Early on in this chapter the prophet spoke an interesting line about Jacob, In the womb he grasped his brother's heel; as a man he struggled with God (3). The prophet seemed to be acknowledging that from the womb. Jacob had a bent (a character trait) that drove him to get ahead by any means. The grasping of the heel comes from his birth (Gen 25:26), where Jacob is born grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau. His name Jacob means ‘grasping the heel’ which has a figurative meaning of ‘deceiver.’ In fact, the next Genesis vignette after his birth is Jacob deceiving his brother Esau out of his firstborn birthright.
As I pondered this text, it occurred to me that Hosea was intimating that throughout his life. Jacob had a personal ‘bent’ to get ahead by any and all means, which often led him to do things that disappointed God.
I am not Jacob, my ‘bents’ are different, but the Spirit’s nudge reminded me that I do have bents, character traits from my earliest years. I will battle with these ‘bents’ all my life to keep within the bounds of honorable living. My ‘bents’ continually want to lead me into trouble. I have to submit them to the Lord regularly, daily, hourly…
I pondered some of my ‘bents’ and asked myself and God how I was doing handling them.How are you doing with your ‘bents’?
Lord, I submit my personality traits to You. You made me. You know my ‘bents’ and where they lead me astray and where they direct me into good and godly action. Lord, I submit my problem areas to You, asking for strength to control them, so that my life is lived for Your honor and Your glory until the time I live with You in glory forever. Amen.
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