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 Let’s Worship ~ May 2013
In May we continued to work through the story of Abraham’s family looking at Isaac’s son, Jacob. Jacob’s story is a story of how God calls the least likely people as part of His amazing plan.
Jacob’s story is an amazing and slightly complicated story, but here are the highlights...
- Isaac and his wife Rebekah have twin boys, Esau and Jacob. Esau was the eldest – just – and was his father’s favourite. Rebekah favoured Jacob.
- Jacob does a deal with Esau – Esau’s birthright for a bowl of soup (Esau was a big lad and very hungry!)
- Rebekah and Jacob conspire to trick Isaac, now ageing and with failing eyesight, into thinking that Jacob is Esau by tying goatskins to his arms (Esau was a big lad and very hairy!)
- Jacob receives a blessing from Isaac that was meant for Esau.
- Esau was a big lad and very cross!
- Jacob is ashamed and scared. He runs...and runs...and runs...
- Jacob has a dream in which he is surrounded by Angels ascending and descending a ladder that stretches from earth to heaven.
- Jacob goes to live with his uncle Laban and works for seven years to earn the right to marry Laban’s beautiful daughter Rachel.
- Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Rachel’s elder sister, Leah.
- Jacob was a bit cross!
- Laban agrees that Jacob can marry Rachel too, in return for more work – fourteen years more work.
- Jacob decides to return to his family, but is a bit worried about seeing Esau again.
- During the journey he has another dream in which he fights with God all night long.
- God renames Jacob, Israel.
- Esau welcomes Jacob home.
- Jacob has twelve sons, who become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.
- God’s promise that Abraham would be the grandfather of a great family is fulfilled.
 Perhaps there are things we’ve done that we’re ashamed of. Perhaps there are times when we might wrestle with God, not in a fisticuffs way, but when we struggle to understand why things happen the way they do. Jacob’s story encourages us that God is forgiving and that he has a plan for us if we remain faithful.
The next Let’s Worship is on June 9, when we will hear the story of Isaac’s favourite son, Joseph and his eleven brothers Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin. We really hope you can join us...
With every blessing
Dawn and Jonathan
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