Jacob’s Journey With God

Genesis 35

In Genesis 35, we come to the end of Jacob having center stage in the book of Genesis. Genesis 36 will dispense with the history of Jacob’s brother Esau before Genesis 37 begins the story of Jacob’s sons. Jacob will not die until the end of Genesis 49, but the focus shifts to his sons, especially Joseph and Judah.

Jacob’s life has been a rocky journey. His story began back in Genesis 25 when God answered Isaac’s prayer for his barren wife Rebekah. We have seen that Jacob wrestled and struggled all his life. When Rebekah’s twins struggled together in the womb (Gen. 25:22), the LORD told her that she carried two nations, two peoples,

and that the older would serve the younger (Gen. 25:23). Jacob wrestled his older brother Esau for his birthright (Gen. 25:29–34), then wrestled his father, Isaac, for his blessing (Gen. 27). Jacob met God in Bethel when he fled from the homicidal anger of his brother Esau (Gen. 28). In exile in Haran, Jacob wrestled his uncle Laban (Gen. 29–31), who tricked Jacob into marrying both of his daughters (Gen. 29:25), who then wrestled against each other for their Jacob’s affection (Gen. 29:31–30:24).

Finally free from Laban after twenty years, Jacob returned to Canaan. As he prepared to meet his brother Esau, he was met at night by a man who wrestled him until dawn (Gen. 32:24). When the man injured Jacob’s hip, Jacob clung to him and pleaded for a blessing (Gen. 32:26). There God said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Gen. 32:28). All Jacob’s wrestling—with his brother, his father, his uncle, his wives—had ultimately been wrestling with God.[1]

Genesis 33 related Jacob’s surprisingly warm reunion with Esau and how Jacob settled at Shechem in the land of Canaan (Gen. 33:18). Then last time in Genesis 34, we saw the shameful episode of how Jacob’s sons Levi and Simeon deceived and slaughtered the men of Shechem as revenge for the defiling of their sister Dinah. Jacob greatly feared reprisal from the Canaanites for this treachery.

Today we will see that Genesis 35 is a journey. You’ll see that keyword “journeyed” in Genesis 35:5, 16, and 21.[2] Jacob and his household journeyed south from Shechem to Bethel (Gen. 35:5), then from Bethel to Bethlehem (Gen. 35:16), and finally from Bethlehem to Eder (Gen. 35:21) to Hebron (Gen. 35:27), where his father Isaac lived.

Here we see Jacob returning to life as a pilgrim like his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham (Gen. 12:9; 20:1). He is on a journey, a journey with God. God was not even mentioned in Genesis 34 when Jacob was living in Shechem. But in Genesis 35 the name “God” appears eleven times. It is also present eleven more times in the names Israel, Bethel, El Bethel, and El-Shaddai (Gen. 35:11).[3]

Follow along in your Bibles as I read our text, Genesis 35:1-29:

¹ Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” ² And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. ³ Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem. ⁵ And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

⁶ So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. ⁷ And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother. ⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth. ⁹ Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. ¹⁰ And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. ¹¹ Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. ¹² The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” ¹³ Then God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. ¹⁴ So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. ¹⁵ And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.

¹⁶ Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. ¹⁷ Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.” ¹⁸ And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. ¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.

²¹ Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. ²² And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: ²³ the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; ²⁴ the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; ²⁵ the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali; ²⁶ and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram. ²⁷ Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. ²⁸ Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. ²⁹ So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Here we find Jacob as a pilgrim on the move in obedience to God and thinking the sort of thoughts that a faithful man should think.[4] Where he goes is important, but how he journeys is even more important. Our outline will follow the three journeys that Jacob made in Genesis 35: to Bethel, to Ephrath (Bethlehem), and to Mamre (Hebron). In each of these, we will see important aspects of Jacob’s journey with God. My hope is that this will also instruct us as pilgrims in our journey with God.

1. Journey to Bethel (Gen. 35:1-15)

God commanded Jacob to journey to Bethel (Gen. 35:1), “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.’”  It was at Bethel that Abraham the pilgrim “built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD” (Gen. 12:8). Abraham came back to Bethel after his disastrous backsliding in Egypt. It was at Bethel that Jacob saw the ladder, met the LORD God, believed God’s promises, and vowed that Yahweh would be his God (Gen. 28). God had reminded Jacob that He was the God of Bethel when He commanded Jacob to leave Paddan-Aram to return to Canaan (Gen. 31:3,13). To come back to Bethel was to come back home.[5]

But although Jacob has been back in the land for perhaps ten years, he has fallen short of returning to Bethel. Now God makes it clear that Jacob must go there. God’s commands include three imperatives for Jacob: “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God.” (Gen. 35:1). Arise, go up, dwell, make an altar. It was a call for Jacob not only to return to a place but to return to the LORD his God. It is a call to renewed worship. Robert Rayburn reminds us that “The Bible, perhaps more than you realize, is a book about worship – huge sections of the book are devoted to this subject.”[6]

Now Jacob was obedient to God’s call. His first step was personal and family cleansing. Jacob said to his family, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” (Gen. 35:2-3). Jacob was enough of a man of faith to know that if he was going to worship God, he had to leave some things behind. There had to be cleansing. He couldn’t let his family haul their idols to the house of God (Bethel).

But why do they have foreign gods? Isn’t this the family of Abraham and Isaac? Where did Jacob’s family get these foreign gods? Remember that Abraham’s distant family in Ur and Haran also had other gods. When Jacob’s family fled from Laban, Rachel stole her father’s household idols (Gen. 31:19). Chances are, she still had them with her. Perhaps his family had adopted the practices of their neighbors in Succoth and Shechem. The sons of Jacob had just taken as plunder the and possessions of Shechem. No doubt this included valuable images and things made of precious metals and stones that were used in pagan worship.

The God of Jacob is not like the false gods of the surrounding nations. He is not like Laban’s household gods. And not like the Canaanite gods Jacob’s sons found as they plundered Shechem (34:29). Those gods do not answer in the day of distress[7] like the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. They cannot protect like the LORD who, Jacob says, “has been with me in the way which I have gone.” (Gen. 35:3).

Not only must they put away the foreign gods, but also purify themselves and change their garments—outward cleansings that were a sign of the inward cleansing of their hearts. Following Jacob’s example, his family also responded in obedience, “So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.” (Gen. 35:4). They left all these things behind, buried them, and made a clean break with false worship. Then they could go to the house of God to worship.

Ridding themselves of idols would set a pattern for the nation of Israel who came after them. Joshua called Israel to renew her devotion to the LORD saying, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!” (Joshua 24:14; also 23). Samuel would later say a similar thing to Israel at Mizpah: “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods … from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only…” (1 Samuel 7:3-4).

It sets a pattern for us as well. Coming back to God begins by recognizing from God’s word that you are not where God wants you to be. Jacob was in Shechem; God wanted him in Bethel. Then we respond in obedience to the command of God to arise, go up, and worship Him. What will it look like to obey the Lord? Getting rid of idols—those things that take the place of God in your life. We cleanse ourselves by confessing our sins before God (1 John 1:9). Then we demonstrate that inward repentance by our outward behavior, bearing “fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8).

So, Jacob and all the people who were with him arrived at Bethel, the house of God. There he built an altar and worshipped God, calling Him El Bethel, the God of the house of God. Before, Jacob had emphasized the place where he met God, Bethel, the house of God. Now He focuses on the God of the house of God. Bethel means nothing without the God of Bethel.

 It was here at Bethel that Deborah, Rebekah’s maid, died. We are not told why or when she came to stay with Jacob. It is possible that she came bearing the news of Rebekah’s death and then stayed on with Jacob. No doubt Deborah was one to whom Jacob felt very attached, he wept at her burial, calling the place “Allon Bachuth,” oak of weeping.

God appeared to Jacob again (Gen. 35:9) reminding him of his new name, Israel (Gen. 35:10). God repeated the covenant promises He had made to Jacob saying, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” “God Almighty” is El Shaddai. It pointed to God’s all-sufficient power and faithfulness to keep His covenant promises.

After God left, Jacob did the same thing he did 30 years before at Bethel: He set up a pillar and poured out an offering on it. He worships. This is the way of the pilgrim. This is how we journey with God—listening to God’s word to us, responding in obedience, repenting of sin, consecrating ourselves, believing God’s promises, and worshiping with a full heart.

That is Jacob’s journey to Bethel. Next, we see his,   

2. Journey to Bethlehem (Gen. 35:16-20)

Jacob had just returned to God, gotten rid of foreign Gods, purified himself and his family, and worshipped God at Bethel. Now that he had turned the corner and was obeying God, some might think that God would give him a more trouble-free life. But obedience to God doesn’t guarantee a life free from trials.[8] In fact, it’s often the trials and afflictions of life that keep us holding on to God and help to mature our faith. In this chapter where Jacob returns to spiritual worship, there are no less than four tragedies that brought sorrow into Jacob’s life.

The first was the death of Deborah which we already saw at Bethel. The second was the death of his beloved wife Rachel. Somewhere between Bethel and Bethlehem, Rachel went into hard labor. As her child was being born the midwife tried to encourage Rachel by informing her that it was the son she wanted so badly. Remember that Rachel had called her first son Joseph, meaning, literally, “add to me” (Gen. 30:24), because she desired for God to add to her another son. With her dying breath, Rachel sees the answer to her prayer. She named him Ben-oni, meaning “son of my sorrow.” Jacob would not allow that name to stand, however, and changed it to Benjamin, “the son of my right hand.” Rachel was then buried on the way to Bethlehem, and Jacob and his household proceeded on, having set up a pillar along the way.

