Genesis 28:1-3–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

Posted by Seth on Feb 12, 2010 in Bible Study, Daily Devotions |

Genesis 28:1-3–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

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Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Genesis 28:1-3 wherein we see an old dog learning new tricks.

Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” That phrase often seems to hold true in the human world as we see people get set in their ways and have difficulty keeping up with the newest technologies and innovative methods of productivity that develop in the world. But we can also find numerous examples to the contrary. For instance, my grandparents have taken the time to learn how to function pretty well on a computer and even get around online a bit. And though he’s only in his 50s, I actually find myself asking my dad for technical help in the ebay world! But one true “trump card” to the phrase at hand is God’s involvement in a person’s life. This is what we see in the life of Isaac who, though he had been tricked by his wife and son, submitted to God’s will and was able to change the course of his mind, bless Jacob the trickster, and move on.

Now, Esau had married two foreign women who made life quite frustrating for Isaac and Rebekah; they didn’t want to see the same thing happen with Jacob, but Isaac had to be experiencing an inner struggle in thinking about how to advise Jacob. Esau had been his favorite though it had been made clear since the boys first exited the womb that God’s covenant was to be extended through Jacob. What was Isaac to do in such a situation? He made the right decision; he agreed with God. His direction to Jacob was one filled with blessing and wisdom. He both protected Jacob from the wrath of Esau and asked God, this time with a knowledge that it was actually Jacob standing before him, to prosper his second-born.

It is not always easy to do what Isaac did, to submissively agree with God and promote His agenda instead of our own. It might be that you have a boss, a family member, or a pastor who hasn’t done everything perfectly and yet has been clearly established by the Lord to hold a certain position and so be supported there. This doesn’t mean that we don’t confront sin or turn a blind eye to error, but that we observe who God has His hand on and affirm the plan that He has put in place. It was a lack of people’s willingness to do such with Christ that led to their complete rejection of Him, just as many do with Him today. Don’t go the way of the un-trainable old dog, but accept and trust in God’s will and purposes today.

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