If Jacob were alive today, I am certain that he would be a Yuppie. The three-piece suit, BMW and condo at the beach would certainly all be among his possessions. For you see, Jacob was a born competitor. Any corporation would be delighted to employ him. He came out of the womb with his hand grasping his brother Esau's ankle seeking to be the first born because the first born received a greater portion of the inheritance. That is how he got his name, "Jacob," which means one who strives.

You know the story. Jacob was caught in a classic scene of conflict between his parents, Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac was not the towering figure in the Scriptures that his father had been. He was a very mediocre man. Probably he did not command the respect of Rebekah, his wife. The tension between them manifest…