READ: Hosea 11-12; Proverbs 7; 1 John 5
SCRIPTURE: Hosea 12: 3 In the
womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his
favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there—
5 the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his name!
OBSERVATION: Machiavellian is a term that refers to a
person who uses clever lies and tricks to get or achieve something. An
individual with machiavellian behavior would go to any extreme to achieve his
ends. In the Bible, Jacob was a schemer and supplanter who cunningly deceived
others to achieve what he considered as a blessing. He cheated his brother, deceived
his father, tricked his father-in-law. However, during his return journey to
Canaan, Jacob had fears about his brother Esau and was alone at the brook of
the Jabbok (Gen.32:22-32). There he had an encounter with God. After that
incident, we see a changed and different Jacob. God changed his name to be a
blessed one. There, God taught a crucial lesson to Jacob.
In Genesis.32, we see a word-play—"God
wrestled (ye’abeq) with Jacob (ya’aqob) by the Jabbok (yabboq).” With
the humbling experience with God, Jacob learned that the true blessing comes
from God. He prayed to God with tears and “begged for his favor.” Hosea reminds
Israelites’ patriarch Jacob’s story to turn back to God instead of seeking
peace through human efforts and treaties.
Jacob had his first experience with
God at Bethel when he fled to Laban. In obedience to God’s command, Jacob
returned to Bethel—a place where he first encountered God. On his way to
Bethel, Jacob had a fresh experience to submit himself to God. After that, he
became a blessing to many. In Hosea’s time, Bethel was still an important worship
place for the Israelites, but they worshiped Baal and idols in place of God. Here
Hosea invites Israelites to turn to God as Jacob came back to God. Our God is
almighty. Instead of trying to achieve things in our own self-centered ways, we
must submit ourselves to God that his will be done in our lives. We must not
put our faith and trust in anything other than God. Our victory comes from God.
APPLICATION: I should trust in
the Lord and submit my ways to God, with all my heart and without leaning my
own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). I should/will worship God alone. My God
still speaks to all who seek him. The real blessing for my life is in God’s
word. I should come before him every day to speak with him and hear and read his
words.
PRAYER: Oh, Living God, thank you for your blessed
words to me. Like you changed Jacob to be a blessing to many, change me to be a
vessel of blessing to bless others. Lord, help me to seek you first always. Jesus,
help me live a god-centered life. Holy Spirit, be with me always and lead me in
godly ways.
- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573
Day – 340
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