A Formula for Disaster

When we read that simple statement saying that Isaac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob, we know trouble is brewing.  It has always seemed amazing the way the Scripture makes no attempts to paint over the flawed family life of the Genesis patriarchs.  I have often thought a good sub-title for Genesis would be "How not to rear children."  Abraham never would have sent Hagar and Ishmael away had it not been for Sarah's insistence.  He simply had no backbone for his own convictions when she spoke.  It always seemed that he was looking over his shoulder once Ishmael was gone.

 

And while Isaac and Rebekah may have loved each other deeply, they were miles apart on how to rear sons.  In the end we see where Jacob learned his deceptive ways.  Rebekah, too, was a master at deception and manipulation. Still, we see God moving His plan along through each generation.  He is never chained to a hurried time schedule as we are.  His movements toward what He seeks to accomplish may be slow, but they are always steady,

 

When we find ourselves in what we know is an imperfect set of circumstances, we might think that others whose lives look more orderly and together are being used by God to accomplish great things, but such is not necessarily the case.  God has proven again and again that He can use chaos in such a way as to bring order.  He can use our messes to do unimaginable things.  If it takes several generations to bring His plan to fruition, it does not diminish the reality of His work.  Like those imperfect Genesis parents of the twins, we can simply be grateful that God can use us and our family to move along His plan even though we may not live to see it.