Jacob's Disappointment

Jacob's disappointment in the apparent loss of Joseph, and with him the promise and hope that God's word is true, was somewhat assuaged by the birth of Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother. But, of course, Benjamin was not Joseph. Interestingly, Abraham's faith was one of waiting for and anticipation of something that had not been yet - the birth of the promised son Isaac, while Jacob's was one of waiting for and anticipation of what Jacob thought had been. While Abraham's faith in resurrection was shown at the Mount where he took Isaac to sacrifice him, Jacob's faith waited years for the resurrection of Joseph.

While Abraham had a specific promise from God that he would have a son from his own loins and from Sarah's womb, Joseph's faith in God had to depend on very little in the way of specifics. Yes, he knew that his seed (children) just as God had promised Abraham, but Jacob had no problem with wives having children. He had eleven, twelve counting Joseph while he was off in Egypt. While Abraham had to endure lack of events evidencing the promise ever coming true, Jacob's faith required him to believe that the problems (Laban, Esau, threat from Canaanites, famine), the children (sons who seemed more like Esau than like Jacob), and the disasters (the loss of Joseph) were all working toward accomplishing the promise.

I do not know which is the more difficult to endure - Abraham's life of waiting with little to show for it until Sarah's pregnancy, or Jacob's endurance of that which seemed to indicate a lack of God's blessing (seemed more like God's punishment at times) on his life. Either way, I'm sure we can find something to learn from both lives of faith.