After all of the events surrounding Jacob scheming with his mom to get his dad’s blessing (stealing it from his brother Esau), Jacob finds himself in a mess and on the run. His brother Esau wants to kill him, and he’s no longer safe at home. Under the guise of going to find a wife, Jacob is on his way north when God meets him in a dream and promises to be with him and bless him. Jacob was surprised at God’s nearness, but wasn’t ready to trust him on his terms and instead lays out some of his own. No matter the mess or how far we run, God still pursues us so that we would trust him on his terms.
Jacob had quite a life. It was one that was all about God's presence, but I'm not sure he saw it that way!
In Jacob we'll see the life of a twin brother who struggled against his own family from the womb all the way to old age, until he finally learned how to allow God's pursuing presence to define his life.
Jacob's journey, in many ways, is the opposite of what God desires for us. (To call it messy is an understatement.) Yet his life is also one of many in Scripture where we see God never quits pursuing us!
