We may well wonder, as we read of the life of Jacob, why God is pleased to be called “the God of Jacob,” yet He is called “the God of Jacob” more often than that of any other Old Testament saint. Interestingly, Jacob himself first uses the term, “the mighty God of Jacob,” but only at the close of his life. In the failures of his life, Jacob learned to count on the promises of God. These promises were first conferred on Abraham, and then on Isaac.
An examination of the life of Jacob reveals to us his God. “The God of Jacob” is the God that Jacob came to know by experience. God spoke to him seven times during his life of wandering. These communications enlighten us as to what kind of a God He was to Jacob.
We may add that the Lord Jehovah was pleased to reveal Himself to Moses by the name — “the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:66Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. (Exodus 3:6)). The Book of Psalms has many references to “the God of Jacob.” And we read in Hebrews concerning the pilgrimages of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, “wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God” (Heb. 11:1616But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16)). These three lived their whole lives as pilgrims. Their God, who never disappoints faith, has a special, heavenly city for them.
Jacob Seeking the Blessing
by Deceit
Much blessing was destined for the house of Isaac. Jacob was to be the recipient of it, but his father and mother taught him two things that were a snare to him. His father had self-gratification in view when blessing his two sons, and his mother added lying and deceit as the means to get it. Rebekah’s was the major sin, and thus she fades from view. But God could still deal in grace with Jacob. Jacob spent much of the rest of his life running from the problems these things caused.
God first spoke to him through a dream of a ladder to heaven. “Behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (Gen. 28:13-1513And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. (Genesis 28:13‑15)). This sixfold unconditional promise begins with a statement of the true source of Jacob’s blessing: “I am the Lord God.” This stands in contrast to Isaac’s desire for savory meat. God blesses because of who He is. The subsequent experiences of Jacob teach him this. He was brought to lay hold of these six promises. The proof is seen at the end of his life in the way he blesses his sons, knowingly crossing his hands to bless the sons of Joseph.
Jacob in Padan-Aram
The second time the Lord spoke to Jacob was also by a dream, for he was not close to the Lord as Abraham. The relationship between Jacob and Laban had deteriorated, and Jacob must leave Padan-aram. As God had promised, He did not leave him. He reminds Jacob to return to Bethel to fulfill the promise Jacob had made. “The Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee” (Gen. 31:33And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. (Genesis 31:3)). Jacob further tells his family what the Lord had said: “The angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred” (vss. 11-13). An important issue is whether Jacob had obtained all he had gained in Padan-aram through his own skill and cunning, or whether it was the Lord who had blessed him. If it was from the Lord, he must return to Bethel to acknowledge it as promised; if otherwise, Jacob could thank himself. Jacob was obliged to return back to the land of promise with his family and wealth, but he does not go straight to Bethel.
The Angel Wrestling With Jacob
When Jacob flees from Laban, the Lord defends him because of Laban’s injustice (not for Jacob’s integrity). Then after strong words are exchanged and a pillar is set up, they separate amicably. But Jacob must meet his brother Esau, who had said he would kill him. Could not Jacob trust the defense the Lord had already shown? The Angel of the Lord must wrestle with Jacob to bring him to trust in God. But Jacob would not cease striving until his thigh was out of joint; his faith then clings to God for the blessing. And the angel said, “Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after My name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Gen. 32:26-3026And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (Genesis 32:26‑30)). To appreciate properly God’s defense, it is necessary to know Him. Yes, Jacob gets the new name “Israel” for prevailing—he is beginning to know Him — but the Lord does not reveal His name to Jacob. The Lord had told him, “Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.” But Jacob, in his experience, was not in the full appreciation of his God. He could only say, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Later he would be able to speak with intelligence of “the mighty God of Jacob.”
Jacob at Shechem
Jacob goes to Succoth and then turns aside to Shechem, for he is afraid to go to Bethel. But the hard experiences with his children and the men of Shechem make him move on. And God, who had protected him from Esau, reminds him the second time to “arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went” (Gen. 35:1313And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. (Genesis 35:13)). Jacob acknowledges that the Lord had delivered him in his distress, but there are idols and uncleanness in his house which must be put away. He hides them under the oak. These hindered him from meeting with God at His house — Bethel. The God of Jacob wants his company in holiness. Jacob understands this and responds. His holiness also causes fear to the cities around Shechem and keeps them from pursuing after Israel. It is not enough for Jacob to have the blessing without the Blesser. He must cleanse his house and go up to Bethel.
Jacob at Bethel
“God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon” (Gen. 35:9-149And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. 10And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 13And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. 14And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. (Genesis 35:9‑14)). Jacob had made the vow that if the Lord blessed him and brought him again to this place in peace, he would make the Lord his God and give Him a tenth. The God of Jacob has brought Israel to know Him, no longer as speaking from the top of the ladder in heaven, but in close proximity with Jacob at Bethel. Jacob gives Him an offering. The God of Jacob adds a seventh promise to those He had given at the beginning. He adds, “Kings shall come out of thy loins.”
Jacob at Beersheba
The ten sons of Jacob bring back Simeon from Egypt with the astounding news that Joseph is still alive. Joseph is now in the center of God’s dealings with Jacob. Jacob begins the journey down to Egypt. He pauses in Beersheba to offer a sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. At that time, “God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes” (Gen. 46:2424And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. (Genesis 46:24)). God, speaking to him in a vision by night and calling Jacob’s name twice, emphasizes how far His ways were from Jacob’s. He had said, “All these things are against me.” The events concerning Joseph were blessing beyond Jacob’s thoughts. The God of Jacob had worked blessing through the worst sins of Jacob’s ten sons. The very son that Jacob thought was dead became “the preserver of life” for the whole family. The God of Jacob can take the worst things that His people do to prove the best of what He does (Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)).
Jacob in Egypt
Jacob was nourished the last seventeen years of his life by Joseph. Under the care of his son, the God of Jacob made him a blesser and a worshipper. He blesses Pharaoh. He blesses the two sons of Joseph, claiming them as his own sons. “By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff” (Heb. 11:2121By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. (Hebrews 11:21)). He blesses Joseph, repeating what God had spoken to him the first time, “God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.”
The life of Jacob is full of examples that demonstrate God’s provision and care. With good reason, God says, “Jacob have I loved.” May we each enjoy a sense of it as we go through the experiences of life, for Jacob’s God is our God.
D. C. Buchanan