Moses said it 500 years later but it really was Jacob's story too: 'You may be sure your sin will find you out.' (Numbers 32:23) Having deceived his father and in one sense stolen his brother's blessing, what should he do next? Flight was the only solution. Again his mother helped him out. Rebekah knew her favourite, Jacob, would have to leave home. But how could she get her husband Isaac to approve? Her words to him were very strong (v.46): 'I'm sick and tired of my daughters-in-law, Esau's wives. They make life miserable for me. If our other boy, Jacob, marries one of these local heathen girls, I don't know what I'll do. Why don't we send Jacob over to my brother's place and let him get a wife there?' The plan had some good points, even if Rebekah was still manipulating and scheming. A believer in God marrying an unbeliever is going contrary to God's revealed word. Such a marriage will bring many problems in the years ahead. There is hardly anyone lonelier than a Christian wife whose husband is not interested in spiritual things. Esau moved further out of God's will by his marriages to heathen women. Jacob eventually married a girl who came from a home which knew something of the true God. Their marriage was a love-match which lasted through many years and produced Joseph and Benjamin. In spite of all Rebekah's planning, God still had His hand on Jacob. We will see tomorrow how God met him. The whole story of Jacob is a reminder to place ourselves in the hands of our heavenly Father and let Him work out His will for us, rather than plan and push for ourselves. |
沒有留言:
張貼留言