Key events in this section of reading:

• Jacob’s dream about the ladder to heaven (28:10-22).
• Jacob marries Leah and Rachel (28:29-30).
• Jacob wrestles with God (32:22-32).
• Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers (37:12-36).

Verse that stood out: “So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak” (Genesis 32:24).

Let me begin by saying that the main thing I noticed from today’s reading is that the characters in the Bible do not have it together. Anyone who speaks longingly of biblical family values hasn’t been paying very close attention to the families of the Bible. They’re pretty dysfunctional! This is not a story about how great people are, but rather how good God is for working in, through, and for us.

I was also struck by the fact that Jacob’s two significant encounters with God happen while he is on the move. The first one, the dream at Bethel, happens as he is fleeing Esau and headed to Laban’s house. The second, the wrestling with God at Jabbok, happens on the return trip when when he is fleeing Laban and about to encounter Esau for the first time in a long time. Both are in-between times. That is, both are times of uncertainty, fear, anxiety. And yet, both become places where God shows up in miraculous ways.

I don’t know about you, but I hate the ambiguity of an in-between place. I hate not feeling at home somewhere. I hate the uncertainty of not knowing what comes next. Truthfully, I hate the way in-between places uncover my lack of control over life itself. Yet, as I look back on my own life, like Jacob, I have discovered God most often during these times of uncertainty and unrest.

Maybe the vulnerability of those moments leaves us more open to hearing from God? Maybe it’s the absence of false hopes that have us wide open to meeting Hope, himself? I don’t know. What I do know is that I should probably spend less of my time attempting to control all of the circumstances in my life and spend more time on the lookout for God. When it’s all said and done, all of this life is an in-between place. Every last one of us is just passing through until we’re at home with him.

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For tomorrow, September 2, 2020

Cover to Cover: Genesis 39:1-50:26

Key Passages: Genesis 50:15-26

Verse a Day: Genesis 50:24