What's the Deal with Jacob?

For those who are reading the Bible through with us, you may be wondering about Jacob.   He stole his brother's birthright and blessing.  He cheated his Uncle Laban for the best of the livestock.  He lied and deceived everyone around him.  He married two sisters and had children with them and their two servants.  All in all, this Old Testament patriarch is not someone that we would want to model our lives after.   Among the lessons we learn from Jacob is that God can use anyone to accomplish his purposes.  In Genesis 32 we see Jacob finally admitting that all blessing comes from God and God alone.  In wrestling with God, Jacob finds that he can't steal, beg or borrow the blessing.  He must depend upon God's grace alone.  In Gen 32:10 Jacob says "I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups."   While wrestling with God, Jacob appears to be winning the match.  But in the end we find that God simply let him believe this and then to show Jacob his true power, God strikes Jacob's hip.   Jacob learns that he can't defeat God.  In the end he must simply rely upon God's grace to bless him in spite of all that he had done.   The patriarchs were far from perfect people.   However, they did choose to trust God and received God's promises of a great nation and a great redeemer.    God chose Israel not because of Israel, but because of his great mercy.  God has chosen us as well simply by His grace.  Rest in that grace and know that we are loved more than we can ever imagine even though we are more sinful that we can ever imagine.