Jacob: On the Lam and On to Love

 

In our previous episode of God’s One Big Story (from Genesis 27:1-28:9), we were shown a very sad picture of the dysfunction which occurs in a “godly” family when the leader of that family abdicates his position as head in favor of the sensory pleasures of life.  In this case, we are talking about Isaac who, in earlier chapters, had been such a spiritual man that he could easily be seen as a type of Christ.  However, as was evidenced by the last episode, he had become so passive and self-absorbed that his wife, Rebekah, was left to take over the leadership of the family—a move which ended in disastrous results for all, as…

• • Isaac was lied to by his son, Jacob, and betrayed by his wife;
  • Esau was robbed of what he believed was his blessing;
  • Esau hatched a plan to kill his brother, Jacob; and,
  • Rebekah sent away Jacob, the son she loved—and whom she would never get to see again.

In this current episode, when our story picks up in Genesis 28:10, Biopic #2—the Story of Isaac has come to an end and Biopic #3—the Story of Jacob will be getting underway in earnest.  Then, over the course of the next eight chapters of Genesis, we will be following along with this less than reputable character as he…

• • Encounters God for the first time;
  • Learns to submit to His disciplinary process; and,
  • Is graciously transformed from a pariah into a Prince with God by the end of his journey.

 

Episode #1 of Biopic #3
Cast:     Narrator     Jacob     The Lord     Men at the Well     Rachel     Laban     Leah

 

Setting the Scene—Previously, under the direction of his mother, Rebekah, Jacob disguised himself as his older brother, Esau, and presented himself as such to his father in order to obtain his father’s much-coveted blessing. Having succeeded in this scheme, he was then forced to flee to protect himself from his brother’s wrath. This is where we find Jacob as the curtain rises on this part of our story…

 

 

Narrator:  Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.  So, he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.  Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  And behold, the LORD stood above it and said…

The Lord:  I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.  Also, your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.  Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.

Narrator:  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said…

Jacob:  Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.

Narrator:  And he was afraid and said…

Jacob:  How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!

 

 

Narrator:  Then Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.  And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.  Then Jacob made a vow, saying…

Jacob:  If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I am going and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.  And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.

Narrator:  So, Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.  And he looked and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth.  Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.  And Jacob said to them…

Jacob:  My brethren, where are you from?

Men at the Well:  We are from Haran.

Jacob:  Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?

Men at the Well:  We know him.

Jacob:  Is he well?

Men at the Well:  He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.

Jacob:  Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go and feed them.

Men at the Well:  We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

Narrator:  Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.  Then Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.  And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.

Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So, he told Laban all these things.  And Laban said to him…

Laban:  Surely you are my bone and my flesh.

Narrator:  And he stayed with him for a month.  Then Laban said to Jacob…

Laban:  Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?

 

 

Narrator:  Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.  Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said…

Jacob:  I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.

Laban:  It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.

Narrator:  So, Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.  Then Jacob said to Laban…

Jacob:  Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.

Narrator:  And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.  Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.  And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.  So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban…

Jacob:  What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?

Laban:  It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.  Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.

Narrator:  Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So, he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.  And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.  Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

 

 

When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.  So, Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said…

Leah:  The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.

Narrator:  Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said…

Leah:  Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.

Narrator:  And she called his name Simeon.  She conceived again and bore a son, and said…

Leah:  Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.

Narrator:  Therefore, his name was called Levi.  And she conceived again and bore a son, and said…

Leah:  Now I will praise the LORD.

Narrator:  Therefore, she called his name Judah.  Then she stopped bearing…

 

…and with this, the curtain comes down on our story once more.

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Our Review

With so many notes associated with this episode, we’d better get on with our review of…

The Most Important Points of this Episode—

— Beersheba…Haran—from Jacob’s home in Beersheba to Haran, it was a journey of over 500 miles.  When he left, he was alone and, from this passage, it seems that he was traveling on foot.  He must have had provisions and money but not much else—and, since he was fleeing from his brother, he was probably hustling and always looking over his shoulder.

 

 

— A certain place—Bethel (Genesis 12:8) was about 70 miles from Beersheba and was the place where Abraham had built his second altar in the Land of Promise.  Here, as Jacob was on the verge of leaving the Promised Land, unbeknownst to him, he was also on the verge of a life-altering encounter with God.

— He dreamed—although Jacob had grown up knowing about God intellectually, it was through this dream that God would make Himself known to him personally.  Prior to this time, no doubt, Jacob had been religious, but as a result of this encounter with God, he would become righteous—at least in his standing, if not yet in his character.  This encounter, then, would mark the first stage in his Salvation Experience.

