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by Samuel Whitefield (Author)
f you do not understand God's relationship with Jacob, you have neglected God's chosen way to reveal Himself. As a result, you do not understand God as He is or as He has chosen to reveal Himself.
In the Hebrew Bible, "God of Israel" is arguably the most prominent title God chose for Himself. But the name "Israel," first and foremost, does not refer to a nation; it refers to a person also known as Jacob. Whenever you hear the title, "God of Israel," you should also hear "God of Jacob."
By choosing to identify Himself with Jacob, God is saying to us, "Go back and study My relationship with Jacob if you want to know who I am."
God's relationship with Jacob is so fundamental, it has implications for our relationship with God and all the relationships in our life. _The Modern State of Jacob_ will challenge you to examine God's relationship with Jacob carefully. When you do, you discover that relationship:
- Confronts you on a deep level with who God is and how He relates to people.
- Exposes a deep issue that is at the root of the original rebellion of the satan and all sin after that point.
- Provides the template for God's relationship with Israel throughout history, even into the last days.
- Explains why there is an intensifying, global conflict over God's decision to choose the people of Israel.
We now live in the first generation in history when God is confronting the whole world with the question of "Jacob" through the emergence of what we call the "State of Israel." The State of Israel is not a simple subject, but it forces us to face God's election of Israel and God Himself.
If we neglect Jacob, and the people named after him, we neglect God's revelation of Himself, and we will not know Him as He is.
