God is rebuilding his family. That’s the essence of God’s purpose. God saves people by grafting them into his family tree. The story of Old Testament Israel is the story of this family tree. With each new generation God pruned the tree to ensure that his family was always connected to and united together around one single trunk. Abraham had two sons and while God blessed both sons, Isaac was chosen as the trunk. Then of Isaac’s two sons God chose Jacob to be the trunk. The choice of Isaac and Jacob respectively says something profound about how God shapes his tree. Isaac was not born naturally but supernaturally. This is how it must be for anyone to become part of this family. They become children of God, not by natural birth, but through a supernatural birth wrought by God’s Spirit (John 3:3-8). Jacob is characterised as a deceiver in Genesis 25 and 27. This is how Satan is characterised throughout the Bible. So, Jacob did not merit God’s choice. He was chosen by grace. It is the same with everyone who is supernaturally grafted into the family tree of God. This does not happen because we merit this by our goodness. Rather, it happens when we recognise our badness and take hold of Christ for our salvation. The story of Jacob wrestling the mysterious divine man (is this Jesus?) is symbolic of this moment. This is the event that leads to a name change for Jacob and therefore a change of identity. Likewise, when you cling to Jesus you will be changed into a child of God and a branch on this great tree.
Pray for those you love who are still disconnected from God’s family.
Read 1 Chronicles 2 and Genesis 32:22-30
