"Everything Jacob set his hand to went wrong,
even from his birth. When the twins were born, we are told that Jacob's
hand was found to be holding his brother's heel; nevertheless he was not
born the elder son. He sought by guile to secure the birthright, but it
was he who in fact had to leave home and flee. He had set his heart on
Rachel as a bride, but he found himself first of all married to Leah.
He set out eventually from Paddan-aram with much wealth, most of it
gained by questionable means, but he had to be prepared to give it all
away to his brother Esau on the journey home in order to save his own
life. Here is the discipline of the Spirit. God's hand is in judgment
upon everything Jacob does while relying upon his own craftiness. People
who are specially clever have to learn, if necessary through suffering,
that it is not by the wisdom of men that we live, but by God.
Jacob learned one great lesson. He was on the eve of losing everything,
all he had accumulated, all he had worked for. He could think of a way
of meeting man, and he devised a plan that he hoped would appease Esau
and at least save his own skin. But then he met God. He met God, and was
lamed. God had touched Jacob himself. Up to that day he had been Jacob,
`the supplanter'. From that day on he was Israel, `a prince with God'.
This was the beginning of the kingdom. We are not overstating the facts
when we say that he was a different man from that day forward. He who
had deceived others was himself now deceived by others, even by his own
sons. The old, crafty Jacob would easily have seen through their
deception. The new Jacob was completely taken in. He believed them, and
wept, saying: `It is my son's coat; an evil beast has devoured him;
Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.
This, the breaking of
the strength of nature, is the point to which all God's people must
come. `Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the
breaking of the day.' We may get along well enough in the dark, but the
light of God is our undoing. We are finished. This is the discipline of
the Spirit." -
Watchman Nee
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