Although Moses doesn’t detail Jacob’s grief here in Genesis 35, we see he is still grieving for her 40 years later, when Jacob on his deathbed poignantly recalls, “But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)” (Gen. 48:7).

Two more trials come as Jacob makes his,

3. Journey to Hebron (Gen. 35:21-29)

Jacob’s third trial comes as “Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder” (Gen. 35:21). His oldest son “Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine” (Gen. 35:22).  This was probably Reuben’s attempt to grab the family inheritance for himself, much as Absalom in his rebellion publicly went in to David’s concubines, and Adonijah later attempted to usurp power from his brother, Solomon, with the same scheme. The text says that Jacob heard about it, and apparently he did nothing—not yet anyway. Again, on his deathbed, Jacob recalls Reuban’s treachery and removes his birthright.

Now that Jacob’s family is now complete with the birth of his twelfth son Benjamin, Moses lists all Jacob’s sons according to their mothers. With Abraham and Isaac God had chosen to fulfill His covenant through only one son to the exclusion of others. Now, God’s people will include all the sons of Jacob. This was another assurance that the promises of God were good. The names are firstfruits, as it were, of the great nation to follow.[9]

Jacob’s final sorrow in this chapter is the death of his aged father, Isaac. The text might make us think that Jacob arrived just before Isaac’s death. But if we follow the timeline closely, we see that Jacob lived in Hebron with Isaac about ten or twelve years before Isaac died. But Isaac’s death is presented here to wrap up this part of Jacob’s history. It was another sorrow for Jacob, as another link with the past was removed.[10] Jacob’s trials in this chapter seem to drive him to trust God more.

Trials can either make us self-focused or God-focused. If we allow the trials to help us put God back in the rightful center of our lives, we will journey with God, as Jacob did.[11]

More than anything else this Genesis 35 shows us again the great theme we have followed throughout the whole book of Genesis: the faithfulness of God to accomplish His purposes and fulfill His promises even through human sin and weakness. The covenant of God and the promise of salvation and the hope of mankind depended absolutely not on the faithfulness of men, but wholly on God’s own faithfulness to His promise, to His Word. The chapters that follow continue to demonstrate that greatest of all truths.

Ultimately, God would fulfill His plan of salvation through Israel, the nation He chose. Yet it would not be because of their faithfulness, but His. God would bless all the peoples of the earth through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by sending His own beloved Son to be the Savior of the world. He would be the true son of Israel and also the Son of God. He would leave the heavenly Bethel, the house of God, to be born in the humble town of Bethlehem, the house of bread. He would be like Ben-oni, “A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). Jesus Christ was the perfect lamb of God who “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53.4).

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:4-6).

Because the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself to die on the cross for our sins—God raised Him from the grave and has exalted Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is God’s true Benjamin, “son of my right hand.” It is Jesus who “when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3). “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Rom. 8:34).

This is what we celebrate and sing about during this Christmas season—the child born in Bethlehem, the Son of sorrow, is also the Son the right hand. He is the Son of God, the Savior, the Lord, who is seated on the throne of God; able to save all who trust in Him. So, as in the great hymn by Charles Wesley,

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hail, the heaven born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.

Come to Christ, repent of your sin, cast away your idols and your burdens at the cross. Receive His forgiveness and the gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus who died for your sins, who was raised for your justification, and who sits at the right hand of God interceding for you until He comes again in power and great glory to judge the world and consummate His kingdom. Don’t delay. Come to Him now. He is your only hope and salvation.

[1] Mathis, David, God Answers in Our Time of Crisis, https://www.citieschurch.com/sermons/god-answers-in-our-time-of-crisis

[2] Mathis.

[3] Boice, James Montgomery. 1998. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[4] Rayburn, Robert, The Pilgrim Way Genesis 35:1-15, https://www.faithtacoma.org/genesis/the-pilgrim-way-genesis-351-15

[5] Phillips, John. 2009. Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary. The John Phillips Commentary Series. Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

[6] Rayburn.

[7] Mathis.

[8] Cole, Steven, Getting Out of a Spiritual Slump (Genesis 35:1-29), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-62-getting-out-spiritual-slump-genesis-351-29

[9] Ross, Allen, and John N. Oswalt. 2008. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus. Vol. 1. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

[10] Cole.

[11] Cole.

A Shameful Episode

Genesis 34

Every so often in the Bible we come across an account that is just plainly distasteful and repulsive. Sometimes the scripture reports such reprehensible actions that, I’ll admit, it is difficult to know how to preach on them. Genesis 34 is such a narrative, for it tells of the rape of Jacob’s daughter Dinah by Shechem, son of Hamor, and of a bloody revenge on the city of Shechem by Jacob’s sons.

What are we to do with such a chapter? One commentator said, “We may well wonder if any man who had proper discernment”[1] would preach from this text. Such notable preachers as A.W. Pink and Alexander Maclaren skip over it. But we won’t be just brushing over it today because it is our commitment to preach the whole counsel of God in His Holy Scripture.

In one sense, it should not surprise us to find such a chapter in Genesis because we have already seen material that not only shows the depravity of human sin in general, but also the wickedness and sin in the hearts and lives of those who were men of God.[2] Haven’t we already seen godly Noah passed out drunk and naked (Gen. 9)? Haven’t we seen righteous Lot reluctant to leave the sinful city of Sodom and being drunk and raped by his daughters? Haven’t we seen Abraham and Isaac lying about their wives being their sisters in order to save their own skins? And of course, we have Jacob deceiving his father to steal his brother’s blessing. The Bible is very candid about its characters.

Part of what we are learning from the book of Genesis is that God is so wise, so powerful, so gracious, and so faithful to His promises that He is able to carry out His good purposes even with people who are extremely broken and sinful. God is faithful to preserve His people and to keep His promises to them, despite their weakness, failures, and sins.[3]

This is not the last unpleasant chapter in the Bible, or even in Genesis. How should we read and understand such chapters? First, remember that the Bible is God’s word. He wants us to understand it and to know Him through it. So we come humbly before His word, knowing its divine author and its authority over our lives. And we come prayerfully, asking God to reveal Himself and His truth to us as we read and study.

Jonathan Parnell points out three fundamental things that we do when we come humbly and prayerfully to difficult passages.[4]

• Understand the context. Where does this passage fit in the overall Bible storyline? How does it contribute to the theme of the book, (Genesis in this case)? What comes before and after it? Who were the people to whom God first wrote this message and why did they need to hear it?
• Read the passage. Read it several times through and look to answer questions like: What is the genre, or kind of literature, in this passage? Genesis 34 is a narrative, so we are looking for the details that contribute to the story. Who are the people, places and things in the story? What moves the narrative along? Are there repeated words or allusions to other events? The details often make the story.
• Mine for the message. The Bible is the word of God and He has a message in His word about who He is and how we relate to Him. There is always a message, but sometimes it takes some digging to get at it. What is the theme of the passage? Where is God in the passage? What are the problems it addresses? What did it communicate to the original hearers? Your careful reading and study should help to answer some of these questions.

This is the outline that I will follow as we study Genesis 34 today. I hope that this method will help us not only to know what Genesis 34 teaches us, but also how to find this truth yourself as you humbly and prayerfully study the Bible on your own.

1. Understand the Context: Jacob Back in Canaan.

The context of a passage tells where it fits in the Bible. We are in the book of Genesis, the book of beginnings, where under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Moses writes about the origin of the world (Genesis 1-11) and the origin of God’s chosen people, the Israelites (Genesis 12-50). In the big picture, God has created a good world where mankind was made in the image of God to know Him and rule over His creation (Gen. 1-2). The first man and woman sinned, bringing the judgment of death upon the human race (Gen. 3). The rest of Genesis, and really most of the Bible, is about God working His purpose to redeem humanity and restore His good creation. So in Genesis 12, God called Abraham, promised to bless him, to make of him a great nation, to give his descendants the land of Canaan, and that through his seed God would bless all the families of the earth. So Moses has unfolded for us the history of Abraham, his son Isaac, and now his grandson Jacob whom God called Israel, His chosen nation.

The Bible book that comes after Genesis is Exodus where God will save His people from slavery in Egypt in order to bring them back to the land promised to Abraham. These are the first people to whom Moses writes Genesis. Moses included this episode in all its unpleasantness to warn God’s people. The nation of Israel was about to go into the land of Canaan. The greatest danger facing them was not fighting the giants in the land. It was the danger of being seduced into assimilating with the Canaanites.[5]

In the story of Jacob, remember that after spending twenty years in exile in Haran, Jacob is now finally back in the land of Canaan with his four wives, eleven sons, and at least one daughter. Jacob has had an encounter with God in Genesis 32 that has in some ways made him a new man, Israel—although the old man, Jacob, still lingers. In Genesis 33 we saw a surprisingly warm reunion with his brother Esau whom he had wronged so many years before. After spending time in a place called Succoth, Jacob settled safely near Shechem (Gen. 33:18), bought a piece of land from Hamor, the father of Shechem (Gen. 33:19), and built an altar to worship El Elohe Israel, God, the God of Israel (Gen. 33:20).

