28 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 29:1-12

Genesis 29:1-12
"Jacob Meets Rachel"

This seems to be following the "Well Story" format. I don't know if you've noticed, but many ancient biblical figures (Isaac [by proxy] and Moses, to name two. Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman, in John 4, also follows a similar pattern, but with a twist) met their wives at a well. There'd be a well, the man would approach, solve a problem or ask a question, the woman would respond.

Here, we have Jacob coming upon a well with a large stone over it. Nearby the well were shepherds. They were in the process of watering the sheep, but they needed to gather the sheep and move the stone. Well, Jacob spies Rachel (who was a shepherdess) in the distance and quickly moves the stone.

The reason I mentioned the whole "Well Story" thing is to show, not that there's some fictional, cultural pattern going on, but that sometimes God works in similar ways to make a point (eg: the creation story [light, sea/air, land/plants; and sun/moon/stars, fish/birds, animals/man]). Sometimes, He does the opposite, but for exactly the same reason (eg: Jesus' different healings of blind men). The point I'm trying to make, though, is that God's putting Jacob in a select group of individuals who would be significant to the Israelites and this is His way of showing us that.

27 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 28:10-22

Genesis 28:10-22
"Jacob at Bethel"

In a nutshell, God appeared to Jacob.

In a more expanded version, God appeared to Jacob in a dream during his [Jacob's] trip to Laban's house. God announced Himself and made to Jacob the same promises He made to Isaac before him and Abraham before him.

• That God will give his descendants "this land"
• That God will make his descendants numerous
• That all people forever and where on earth would be blessed through his descendants

God also made an additional promise to Jacob: that He would bring Jacob back to what would be the promised land and would watch over him until He had done what was promised.

Jacob, in response, built a marker, renamed the area in which he was sleeping, and made a vow to God that if He would be with, watch over, provide for, and ensure a safe return for Jacob, then would Jacob accept God as his Lord.

Here we have again, to no lack of significance, the repetition of the Abrahamic covenant, marking each of the three as key figures to whom the promise was made and would be fulfilled, not through Lot, not through Ishmael, not through Esau, but through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

26 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 28:1-9

Genesis 28:1-9
"Jacob's Departure"

Here we have Jacob's sending-off, but there's more going on here than just the farewells and blessings.

Isaac sends Jacob off with advice, a command and a blessing. He suggests that Jacob visit his uncle Laban's house (which is where Rebekah also told him to go). The command is tied to this action, as Isaac tells Jacob to marry within the family, particularly one of Laban's daughters. The blessing he gives, then, is for the continuation of God's promise to rest on Jacob.

Additionally, we have Esau listening and internalizing everything. He noticed that Isaac explicitly told Jacob not to marry a Canaanite. Rightly discerning that his father did not approve of his wives, he also married family; he married one of Ishmael's daughters, one of his half-cousins.

I find it interesting how, once again, Abraham's descendant's wife comes from his homeland and family. What extra purpose or meaning might be there, I don't know. I do feel, though, that there was a reason, aside from distaste, for Jacob being dissuaded from marrying a Canaanite (after all, Abraham made the same wish regarding Isaac's wife). I think this aversion stems from the worship of the Canaanites of other gods. Additionally, the Israelites, when returning to the promised land, are commanded not to marry a Canaanite woman, too.

25 Jan 2012 - Genesis 27:41-46

Genesis 27:41-46
"Esau's Anger"

Esau, understandably irate, was threatening to kill Jacob. Upon hearing this, Rebekah, his mother began to make plans for Jacob to leave and stay with her brother, Laban. Rebekah also makes a side remark to Isaac, hoping he [Jacob] does not marry a Hittite woman (Esau was married to two, but as was previously stated, they made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah)

Jacob is reaping the consequences of his actions. He stole his brother's birthright, which got to Esau, sparking him into a rage. Note that later on, we'll see just how long it took before Jacob would come near Esau again. Also, we have mom unwittingly playing a matchmaker.

24 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 27:30-40

Genesis 27:30-40
"The Stolen Blessing" (pt. 2)

Here we have Esau come on to the scene (for pt. 1, click here). It is at this point when both Isaac and Esau realize they have been tricked by Jacob. Now, Jacob had stolen both Esau's birthright AND his blessing.

Just to clarify things a little bit, if you read further along in the passage, you will see some of the implications of Jacob receiving the blessing. Jacob will inherit the family "home" and, due to the blessing itself, Jacob would have his relatives subservient to him.

In response, Esau cried out for a blessing. So, Isaac gave him all he could. The blessing was a rough one, promising hardships, servitude and quarrel, but it also promised that one day that yoke of servitude would be broken and Esau would be free of Jacob.

23 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 27:1-29

Genesis 27:1-29
"The Stolen Blessing" (pt. 1)

okay, so this segment (both parts) serves to fulfill the prophecy given to Rachel in Genesis 25:23. In the past, (I'd always wondered why it was that Rebekah helped Jacob in his deception, even prompting it.) Add to this the fact that Esau had sold his birthright, Jacob was supposed to be the one receiving, anyway. Conversely, Isaac had no knowledge of the prophecy and birthright trade and Esau conveniently forgot about the trade.

As we read in the passage, we can see that Jacob effectively stole the blessing due Esau, which, in a sense, belonged to Jacob anyway. So, this brings me to my final point: the end goal for Jacob was achieved, but it was achieved through somewhat questionable means. There could have been many better ways in which this could have been replicated differently, avoiding later conflict.

22 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 26:34-35

Genesis 26:34-35
"Esau's Wives"

In case you're wondering "Why only two verses?", I will explain. I do my devotionals per heading, so sometimes I have a massive passage, which I might split up, or sometimes (i.e Genesis 24 pt. 1 & pt. 2) I might have a really short passage, like today.

Essentially, this passage names the two wives of Esau and how they made life difficult for his parents. Why, it doesn't say. It could be because they were not from the homeland of Esau's grandfather, Abraham; it could be that they were two remarkably pleasant young ladies; or it could be due to a completely different reason.

I looked back in the Bible, at earlier chapters, and found nothing that might indicate a reason for such a poor in-law relationship.

There are still, though, some morsels that may be gleaned:

• When marrying someone, it helps greatly if your fiancé/fianceé gets along well with your family.
• Don't marry more than one spouse. The way the passage is written it seems to suggest that that may be a factor in the conflict.