While having my morning devotions, I read about the man Jacob in the Old Testament. Jacob was born as one of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. At birth, he came out grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau (Gen 25:26) and was therefore named “Jacob,” meaning “one who takes by the heal or supplants.” His name was surely fitting, for Jacob liked to “take hold” of the things of others – for example, his brother’s birthright (Gen 25:27-34), his father’s blessing (Gen 27:1-29), and his father-in-law’s flocks and herds (Gen 30:25-31:1)!
On one occasion, while fleeing from his brother and for his very life, Jacob had a dramatic encounter with the Living God at a place in Israel called Bethel (Gen 28:10-17). It was here that Jacob had the incredible dream of a staircase reaching from earth to heaven with angels upon it and the Lord standing above it. He was deeply stirred by the gracious words of God, who offered magnificent blessings to him and to his descendants forever. Jacob had been alone, fearful, and uncertain of his future – and the Lord God came to him with words of great comfort and blessing.
How did Jacob respond? He dedicated this site as a place of worship and entered into a covenant (agreement, promise) with God. Jacob vowed to the Lord God that if God would be with him and indeed care for him, then God would be his God and he would serve him (Gen 28:18-22a).
This particular account ends with a beautiful act of worship on Jacob’s part. He vows to the Living God that “of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You” (Gen 28:22b). Here we see the human heart deeply touched by the Lord and that heart responding with an act of sincere gratitude.
Are we really any different than Jacob? Do we deserve the presence and the promises of the Living God, the Creator of both Heaven and Earth? Absolutely not! Yet, He has done great things for us – sending His Son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins, sending His Holy Spirit to enable us to walk in holiness before Him, and promising to us eternal life and glory with Him forever!
Brothers and Sisters, is a “quarter” dropped into the offering plate every other Sunday morning an appropriate response to the merciful and gracious acts of the Living God upon our lives? I think not!
In Deep Gratitude – Dennis
“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” (Malachi 3:8-10; NASB)
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