Genesis 34 marks a transition from the story of Jacob, to the story of Jacob’s sons. And it also begins a period of trouble and moral decline we will note in the line of Jacob. In Genesis 34 Jacob’s sons will deceive and violently murder all the men in a whole town. In Genesis 35 Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel will die giving birth to Benjamin and Jacob’s eldest son Rueben will sleep with Jacob’s concubine. In Genesis 37 Jacob’s sons sell their brother Joseph into slavery and let their father think he has been killed. In Genesis 38 Jacob’s son Judah will sleep with his own son’s widow.

Genesis is concerned to magnify the grace of God shown to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. God’s grace and God’s faithfulness is the central theme. He was faithful to preserve His people and to keep His promises to them, despite their weakness, failure, and sin.[6]

That’s the context. Now, Let’s hear the story.

2. Read the Passage: Four Scenes.

Reading Genesis 34 we see that there are four scenes that take place. There is a repeated word that signals the beginning of each scene: “went out”. This verb is used in Genesis 34:1, “Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.” Each time we see that verb again (Genesis 34:6, 24, and 26) it will move the story to the next scene.

Listen for it as I read:

¹ Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. ² And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. ³ His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. ⁴ So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.” ⁵ And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came.

⁶ Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. ⁷ And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done. ⁸ But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. ⁹ And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. ¹⁰ So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.” ¹¹ Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. ¹² Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.” ¹³ But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. ¹⁴ And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. ¹⁵ But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, ¹⁶ then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. ¹⁷ But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone.”

¹⁸ And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. ¹⁹ So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father. ²⁰ And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: ²¹ “These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. ²² Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. ²³ Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” ²⁴ And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

²⁵ Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. ²⁶ And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. ²⁷ The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. ²⁸ They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, ²⁹ and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses. ³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.” ³¹ But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

So the four scenes are:

Scene 1: Dinah went out.

Moses briefly mentioned the birth of Dinah in Genesis 30:21 to prepare us for this chapter. He calls her “the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob” (Gen. 34:1). We know that at first, Jacob cared little for Leah, so we may now wonder: How much does he care for his daughter by Leah?

Dinah “went out to see the daughters of the land.” This may have started out innocently, but it will prove disastrous because her socializing with the Canaanites made her vulnerable. Abraham and Isaac have both warned about the dangers of uniting with Canaanite women (Genesis 24:3; 28:1, 6). The Hivites of Shechem are a clan of the Canaanites (Gen. 10:15-17).  Dinah went out to “see” the women. However, Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite prince, “saw” her (Gen. 34:2). He liked what he saw, so “he took her and lay with her, and violated her.” Whatever we might say about the wisdom or lack thereof in Dinah, the text is clear that Shechem took her by force to lay with her. The word “violated” literally means to “humiliate” in the sense of defiling. 1 Samuel 13 uses this same word when Amnon raped his sister Tamar (1 Sam. 13:12, 14).

While his rape of Dinah was an abomination, the text tells us that Shechem “loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman” and he desired to marry her. He urged his father to arrange for their marriage as soon as possible. Dinah may have remained in his tent while these negotiations took place (cf. Gen. 34:26). Meanwhile, the word gets back to Jacob that Shechem has violated his daughter, but we’re told in Genesis 34:5 that Jacob doesn’t do anything. Jacob remains silent throughout the chapter, silent, that is, until the very end when it was too late.[7]

Scene 2: Hamor went out.

Hamor, Shechem’s father, went out to meet with Jacob to negotiate a marriage deal (Gen. 34:6). Meanwhile, as this meeting is happening, the sons of Jacob find out about what Shechem did, and this is their response (Gen. 34:7): “… the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done.”  

Jacob’s sons were angry, not just because this was their sister, but they see this as an attack on their entire family. This is the first time that the name “Israel” is used to refer to a whole people. This attack by Shechem on Dinah was viewed as an attack by the Hivites on Israel.

Hamor doesn’t just want Shechem to marry Dinah, but he wants everyone in their families to marry one another, painting a picture of the financial gain to Jacob’s family from such a deal (Gen. 34:9-10). Shechem, on his part, does not apologize for his crime, but offers to pay any dowry they ask (Gen. 34:11-12).

The sons of Jacob hide their anger from Hamor, and instead, they deceive him (Gen. 34:13) using their religion as a pretense. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant that God had made with Abraham and his descendants. Jacob’s sons insist that all the men of Shechem be circumcised before they will agree to marriage (Gen. 34:15-17). The deceitfulness of Jacob’s sons is in no way defensible. They intended to trick the Canaanites into an arrangement whereby they would be physically incapacitated and could be easily murdered.

But Jacob’s silence is also indefensible. Jacob silently and passively accepted the agreement with the people of Shechem, fully expecting to carry it out. He planned to allow his descendants to inter-marry with the Canaanites, but his sons had no such intention. Jacob was acting contrary to the covenant purposes of God and violating the command that his father had given him not to marry the daughters of the Canaanites (Gen. 28:1-4).[8]

Hamor and Shechem agree to this deal (Gen. 34:18); but now they have to convince all the other men in Shechem to go through with it. We see Hamor’s real objective when he tells the men of the city, “Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” (Gen. 34:23).

Scene 3: All the men of the city went out.

Genesis 34:24 says, “And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.”

Then the treachery of the sons of Jacob comes in Genesis 34:25, “Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.” This was not justice; it was brutal and excessive revenge.[9]

Scene 4: Simeon and Levi went out.

After Simeon and Levi “killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword,” they “took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out” (Gen. 34:26). Then it seems that all the sons of Jacob went back into the city and plundered it, taking everything for themselves (Gen. 34:27-29). They took their livestock and all their wealth, their children and their wives. The sons of Jacob took it all.

And then finally in Genesis 34:30, Jacob speaks up and he rebukes Simeon and Levi: “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”  Jacob was right to rebuke his son’s cruel actions. But his words lacked force because his reasons were self-centered and not based upon principle, but only on his own self-preservation. Jacob says “You have troubled me”; you have made “me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land.” Jacob is afraid “they will gather themselves together against me and kill me.” Jacob seemed to care only about his safety and saving his own skin.[10] The shallowness of Jacob’s stern rebuke was exposed by his sons’ response: “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?” (Gen. 34:31). And that’s the last word, with that question the chapter ends.

Absolutely no one who is mentioned in Genesis 34 appears in a favorable light. For all, it is a most shameful incident.

3. Mine for the Message

To get to the message of the text it helps to connect the context of the story and the details of the story.

One message we ought to consider is the subtle, yet aggressive danger of assimilation with the world. Moses surely intended for this story to illustrate the danger of compromising with the Canaanites and blending into their pagan culture. Jacob thought he was quite safe with these friendly people, but he and his family were in great danger. This potential marriage deal with the Hivites was not good. For Israel to become one people with the Canaanites was for Israel to become no people at all. This deal would have meant the complete erosion of God’s covenant people. Ultimately this is an attack against God’s purpose to send His Messiah and bless the nations.

The greatest danger Israel would face would be their prosperity and apparent security once they possessed the land. Significantly, God is not mentioned in Genesis 34 at all. Had Jacob forgotten God?

Moses will warn the Israelites:

¹¹ “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, ¹² “lest–when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; ¹³ “and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; ¹⁴ “when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; (Deut. 8:11-14).

Israel’s security was in the LORD God and Him alone.

The second message is the true theme of this section: God’s purposes will not be overthrown.[11] The actions of Simeon and Levi were evil. Later, Jacob will actually pronounce a curse on Simeon and Levi in Genesis 49:7 because of this episode.

But here is the amazing thing: Simeon and Levi’s evil action prevents Jacob’s family from intermarrying with the Canaanites and that is a good outcome. So the evil of men somehow resulted in God’s good purpose. This is deep theology. But it is true.

God’s purpose is to bless all the families of the earth. God was truly merciful, gracious, and kind to Jacob and his sons, despite their sin. He would preserve them and bless them so that through them the Christ would come into the world, in whom we have the forgiveness of all our sins.[12] And Genesis 34 shows us that God’s purpose will not be derailed even by the wickedness of His broken and sinful people. Even in the darkest moments of human sin, even when God seems to be nowhere in sight, even there, God’s purposes are not overthrown.[13]

We see this truth especially in the New Testament. You see, there was another evil moment in history much worse than Genesis 34. It was the moment when human sin was most atrocious, and when it felt like God was most absent. It happened on the cross of Calvary when the Savior of the world was brutally crucified at the hands of evil men. But according to the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23) He bore the punishment for evil men by His death. He was forsaken and He died. And it was silent. For three days.

And then God, who keeps His promises and accomplished His purposes despite the evil of men—this God raised Christ from the dead. Even sin and death will not overthrow God’s purposes but instead, He overthrew sin and death for our salvation.

That’s what the Lord’s table is about. Today, as we come to the Lord’s Supper, we come believing that Jesus died for us is raised from the dead. We come in humility, knowing that it was our sins for which Jesus died. We come in gratitude and joy that God’s purposes have not been overthrown and will not be overthrown.  If you are here and you’re united to Jesus Christ by faith, if you trust Him for the forgiveness of sins, we invite you to eat and drink with us at this Table.

