Scripture Song of Genesis 32:10
“I Am Not Worthy”
Commentary on Genesis 32:10
by Living Faith Fellowship
If there is one character in the Old Testament with whom most of us can identify, it would probably be Jacob. He believed God's promises enough to covet his father Isaac's blessing, but trusted God's providence so little that he resorted to trickery in order to get it (Gen. 27:19). As a consequence, he was forced into decades of virtual exile, working for his father-in-law Laban - who gave him a full dose of his own deceitful medicine (Gen. 29:25).
By the time Jacob left Syria, he harbored no illusions about his own righteousness. As he went to face his brother Esau, whose wrath he had earned by stealing the blessing many years before, Jacob prayed the words of this Scripture. This time, he didn't pretend any claim to God's blessing, and he didn't try to make a deal. He simply confessed his unworthiness and asked for help. Because Jacob acknowledged the truth, he was able to receive God's mercy once again. The Lord not only protected him from Esau, but gave him a new name and a promise of greater blessings to come (Gen. 32:28).
Mercy and truth are frequently paired in Scripture, because they are inextricably intertwined. When we refuse to accept the truth God shows us, and insist on the lie of our own righteousness, we are actually cutting ourselves off from His mercy (Jon. 2:8). If we instead embrace that truth, we create a capacity in our lives for all the riches purchased for us by the sacrifice of Jesus. How good it is, simply to be an object of his mercy!
Commentary ©2013 Hebron Christian Fellowship. Unaltered text may be reproduced freely without financial gain.
Genesis 32:10
Verbatim KJV. Words or verses not included in song replaced with "..."
- I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant