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"The Lore is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand." (Psalm 121:5 NKJV)
"The Lord kept me through" (Genesis 48:15)
One common reference in the Psalms is the way they address God as the "God of Jacob". (44:4, 46:7, 47:4, 84:7, 85:1, 87:2). Jacob’s life relates to us humans more than Moses' or David or Abraham's. Jacob does not stand out before us as a man of love, compassion, a faithful friend, or even a noble enemy. A vein of trickery and treachery runs through his nature.
God chose Jacob, and chooses to be called the 'God of Jacob', just because he was a man so full of human infirmity and littleness, mingled with those higher and nobler qualities without which the spiritual culture of mankind becomes impossible. Had God chosen only to be called the God of Abraham or Moses, and to take supreme interest in such lofty lives alone, alas! for you and for me and for mankind. Jacob is more within our sphere. What God was to him, we can believe that He may be, He will be, to us; thus the name "God of Jacob" has a sound full of comfort, full of assurance to our ears. Jacob was as full of folly, falsity, and selfish ambition as most of us; but he had an instinct and a yearning for deliverance.
Jacob went through a hard life most of his lifetime. At one point, he lamented about his mounting problems and says, "Everything is against me!" (Genesis 42:36). He was tough in the sharp school of discipline, without forfeiting the name of a merciful and loving God. He says towards the end of his life, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult." (Genesis 47:9).
Jacob went through a hard life most of his lifetime. At one point, he lamented about his mounting problems and says, "Everything is against me!" (Genesis 42:36). He was tough in the sharp school of discipline, without forfeiting the name of a merciful and loving God. He says towards the end of his life, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult." (Genesis 47:9).
Jacob started out as a fighter from birth. He was the youngest of twin brothers. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one person will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” During their birth, he was grasping Esau's heel with his hand. So he was named Jacob. Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives. (Genesis 25:26).
Jacob grew up strong youthful, intelligent, full of energy, smart, and inventive in his ways of dealing with life. With his characteristic inventiveness, he coerced his brother into selling his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew (Gen 25:31). And then sometime later, Jacob's resourceful character came through again when he tricked his father into giving him the blessing of the eldest son (Genesis 27). Devised by his mother so he put goat skin on his arm, wore Esau's clothing, and made his Father a meal just like his brother. He disguised himself as Esau and stole the blessing away from his brother. Things were going great for Jacob and then takes a turn when he finds out that in following his schemes, his brother Esau became his enemy and was seeking to kill him. Then again, following his mother Rebeccah's advice, Jacob fled away from Esau to Paddan Aram to his uncle Laban. He was on his way to adventure - even though he did feel probably a little alone, without a friend in the world. But then his God came to Him at Bethel and gave him a promise to be with him (Gen 28:14). Still things were looking to work out fine to a point.
He reached his uncle Laban's house and then all his problems started. There he met Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban. He fell in love with the younger one, Rachael. So he made an agreement with his uncle Laban, that he would work for 7 years and then he would be able to marry Rachael. (Gen 29:18). But Laban cheated him with Leah and made him work for another 7 years to marry Rachel also, thus ending with two wives. Leah started to have babies while Rachel could not have children. Eventually, Rachel gave birth to a son Joseph. Jacob then wanted to go back home, but Laban changed his business plan again and made him work for him 6 more years (Gen 31:42). Laban changed his mind at least ten times (31:7, 31:41). Finally Jacob flees from Laban to go back home. But he knew Esau was waiting there. On his way, he fought with a person at the river of Jabok. (Gen 32:32). He became crippled after the fight at that place he called Peniel, but he was blessed with a new name there, 'Israel' (Gen 32:28). Jacob had to face his brother Esau at the risk of his life. But he managed to plan tactically and won the mercy and love of Esau ( Gen 33:4).