— A ladder—in his dream, Jacob sees a ladder going from earth to heaven, with streams of Angels (Hebrews 1:4) going up and down it—revealing that there is a heaven, and that there is an on-going connection between what happens on earth and in heaven.  Later on, in John 1:51, in his interaction with Nathanael, Jesus identifies Himself as the Ladder which Jacob saw—the only Ladder connecting Heaven with Earth, and God with Man.

— I am the Lord God—God identifies Himself as the God of Jacob’s grandfather and father, and reiterates the same covenant Promises that He made to both of them.

— In you and your seed—here in this promise, God confirms that the long-promised Messiah will come through Jacob and his descendants.

— I will not leave you—these are the same promises that God makes to every one of His Children…

For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’  (Hebrews 13:5)

…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…  (Philippians 1:6)

— The House of God—Bethel means House of God, whereas Luz means separation—a change signifying that what was once separated and apart from God has now been brought near.

— Set up a pillar—using the stone upon which he slept, Jacob now lays the foundation stone of what will later become an altar to God, a place where He will one day be worshipped.

— If God will be with me—this is better translated as, Since God will be with me.

— I will surely give you—Jacob’s willingness to give, rather than get, is a mark that some sort of spiritual transformation has taken place in him. This is reminiscent of the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 where, following his encounter with Christ, we find Zacchaeus saying to Jesus…

…Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.

— Jacob went on his journey—with these new-found assurances of God’s presence and protection, Jacob can make the rest of his long journey in peace.  Having now encountered God, he begins his life-long journey of transformation—with a lot still to learn about being a man of God!

— A well…with a large stone on its mouth/Haran—when Jacob comes to a well on the outskirts of Haran, he sees three flocks of sheep waiting to be watered.  Immediately, he asks the shepherds if they know Laban.  When they reply that they do, they point out his daughter, Rachel, who is coming with his sheep.

— It is not time for the cattle to be gathered—as an experienced shepherd, Jacob knows that it is too early for the sheep to be watered—something that is usually done in the evening.  Nevertheless, and in spite of the local custom of waiting for all the flocks to arrive, when he sees Rachel, he rolls the heavy stone away by himself and waters her father’s sheep.

— Jacob kissed Rachel—because this was intended as a kiss of greeting, something practiced only by relatives and close friends, Jacob explains who he is and his connection to her family.  Rachel then runs to tell her father that Rebekah’s son has come.

— When Laban heard—remember that when the Unnamed Servant came for Rebekah years before and Laban heard about the gifts he had given her, he ran to meet him, too.

— What should your wages be—this could be taken one of two ways: either Jacob had been hanging around doing nothing for a month and Laban decides it’s time to put him to work; or he had been working for Laban for free for the first month, and Laban offers to make him a paid employee. (I am inclined to go with the former option.)

— Laban had two daughters—Leah the elder and Rachel the younger.

— I will serve you seven years for Rachel/they seemed only a few days—Because Jacob loves Rachel so much, he agrees to serve Laban for free if he will give him Rachel as his wife.  Essentially, this represents the Negotiation Phase of the Ancient Jewish Wedding Tradition, with Jacob acting as his own agent in the negotiation, and with his promise of seven years of labor serving as the Bride Price he is willing to pay for Rachel.  Notice that there is no mention of any local regulation that Laban would later claim when trying to justify the substitution of Leah for Rachel.

— Give me my wife…Laban made a feast—in keeping with the Jewish Wedding Tradition, once the Bride Price has been paid, Jacob comes to claim his Bride, and Laban arranges a Wedding Feast or Supper.

— He took Leah and brought her to Jacob—the Bride would have been veiled so Jacob would not have known who was behind the veil.  In the morning, however, Jacob discovers that his new Bride is not Rachel but Leah. 

— Why have you deceived me—this is so rich, coming from Jacob, the deceiver himself.  Instead of the younger child being passed off as the elder one (as in the case of Jacob and Esau), here the elder is being passed off as the younger one.

— It must not be done so in our country—we don’t know if Laban had been planning this all along, or if he had been unable to find another husband for Leah during the seven years prior to this.

— Serve me another seven years…Jacob fulfilled her week—since the Consummation Phase of the Marriage usually lasted a week, Jacob fulfilled the week that was due to Leah.  At the end of the week, he was given Rachel as his wife—however, he still had to work seven more years for free to pay off her Bride Price.

