In all of scripture, and even in all of literature, you would be hard pressed to find a character more interesting than Jacob. We meet him first before he is even born - his mother Rebekah is in such agony during her pregnancy carrying him and his twin brother that she wants to die. When the babies finally make their appearance, little Esau comes out first, but his brother is holding on to his heel, and, as the legend has it, that is why he was given the name Jacob - it meant "heel" or "trickster" or "supplanter." And since names then and now carry baggage, we have a huge clue as to the kind of person this baby is going to become.

Yes, the lad grew up to be a "heel." You remember those stories from your Sunday School lessons. He cheated his brother out of his inheritance. He duped his fat…