After he visited with Esau, Jacob settled in Shechem, but there his problems were just beginning. Because of his daughter Dinah, two of his own sons killed all the men in the town of Shechem. Because of their actions, a crippled Jacob had to flee from that area on a painful hip to Canaan (Gen 34, 35). He meets with his dying father at Hebron and they buried him (Gen 35:28). Then Rachel had another baby by name Benjamin, but she died during his birth. (Gen 35:17,18). Then at the sweet age of 17, Joseph was sold to the Ishmalites and the brothers went and told their father that he was killed by a wild animal (Gen 37:24-27). Jacob was grief-stricken at the news. His grief was so heavy that he felt he would mourn for him till the day he died. Then a famine came to the land and because of the famine, he feared losing his grip on his possessions.
First, the barns went empty, then his cattle started to go hungry, eventually, even his family was starting to feel the pangs of hunger. But there was food in Egypt, so he sent all his sons to go and buy some, except Benjamin, the son of Rachel. But to get food, an Egyptian authority kept Simeon as ransom and insisted that the youngest son come also (Gen 42). When the sons came back to give the news, Jacob had no choice but to send Benjamin. Benjamin went with his brothers to Egypt. At that point, the intuitive, sometimes deceitful Jacob had nothing left. First, his father died, then his favorite wife died, then his favorite son Joseph was gone. Another son, Simeon was held in a foreign land. Now he had to let Benjamin go too. It was as if everything and everyone he loved and had worked for all his life was being taken out of his hands. Jacob himself cried out in Genesis 42:36 "Everything is against me!"
The man Jacob, when he looked at his own life analyzed it by saying that his days were few and evil (Genesis 47:9), even though in many ways he had been blessed, in the end, his days were filled with pain, misery, death, loss of loved ones, and loss of his possessions. If there was a life that came apart at the seams, it was Jacob's! If there was a life where the earth seemed to quake and waters roar against a man it was Jacob. But in all those years of pain, sorrow, and loss, something happened to Jacob. Something in him died. That old character that insisted on doing things his own way came kicking and screaming, to an end. That old nature that insisted on holding onto the promises of God, and accomplishing them himself died a slow painful death. When he finally let go of Benjamin, he let go of his last hope in himself. He 'let go and let God do what He promised. He became still before God; he could do no other. He had come to the point of realizing who God really is, that God is the one who will keep his promises, that all things are His doing, and that there is nothing that we can do to inherit His kingdom. When he came to the position of stillness and simply accepted the promises of God for what they are, that was when he got word back that the official in Egypt was in fact his son Joseph. He discovered that his beloved son Joseph was alive and had been chosen by God to save the lives of his family and many other people.
When Jacob finally became still before God and waited in quiet faith, the Lord brought to fulfillment his promises. And so toward the end of his life, we hear Jacob saying "The Lord who kept me through" (Genesis 48:15), even though his life had been hard. The Lord led him through these valleys so that he might learn what it means to have God as his refuge. One of the last pictures we see in scripture concerning Jacob is in Hebrews chapter 11, where it is written, "By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, while bowing in worship over his staff." The picture we see is not a man determining his own future; it is a picture of a grandfather knowing that God will fulfill his promises. All he had to do was to be still.
He reached his uncle Laban's house and then all his problems started. There he met Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban. He fell in love with the younger one, Rachael. So he made an agreement with his uncle Laban, that he would work for 7 years and then he would be able to marry Rachael. (Gen 29:18). But Laban cheated him with Leah and made him work for another 7 years to marry Rachel also, thus ending with two wives. Leah started to have babies while Rachel could not have children. Eventually, Rachel gave birth to a son Joseph. Jacob then wanted to go back home, but Laban changed his business plan again and made him work for him 6 more years (Gen 31:42). Laban changed his mind at least ten times (31:7, 31:41). Finally Jacob flees from Laban to go back home. But he knew Esau was waiting there. On his way, he fought with a person at the river of Jabok. (Gen 32:32). He became crippled after the fight at that place he called Peniel, but he was blessed with a new name there, 'Israel' (Gen 32:28). Jacob had to face his brother Esau at the risk of his life. But he managed to plan tactically and won the mercy and love of Esau ( Gen 33:4).
