An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 10: Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant (Genesis 24-29) (JBOTL010A)
Question: Why is Jacob so greatly blessed when “the pivotal moments in the scriptural account of [his] life seem to turn on deceit”?
Summary: Jacob’s youthful deceits are proverbial. Indeed, the Savior Himself praised Nathanael by contrasting him with Jacob, saying, “Behold an Israelite [i.e., descendant of Jacob] indeed, in whom[, unlike his forefather, there] is no guile!” However, as in all scripture stories (as in life), we cannot fully understand the lessons of Jacob’s divine tutorial unless we follow it to its end. In the Bible’s version of measure-for-measure justice, the deceiver will be himself deceived. Eventually, among the happy results of Jacob’s crucible of experience, he will learn humility, forgiveness, and that God has His own ways to fulfill His own promises.
The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL10A — What Are We to Make of Jacob’s Apparent Deceitfulness?
