Not Perfect, Just Blessed

I once heard a preacher tell the story of some chicken that he purchased but kept too long before he attempted to cook it. As he was about to throw it out, his Jamaican housekeeper asked him to let her have it to see what she could do with it. With that chicken, he said that she made one of the most delicious meals he had ever tasted. He and his family not only enjoyed the meal, but were looking around for more. Jacob and his dysfunctional family, would appear from the biblical story to have failed miserably as heirs of Abraham’s righteousness and God’s promise. But through them, God shows that He can and does use the imperfect people and circumstances to bring about His blessings and achieve His perfect will. I pray that you will allow God to use you, in all of your imperfection, for His purpose. Amen.

Jacob had twelve sons:

The sons of Leah:

Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

The sons of Rachel:

Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:

Dan and Naphtali.

The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:

Gad and Asher.

Genesis 35:22b–26

This listing of Jacob’s sons reveals a family built on dysfunction. Because of his father-in law’s (Laban) deceitfulness, Jacob married two sisters (Leah and Rachel) who were in constant competition with each other, scheming for Jacob’s affection. As a result, the sisters strove with one another to give him sons in an effort to win his favor. And when they were unable to bear children themselves, they gave their female servants (Bilhah and Zilpah) to Jacob to bear children for him. This resulted in Jacob fathering 12 sons by four different women. All that striving and dysfunction didn’t stop with Jacob, Leah and Rachel, it also carried on through Jacob’s sons. And as we see from numerous accounts of their actions in the Bible (Gen. 34:25-30; 35:22a; 37:23-35; 38:24-26) Jacob’s sons turned out to be far from perfect representatives of Abraham and inheritors of God’s promise.

About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”

As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”

Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah. ” And he did not sleep with her again. Genesis 38:24–26

This story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar further demonstrated the dysfunction and deceitfulness that permeated Jacob’s family. When Judah’s first son had died before having children with his wife Tamar, she became the wife of Judah’s second son (per custom). But he also died before having any children with Tamar. Afterwards, Judah promised that his youngest son would marry Tamar when he became of age, but Judah failed to keep his promise. Tamar posed as a prostitute to trick Judah into laying with her so she could have a child. When told that his daughter-in-law was pregnant, Judah was going to have her put to death. But Tamar revealed to Judah that he was the father. Upon that revelation, Judah immediately realized that he had acted more unrighteously than Tamar had and he could not condemn her. This story has a greater purpose for being included in the Bible. Because one of the sons born out of Judah and Tamar’s scandalous action was named Perez. And he is listed in the gospel of Matthew 1:1-18…in the genealogy of Jesus! Once again God demonstrated that He doesn’t make mistakes and He can use anybody from any circumstance for His purpose and His glory!

The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until he to whom it belongs shall come

and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

He will tether his donkey to a vine,

his colt to the choicest branch;

he will wash his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes will be darker than wine,

his teeth whiter than milk. Genesis 49:10–12

In his last days, Jacob/Israel pronounced his blessings over his sons. These blessings that Jacob pronounced over his sons (in Gen. 49:1-28) were also prophetic in nature. Jacob’s blessing and prophecy for Judah bestowed upon him the leadership over the family of Israel. It was a blessing that is normally the birthright of the eldest son. Jacob said that Judah’s brothers would praise him (in fact Judah means praise). In addition, Jacob blessed Judah with abundance (vineyard and milk references). In the promised land, the tribe of Judah would be known for its great vineyards. Jacob’s great Messianic prophesy contained in the blessing of Judah, was that the scepter would not depart from him. His lineage would rule over Israel until “he to whom it belongs shall come”. That person to whom it belongs, is Jesus, “The Lion of Judah”. He is the ultimate leader and ruler over all nations and as Jacob prophesied, “the obedience of the nations shall be his”. It was through Judah’s bloodline that our Savior came into the world.

Jacob and his sons were more “hood” than heaven. We often go about as though people have to be perfect to be Christians. But the reality is that there are no perfect churches and if there was one, none of us could qualify to be a member. Through Jacob’s son Judah, and his son Perez, God ultimately brought His perfect son Jesus, to save us from the dysfunction of this world and reign over His family forever. The Bible makes it clear that not just Jacob and his family, but none of the people that God used (save Jesus) were perfect. And I’m glad about that. Because in their imperfections, I can see myself in various characters in the Bible and know that I too am not disqualified from being used by God to do great things for His kingdom. And neither are you! Throughout the bible, God shows us that we don’t have to be perfect… Just blessed through our service to Him!

Blessings,

Rev. Glenn