After he visited with Esau, Jacob settled in Shechem, but there his problems were just beginning. Because of his daughter Dinah, two of his own sons killed all the men in the town of Shechem. Because of their actions, a crippled Jacob had to flee from that area on a painful hip to Canaan (Gen 34, 35). He meets with his dying father at Hebron and they buried him (Gen 35:28). Then Rachel had another baby by name Benjamin, but she died during his birth. (Gen 35:17,18). Then at the sweet age of 17, Joseph was sold to the Ishmalites and the brothers went and told their father that he was killed by a wild animal (Gen 37:24-27). Jacob was grief-stricken at the news. His grief was so heavy that he felt he would mourn for him till the day he died. Then a famine came to the land and because of the famine, he feared losing his grip on his possessions.
First, the barns went empty, then his cattle started to go hungry, eventually, even his family was starting to feel the pangs of hunger. But there was food in Egypt, so he sent all his sons to go and buy some, except Benjamin, the son of Rachel. But to get food, an Egyptian authority kept Simeon as ransom and insisted that the youngest son come also (Gen 42). When the sons came back to give the news, Jacob had no choice but to send Benjamin. Benjamin went with his brothers to Egypt. At that point, the intuitive, sometimes deceitful Jacob had nothing left. First, his father died, then his favorite wife died, then his favorite son Joseph was gone. Another son, Simeon was held in a foreign land. Now he had to let Benjamin go too. It was as if everything and everyone he loved and had worked for all his life was being taken out of his hands. Jacob himself cried out in Genesis 42:36 "Everything is against me!"
The man Jacob, when he looked at his own life analyzed it by saying that his days were few and evil (Genesis 47:9), even though in many ways he had been blessed, in the end, his days were filled with pain, misery, death, loss of loved ones, and loss of his possessions. If there was a life that came apart at the seams, it was Jacob's! If there was a life where the earth seemed to quake and waters roar against a man it was Jacob. But in all those years of pain, sorrow, and loss, something happened to Jacob. Something in him died. That old character that insisted on doing things his own way came kicking and screaming, to an end. That old nature that insisted on holding onto the promises of God, and accomplishing them himself died a slow painful death. When he finally let go of Benjamin, he let go of his last hope in himself. He 'let go and let God do what He promised. He became still before God; he could do no other. He had come to the point of realizing who God really is, that God is the one who will keep his promises, that all things are His doing, and that there is nothing that we can do to inherit His kingdom. When he came to the position of stillness and simply accepted the promises of God for what they are, that was when he got word back that the official in Egypt was in fact his son Joseph. He discovered that his beloved son Joseph was alive and had been chosen by God to save the lives of his family and many other people.
When Jacob finally became still before God and waited in quiet faith, the Lord brought to fulfillment his promises. And so toward the end of his life, we hear Jacob saying "The Lord who kept me through" (Genesis 48:15), even though his life had been hard. The Lord led him through these valleys so that he might learn what it means to have God as his refuge. One of the last pictures we see in scripture concerning Jacob is in Hebrews chapter 11, where it is written, "By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, while bowing in worship over his staff." The picture we see is not a man determining his own future; it is a picture of a grandfather knowing that God will fulfill his promises. All he had to do was to be still.
When Jacob looked back at his life he saw pain - yes - lots of pain. But he also saw something beautiful, because in all his agony, he saw the Lord was fulfilling promises His own way, and all Jacob had to do was be still, be quiet, be at rest, and trust. That's why this Psalm boasts! "Even though the earth change, though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble 'The God of Jacob' is our refuge!" Even though the nations rage, kingdoms totter, the God of Jacob, eternal God is our refuge!
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