03. Patriarchs (Summary)

03. Patriarchs

"I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Thus did God identify Himself to Moses at the Burning Bush. As we read again these fascinating stories of the patriarchs, we are amazed at the patience and grace of our God, who so carefully deals with men to achieve His far-reaching purpose. Abraham truly was great by any standard of men: but Isaac was a plain man simply handing down rather clumsily the Covenant Promised; and Jacob truly lived up to his name "Trickster." Nevertheless, God is willing to risk His reputation in all the world as the God who identified Himself in actual history with three men who never made front page news in the great Empires of that day.

In almost every event you can see how man tried to live by his wits - even to further the purpose of God by human schemes. Patiently, God overrules their error and wickedness to further His purpose. The tribes of Jacob had little to weld them together in Canaan, where the most sensuous idolatry tempted those who would settle down to agricultural life. Egypt was a civilization of great achievement. God permitted to the tribes to migrate to Egypt to go to school to this civilization to develop unity and discipline through the furnace of affliction.

God's wise choice of Jacob over Esau to advance His Covenant purpose is justified in the later character of the brothers.

He can accomplish more with an oft- delinquent Jacob who had an appreciation of God's promises that with "profane" Esau (Hebrews 12:16), who had no eyes beyond the immediate horizon of self and its gratifications.

The evil effect of parental partiality and brotherly jealousy in the story of Joseph God is able to overrule. Joseph demonstrates time, and again how faith in God's providence gives a man integrity, courage, and skill to turn man's inhumanity into magnificent service to mankind.

He even gets revenge upon his brother by bringing them through such discipline that forgiveness and reconciliation become powerful forces to unite and mature the tribes of Israel.