FAMILY BIBLE SERIES: A birthright
as children of God secures the future
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Genesis 27:41-28:22
___By Susan Pigott
___Logsdon School of Theology, Abilene
___Have you ever bargained with God? You know what I mean: "God, if you'll just do x then I will do y" (you can fill in the equation). Times of testing are especially conducive to the bartering approach because, with our backs pressed against a wall, we are desperate to find a way out of the situation.
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__For instance, when I give my students Old Testament exams, I often overhear prayers breathed up to God such as "God if you'll just let me pass Pigott's test, I promise I won't ever miss church again, I'll be nicer to my roommate, and... OK, yes... I'll even stop complaining about the cafeteria food." Not that such approaches work, but we seem to feel more in control of our situation if we can somehow influence God to do what we ask.
___ Fleeing death (Genesis 27:41). Jacob's orchestrations had resulted in homicidal discord. Jacob was forced to flee to an uncle whom he probably never had met. What good was a birthright and a blessing if you had to leave your homeland and parents to live in exile? Jacob was alone, fearful and powerless. He had manipulated everything from his brother but departed with nothing.
___ Meeting God (Genesis 28:10-16). Jacob had a dream one night as he journeyed toward Haran. He saw God's messengers ascending and descending a stairway which reached into the heavens. God was at the top speaking a message of comfort and hope to Jacob and confirming he would be the one through whom the covenant would be realized. But even more importantly for Jacob, God said, "I will be with you wherever you go." Jacob was not really alone.
___ Declaring allegiance (Genesis 28:18-22). Jacob promised God that if these things were fulfilled, he would acknowledge God's lordship and offer a tenth of everything. This response is understandable. Jacob was accustomed to bartering and finagling his future. However, he couldn't successfully manipulate God by promising a tithe (even if he thought he could). God already had promised him all the things he now requested.
___Perhaps Jacob simply wanted assurance things would get better. Or perhaps this was the only way he knew to respond to God's blessing. It is notable that Abraham acknowledged Melchizedek's blessing by giving the priest a tithe (Genesis 14:18-20). Regardless of his motives, Jacob had been given a blessing greater than the one he had stolen and a birthright better than the one he had bought. His future was secure.
___All of us face times when the future looks bleak--a divorce, death of a loved one, financial woes, loss of a job. We may be tempted to bargain with God to attain some semblance of security. But like Jacob, everything already has been promised to us. We have nothing to offer that has not already been offered for us. We have been blessed and have inherited a birthright as children of God which secures our future, even in the darkest of hours (Romans 8:31-39).
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