— He loved Rachel more than Leah—here, the favoritism which caused so many problems in Jacob’s old family is being reproduced in his new family.

— He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren—Jacob, like other men of his day, wanted sons.  They were not only a testament to his prowess as a man, but they also provided him with a natural sort of immortality.  Because Leah was unloved, God blessed her with the sons that Rachel could not give him.

— She conceived and bore a son…Reuben (behold a son!), Simeon (hearing), Levi (attachment), Judah (praise)—in rapid succession, Leah gave Jacob four sons and gave each one a name reflecting her emotional state at the time of their births.

— Then she stopped bearing—and it’s at this time that the competition between the sisters for Jacob’s affection really goes into overdrive.

 

In Summary

To summarize what we have learned from this episode of God’s One Big Story, let’s pause to ask ourselves the following questions…

What Life Lessons can we take away from this episode?

Probably the most important lesson for us to learn would be…

God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Galatians 6:7-8.)

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit… (John 15:8)

Because God, the giver of life, is glorified when the things He has given life to produce fruit—that is, they reproduce the life that He has made them stewards of—when creating the earth, He designed it to function as a global agricultural enterprise, with every living thing in it created and commanded to be fruitful and to produce a harvest after its own kind. This not only applies to the earth’s vegetation, its fish and fowl, and its living creatures—whose ongoing fruitfulness is vital to the sustainment of all life on the planet—but also to its human inhabitants who have been made in the image and likeness of God.

This means that the very same laws of sowing and reaping that are at work in the natural realm also apply in the spiritual realm—with every thought we think, every word we speak, and everything we do acting as seeds which when sown will eventually bring forth either harvests of corruption or everlasting life. This should cause us to pause and ponder the following truths before we set about doing anymore indiscriminate seed-sowing…

• • While one seed will produce just one plant, that one plant will produce a lot of fruit—meaning that we will always reap more than we sow;
  • The seed we sow will not spring up into a plant overnight, but it will take time, sometimes a lot of time to grow to maturity—meaning that while our harvest may not be immediate, it will be sure and will come at the appropriate time; and,
  • Whatever seed we sow will bear the image of the original, meaning that the fruit produced by any seed we sow will be of the same kind and nature as its “parent,” with that kind and nature being passed on to all future generations of that seed.

We’ve certainly seen these truths begin to manifest themselves in the little we have seen of Jacob’s life so far…

• • The seeds of competition between him and his brother are now being reproduced in the lives of his wives;
  • The seeds of favoritism planted by his parents are reaping an event greater harvest in his current family; and,
  • The seeds of deception used to cheat his brother are now beginning to manifest themselves in his relationship to Laban.

 

What Contributions does this episode make to the spiritual story that God is trying to tell us?

On one level, the story of Jacob provides us with a picture of Everyman—a person who, just like every one of us, starts out in life as a lost sinner desperately in need of the Salvation that can only be found in God.  As with us, there was nothing in Jacob to merit such salvation, it had to come as a gift of God’s grace. In order to obtain that gift, both he and we must come to God by faith, learning to submit our wills to His as we come face to face with one test after another—tests that are designed to teach us how to live godly, victorious lives through the overcoming power of God’s Spirit.

On a broader level, Jacob, his wives and children, and their descendants will eventually multiply and become the nation Israel—the nation that God has chosen as His own–the nation He betrothed Himself to back in Genesis 15. It will be through Israel that God will reveal Himself, His Salvation, and His Son to the world.

 

 

Are we given any new Revelations of God in this part of our Story?

Throughout our previous episode, God had been unusually quiet. Instead of intervening in any of the mischief going on in Isaac’s household, He took the position of an interested observer, waiting patiently for the consequences of that mischief to manifest themselves. Then, in this episode, at just the right time, He reveals Himself to Jacob. Always the Mama’s boy and never having been away from home, Jacob was no doubt running scared, preparing to leave behind the land that was to be his inheritance. It was at this opportune moment that God introduced Himself to Jacob, spoke to him of his future blessings, and assured him of His watch care over him in the here and now.

We will learn more about Jacob, his family and his adventures in our next episode, Jacob: Sex, Drugs, and Livestock–so be sure to join us for that!

 

 

Original images courtesy of FreeBibleimages :: Home.
Featured image of William Dyce’s painting of Jacob and Rachel courtesy of Wikimedia.