[1] Leupold, H. C., The Outrage on Dinah Avenged by her Brothers (chapter 34), https://ccel.org/ccel/leupold/genesis/genesis.xxxv.html

[2] Boice, James Montgomery. 1998. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[3] Anady, Joe, Genesis 34: The Tribe Of Jacob Defiled, https://emmausrbc.org/2019/11/24/sermon-genesis-34-the-tribe-of-jacob-defiled/

[4] Parnell, Jonathan, The Purpose of God Will Not Be Overthrown,  https://www.citieschurch.com/sermons/the-purpose-of-god-will-not-be-overthrown. I found Parnell’s approach, outline, and points very helpful in developing this sermon.

[5] Cole, Steven, Fatal Attraction (Genesis 34:1-31), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-61-fatal-attraction-genesis-341-31

[6] Anady, Joe, Genesis 34: The Tribe Of Jacob Defiled, https://emmausrbc.org/2019/11/24/sermon-genesis-34-the-tribe-of-jacob-defiled/

[7] Phillips, John. 2009. Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary. The John Phillips Commentary Series. Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

[8] Deffinbaugh, Robert, One Step Forward and Three Backward (Genesis 33:1–34:31)  https://bible.org/seriespage/one-step-forward-and-three-backward-genesis-331-3431

[9] Ross, Allen, and John N. Oswalt. 2008. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus. Vol. 1. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

[10] Deffinbaugh.

[11] Parnell.

[12] Anady.

[13] Parnell.

Reconciliation of Brothers

Genesis 33

Our journey with Jacob in the book of Genesis has been a study in contrasts, not only between Jacob and others, and Jacob and God, but also between Jacob and himself. At times we have seen brilliant flashes of faith in Jacob and at other times we see him taking matters into his own hands instead of trusting God. Jacob is a mixture of living by the flesh and living by faith.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that commentators and preachers have some different views of Jacob’s actions in Genesis 33. Some extol him as a godly man who models how we ought to be reconciled to our enemies and live by faith. Others chide Jacob as a man still scheming and doing things in the flesh—not a good example of faith. Which is it?

I think the Bible shows us a little of both. Jacob is a man of faith. He has met with God, been blessed by God. He prayed to God, sought the LORD’s help, saw God’s grace toward him, humbled himself before others and obeyed the word of God. But Jacob also makes some questionable decisions, delays his full obedience, and again uses deception.

The Bible is realistic about men of God. It shows both the triumphs of their faith and their failures in the flesh. But that is how it is with most of us too, isn’t it? No one doubts the spiritual experience that Jacob had with God at Peniel in Genesis 32. He limped away from that encounter with God a changed man with a new name, Israel. A. W. Pink writes, “It is one thing to be privileged with a special visitation from or manifestation of God to us, but it is quite another to live in the power of it.”[1]

Commentators point out that after God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, he is always called by his new name. But after God gave Jacob his new name, Israel, the Holy Spirit, who superintended Moses’s writing of Genesis, continued to use the name Jacob 45 times, and he is called Israel only 23 times. James Montgomery Boice comments, “Apparently there was still a lot of the ‘old man’ in the ‘new’ patriarch.”[2] How many of us find that same thing to be true? Christianity is a lifelong walk with God, not a flash in the pan.[3] God still has a lot to teach Jacob, and us.

Listen to today’s text, Genesis 33:1-20,

¹ Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. ² And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. ³ Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. ⁴ But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

⁵ And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” ⁶ Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. ⁷ And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. ⁸ Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.” ⁹ But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” ¹⁰ And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. ¹¹ Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it. 

¹² Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.” ¹³ But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. ¹⁴ Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.” ¹⁵ And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

¹⁶ So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. ¹⁷ And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. ¹⁸ Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. ¹⁹ And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. ²⁰ Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.

The first thing we see in our text today is that:

Jacob prepares to meet Esau (Gen. 33:1-3)

Verse 1 begins, “Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked.” The term “lifted his eyes” is a common phrase in Genesis (Genesis 13:10; 18:2; 22:4, 13; 24:64; 31:10; 33:1; 33:5; 43:29) that prepares the reader to see something remarkable. We are startled with Jacob to see “Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men.” When Jacob first heard Esau was enroute with his large company in Genesis 32, he “was greatly afraid and distressed” (Gen. 32:7) and made plans to placate his brother and protect his family.

Was Esau still nursing a grudge against Jacob after these twenty years? After Jacob and Esau’s last encounter Moses left us with the thoughts of Esau ringing in our ears, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob” (Gen. 27:41). Was that why Esau had an army with him? That is certainly what Jacob feared when he prayed, “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children.” (Gen. 32:11).

How will Israel, the new Jacob, respond this time when he sees with his own eyes Esau and his men coming toward him? Previously, Jacob’s plan was appease Esau with gifts, then for the family to meet Esau first (Gen. 32:16-21) before Jacob arrived last. Now, Jacob takes the lead passes in front of his family: “Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother” (Gen. 33:3). Faith is not the absence of fear but the courage to face it with trust in God.

The bowing was an act of humility. Back in Genesis 27, Isaac had blessed Jacob saying, “Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!” (Gen 27:29). But here, Jacob bows before his brother. In addition, Jacob refers to Esau as “my lord [Adonai]” (Gen. 32:4; 33:13) and to himself as Esau’s “servant” (Gen. 32:18, 20; 33:5). These acts of humility do not undo the blessing of Isaac upon Jacob, but they do demonstrate a changed heart in him.[4]

Esau was destined from birth to serve Jacob (Genesis 25:23). Isaac, when finally blessing Esau, told him, “And you shall serve your brother” (Gen. 27:40). But here, Jacob, the possessor of God’s blessing, bows down to Esau as his brother’s servant, demonstrating to his brother that he no longer is grasping for what belongs to Esau. Jacob was showing his strength in God by taking a position of weakness relative to Esau.[5]

It is a biblical principle, “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12), and “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5; quoting Pro. 3:34). If we are going to walk with God, the way up is always the way down. Even our Lord Jesus humbled Himself, took on the nature of a servant and was obedient even to the point of death on the cross. It was He who said, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt 23:11).

Brothers reunited (Gen. 33:4-11)

Moses leaves us in suspense no longer as he records how Esau greeted Jacob, “But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” The five imperfect verbs occur in staccato fashion heightening the emotion of the encounter. Esau ran; he embraced him; he fell on his neck; he kissed him; they wept. Twenty years’ worth of fear, resentment and hope are released in this embrace of brothers.[6]

It is interesting that in Luke 15 Jesus uses very similar words to describe the reaction of the father in the parable of the prodigal son, “But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20). This story of reconciliation between brothers becomes a story of reconciliation between a father and his estranged, sinful son. Thus it also helps us to see the reconciliation that God wants with us and the grace He shows to welcome us in love because of what Jesus Christ has done to purchase our redemption. Paul writes,

¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:18-21)

The story of Jacob and Esau, Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son, and the story of God’s love for the world they it illustrate, calls us to trust in Christ alone for forgiveness of sins, to be reconciled to God. And it calls us to be ministers of reconciliation with others (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

When Esau lifts his eyes to see the women and children with Jacob he asks, “Who are these with you?” (Gen. 33:5). Jacob’s faith is seen in his witness to God’s grace in his life. Jacob is careful to acknowledge the Lord when he says that they are “The children whom God has graciously given your servant” (Gen. 33:5). Jacob’s purpose in lining up his family now becomes clear. He didn’t do it to protect himself from Esau but to honor him. His family follows his lead in bowing down to Esau (Gen. 33:6-7).

When Esau politely refuses Jacob’s gift of over 500 animals, Jacob’s response indicates that he knew this deliverance from harm was the work of God in answer to his prayer, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me.” For Jacob, Esau’s acceptance of the present would be a guarantee of the forgiveness he seeks. The word translated “present” was used of the animal sacrifices connected with God’s forgiveness (Leviticus 1:4, 7:18, 19:7). Jacob equates this meeting of brothers with his encounter with God the night before. He sees Esau’s face “as though I had seen the face of God.” Jacob had seen God “face to face” and was spared (Gen. 32:30). God graciously received him and blessed him. Now Jacob has had a face-to-face encounter with Esau, who has received him graciously. God’s grace shown to Jacob at Peniel prepared him to meet Esau in a new way. He humbled himself, took responsibility for his sin, made restitution and sought forgiveness.

So Jacob insists, “Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough” (Gen. 33:11). The gift Jacob gave to Esau represented a return of the blessing he had stolen years before.

Those who have been touched by the grace of God extend it to others. Nothing changes a person like the grace of God. It changed a greedy tax collector named Zacchaeus who after he met Jesus said, “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.” (Luke 19:8).

Next in the story we see Jacob and Esau and the,

Parting of their ways (Gen. 33:12-17)

Esau suggests that the brothers travel together or at least that Jacob would let some of Esau’s men go with him. Jacob resists, telling Esau that he will meet him at Seir, which is Esau’s land, outside the Promised Land. Moses never reports such a meeting, so we’re left to wonder whether it actually took place, or whether Jacob ever intended to meet Esau there. Jacob knows his future is in Canaan, the Promised Land. Jacob is cautious. He sees reconciliation with Esau—not proximity to Esau—as necessary, and his words in Genesis 33:13-14 constitute a polite and artful refusal. Once again, Esau yields to Jacob. The brothers part ways.

