 32:9-21). As he waited for Esau, Christ pre-incarnate wrestled with him and changed his name to “Israel,” (Genesis 32:22-32, NKJV). Esau came and brothers tearfully reunited.9 As his God had promised, Israel was back in the land (Genesis 33).
7 See the end of the June 4, 2023 post, Jacob, God Named Israel, Pt. 1, under the category, The Cause.
8 Jacob’s remarkable spiritual maturation shows the consistent end of God’s training program for His sons throughout the Bible since aspiring strong men of God in the image of and as Christ have the four distinctive characteristics of accepting the roles God assigns, obedience, reliance on and trusting Him for vindication (note God says to Jacob in Genesis 31:12, ‘“I have seen all that Laban is doing to you,’” NKJV). Also, let every man reading this see how Jacob assertively embraced his God assigned responsibility to provide for his “own house” and through his own enterprise; not being content to live off of his father-in-law (Genesis 30:30-31, NKJV). This is not to say every man is to have his own business, but to be willing to labor by whatever honest means to provide for his own without mooching off of others in- cluding the government (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).
9 Scripture does not tell us whether Jacob ever went to Seir to visit with Esau. It does inform us that the brothers came together again to bury their father, Isaac (Gene- sis 35:27-29). The genealogy of Esau as Abraham and Isaac’s descendant, the reason he and Jacob did not reside together in Canaan and his ruling descendants of the land they dwelt in called after him, Edom, are also given (Genesis 36:1-19, 40-43). While Esau may have personally reconciled with his brother as a good thing, his descendants did not follow suit and are under the prophecies and curse of God that He began to speak when he was still in the womb with his brother (Genesis 25:22-23, 27:36-40; Exodus 17:8-16; Numbers 20:14-21, 24:15-20; Isaiah 34:5-17; Ezekiel 25:12-14, 35; Obadiah; Malachi 1:3b-5). Esau’s lasting legacy as a wild man is that of a sober warning not to imitate his godless way and experience its end (Hebrews 12:12-17)!
It is only fitting that after examining his wives, Rachel, his second who he loved and Leah, his first who bore him six sons and he honored with burial next to him, that Jacob also be looked at for what God would have His aspiring strong men in the image of Christ learn from him.1 Indeed, as the last of the three revered Jewish patriarchs God had Personally interacted with to bring this ethnic people into existence, Jacob in heart and character is very important in His plans and actions during those days. The world today in post-Christianity rebellion against God may be rejecting the role of men as patriarchs in His order of mankind, but He continues to honor it for good cause.
Let me start as the Lord leads by declaring unequivocally that Jacob as all other men from Adam was born a sinner to parents that each was one too! Yet, this did stop God from assigning him a place in the godly line of men from Enosh, grandson of Adam down through his grandfather, Abraham, and father, Isaac, both of whom “called on the name of the Lord,” enjoyed relationship with Him as well as received His covenant of promise (Genesis 4:25-26, 12:1-9, 26:1-6, 12-25, NKJV). No mortal human existence from Adam much less a godly line could have continued unless his seed had made it possible as understood in the term, “begot,” (Genesis 5, 10, 11:10-26, 21:1-7, NKJV).
The godly line eventually comes down to Jesus of Nazareth biologically and most awesome, spiritually, since He is described as “the son of God” and “the only begotten of the Father,” (Luke 3:23-38; John 1:14-18, NKJV). God the Father begets His Son in the sense of providing the command for His incarnation and supernatural power through the Holy Spirit upon the seed of the virgin to make it happen as I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics (Luke 1:30-35)!2 The Son in turn becomes a spiritual father to all who look to Him for salvation and new birth through faith and the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 9:6-7, 53:10-12; John 1:10-13, 3:1-8, 6:63, 20:19-23).3
God’s sovereign election of Jacob to walk in the destiny and promises of Abraham and Isaac before conception in their mother’s womb, rendered the struggle with his fraternal twin, Esau, unnecessary for nothing can thwart His will (Genesis 25:19-23; Malachi 1:1-3a; Romans 9:6-13)! Nevertheless, true to the name his parents gave him which means supplanter, Jacob came out of the womb clutching his brother’s heel as if to replace him in the birth order (Genesis 25:24-26). They were not only different in appearance, but interests and dispositions also. Esau grew up to become “a skillful hunter, a man of the field; Jacob a mild man dwelling in tents,” (Genesis 25:27, NKJV).
