Readers Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, September 20, 2012 Read – Genesis 26 & 27 The story of Isaac and Rebekah is not told with much detail. In many ways they are “bridge characters” getting us from the story of Abraham and Sarah to the story of Jacob and his family. The small set of stories we hear about Isaac and Rebekah emphasize once again the threat to the promised covenant God made through Abraham. In a story that sound very much like stories we heard earlier about Abraham visiting a foreign land, the question is whether or not Isaac will survive. Like his father he lies about the true identity of his wife calling her his sister instead. In spite of Isaac’s deception God is faithful and Rebekah and Isaac are spared – more through God’s graciousness than their own cunning. Isaac’s encounter with the people among whom he must live is also marked by controversy. It is not easy for God to get a foothold from which to launch God’s venture to save his creatures. The real heart of the story surrounds the fate of Isaac’s sons. Almost from the beginning it becomes clear that Jacob is the one chosen. Actually this is a strange choice on God’s part since if we read the story closely it is often Esau who acts more wholesomely. The Jacob and Esau saga really began at the end of yesterday’s reading with the familiar story of Jacob conniving his brother Esau out of his birthright. Esau was the first born and should have had the benefit of those rights – a double portion of the inheritance and leadership of the family. But God has other plans – and so does Jacob. It is important in this story that we hear both sides of that story – a conniving Jacob and a God who chooses to use such a conniver. If we ever want to read a story about a dysfunctional family the story of Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob is the story we need to read. This is not an example to follow. Parents play favorites. Children deceive and manipulate. The story is a real mess. But the wonder of it is that God uses that very story. Even the names of these two boys are important – especially the name Jacob. Jacob means “he grasps” – given as his name since Jacob came out of the womb grasping his brother’s heel. The name could also be translated “he cheats” – that is the kind of grasping that lies behind the word. Jacob comes out of the womb grasping for what does not rightly belong to him – just like “Adam and Eve” grasped at self-determination. What a strange and wonderful story for us to hear – God chooses to use a cheater, the more imperfect of the two brothers. The story of Jacob deceiving his own father with the help of his mother to claim the blessing that he is not entitled to receive is a sad and provoking story. It’s hard to make this into a nice story although many people who want to preserve Jacob as a hero have tried to do so. Is it not much better for us to hear stories like this one for what they really say? God will have lots of work to do with Jacob – but Jacob is God’s choice. If God can work with one like Jacob no one is beyond God’s reach.