“I am the Yehovah of Abraham…Isaac…and…Jacob.” Exodus 3:6
After Yehovah introduced Himself to Moses at the burning bush as “the Yehovah of Abraham, Isaac and the Jacob,” He told him to introduce Him that way to the Israelites adding, “This is My name forever and My memorial to all generations,” emphasizing the covenant that He had made with Abraham and all his descendants. There are numerous places in the Scriptures where Yehovah is, thereafter, referred to as the Yehovah of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whilst Abraham and his son Isaac were, like all of mankind, imperfect, Jacob is an extremely interesting character. Born as the youngest of twins, we read that Jacob grew up to be a cunning, manipulative schemer, who stole the inheritance due to his brother Esau. Jacob then conned Isaac into giving him ‘the blessing’, sealing him in that privileged position. In Genesis 32 we read that Jacob wrestled with ‘a man’, whom some believe to be an angel, or even Yehovah Himself. The man told him from then onwards he would no longer be known as Jacob, but as Israel, ‘for as a prince (he) had power with Yehovah and with man.’ So, we see that Jacob, naturally speaking, was not a righteous man, treating others, particularly his brother Esau, so unjustly. Yet Yehovah blessed him to the extent of changing his name and, if that was not enough, his 12 sons became the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. Their descendants became the “Children of Israel” and, even today, in the 21st century, the very nation of Israel is named after him. In Hebrews 11:21 we are told that ‘By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the children of Joseph and worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff.’ This signified the father’s blessing was passing to Joseph and his descendants, rather than to any of his brothers, 10 of whom were in an older, therefore more ‘senior’ position in the family than he. Why then, in view of all the above, would Yehovah bless someone guilty of such heinous crimes against his brother Esau and his father, Isaac? Why too, considering all of this, would his heritage be the 12 tribes and the very nation being named after him? And why do we continue 3000 years later to call Yehovah ‘the Yehovah of Abraham, Isaac and JACOB’, not ‘the Yehovah of Abraham, Isaac and ISRAEL’? Could it be because of Yehovah’s grace and mercy, coupled with Jacob’s (or Israel’s) faith in Yehovah and the covenant He had made with him as an imperfect man? That is something for you to think about!