The interests and dispositions of Esau and Jacob would play vital roles in the outcomes of their respective lives and those of their descendants. Esau would prove to be wild, independent, impulsive and dull of thinking; Jacob, though quiet and loyal to his family as a herdsman and tent dweller like his forefathers, was calculating, laid back and patient. While He can and does work with both types of men if they are willing, it is important for men that aspire to become strong men of God in the image of Christ to note Jacob in the natural was more like Him than Esau.4 Now, “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob,” (Genesis 25:28, NKJV).
The parental favoritism of their respective sons facilitated the great deceit that was to take place in the aftermath of Jacob’s to obtain Esau’s “birthright,” (Genesis 25:29-34, NKJV). His mother and Jacob successfully conspired to deceive Isaac into bestowing Esau’s birthright blessing of the firstborn on him instead (Genesis 27:1-38). Fear of Esau’s threat of murder and once again his mother’s cunning led to Jacob leaving for what she purposed as a short stay in “Padan Aram” among her people ostensibly to seek a wife (Genesis 27:41-28:5, NKJV). She never saw him again. Meanwhile, on the first night of his nearly 500 mile journey north, Jacob had the first of what would be many encounters with God. To this point, he plainly had only known of God, but did not know Him!5
Jacob’s first encounter with God came by way of a dream. In it, he saw “a ladder” erected from earth and reaching into Heaven where “the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”6 He also saw “the LORD” standing “above” the ladder who then, began to introduce Himself as ‘“the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.’” From there, God restates to Jacob the covenant promises He made to Abraham and to Isaac (Genesis 28:10-14, NKJV). After this, He promises Jacob His presence and protection and assures He will bring him back to the land he was leaving (Genesis 28:15). Jacob wakes up in awe of God’s presence. In the morning, he names the place “Bethel.” Then, Jacob makes his own solemn promise to God (Genesis 28:16-22, NKJV).
1 Read the May 21, 2023 post, Lessons From Rachel For Aspiring Great Women, under the category, The Cause and that of May 28, 2023, Leah Unloved, Favored By God, under the category, Glory To God!
2 The Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition of the book as well as companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study are available in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar bookstores.
3 Christ is God the Word which as living spiritual Seed is planted into the hearts of those who receive Him through the Gospel and energizing power of the Holy Spirit who causes new birth and development (John 1:1-5; 1 Peter 1:22-2:3; 1 John 3:9)!
4 Yes, as the Lord leads, I am saying the lopsided wild, outdoorsman persona some of my brothers in the Christian men’s movement want to present as manhood God seeks to build in us is not biblical. The Lord was not a wild man. One has only to objectively examine His Persona and measured aggressive actions in passion for God and His purposes along with His own description of Himself in the Gospels to see this (Matthew 11:28-30, 12:15-21, 21:12-17). The Lord spent much time outdoors with His disciples (some of the key men were fishermen by trade) because they traveled throughout Israel preaching and teaching.
5 Sound familiar? Jacob’s head knowledge of God up to this point had come by listening to and watching his father, Isaac, and is typical of many professed Christians as re- ligious impostors. Time and again in witnessing to folks and asking whether they know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord I have heard the retort, “My mother (or grandmoth- er and most rarely, father)….” You cannot know God through someone else; you must know Him for yourself!
6 The Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament validates Jacob’s dream and connects Himself to it as the unique Ladder into Heaven (John 1:47-51; 14:6).
Join The Strong Man Of God Resources Conversation!
Get Your Copy Of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics Today!
Your purchase supports restoring men, families and communities through Strong Man Ministries!
Purchase It Now