The making of a "founder of our faith"

It's amazing what God can do in our sinfulness—but the stories sure looks odd in print. As I read through Genesis, I'm struck by the brokenness of those God choses to use. Starting with Adam and Eve and going through Abram to Jacob, there is brokenness and sin at every turn. God chooses to use these people despite their actions for His ultimate plan. One of these people is Jacob.

With a name that means "deceiver," it should come as no surprise to us that Jacob is known for manipulation and deception. He starts off by trading food for his older brother's birthrights. Then he colludes with his mom to steal his father's blessings that should have gone to his older brother, Esau. In all of this, Jacob ends up with the blessings that God had given to his father, Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham: "Your descendants will be numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendents." (Genesis 28:14) Wow! This isn't some small blessing given down from father to son; this is one of the greatest of blessings God will ever give out.

A couple of questions come to mind: One, if Jacob hadn't manipulated and deceived his father, would Esau have been the son who was so beautifully blessed? There doesn't seem to be any indication that this would have happened, but Esau was no more sinful than Jacob and thus could have been the chosen one. Or did God plan to bless Jacob from the beginning and thus would have found another way to bless him with this covenant? Jacob and his mom tried to forced the blessing upon Jacob, but they paid a heavy price: a divide was created among all of the family members, Esau was so angry he wanted to kill Jacob, Jacob had to leave the country (and his family) to be safe, and there's is no indication Jacob and his mom ever saw each other again. Lies, deception, manipulation—they forever changed the course of this family, and yet still the covenant lives on through all of this. God honored the blessing Isaac had bestowed upon Jacob.

All of this serves to raise yet another question: Why does God bless a liar and thief? Honestly, I can't say. All I can do is trust in God's ultimate plan and trust in His ability to use people regardless of their actions. How it plays out is often outlandish, staggering, and hopeful all at the same time. After all, if God loved these "founders of our faith" and worked through these sinful people, God can love me and work through me as well. God, use me.