IT IS EVIDENT that Jacob never I had anything in himself to stand on, yet in choosing to place confidence in self, he lost the peace that quiet trust in the Lord would have produced in his heart and life. When one chooses to stand on his own merit and in his own strength, then God must take him up on this ground, that of his own self-imposed responsibility, whereas, if he takes the ground of being helpless and casts himself on the Lord’s mercies, then God delights to deal with him in total grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Eph. 2:8,98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9).
But God had established a covenant with Jacob, as well as with Abraham and Isaac and, while He would allow Jacob to reap the sad fruit of his self-will and permit him to experience sore trials because of his waywardness, yet He would never forsake him and every prose was to be fulfilled in its time. It was perhaps because of Jacob’s spial need in the long years of trial and testing before him that God’s assurances to him included a prose that was not heard before by either Abraham or Isaac: “I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land.” This was the more remarkable because Jacob, as a fugitive, was fleeing from the land where his true possessions were and where the call of God to his fathers would have him remain. No doubt in the long weary days and nights that were to follow, Jacob called to remembrance these comforting words and the additional promise: “I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. v. 15.
In the light of further truth revealed since the days of Jacob, we now know that the total fulfillment of God’s promises to Jacob, looked forward to the millennial scene when Israel as a nation will have a glorious place in that land. Then they will be able to look to the west, east, north and south and see their prosperity spread abroad, with all nations of the earth bringing their glory and honor to Jerusalem, the city of the great King, their Messiah, Jacob, of course, was not aware of this and could think only of the promise in connection with what he or his immediate descendants might experience. Such did take place many years later when the children of Israel left Egypt, wandered forty years in the wilderness and then crossed Jordan to enter and inherit Canaan. This time of God’s blessing to His people also has had its partial fulfillment in past history, although Jacob himself did not live to see it. Faith was required to trust God for the fulfillment of these promises.
At the close of Chapter 28, Jacob was introduced to the promises of blessing, but the energy of faith was needed to enjoy them. Jacob’s heart and energies were still very much centered upon himself.
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