Jacob who was the second born twin of Isaac and Rebekah was chosen by God, not his older brother Esau, and therefore should have received the blessing from Isaac. But Isaac loved Esau better and wanted to give his blessing to him. But through deceit, Jacob pretended to be Esau and received his blessing. Because Esau wanted to kill Jacob because of that, Jacob went to his uncle Laban. For detailed information about this, see the end part of Isaac, the Son of Abraham.
God appeared in a dream to Jacob on his way to Laban. He dreamed of a ladder set up on the Earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven. God's angels ascended and descended upon it. The Lord stood above it and said that the land where Jacob
was, was to be given to him and his offspring. His offspring would be like the dust on the Earth, and in him and his offspring all the families of the Earth would be blessed. God would be with him and watch over him and would bring him back to this land. God wouldn't leave him until he had done what he had promised him. (Gen 28:10–15). These promises are a repetition of the promises that God made several times, first to to Abraham and then to Isaac, see the Abrahamic covenant. Jesus is the ladder in the dream, the point of access between Heaven and Earth (John 1:51). Jesus is the one whom God the Father has sent down to Earth to die on the cross so that man an women can go to Heaven.
Jesus is the way to Heaven, see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
God communicates through dreams in the Bible and can do so even in our time.
This doesn't mean that all our dreams are divinely inspired, but some are.
Jacob made a vow and said that if God would be with him and kept him safe and gave him bread to eat and clothes to wear, and he would return to his father’s house in peace, then the Lord would be his God, and of all that God would give him he would give a full tenth back to him (Gen 28:20–22). I seems that Jacob is trying to make a deal with God on his own terms. It's not direct to trust God.
Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. He asked for Laban, and then his daughter Rachel came with sheep belonging to Laban, for she was a shepherd. Jacob then helped her and watered his uncle’s sheep. When he told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. Laban brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. Laban asked Jacob what he wanted to have to work for him. Laban had two daughters, Leah who was the older and Rachel who was the younger. Leah was a plain looking woman, but Rachel was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said that he would work for Laban for seven years in exchange for his younger daughter Rachel. Laban agreed. After the seven years, Jacob asked for Rachel. But Laban fooled Jacob and gave him his daughter Leah, whom he brought to Jacob. Jacob slept with her thinking she was Rachel. Laban gave his servant Zilpah to Leah
as her attendant. When Jacob realized he had been deceived, he confronted Laban
about it. He replied that he would have Rachel too, but then he had to work for seven more years. Jacob agreed. Laban gave his servant Bilhah to Rachel as her attendant. Jacob slept with Rachel. His love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah, and he worked for Laban another seven years. He didn't love Leah.
(Gen 29:1–31).
Jacob was brought into a polygamous relationship. Such a relationship was and has never been God's intention, and brings with it all sorts of problems. It's contrary to God's purpose and plan. (Gen 2:24, Deu 17:17). When polygamy occurred in the
Old Testament, it may seem that God accepted it. But those involved in it had to deal with all its negative sides, such as jealousy, competition, intrigues, and quarrels, see for example King David. Jesus also affirms that God's original purpose for marriage was one man and one woman (Mat 19:4–6, Mark 10:6–9), see also
homosexuality.
God created the woman to be loved by her husband as Christ loves the church
(Eph 5:25). The love of a man does so much to establish and secure a woman's emotional foundation, to make her happy, and is her primary need. Not being loved makes a woman miserable (Proverbs 30:21–23). It wasn't easy for Leah to have a relationship with a man who didn't love her (Gen 29:32–34). Even if she had several sons which was huge in that culture Jacob didn't love her.
Levi, and Judah. When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of Leah and complained about it to Jacob. Jacob became angry with her and didn't act as his father Isaac had done when he was in a similar situation, who prayed for his wife. Rachel then gave him her servant Bilhah
to sleep with her, so that she could bear children for Rachel. Jacob slept with her, and Bilhah got two sons: Dan and Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as his wife.
Zilpah bore Jacob two sons: Gad and Asher.
Later, Leah also had two more sons; Issachar and Zebulun. Then she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dina. Then God remembered
Rachel and made it possible for her to conceive.
She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and named him Joseph. (Gen 29:31–30:24, 35:23–26).
Then Jacob said to Laban to send him back to his homeland with his wives and children. But Laban wanted him to stay because he understood that the Lord had blessed him for Jacob's sake. Jacob then asked Laban to go through all his flocks and remove from them all speckled or spotted sheep, each dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. They would be his wages. Laban agreed. This was also done. (Gen 30:25–34).
