In the case of Jacob and Esau, God certainly seems to bless mistakes. The name Jacob literally can be translated as a “trickster; someone who takes/circumvents, or usurps.” I wonder if Rebekah and Isaac wondered what that would mean for their son in the future. Jacob is a man who is highly favored by our Christian ancestors – but much like Abraham, Moses, David, and many other popular characters in the bible, Jacob sins greatly. I mean, the man manipulated the birthright and certainly stole the blessing from his older brother, Esau, by tricking their blind father on his deathbed. It’s hard to even call it a mistake. Especially when you see that God blesses it still. So why did God honor this promise to give Jacob so much, when it was obtained under such fraudulent circumstances?

God works through the free choices, both good and bad, of human moral agents to accomplish His purposes.

Unfortunately, we often don’t give God good choices to work with, and that seems to be what happened in this case. There were plenty of negative consequences for Jacob though. He fled from his brother’s anger after this and hid in exile for twenty years. Fortunately for the future of God’s people, through the hardships of those years, Jacob’s character was shaped and he became a man who could lead the tribes of Israel. The twist to Jacob’s name is also in its meaning. In Hebrew, the name can also translate to “may God protect”. It’s just what God did for Jacob then and it’s what He does for us today. We don’t always make great choices for ourselves or our families, but God can still work with those mistakes and we can still see His redemptive purposes. Check out this beautiful story I read from a mother who became pregnant at a very young age. God saw her through her choices and made beauty from what she felt were ashes…

God redeems our mistakes.