So far we most of what we have seen from Jacob in this chapter has been positive. But Genesis 33:17 record’s Jacob’s next move: “And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.” Derek Kidner observes, “Succoth was a backward step, spiritually as well as geographically.”[7] It lies to the east of the Jordan River, thus outside the boundary of Canaan.

In Genesis 31:3, the Lord had told Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” In Genesis 31:13, in repeating the command, the Lord said, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.” It would seem that Jacob should have returned to Bethel, to that place of his vision and vow. We will see in Genesis 35:1, after the disastrous events of chapter 34, the Lord will specifically command Jacob to go to Bethel. So it seems that at the least, God had wanted Jacob to return to Canaan but, more likely, to go to Bethel. But instead, Jacob settled at Succoth.[8] He built shelters and stayed for some time. By the time he gets to Shechem in Genesis 33:18, it appears that several years have passed. Thus, Succoth represents incomplete obedience on Jacob’s part. God had called Jacob to return to Canaan, to the land of his father Isaac. Succoth falls short.

Finally we see,

Jacob settles in Shechem (Gen. 33:18-20)

Again, in Shechem we see a mixture of faith and failure in Jacob. Genesis 33:18-20 serve as a hinge between Genesis 33 and 34, bringing the story of Jacob and Esau to a conclusion and setting the stage for the ugly episode involving Dinah, the Hivites and Jacob’s sons.

Moses makes the point of telling us that Shechem is “in the land of Canaan.” Jacob is finally going where God had called him to go. But Canaan is a also a warning signal for readers familiar with the wickedness of the Canaanites. Jacob sets up camp before the city, much as Lot brought himself into the sphere of Sodom (Genesis 13:12).

Next, Jacob bought property in the Promised Land. Purchasing property in the Promised Land was seen as an expression of faith in God’s promises (Genesis 23:16). But this also introduces us to Hamor and his son Shechem and prefigures the ugly episode we will see next week in Genesis 34.

Finally Jacob again follows in the footsteps of his grandfather. Having purchased land, as Abraham did, he now erects and altar in Shechem, also as Abraham did (Genesis 12:6-7). Again, this is an act of faith. He calls the altar “El-Elohe-Israel,” which means “God, the God of Israel.” The Lord has brought Jacob back to the land, as promised, and Jacob has reconciled with Esau. Jacob, who up to this point has identified the Lord as the God of his father, now—finally—calls the Lord his God.[9]

My observation of Christians (including myself) tells me that Jacob was doing what we all do. He was attempting to follow the Lord, but at the same time he was not obeying the Lord completely. He built an altar and worshiped and called God his God. But he did not yet go all the way to Bethel. We don’t know why, but Genesis 34 will show it was a bad decision. Jacob was the new man, Israel; but he was still dealing with the old man, Jacob. How often do we do the same thing?

Steven Cole gives us a few points of application from this chapter:[10]

1. Be on guard to your own bent toward the flesh. We all have our unique areas of weakness. Jacob’s bent was his scheming. Abraham and Isaac were prone toward lying under pressure. Whatever your weakness, God is stronger if you will humble yourself and depend on His strength.
2. Even though you enjoy God’s protection, you must constantly seek His direction. Jacob came safely to Succoth and Shechem, under God’s protection. But he failed to seek God’s direction, and probably settled where he shouldn’t. Granted, Shechem was in the land of Canaan, but Jacob never asked the Lord if this was where He wanted him to live. Did he mistake God’s protection for His approval?
3. Be careful of justifying partial obedience. You can set up your altar in Shechem, even out of the right motives, but if God wants you in Bethel, it doesn’t ring true. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to live in reality with Jesus Christ, which means obedience, even when it’s not easy. Partial obedience is really disobedience.

We, like Jacob all have a ways to go in our walk with God. But praise the LORD! We have been reconciled to God through His blood! Yes, we are not all that we should be, but we are certainly not what we used to be.

[1] Pink, A. W., Gleanings in Genesis, [Moody Press], p. 295.

[2] Boice, James Montgomery. 1998. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[3] Cole, Steven, Forward, Halt! (Genesis 33:1-20), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-60-forward-halt-genesis-331-20

[4] Biles, deron J., GENESIS 33:1-20, https://preachingsource.com/sermon-structure/genesis-33-1-20/

[5] Rayburn, Robert, Christ in the Face of Another Genesis 33:1-20, https://www.faithtacoma.org/genesis/christ-in-the-face-of-another-genesis-331-20

[6] Grant, Scott, EMBRACE OF BROTHERS, https://cdn.pbc.org/Main_Service/2005/01/22/4877.html

[7] Kidner, Derek, Genesis [IVP], pp. 171‑ 172.

[8] Cole.

[9] Grant.

[10] Cole.

Wrestling with God

Genesis 32

Today we have come to a pivotal chapter in the story of Jacob’s life in Genesis. When this chapter is over we find he is a vastly different man from the deceiving and scheming person we have come to know in previous chapters. Yes, we have seen slow spiritual growth in Jacob over the years and through his trials. God has been with him, spoken to him and provided for him. He has learned a lot, but still has a long was to go in his walk of faith. Jacob enters this chapter strong, but full of fear. He leaves the chapter weakened, but renewed in faith.

Remember that when Jacob had left Canaan for Paddan-Aram, his mother had told him that he would only need to be gone for “a few days” (Gen. 27:44) “until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there” (Gen. 27:45). Twenty years had passed and, so far as we know, Jacob had never heard from his mother. That must have led Jacob to conclude that Esau still harbored a grudge against him. As Jacob prepares to reenter the promised land he had good reason to fear a confrontation with his brother.[1]

Moses wrote Genesis for the nation of Israel as they also prepared to reenter the promised land. Years before, spies had brought back a frightening report of giants who lived in Canaan. Because of their unbelief and disobedience, a whole generation had died as they spent forty years in the wilderness. And the rumors of those giants had only grown larger with time. Like Jacob, Israel needed renewed faith to overcome their fears.

This whole story is really in three sections. First, Jacob prepares to confront Esau in Genesis 32:1-21. Second, God confronts Jacob at Peniel in Genesis 32:22-32. Then in Genesis 33 Jacob finally meets Esau and is reconciled to him. We will consider just the first two of these today and save Genesis 33 for next time.

In our first scene,

1. Jacob prepares to meet Esau (Gen. 32:1-21)

In this section we first see Jacob encounter,

A. An Angelic Reception (Gen. 32:1-2)

Genesis 32:1 tells us, “So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.” Jacob had just left the confrontation with Laban and was completing his journey home in obedience to the command of God (Gen. 31:3, 13). The last time Jacob encountered angels was at Bethel when he was leaving Canaan because he was fleeing from Esau who wanted to kill him. There he saw them ascending on descending on a ladder from earth to heaven (Gen. 28:12). There, the Lord had assured Jacob of His presence with him and promised to bring him back into the promised land. Now as he is returning to the land, the Lord graciously reassured Jacob of His presence and His protection. The vision is designed for what? So that Jacob would be assured about God’s word, His word of promise.

Genesis 32:2 says, “When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” This was not just one or two angels. The word “camp” often refers to an encampment of troops or an army. Jacob named the place “Mahanaim,” which means “Two Camps.” One is his family camp and the second is God’s host of angels. God graciously gave Jacob assurance of His protection. It’s a beautiful example of how God meets our needs sometimes before we even know we have them, but at just the right time.[2] God knew Jacob would need protection, so He sent a regiment of angels to Jacob.

Next we see,

B. An Alarming Report (Gen. 32:3-8)

Genesis 32:3-5 says,

³ Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. ⁴ And he commanded them, saying, “Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now.⁵ I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.”’”

Jacob felt compelled to contact his brother Esau. I believe he wished to bring about a reconciliation. He wished to inform his brother of his approach and, even more, to assure him of his kind intentions. Jacob wants Esau to know that he had returned a wealthy man. Therefore he was not coming back in order to stake a claim on his father’s wealth. Jacob sought to assure Esau that his return was a friendly and non-threatening one. All that he hoped for was Esau’s favor.

But the report that the messengers bring back was frightening (Gen. 32:6): “Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”” Generally, you don’t come to a friendly meeting with four hundred men to back you up. It was natural to conclude that Esau was coming with hostile intent.

So Jacob fears the worst, and he begins to prepare. Genesis 32:7-8 says,

 ⁷ So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. ⁸ And he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”

Jacob’s approach to the problem was to divide his camp in two. If Esau attacked one group, the other might be able to escape. Did he forget that God had shown him there were already “two camps”? The angels of God were encamped with them to protect them. Jacob acted out of his fear.

