Another Blessing

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ANOTHER BLESSING

Gen 28:1-5

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: "Do not marry a Canaanite woman. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother's father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. 4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham." 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

NIV

It is interesting how important it was for the family that a son should marry the right woman from the same family line. Esau did not care about that, as we have seen how Rebekah was so displeased over those two Hittite wives of her son Esau. What a brat of a man, just because he was not the chosen one as he sold his birthright and then was hoodwinked out of the firstborn blessing. However, now Jacob is given a greeting by his father and told where to go to find a wive and Jacob obeys, which is most interesting, after such a controversy over the blessings. But what can we learn from this portion of scripture that could enhance our relationship with our Lord and people? What is there here that gives us more truth to live by? Isaac blessed Jacob with being fruitful and increasing in numbers until he became a community of people. Although most of the people we know are no longer of childbearing age or are done with adding any more to their families, we could take this community of people into the community of faith. Perhaps there is something to be said about increasing in numbers until we become a community or assembly of people, as the Hebrew is directly translated. Nevertheless, it is right to think that El Shaddai, God Almighty is at the core of all blessings for all his people. We know the blessing of El Shaddai is upon Jacob for from his seed the Messiah will come to Israel. We can also say that God Almighty has blessed us far beyond our desire, yet as a child of God, as a follower of Jesus, a believer, and a person of faith, it would be right to believe that God would bless us. As far as his church, the community of faith has been increasing in numbers all over the world. Most of us may only see our own little community of faith, our local church and we do not see any increase in numbers, in fact, many small churches are simply decreasing one by one each step into eternity. Should we not all be seeing the blessing of God Almighty among all our local churches, among the community of people who believe? Of course, we should not be too concerned with numbers, as that is truly up to the Lord, as the Holy Spirit is the one who is convicting people of their need to repent, and Jesus said that He would build his church, and surely the church has and is continuing to be built. Still, what we desire is the blessing of El Shaddai upon our lives personally and within the local church we are a family of people with. Bless us Lord God Almighty, and bless those who believe you, because we are your people, brothers, and sisters of Jesus, your sons, and daughters. Thank you Father for blessing us with Jesus, and with this life you have given us.