Choosing God Instead of the World - Learning From the Lives of Jacob and JosephSample

Read: Genesis 31; 1 John 3:18–24

SOAP: 1 John 3:23–24

Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God, and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.

Into the text

When we study Genesis from a literary perspective, we learn a lot about Jacob. Jacob is the protagonist, the person who changes in the narrative. Laban is the antagonist, the person who causes the change in the protagonist.

A great change did take place in Jacob through his time in Paddan Aram. Jacob arrived as a deceiver who had been given a great promise from God. Through God’s discipline and through experiencing deceit himself by Laban, Jacob’s identity as a deceiver seemed to have changed. Jacob recognized how God had blessed Him: by His grace alone.

God met Jacob in a dream at Bethel, promising to bless and protect him, and Jacob responded by promising to return to the land of his father (Genesis 28:10–22). At this point, God met Jacob in a second dream and instructed him to take his family and his possessions and return to the land. Jacob obeyed.

When Jacob recognized the way God kept His promise, he was faithful to fulfill the vow he made to God. Though Jacob was not perfect, these events show how he was turning to God and away from his own devices. Instead of continuing to battle with Laban, Jacob left, obeying God’s instruction. God commanded Jacob’s return, so God’s protection of him and his family was certain. God’s blessings had been poured out on Jacob through dreams, discipline, a family, and many possessions, and it was time for Jacob to change, to act in obedience, and to follow God.

No matter our past, no matter how many times we’ve acted like Jacob, deceiving others or trusting in our own devices, we can always choose to be obedient to God. Whether it is the first time we have turned to Him or whether we are returning to Him, He is always willing to forgive us. We can turn to Him and commit to faithfulness, certain He will be gracious.

Jacob was obedient to God’s specific command to return home. We have been clearly commanded by God to believe in His Son Jesus Christ and to love one another. When we follow God’s commands, we can be certain of His protection. For when He chooses to bless us, and we are obedient to Him by believing in His Son, we can be confident that His love and grace will cover our lives.