Supplanter To Prince

by Robertson, A. B. | Category: General | Sept 1952

Jacob's name was changed at Peniel, but until then he was the

"supplanter."

In spiritual things, no less than in temporal matters, it is important to learn young, and Jacob's youthful ambition was to gain God's blessing and the promises. It is so often the extremes of life that find us out and we may be sure that the adversary will attack most strongly when we are weakest. The scriptural commentary on the mess of pottage incident is-" so Esau despised his birthright," showing how Esau had been thinking, and what was his sense of values. On the other hand, of all the things which Jacob might have sought as his prize, things more tangible and of immediate use, his extraordinary desire for the birthright shows that this was in his mind and was of highest importance to him. Here was a chance to advance himself in divine things, and for Jacob every circumstance was an opportunity to do so.

When the blessing was given to Jacob, it came by means of Isaac's weakness-blindness, deafness, enfeebled senses of touch and smell. Jacob sought the blessing and strained every effort to obtain it, and now it was his. Experience did not end there. Life lay. ahead still, with new trials and opportunities.

Esau's wives had caused grief to his parents, and Jacob left for Paddan-aram to take to wife one of the daughters of Laban at the express wish of his mother and father. Surely this is a lesson to young disciples to heed the advice of their seniors even on personal matters It is so easy to think that we do not all go the same road, and that our elders are ignorant and unsympathetic, when actually they speak from experience and out of love.

When on this journey Jacob meets God at Bethel and hears Him speak. It was not among the tents at Beersheba, but when he was absolutely alone that this experience was his. It was not at Abraham's knee, but years after he had heard about the promises and after showing himself prepared to live by them. And if we are to know Communion with God the promises will be similar. Meetings, parties, and outings have their place, but if God will speak with us personally it will be when we are alone. Jacob had to find the hard pillow in Bethel. Moses was in the back side of the desert. Paul went into Arabia. All were alone.

During all the experience of Laban's house his faith in God did not waver and the promises did not lose their lustre. He knew himself blessed, and while he was impoverished he knew himself heir to a great inheritance. Stedfastness and singleness of purpose are necessary in those who walk by faith.

There came a day when the 'sun rose on Jacob to reveal that he "halted on his thigh." Again he had been alone for when all had gone over before him that night at the ford of Jabbok he had obtained from God a blessing. Surely his new name-Israel-was a blessing in itself, for we can have no higher commendation than that we have striven with God and prevailed, and can wear no more laudable decoration for our striving than to bear His mark.

Robertson, A. B. | Sept 1952
General