Jacob then made this vow: "If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back safe to my father's house, the LORD shall be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode."
Abraham's grandson inherited his mother Rebecca's talent for scheming, while his brother Esau was more like his gullible father, Isaac. So when he was given a vision of God's grandeur as he slept with his head on a rock, Jacob swore he'd build a shrine there, on that very rock, provided he had God's protection, clothes to wear, food to eat, and that he'd someday return to his father's house.
If he wasn't as innocent as a dove, Jacob was certainly as clever as a serpent. We remember him not only as the Patriarch's grandson, but also as a schemer who would attempt to strike a bargain even with the all powerful Friend of Abraham. We also remember that the Lord kept his end of the bargain although he never agreed to it. The Lord had his own purposes in mind, regardless of this fellow's schemes.
Unlike other animals, humans have some knowledge of the future, and can predict what might happen if certain trends continue. We're often surprised by the unexpected, and our predictions are sometimes wrong, but we survive because we're more often right about what must happen. Like Jacob, we succeed by being clever.
In the meanwhile, God knows the future and works with us. If his people know little of the future, we are certain that this train is bound for glory!
But fools think too highly of their predictions. They calculate without considering God's presence or God's action. They suppose there is no God; or if there is, there shouldn't be. They have their warning:
"You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’"
The wisest survive because they prepare for the expected and the unexpected. They know their wisdom has limits and there are always unforeseen consequences. And they believe in the Lord who protects, guides, disciplines, and cares for the children of Abraham.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.