Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

12:15 PM

 

I have been stuck in a study of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for a week and it is always so fascinating to me. 

 

The One True God calls Abram out of Ur and he and his family travel from Ur, along the Euphrates River to Haran. Eventually they go down to Egypt and then back to the Jordan River Valley near Hebron. Several times Abraham is in Damascus which is Northern Israel. Isacc, son of Abraham and his family seem to stay in the vicinity of the Jordan River Valley (Southern Israel) most of the time.  Jacob, son of Isaac, leaves the Jordan River Valley (Southern Israel) and travels far north to Haran to find his wives Rebekah and Leah.  When he leaves Haran to head back to his homeland he meets God who changes his name to Israel and he settles back in the Jordan Valley which becomes called the land of Isreal.

 

 

On Jacobs travels back to the Jordan Valley he encounters a man whom he wrestles for a night.  The man eventually gives Jacob a blessing and  Jacob knows he has just seen the face of God.  The place is called Peniel "The Face of God".  He then meets his estranged brother Esau and they reconcile.  Jacob settles near Shechem where more trouble follows him and his family.

 

 

It seems that once Jacob is named Israel trouble becomes normal life for the family.

The family is stubborn and hot headed.  They are rebellious in life and rebellious to God.  The brothers sell their younger brother, Joseph, into slavery.  But God is still holding on to his promise to Abraham, Issac and Jacob that he will make them a great nation.  Joseph is a slave in Egypt but eventually becomes a great Egyptian leader.  During a great famine he saves his lost family living in Edom and they all move to Egypt only to becomes slaves as the centuries move on.  God sends Moses to get the Israelite's out of slavery.  They wander through the desert for 40 years with God taking care of them and keeping them alive.  God finally lets them into the Promise Land where they battle the idol worshipping pagans but still do not obey God.  They are taken captive again and again.  They fight with the pagans and they fight amongst themselves.  God finally send the promised Messiah to save them but they kill him.  That was over 2,000 years ago and they are still fighting, still waiting for their Messiah and still a hated nation of people. In a nutshell, nothing has changed for the chosen people of God since Abraham was called out of Ur to a promised land.

 

This brief summary spans around 4,000 years.  We can only estimate the years from Adam to Noah and then Noah to Abraham but it could be another 4,000 years or more.  Father God keeps calling to his chosen people to repent and come to him.  He still wants to have a relationship with his creation.  He still loves us even when we are rebellious and stubborn.  He continues to keep the earth rotating, the sun shining and letting us breath air. 

 

Jesus walked the earth about 2,000 years ago and did his best to open up the door between mankind and God.  He told his followers that the only way to come to the Father was through him and his offer of salvation for eternal life.  He told his followers that faith, hope and love were the ways of God.  He said to love each other and not kill each other.  He showed signs and wonders to back up his claim to be God in the flesh.  His own preachers and teachers denied him and hung him on a cross.  They turned their backs on God.  Hundreds of people saw Jesus alive after his death but many could not and would not believe this could ever be possible.  They turned their backs on the Son of God.

 

Today we still have signs and wonders that happen but many choose not to believe.  Many still choose to walk in the desert, disobey God, seek their own selfishness, follow after pagan idols, lie, steal, cheat, kill and destroy others.  They choose to turn their backs on God, his Son and his Holy Spirit.

 

It can be an amazing journey if we are seeking God and his ways and every once in a while a heart sparks and an ear hears that whisper from God that says, "Come to me! Follow me!"