Jacob then took freshly cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would stand directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they could mate near the branches. But if the animals were weak, he wouldn't place them there. The weak animals went to Laban and the strong to Jacob. In this way Jacob grew very prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. (Gen 30:35–43).
Jacob saw that Laban didn't look at him with favor as before. Then the Lord told him to return to the land of his fathers and to his kindred, and the Lord would be with him. (Gen 31:1–3). Jacob's attempt to influence the whole thing
on his own were typical of him but not the reason why he was so blessed.
God explained in a dream that the reason was that God had blessed him:
Jacob told Rachel and Leah that he had worked for their father with all his might, but Laban had cheated him by changing his wages ten times. Jacob told them that he had a dream in which the goats that mated with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The angel of God had told him in the dream that all the goats that mated with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted, for he had seen all that Laban had done to him. He should immediately leave this country and go back to his homeland. Rachel and Leah told Jacob to do everything God had told him. Jacob then puts his children and his wives on camels and drove all his livestock before him along with all that he had gathered to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel
stole her father’s household gods. Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban by not telling him that he was running away. So he fled with everything he had. (Gen 31:4–21).
Jacob had served Laban for twenty years, fourteen years for his two daughters and six years for his flock. During that time, Laban had changed his wages ten times.
(Gen 31:38–42). Jacob became extremely prosperous. God blessed Jacob, but not because Jacob was a particularly good person. It was because of the promises God made to Jacob (see above), and because of the covenant God made with Abraham.
On the third day, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. He pursued Jacob for seven days before he caught up with him. God came to Laban in a dream at night and told him to be careful not to say anything to Jacob, good or bad (James 3:16).
Laban confronted Jacob about leaving him secretly with his daughters. He said that he had the power to harm him, but God had warned him not to do such a thing.
He also accused Jacob of stealing the gods of his household. He searched for them but couldn't find them because Rachel had hidden them. Laban then wanted to make a covenant between him and Jacob, which they did. (Gen 31:22–55).
Jacob went on his way, and God's angels met him. Jacob probably needed this encouragement for what he was about to face. Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau, instructed them to tell Esau that he needed nothing but to find favor in his eyes. When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said that Esau came to meet him, and 400 men were with him. Jacob then acted in fear and distress instead of seeking God in prayer. He divided the people who were with him into two groups, and also the flocks and herds and camels. He believed that if Esau came and attacked one group, the other group could escape. Afterwards Jacob prayed and reminded God of his promises and that he was the one who had told him to go back. He asked God to save him and admitted that he was afraid that Esau would attack
him. He was honest in his prayer as we all should be when we pray. But afterwards he still tried to solve this in his own way instead of trusting God to protect him. He selected gifts for his servants to give to Esau. They would go before Jacob and tell Esau that the gifts came from Jacob who came behind them. Jacob thought this would pacify him so he could receive him when he saw Esau. Jacob’s gifts went before him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons and sent them to Esau with all his possessions. (Gen 32:1–23).
Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Seeing that he couldn't overpower him, the man touched Jacob's hip socket, causing his hip to twist as he wrestled with the man. Then the man told Jacob that he would let him go because it was daybreak. But Jacob replied that he wouldn't do so unless he blessed him. The man asked him his name, and Jacob told him his name. Then the man said that his name would no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because he had struggled with God and with men and had prevailed. Then he blessed Jacob. Jacob was now limping because of his hip. (Hosea 12:3–5, Gen 32:24–32).
Getting a new name was like becoming a new person. The name Israel means
"God rules". Jacob would be in a position of leadership and responsibility for his household and needed this. He needed to have his pride broken to trust God and not in his own strength. This event started a whole new process of how Jacob would deal with life and how he would see God, see 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit in
The Sermon on the Mount. He would be a changed man even if he wasn't perfect. This can be compared to the Apostle Peter (see the end part), who also needed to be broken from pride in order to function as a leader among God's children. Jacob prevailed in the sense that he persevered through his struggle until the Lord thoroughly defeated him. See this further explained at time 43:01–1:07:26
in DAVID GUZIK SERMON ON GENESIS 32 GOD WRESTLES WITH JACOB.
When Jacob approached Esau who came with his 400 men, he divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. He placed the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He put his family in positions that were important to him. Those of less importance at the front, those of greater importance at the back. He himself
went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him, he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him and they wept. Esau asked about the gifts, but received them because Jacob insisted. It would have been impolite in that culture to reject them. Jacob was humble and gave God the glory, saying that God had been gracious to him and that he had everything he needed. Esau then offered Jacob to accompany him on his journey. But Jacob replied that they couldn't travel so fast and it was better for Esau to go on, and they would come later. Esau returned to Seir. Jacob turned to the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of this pagan city.
