Too Often We Forget to Do This
Family is one of those blessings. Families are not all the same. Sometimes God has a way of taking a messy family and using it as a blessing.
Let’s start with Abram, otherwise known as Abraham. In Genesis 12:1-3, God tells him:
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
He was promised three things: land, descendants, and blessings.
Isaac was Abraham’s son, and God renewed the covenant with him.
“The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you. Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.’” (Genesis 26:2-5)
Next comes Jacob. Before he and his twin brother Esau were even born, God told their mother, Rebekah, what was going to happen.
“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23)
Later, in Genesis 25:29-34, Esau sells his birthright to Jacob. Then, in chapter 27, Jacob pretends to be Esau and receives the blessings from Isaac in verses 28-29.
“May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth — an abundance of grain and new wine. May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”
This is one of those messy family situations.
The oldest son would receive a double portion of the inheritance. When the property and finances were divided, he received two portions. He also received a spiritual blessing, which included the continuation of the covenant.
Jacob runs away from Esau and goes to his mother’s brother, Laban. There he meets Rachel. He loves Rachel and agrees to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for her hand in marriage. However, Laban tricks him and gives him Rachel’s sister, Leah, instead.
Then the rivalry between the two sisters begins. Before it’s over, Jacob has sons with both sisters and both of their servants. This leads to another rivalry, this time between siblings. Because Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, his brothers sell him to slave traders.
God used this messy situation as a blessing to save the family.
After the family is reunited and Jacob is old, he calls Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to bless them. In Genesis 48:8-20, once again, the younger son gets the greater blessing. Joseph receives a double portion through his two sons.
Then, in chapter 49, Jacob calls his other sons to receive their blessings. Judah gets the spiritual blessing in verses 9-10:
“Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.”
Jesus comes from Judah’s family line.
No matter how messy our families are, we’re blessed through Jesus.
We’re called to share this blessing with others.
Abraham’s family wasn’t perfect. Neither was Isaac’s, Jacob’s, or Joseph’s. There was jealousy, deception, favoritism, and plenty of conflict. But God did not give up on them, and He continued to work through their family.
Sometimes we think we have to get everything right before God can use us. But thankfully, that’s not how it works. God uses imperfect people in imperfect families to do wonderful things.
We’ve been given a blessing through Jesus, we don’t have to be perfect to share it with others. We just need to be willing.