But his fear also drove him to seek help from the Lord. So next we see Jacob offer a prayer,

C. An Anxious Request (Gen. 32:9-12)

⁹ Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: ¹⁰ I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. ¹¹ Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. ¹² For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

This is a great example of prayer. Steven Cole points out five things about Jacob’s prayer[3]:

1. He prayed to Yahweh, the covenant God of his fathers. He prayed, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD …” Some have wondered, didn’t Jacob consider the LORD to be “my God” too? The answer is clearly yes. Jacob referred to God as the God of Abraham and Isaac because his mind was set upon the covenant that God made first with them. He approached God as the One who made promises to his fathers and who could be counted on to keep those promises. We approach God our Father in prayer in a similar way: through the new covenant established by the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. He bases his prayer on God’s word. Jacob emphasized what the LORD had commanded him and promised him. Twice he reminds God of what He said (Gen. 32:9, 12). It is not that God needed to be reminded of this. Jacob prayed this way to remind himself of the promises of God. God delights to have us take His Word and pray it back to Him, depending on the promises He has made to us.
3. He appeals to God on the basis of grace, not merit. Notice the humility and utter brokenness of Jacob. He admits his own unworthiness and that it was only the mercy and grace of God that brought him blessings. Here Jacob confesses what you and I have known to be true all along—that he was not worthy to be loved steadfastly by God; he did not deserve the Lord’s faithfulness. If you ever come to the Lord on the basis of how good you’ve been, you’re on shaky ground. We can only come to God because of His abundant grace shown to us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. He presents his request honestly and fervently from the heart. “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him …” (Gen. 32:11). Jacob admitted his fears and asked for God’s deliverance. We can bring our requests honestly before God in prayer. We can even admit like the father of the child with the deaf and dumb spirit said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” God knows your fears; He wants you to bring them honestly and fervently to Him.
5. He prays for God’s purpose. He asked God to fulfill His promises concerning the seed of Abraham (Gen. 32:12). God had revealed His purpose to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham’s seed. Jacob prays for God to accomplish His will. The Lord is always eager to hear us pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10).

What a wonderful prayer this was! It seems to be, judging by the content of this prayer, that our friend Jacob has progressed significantly in his sanctification over the past 20 years. He prayed, not for selfish gain, but out of a desire to be obedient to God. He knew that he was unworthy and he readily admitted it. He humbly asked the Lord to help him. And this he did boldly as he believed upon the promises of God.[4]

D. An Appeasing Response (Gen. 32:13-21)

¹³ So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: ¹⁴ two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, ¹⁵ thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. ¹⁶ Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.” ¹⁷ And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ ¹⁸ then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’” ¹⁹ So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; ²⁰ and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” ²¹ So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

Jacob was very eager to appease Esau’s wrath. Certainly this was due, in part, from a desire for self-preservation. Jacob didn’t want to die, nor did he want any harm to befall his family. But there also seems to be a desire to make things right with Esau regarding their past. Jacob sent wave upon wave of gifts to Esau, stressing the new nature he had which made him want to give rather than to receive and to serve rather than to supplant.

Notice his humility in calling himself Esau’s servant and Esau his Lord. This is quite a change of attitude from the last time Jacob and Esau were together. It seems to me that Jacob had been humbled, softened and sanctified during those years with Laban. He seems very eager to appease Esau’s wrath, to cover his sins, and to have the relationship restored.

Robert Rayburn writes, “[Jacob] knew full well that without God’s blessing, without a change in Esau’s heart, his situation was hopeless, but he had done what he ought to do: he had prayed to God in a faithful way, and he had humbled himself before Esau and had given him a gift. Now he will await the will of God.”

What Jacob didn’t know is how God would help him. This is the second part of the story:

2. Jacob meets with God (Gen. 32:22-32)

Up to this point in the narrative Jacob’s primary concern has been his relationship with Esau. His preparations and prayers were about Esau. But as the narrative unfolds we learn that this wasn’t God’s primary concern for Jacob. Even more important than Jacob’s relationship with Esau was Jacob’s relationship with God.

Here we have the strange account of Jacob in a wresting match with a man who is more than a man, an angel who is more than an angel.

A. An Angelic Wrestler (Gen. 32:22-26)

²² And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. ²³ He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.

²⁴ Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. ²⁵ Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.

Jacob sent all his family and possessions over the brook called Jabbok at night. Imagine Jacob, as he alone was left on the North side of the Jabbok, but before he could cross he was accosted by a man who prevented him from joining his family. The struggle was not a dream or a nightmare. It was quite real. Never has a man awakened from such a “dream” with an injured hip and a limp!

As biblical scholars have observed over the centuries, there is much in this episode that is cloaked in mystery. However, we can make several observations with considerable certainty. First, we know that this “man” (Gen. 32:24) was an angel. The prophet Hosea comments about Jacob:

³ He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God. ⁴ Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us– ⁵ That is, the LORD God of hosts. The LORD is His memorable name. (Hos. 12:3-5).

More than just any angel, this person was the Angel of Yahweh, the same one who had appeared as a man to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre (Gen. 18) and who spoke to him from heaven on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22). This is what we call a theophany, an appearance of the pre-incarnate Son of God. This same One will later appear to Moses at the burning bush (Exo. 3:2); to Joshua as the Commander of the Lord’s armies (Josh. 5:15); and to Gideon (Judges 6:11). This is certain in the light of Jacob’s words: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Gen. 32:30).

This was a struggle which God Himself initiated. Jacob was mistaken if he reasoned that Esau was the barrier to his entrance into Canaan and the blessings of God. In this wrestling match it was not Esau who opposed Jacob, but it was God Himself. They wrestled until it was almost daybreak.

It must be pointed out that Moses did not tell us that God could not overcome Jacob, only that he did not. At this point the Man disabled Jacob by injuring his hip. This would be devastating to a wrestler. He was helpless. All he could do now was to cling defensively in desperation. And this he did. Genesis 32:26 says, “And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!””

It is obvious to Jacob at this point that his opponent is not just a man. Though he is wounded, Jacob holds on with all he has and asks the LORD for a blessing. Finally, Jacob had come to realize that the only important thing in life is to be blessed of God. The blessing of God must be obtained from God himself, and this must be done by clinging to Him in helpless dependence.

That is the picture we get from this struggle in the night hours between Jacob and his God. This struggle brought a dramatic change in the character and conduct of Jacob, and thus his name was changed to reflect this transformation.

B. A New Name (Gen. 32:27-32)

²⁷ So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” ²⁸ And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

No longer should Jacob be known as a supplanter, for now he was a man who prospered because of his faith in the purposes and power of his God, and so the name Israel was given him. Israel has a double meaning. One comes from the words that God spoke to him, “you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” So Israel means “struggles with God” or “God prevails.” And secondly, Israel means “he will rule with God” or “prince of God.”

In what way did Jacob prevail with God? He prevailed—that is to say, he got God’s blessing—because God condescended. God pursued Jacob. He prevailed only after being defeated by God. Jacob prevailed by being defeated. He prevailed only by crying out to God and pleading for his grace: “I will not let you go unless you bless me”, Jacob said. In other words, Jacob “prevailed” with God, not because he pursued God and conquered Him, but because God pursued him, wounded him, and brought him low. God brought Jacob to that place of utter humility so that the only thing he could do was to cry out to the Lord and say, do not leave me, but give me your blessing.

If man is to prevail with the Lord, he must be humbled. He must be brought to the end of himself, and to that place of utter despair. If man is to prevail with the Lord, he must be brought low and to that place where the only thing he can do is to cry out for mercy.

Wasn’t this was Paul’s experience? Before his name was Paul the Apostle, he was Saul the persecutor of the church. He was arrogant in his opposition to Christ and His church, but the Lord humbled him, struck him with blindness. Paul testified, “And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” (Acts 26:14). Saul the persecutor of Christ became Paul the Apostle of Christ, but only after being brought low. The only way to prevail with God, is for him to first prevail over us.

 ²⁹ Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. ³⁰ And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” ³¹ Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. ³² Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

God blessed Jacob in the place where he wounded him, so for Jacob, the place of wounding becomes the place of blessing. After Jacob was given the name Israel, he then asked the “man” to reveal His name. And to maintain the mystery, the “man” said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” But Jacob knew the truth of the matter, “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.””

Not only was Jacob given the name Israel as a memorial, but he went on walking with a limp from that day forward. When you realize that you can’t win, it’s time to give up. But don’t let go. Instead, like Jacob, hold on. God blesses us in the place where he wounds us. Therefore, the place of wounding becomes the place of blessing. And so it is for all who have been subdued by Christ Jesus. They too walk with a limp. Having been humbled by God, they continue on in humility, being ever mindful of their inadequacy and the grace of God shown to them in Christ Jesus.

The narrator reports a sunrise (Gen. 32:31). Moses reported a sunset in Genesis 28:11, just before Jacob’s encounter with angels and God at Bethel. Since then, it’s been 20 years of darkness, so to speak. Finally, as Jacob moves toward the Promised Land, in fulfillment of God’s promise to him, it’s not only a new day, he is a new Jacob.

What a lesson this chapter provided the Israelites. Here is the origin of their name as a nation. Will their blessing as a nation come from any means other than those which Jacob has learned from his struggle with God? I think not. This is what Moses sought to convey to the Israelites as they (like Jacob) sought to enter the land of Canaan and secure God’s blessings. Ultimately it was not the Canaanites, the Hittites, nor the Perizzites who would keep the nation Israel from God’s blessings; it was God Himself Who would oppose them if they failed to hope and trust in Him. And it was God Who would defeat the Canaanites for them if they trusted in him (Exo. 23:20-28).[5]

The nation of Israel would prevail by being wounded. She would be a wounded nation, dependent on her God Is it any wonder, therefore, that the Messiah of Israel separated Himself from others to meet with God alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jacob did by the Jabbok River, and that he was wounded beyond recognition on the cross of Golgotha? The church of Jesus Christ, like Israel of old, is a wounded people, who take up their crosses, and the pain of the world, in order to bring to it the healing of their Savior.[6]

[1] Bob Deffinbaugh, How to Win With God and Men, https://bible.org/seriespage/34-how-win-god-and-men-genesis-321-32. I have drawn some alliterative points of my outline from his excellent sermon.