(Gen 33:1–20).
Esau was materially blessed (Gen 36:6–7), see time 11:33–14:43 in
DAVID GUZIK SERMON ON GENESIS 33 THE MEETING OF JACOB AND ESAU.
God hated Esau regarding the covenant (Rom 9:13, Malachi 1:2b–3). He was rejected because he wasn't chosen to inherit the covenant given to Abraham.
They probably stayed in Shechem for at least ten years since Dina grew up to be
a teenager. Jacob didn't protect his daughter during this time. Instead of going to Shechem, Jacob should have obeyed God and returned to Bethel as God had told him to do (Gen 31:13). God wants obedience before sacrifice (Gen 33:18–20).
Dina, Leah's daughter, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem, the son of Hamor, the ruler of that region, saw her, he took her and raped her. He then asked his father to have her as his wife. Jacob was then told that his daughter Dina
had been defiled. Hamor then went out to talk with Jacob. Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, for Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying
with Jacob’s daughter, something that shouldn't be done. Hamor asked them to take Dina as his son's wife and to intermarry with them. Shechem said he would give them whatever they wanted if he would have Dina as his wife. Because their sister
Dina had become defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully when they spoke to
Shechem and his father Hamor. They told them that they would only make a deal with them if all their men were circumcised. (Gen 34:1–17).
Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and Shechem. All the leading men of the city agreed with them, and every male in the city was circumcised. Three days later while they were all still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons; Simeon and Levi, Dina’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing all the men. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dina from Shechem’s house and left. Jacob's sons plundered the city where their sister had been defiled. They seized their flocks and herds, donkeys, and everything else that belonged to them in the city and in the fields. They carried away all their wealth and all their women and children, and took all that was plundered in the houses. Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, that their actions could lead to the destruction of their household. But they responded and asked him if it was OK that their sister had been treated like a prostitute.
(Gen 34:18–31).
Jacob was probably very passive when Hamor came to talk to them about what had happened, and perhaps didn't even protest over the wrongdoing. This inactivity on the part of Jacob probably led her brothers to feel that they had to do something about it. Jacob didn't act as a protector of his family. However, this doesn't remove responsibility for the massacre carried out by Simeon and Levi. Jacob later prophesied (shortly before his death) over his sons. Then he said of Simeon and Levi
that their anger would be cursed and that they would be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel (Gen 49:5–7). The tribe of Simeon would be absorbed into the tribe of Judah. Because of the faithfulness of the tribe of Levi during the rebellion of the golden calf, see 1. The Golden Calf in Moses; Part 13: Rebellion and Paganism, they were scattered as a blessing over all the people of Israel, see Joshua.
It was because God's grace and mercy that they weren't pursued and punished for their massacre and wrongdoings in Shechem.
Then God told Jacob to go up to Bethel and settle there, and there build an altar to God, who appeared to him when he fled from Esau. Jacob told his household and all who were with him to get rid of their foreign gods, which they did. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the cities all around them, so that no one pursued them for what they had done in Shechem. Jacob and all the people with him came to Bethel in the land of Canaan, where he built an altar. God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him. God told him that he would no longer be called Jacob; his name would be Israel. He told him to be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a community of nations would come from him, and kings would be among his descendants. The land that God gave to Abraham
and Isaac, God would give to him and to his descendants after him.
(Psalm 105:10–11). Jacob set up a stone pillar in the place where God had spoken to him, and he poured out a drink offering upon it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had spoken to him Bethel. Then they moved on from Bethel.
Rachel began to give birth to a son, Benjamin, but Rachel had great difficulty in childbirth and died. Later, Reuben went in and lay with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Jacob heard about it. Still later, Jacob came home to his father Isaac, who lived to be 180 years old before he died. (Gen 35:1–29).
When they plundered the houses in Shechem, they probably also took their
man-made gods. Rachel had also stolen her father’s household gods. They got rid of all these gods, which was important to prevent them from idolatry. God would use Jacob's family because of God's grace and promises.
That Reuben slept with his father’s concubine was a pagan tradition. Before a son took over his father's legacy, he took over his concubines. It showed how Jacob's children had been influenced by the pagan lifestyle in Shechem. Because of this sinful behavior, Reuben lost his birthright to be Jacob's firstborn child (Gen 49:3–4). Adonijah, king David's son, tried to do do something similar but was killed because of it (1 Kings 2:13–25). When Absalom rebelled
against his father king David and tried to become king, he slept with his fathers
concubines (2 Sam 16:21–22). For more on Jacob, see Joseph, the Son of Jacob.
See also The Old Testament of the Bible.
