We have seen the role of both grace and faithfulness in solving the hostility that surrounded Jacob's life. We've also seen their relevance both for Moses' time and our generation. At this point in reflecting on the cure to hostility, we will explore another important biblical theme, the blessing of God.
The blessing of God works in a person's life in two ways: God's blessing comes to and through you. We see the same pattern in the life of Jacob and the life of Israel as a nation. Let us see the first way the blessing of God works in someone's life.
We covered a lot in previous reflections about God having a covenant relationship with the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A nation that came from them, Israel was also in covenant with God. In this covenant relationship, there are certain terms and conditions to be followed: blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
Jacob suffered pain and hostility due to his defective character. This is the negative result of his disobedient life. He suffered hostility both from his brother and father-in-law, his life was put in danger, and he experienced separation from his family for 20 years. Disobedience has negative consequences.
On the other hand, after wrestling with an angel of God at Peniel, Jacob became a new man. To demonstrate this reality, he received a new name, Israel. As a new man, obedience became Jacob's way of life. This new way of living was rewarded with the blessings of God. By emphasizing the blessing of God in the life of Jacob, Moses was teaching the Jews of his time that God had given them numerous blessings too.
The blessings of God in the life of Jacob happened in two ways:
blessings despite his disobedience and
blessings in response to his obedience
Jacob received God's blessing through his father Isaac though he acquired it by deception. God also promised him blessings at Bethel even though he was escaping his brother's fury.
On the other hand, in the latter part of his life, God blessed him as a result of his loyalty and obedience to God. God gave him a huge family and wealth through Laban. God removed the hostility between him and his brother. And finally, God also gave him blessings at Bethel when he devoted himself to the worship of God.
As for Israel as a nation, Moses knew that his generation would face numerous obstacles and difficulties in leaving Egypt and wandering in the desert. And so Moses focused on God’s blessings to Jacob to inspire gratitude in his original audience and to motivate them to pursue God’s blessings even further.
In our case, the blessings of God came to us through Jesus Christ. Unlike Jacob, Jesus did not receive the blessings of God despite his disobedience for he did not sin. He was faithful to His Father. Jesus received great blessings during his lifetime on earth and even greater blessings when he ascended into heaven. What is remarkable about Jesus’ blessings is that, through our union with Him, we share in the blessings Jesus obtained (Ephesians 1:3).
Again like Jacob, God also blessed us despite our disobedience for the blessings of God does not depend on us but on the perfect righteousness of Christ.
To understand this important biblical theme, we need to recall God’s special commission to Abraham as the father of the nation of Israel. The story of Abraham in Genesis explains that God commissioned the people of Israel to take the lead in fulfilling humanity’s original commission, to multiply and fill the earth with faithful images of God. And one way they were to do this was by spreading God’s blessings to other peoples throughout the earth. As we read in Genesis 12:2-3, God said to Abraham:
You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:2-3).
Notice here that God called Abraham to spread the blessings of God’s kingdom to “all peoples on earth.” But notice that even though God’s blessings would spread throughout the entire earth, not every person would be blessed. God said:
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.
In other words, some would reject Israel’s efforts, and others would accept them. And God promised to bless and curse other people accordingly.
Isaac repeated this exact statement to Jacob when Isaac blessed his son:
May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed (Genesis 27:29).
When Moses wrote the record of Jacob’s life, he described how Jacob interacted with various people in his day. These people were the ancestors of nations that interacted with Israel during Moses’ time. By doing this, Moses was teaching Israel how to treat those surrounding nations. Should they live in peace with them or should they go to war?
About the Canaanites, in keeping with the judgment of God upon these nations, God commanded Israel to destroy them. The curse of God was upon them and Israel was God's instrument to bring that curse upon the Canaanites. That is why it is not surprising to find Moses reporting Jacob’s victory over the Shechemites and God’s protection of Jacob from other Canaanites.
On the other hand, God also expected Israel to live in peace with the Philistines, the Edomites, and the descendants of Laban. Both Abraham and Isaac lived in peace with the Philistines during their time and so was Jacob. And because of these examples, the Israelites of Moses’ day were expected to live in peace with the Philistines. A similar policy of peace must be followed by the Jews about both descendants of Laban and Esau for they were Jacob's distant relatives.
By living out both these policies of peace and war, the patriarchs and Israel as a nation served as the channel of God's blessing and curse to other nations. In other words, both God's curse and blessing would come upon those nations through Israel.
This idea of God's blessing through Israel remained even up to the New Testament times. The ultimate fulfillment of this is through the coming of Jesus when he announced the kingdom of God is in the midst of men. Jesus is the King of this kingdom. As a King, He came to this world to bring judgment and offer God’s blessings to all nations on earth. Jesus through His death on the Cross and His resurrection, defeated Satan and his demonic forces.
Moreover, Jesus also came with terms of peace for every nation on earth and that is why He gave the Great Commission to the church, to offer the message of reconciliation to all back to God. Moreover, the church throughout its history has encountered resistance and persecution. On the last day, man's rebellion against God will finally be judged. Yes, throughout human history until the end of time, the blessings of God's kingdom will continue to spread through the ministry of the church. However, there will be an end to this offer of peace. On that great final day, at the Second Coming of Jesus, the offer of peace will be completely withdrawn for the time of final judgment will come.
We read how the grace of God can stop all forms of hostility. We also learned that the grace of God made us faithful and is calling us to a duty to be faithful to Him. As we walk in faithful obedience to God, He will solve the hostility that surrounds our lives. In this article, we read how the blessing of God came to your life through Jesus and this blessing entails a responsibility for you to be a channel of God's blessings to others.
Let us conclude this post with this confession:
The blessing of God came to my life through Jesus. I received forgiveness of sins, redemption, enlightenment of the mind, the sealing with the Holy Spirit, and many more blessings in the heavenly realms. I must not keep this blessing to myself. I must spread this blessing to others. Use me Lord as a channel of your blessings so that people will find the remedy to hostility.