[2] Steven Cole, When Fear Grips You, https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-58-when-fear-grips-you-genesis-321-21

[3] Cole.

[4] Joe Anady, God, The God Of Israel, https://emmausrbc.org/2019/11/17/sermon-genesis-321-3320-god-the-god-of-israel/

[5] Deffinbaugh.

[6] Scott Grant, WOUNDED BY GRACE, https://cdn.pbc.org/Main_Service/2005/01/15/4876.html

Unless God Had Been With Me

Genesis 31:17-55

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image …” (Exo. 20:2-4). So begins the Ten Commandments which the Lord gave to Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. Although this commandment had not yet been engraved on stone, Jacob must have known it well. His grandfather Abraham had abandoned false gods and idolatry in the land of Mesopotamia years before. Isaac, his father, had always worshiped and served the LORD, Yahweh, the only the one true God in Canaan, the land that God had promised to him and his descendants.

Jacob had been exiled from that land of promise for 20 years, while he served his uncle Laban in Paddan-Aram. As we saw last time,  Circumstances strongly suggested that it was time for Jacob to return to the land of promise (Gen. 31:1-2), and by divine revelation God commanded Jacob to do just that (Gen. 31:3) much like God had called Abraham to leave that place many years before (Gen. 12:1-3). Jacob persuaded his wives that this was God’s will for them (Gen. 31:4-13), and they agreed to his plan to escape the selfishness and greed of their father Laban (Gen. 31:14-16).

Jacob is seeking to obey the LORD and separate himself from Laban, who is a picture of the world without the LORD. This story will demonstrate the foolishness of idolatry and the need for believers to separate from the world. It will also demonstrate the protective hand of God in spite of the shortcomings and sin of his people.

There are parallels between Jacob’s situation and that of Moses’ first readers. Just as God protected Jacob in his departure from Haran to return to Canaan, so He had protected the nation Israel in its departure from Egypt to return to Canaan. Israel, like Rachel, will be prone to idolatry. They will be inclined to return to Egypt, their place of bondage. Moses is showing Israel (and us) the shear foolishness of idolatry and the clear break they must make with the world.

Jacob escapes from Haran (Gen. 31:17-21)

Jacob, in obedience to the LORD, leaves Haran for Canaan:

¹⁷ Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. ¹⁸ And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. ¹⁹ Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. ²⁰ And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. ²¹ So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead.

Jacob hastily packed up all of their goods and left for home. It does not appear to be accidental that he departed at a time when Laban was busily occupied in shearing his flock. Leaving without any warning, Jacob reasoned, was the way to depart without any resistance from Laban, who Jacob had learned not to trust. Moses let’s us in on something that Jacob does not know, that Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols.

This is the first use of the word “idols” or “images” (תְּרָפִים, tᵊrāp̄îm)[1] in the Bible. Why would Rachel steal her father’s idols? Is possible that Rachel, although she called on the name of Yahweh, Jacob’s God, she still mixed idolatry with her worship of the Lord? Perhaps she didn’t want to go to a strange new land without covering all her bases.

Also, as Steven Cole relates, “the Nuzi tablets, discovered in that region, dating from about 400 years after Jacob, indicate that the possessor of the father’s household idols was the heir to his estate. By stealing the idols, Rachel may have been trying to secure the inheritance which she felt her father had wrongfully taken from her (Gen. 31:14). This would explain Laban’s anger over the matter and Jacob’s extreme penalty for the culprit.”[2]

When Jacob fled Haran, he set his sights on the hill country of Gilead, east of Canaan (Gen. 31:21).

Next we see,

Laban pursues and confronts Jacob (Gen. 31:22-30)

 ²² And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. ²³ Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. ²⁴ But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.” ²⁵ So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.

Arriving home from the shearing, Laban discovered that Jacob was gone, Rachel and Leah were gone, his grandchildren were gone, all Jacob’s vast holdings, which he had planned to seize, were gone, and his household gods were gone. Laban was beside himself with fury. He gathered together sufficient force to make short work of Jacob and lashed his mounts in pursuit of the fugitives.[3] It took the hard-charging Laban just a week to catch up with Jacob who had already traveled about 300 miles. But before Laban could confront Jacob, the LORD confronted Laban. God warned Laban, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad” (31:24, 29). This is a Hebrew expression communicated to Laban, “Don’t use either flattery or threats to try to persuade Jacob to return” (cf. Gen. 24:50).[4]

Laban’s angry speech to Jacob demonstrates Laban’s bias (Gen. 31:25-28), bitterness (Gen. 31:29), and blindness (Gen. 31:30).[5]

²⁶ And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? ²⁷ Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? ²⁸ And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. ²⁹ It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ ³⁰ And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”

Every sentence in Laban’s complaint reveals his hypocrisy. Laban says to Jacob, “What have you done … ?” echoing Jacob’s words to Laban when he substituted Leah for Rachel (Gen. 29:25). Laban accuses Jacob of carrying away his daughters like “captives taken with the sword,” but Laban had held his daughters and Jacob captive and at this time threatens force (Gen. 31:14-16). Laban accuses Jacob of deceiving him, but Laban made a habit of deceiving Jacob. Laban claims that he would have sent Jacob away with a party, but the last party Laban threw for Jacob resulted in Jacob serving Laban for an additional seven years (Gen. 29:22). He complains that Jacob did not allow him to kiss his family, but Laban viewed his daughters more as commodities than loved ones. He accuses Jacob of acting foolishly, but Laban is the one who is beginning to look foolish.[6]

Finally, Laban gets to the real bone of contention in Genesis 31:30, “but why did you steal my gods?” This was the bottom line. This was the reason for the hot pursuit with a company of men to back him up. “If Jacob got away with his gods, he could someday return and make a claim to his estate. This could not be tolerated.”[7]

Jacob’s defense and Laban’s search (Gen. 31:31-35)

 ³¹ Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, “Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ ³² With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. ³³ And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.³⁵ And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols.

Here Jacob responded to the accusations that he stole Laban’s daughters and stole the idols. First, Jacob says he left with his wives without telling Laban for fear that Laban would take his daughters “by force.” Second, Jacob knows he didn’t take the idols and invites Laban to search his belongings. Jacob is so certain that Laban won’t find the idols that he invokes the death penalty for anyone found in possession of the idols.

Moses informs us that Jacob was unaware that Rachel had stolen the idols. Both Jacob and Laban, the masters of deceit, are deceived by Rachel. The tension builds as Laban rifles through Jacob’s tent, Leah’s tent and the tents of the two maids. Finally, he enters Rachel’s tent. Only now are we informed where Rachel had been keeping the idols. She had put them in the saddle of her camel and was sitting on them. The search through Rachel’s tent is reported as being more painstaking. Laban “felt” through everything.

Rachel remains seated on the saddle, concealing the idols and claiming that she can’t get up because “the manner of women is with me.” The story makes a laughingstock of Laban’s “gods.” First, they are stolen. Second, they are impotent to make themselves known. Third they are desecrated by being sat on by a woman in her time of uncleanness. Three times the narrator tells us that Laban “did not find” the idols. Laban comes off as utterly foolish, his gods as utterly impotent.

John Phillips says this about Laban’s idols:

“My gods!” cried Laban. Gods indeed! Mighty gods! Gods that could be stolen! Gods that could be packed up like old pots and pans and stuffed into a bag! Gods that could be bounced and jostled over three hundred miles without word or whimper! Gods that could influence wind and weather, it was believed, yet gods that could not even cry out to the deluded man, “Here we are, Laban, on our heads in Rachel’s saddlebag!” “My gods,” the deluded Laban cried with the voice of the true God yet ringing in his soul.[8]

By the way, do you know what happened to the household gods, the idols? They ended up with all the other idols of the household and were buried by Jacob like garbage by the oak tree at Shechem (Gen. 35:2-4).

Contrast this with the God of Jacob. Yahweh can’t be stolen, for there is no image of Him to steal (Exo. 20:4). He makes Himself known, both in judgment and in salvation (Exo. 6:7). People “find” Him when they “search” for Him with all their hearts (Jer. 29:13). No matter how men and women respond to Him, He remains holy.[9]

Jacob rebukes Laban (Gen. 31:36-42)

Jacob, feeling vindicated by Laban’s dream and by his failure to find the idols unload twenty years of pent up frustration on Laban.

³⁶ Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? ³⁷ Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! ³⁸ These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. ³⁹ That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. ⁴⁰ There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. ⁴¹ Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

First, Jacob says, Laban’s accusation that he stole the idols has been proved false (Gen. 31:36-37). Second, Jacob recounts his meticulous and above-and-beyond service in Laban’s behalf (Gen. 31:38-39). Third, Jacob tells how he bore tremendous physical burdens in caring for Laban’s flock (Gen. 31:40). Fourth, Laban changed Jacob’s wages. Jacob says, in so many words, “You’re the one who has stolen from me” (Gen. 31:41).

