Babylon has Gilgamesh, Athens has Theseus, Rome has Aeneas–but what nation or city ever had a founder like Jacob, the “supplanter”? Even his name change is provocative: Israel, or “he wrestles with God.”
In spite of his checkered character, he is the last of the three great patriarchs whose name will echo throughout generations of Bible history. His other name remains a rock of offense today: Israel, a stubborn, tiny nation that continues to exercise an influence far beyond its size. There’s got to be a reason for that, and we get a hint of it in this week’s Bible challenge, where personality wrestles with destiny.
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(This is a continuation of a series of posts about the “whole story” of the Bible. I plan to run one every week, on Tuesdays, with a printable PDF. The printable includes a brief 2-3 paragraph introduction, Bible passages to read, a key verse, 5-7 thought/discussion questions, and 2-3 activities for the kids. Here’s the Overview of the entire Bible series.)
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