Israel

    Jacob is getting old, his sons are starting to act in over-zealous and wicked ways, but he has no power to stop them. An entire city tricked and then massacred by two of his sons, after the prince of said town had defiled his daughter. Surrounded by angry and violent pagans ready to kill Jacob and his family, thus extinguishing God's people on the earth, Jacob makes the right choice. He turns to the God who has sustained him before Laban and Esau, Yahwah, the Lord God of Abraham and Isaac.

Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone."

    Arriving in Bethel, the Lord renews His promise and blessing to Jacob and names Jacob Israel. 

    Recently I read an article that claimed that the bible was full of "paradoxs" (in a good way!). While seeing exactly where the writer was coming from, I disagree. From our limited viewpoint God's purposes and works can seem to conflict with the people and nations he acts towards, however it is, in a manner of speaking, the most perfect and "logical" solution possible.  This is the  situation we see in Israel's life- he acts in devious and deceptive ways, he acts in stupid and lustous ways  around Rachel, and often speaks doubtfully about the future. However he also shows great faith and trust in the Lord, he delivers blessings to many people and his journey is  an example to many. This  seeming "paradox" empitimises the battle occuring in every believer- the old man of sin, vs the new man of grace. The Lord tries Israel and purifies him through adversity. He does the same with Israel's children: foolish, wicked and murderous; proud, boastful and lazy, they are hardly the desired stock with which to begin a great nation! Jacob's favouritism toward Joseph causes bitterness and murderous intent, the family is split in half. But, the Lord uses this for good, he moulds them all and brings them to be the leaders of His nation.
     The last 17 years of Israel's life are spent at Goshen, in Eygpt. The patriach is described as "blessing" the Pharoah- quite a job for the lonely fugitive fleeing from his brother, whom we saw earlier! However, Israel instructs Jospeh, upon his death, to return his body to the land that the Lord has promised his descendants- a testimony to Israel's trust in God's Promise. (This promise of a Land and City to dwell in continues to us today! There is a place of peace and joy, the one that each believer longs for.)
      Before he dies and goes to be with his God, Israel blessed his sons and his grandchildren- interestingly he placed the younger, Ephraim, higher than the elder, Manesseh. In the final blessing Israel gives a beautiful testimony to the God that died for his sins and who led him through all his troubles:

 "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
   the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
  the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
   and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
   and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."