Jacob has often been propounded as a warning; Joseph as an exemplar. Despite this contrast, their lives are inextricably intertwined and have been given for our instruction and inspiration. In this commentary, two excellent Bible teachers have extracted the practical lessons and expounded them eloquently for our instruction. The sixth book in the Ritchie Character Series covers the lives of Jacob and Joseph. There are many important lessons to be learned from the accounts of Jacob and Joseph and these practical books will be of help to those wishing to study and learn from these characters. Jacob, patriarch, pilgrim, parent, Prince, and prophet: his life and history have been the theme of many sermons and books, his failures paraded before us as warnings of the "Jacob" in all of us. As we read his life we are reminded of the great principle of "sowing and reaping," the inviolable law of God. Thankfully, there is the occasional message we are privileged to hear which shows the development in the character of a child of God through patient moulding by God, and his eventual triumphant end. As we listen with amazement to God declaring Himself "The mighty God of Jacob" (Ps 132:5), we bow in wonder and worship before a God of such amazing grace. Most view the story of Joseph as the dominant feature of Genesis, but in reality, however, the life of Joseph is really intertwined with that of Jacob. But the story of Jacob attracts us all.
