The Unexpected Challenges of Life- Gen. 28

We return to our study of the book of Genesis, and we pick up right after the stealing of the birthright by Jacob from Esau. We saw how the works of the flesh were demonstrated by all of the family, Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob.

I. Life is composed of many unexpected challenges- 28:1–5, 6–9

We all experience this to different levels and intensities, but every life faces unexpected challenges.

Now, let me define “unexpected changes.” There are normal challenges we face every day, dropping a bowl of cereal, a flat tire, or a cold.

These are expected and we have to deal with them. Unexpected challenges are more significant, cause greater turmoil, and have the potential to alter our lives completely.

The question is not if we will face unexpected challenges, but when. Then our next question is, how will I respond?

For Jacob, his unexpected challenge was being sent away from his family on a long journey to find a wife.

For Esau, his parents desires for his brother translated to adding another wife (he already had 2, 26:34–35).

A. Jacob’s Unexpected Challenge- 28:1–5

Isaac and Rebekah send Jacob away and bless him after the Abrahamic blessings given to Isaac’s father, Abraham, back in Gen. 12, 15, and 17.

Esau married two Hittite women and they “made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” Now, we are not given the details of what specifically made it bitter, but I think we can all think of individuals who had terrible marriages and made life difficult, not only for the couple, but for their extended family as well.

At the end of chapter 27, Rebekah wanted to send Jacob away primarily because Esau wanted to kill him, but secondarily because she did not want Jacob to marry a Hittite woman. We could go back and read the perverse imbalance of love in the family, where Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob (25:27–28).

This is an unexpected challenge. Jacob listens to his father and mother and travels several hundreds of miles to Paddan-aram.

Now, before we look at Esau’s unexpected challenge, I want to comment on Isaac’s commission. Isaac reiterates the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant to Jacob, assuming that God will protect, bless, and return Jacob to the promised land.

Although Isaac has made some serious mistakes as a parent (the results which will be seen in Jacob’s own family), he still returns to God. This is an encouragement for those of us with children or grandchildren, or who are given opportunities in the church to work with children. Regardless of our mistakes and failures, we should always point people back to God.

B. Esau’s Unexpected Challenge- 28:6–9

We will not dwell on this long, but I do want to raise one issue. Esau, observing his parents’ interactions with Jacob, attempts to please them by marrying a daughter of Ishmael (this is in addition to his other two wives, forbidden in Scripture, by the way, cf. Gen. 2:24).

The point I wanted to raise, bringing us all the way back to Genesis 3:15, is to remind you that the undercurrent of the Bible’s story line is the coming of the Seed of the woman and the continual warfare between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. These are the two groups of people throughout the Scriptures, one imperfectly seeks to obey God while the other seeks to usurp God. Esau and Ishmael are both demonstrations of God’s just election and their refusal to submit to God’s plan.

Life is composed of many unexpected challenges. How do we handle this?

II. Unexpected Challenges bring many opportunities to commune with God- 28:10–22

It is through this unexpected challenge that Jacob comes into a relationship with God (at least the beginning stages!).

Unexpected challenges bring sweet opportunities of communion with God. Just think of a few individuals Abraham and Sarah in their barrenness, the Israelites in their slavery, David and his flights from Saul (the psalms), and we could go on.

Jacob dreams and God appears to him. What an astounding act of condenscension on God’s part!

“Here we behold the marvellous grace of God, which delights to single out as its objects the most unlikely and unworthy subjects....What had Jacob done to deserve this high honor? What was there in him to merit this wondrous privilege? Nothing; absolutely nothing.”—A. W. Pink, Gleanings in Genesis, 251

There is absolutely nothing in Jacob to encourage God’s relationship with him, and everything in Jacob to discourage God’s relationship with him.

This, by the way, is a picture of Christ, as Jesus himself teaches in John 1:51.

“The ‘ladder’ pointed to Christ himself, the One who spanned the infinite gulf which separated heaven from earth, and who has in His own person provided a Way whereby we may draw near to God.” —A. W. Pink, Gleanings in Genesis, 252

God repeats the covenant He made with Abraham now with Jacob, promises Jacob’s safe return to the promised land, and God’s further blessings.

Then Jacob makes a promise with God, basically reiterating (but to greater detail) the promises God. He is not ready to commit to God, not yet. It will be a few more chapters before Jacob gives his life completely to God.

Life is composed of many unexpected challenges. They will come, how do we respond? We can seem them as opportunities for greater communion with God.