Then Jacob gets to the climax of his speech in Genesis 31:42, “Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

The “Fear of Isaac” is a unique title for the Lord, evoking the worship that the LORD deserves. It also reminds us of Jacob’s encounter with the Lord at Bethel, where Jacob “was afraid” and said, “How awesome is this place!” (The word translated “awesome” stems from the verb translated “was afraid.” Gen. 28:17). Laban’s “fear” of the Lord has prevented him harming Jacob. In surveying 20 years of affliction in Haran, Jacob says that God has seen him and acted on his behalf. He recognizes and confesses the Lord’s faithfulness to the promise of Bethel to be with him (Gen. 28:15).

Finally we see,

Laban and Jacob make a treaty (Gen. 31:43-55)

Laban had nothing to say to Jacob’s charges. He knew only too well how much he really owed to Jacob. Instead, makes an empty claim to his extended family. Then, like the old hypocrite he was, he proposed that he and Jacob should make a covenant.

⁴³ And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? ⁴⁴ Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” ⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. ⁴⁶ Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. ⁴⁸ And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, ⁴⁹ also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. ⁵⁰ If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us–see, God is witness between you and me!” ⁵¹ Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. ⁵³ The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. ⁵⁴ Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. ⁵⁵ And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

The covenant was really a treaty of non-aggression. I remember as a teenager we used Genesis 31:49 as a parting benediction in MYF, our youth group, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.” But this verse is not a blessing for friends who are parting. It is a statement of the mutual distrust of enemies. They are calling on God to be a witness and to punish the man who violates the treaty.

Although Laban calls on Yahweh to be the witness, it doesn’t mean that Laban has suddenly become a believer in the one true God. The Lord is just one of Laban’s pantheon. In Gensis 31:53, he invokes “The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father.” But their father was an idolater who didn’t worship the true God (Josh. 24:2). So Laban, the polytheist, is just covering all his bases, invoking all the relevant gods.

Contrast this with Jacob. He didn’t go along with Laban’s invocation and swear by all Laban’s gods (which included the living God). Instead, he swore “by the Fear of his father Isaac” (Gen. 31:53, cf. Gen. 31:42). This is Yahweh, the LORD, whom Isaac had always worshipped. So Jacob separated himself from Laban’s polytheism and affirmed that he will fear the LORD alone. Jacob is reverencing God as the only Lord of his life.

Steven Cole points out that this is the key to living in this world without being of it.[10] Peter urges us to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts” (1 Pet. 3:15 NASB). We don’t use God plus whatever other gods we want to add. No, we submit to Christ in everything, to please Him in every thought, word, and deed, and to die to self.

Did you find yourself relating to someone in this story? Some of you may be like Laban, using God as long as He helps you prosper, but never really committing to Him as Lord. Like Laban, “Self” is really your God, and you need to turn from your self and sin. It is idolatry. You need to submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is the one who died for you on the cross, taking the penalty of death that you deserved. God then raised Jesus from the dead and He gives eternal life and forgiveness of sins to everyone who believes in Him. Trust in Christ alone.

Some may be like Rachel: You may know the true God, but you’re carrying your idols from the old life with you. It’s kind of hard to tell whether you’re in Christ or in the world. Make a decisive break with the world today and get rid of the things in your life that you know are not pleasing to God.

Others may be like Jacob: You’re seeking to obey God and separate yourself from the ways of the world.[11] You know that God is with you, protecting you. But you also know you need to keep growing in your fear of the LORD and in your walk with Him. God’s not giving up on you even though you sometimes fail in your walk of faith. Keep trusting Him daily. Take up your cross and follow Him. Once again, turn your eyes upon Jesus.

_______________________________________________________________

[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/gen/31/1/t_conc_31019

[2] Steven Cole, Between A Rock and A Hard Place (Genesis 31:17-55), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-57-between-rock-and-hard-place-genesis-3117-55

[3] Phillips, John. 2009. Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary. The John Phillips Commentary Series. Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

[4] Cole.

[5] Phillips.

[6] Scott Grant, PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORKPLACE, https://cdn.pbc.org/Main_Service/2005/01/01/4874.html

[7] Bob Deffinbaugh, The Difference Between Legality and Morality (Genesis 31:17-55), https://bible.org/seriespage/difference-between-legality-and-morality-genesis-3117-55

[8] Phillips.

[9] Grant.

[10] Cole.

[11] Cole.

The Secret of Jacob’s Success

Genesis 30:25 – 31:16

Today we return to our study in Genesis and the life of Jacob. We pick up the story in Genesis 30:25 after the birth of his eleventh son Joseph. Remember that Jacob is living in Haran, the home of his uncle Laban. He has gone there for two reasons: one, he was fleeing from his brother Esau who wanted to kill him for deceptively taking his father’s blessing (Gen. 27:43); and two, to find a wife for himself from his mother’s family (Gen. 28:2).

On the way from Canaan to Haran Jacob had met the LORD. Alone at night, a stone for a pillow, Jacob had a dream of a ladder from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. The LORD spoke to Jacob from above it saying,

“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.” (Gen. 28:13-15).

Jacob responded by worshiping the LORD and made a vow saying, “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.” It was Jacob’s beginning with God. But he has a long, hard road before him in his walk with God and many lessons that God will teach him through these hardships.

Remember that because of the trickery of Laban, Jacob ends up with two wives instead of just the one he loved and had to pay double the labor for them. He has been in Haran for at least 14 years, not the few days he had planned. In the last seven years his wives and their servants have given birth to eleven sons and at least one daughter for Jacob. God is fulfilling his promise to multiply Jacob’s descendants. But God had also promised to prosper him (“spread abroad” = abound, teem in Gen. 28:14) and to bring him back to the land He had promised to Abraham and Isaac. These promises are not yet fulfilled.

But God has not forgotten, and neither has Jacob.

Jacob renegotiates with Laban (Gen. 30:25-36)

Our story opens with Jacob ready to return to Canaan:

²⁵ And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. ²⁶ Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.” (Gen. 30:25-26).

Having fulfilled his obligation of fourteen years of service to Laban for his wives Leah and Rachel, Jacob seeks his release so that he might return to his homeland and family. We can understand Jacob’s readiness to go home. Laban had been a hard, deceiving boss. Jacob’s return had already been delayed seven years longer than he had expected. No doubt he desired to return to his family. And God had promised to bring Jacob back to the promised land where he would be blessed (Gen. 28:10-22).[1]

Laban was reluctant to let Jacob go. He had come to realize that his prosperity was the result of Jacob’s presence.

²⁷ And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me for your sake.”²⁸ Then he said, “Name me your wages, and I will give it.” (Gen. 30:27-28).

Laban wants to renegotiate a new contract with Jacob. He sees that the LORD has blessed him on account of Jacob, although Laban doesn’t seem interested in Jacob’s God, just the material blessings.

²⁹ So Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me.³⁰ For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the LORD has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?” (Gen. 30:29-30).

He presents to Laban four arguments for his side of the contract: 1) Jacob’s hard work; 2) his excellent care of the animals; 3) the prosperity the LORD had brought through him; 4) his responsibility for his large and growing family.[2]

Now that Laban is prepared to accept a hard bargain, Jacob names his terms.

³¹ So he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks:³² Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.³³ So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.” 

Laban quickly accepts.

³⁴ And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!”

The deal seems to be to his advantage. Normally goats in that land were black or dark brown, seldom white or spotted with white. On the other hand, the eastern sheep were nearly always white, rarely black or spotted. Jacob offered to continue working as a tender of the flocks if he were but to receive the rarer of the offspring. This would be a far smaller percentage than the normal 20 percent which might be paid to care for the flocks.

Laban immediately moves to take advantage of Jacob.

³⁵ So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.³⁶ Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks. (Gen. 30:35-36).

By removing the spotted and striped animals he reduced the chances of other spotted or striped animals being conceived, since these would not be mating with the flock. It was too good to be true, Laban must have thought. How could he possibly lose?

Jacob’s schemes to prosper (Gen. 30:37-43)

Jacob wasn’t one to sit around bemoaning a setback. So he went to work implementing the latest scheme of animal husbandry.

³⁷ Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods.³⁸ And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink.³⁹ So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted. (Gen. 30:37-39).

The first method Jacob used was peeled branches. It was thought that if the flocks had a visual impression of stripes while they were mating and conceiving, the offspring would assume this same form. And even though we know that genetics determine the color of animals, not peeled poles, amazingly, it appeared to be working!

The second phase of Jacob’s plan was to segregate the flocks.

⁴⁰ Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock. (Gen. 30:40).

The third phase was a kind of selective breeding.

⁴¹ And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.⁴² But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. (Gen. 30:41-42).

Jacob worked to ensure that the strong animals went to him, while the weak went to Laban.

What was the result of Jacob’s schemes?

⁴³ Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Jacob’s flocks were so successful that he was able to barter them to obtain luxuries like camels, donkeys, and servants to care for all his wealth. From everything that has been said, we would naturally conclude that the great prosperity of Jacob. was due to his shrewd techniques for manipulating the outcome of the mating of the flocks. So it would seem. So it seemed to Jacob.

Certainly, the Bible encourages us to work for our living. God expects us to be good workers for our employers, to serve them like we would serve the Lord Himself. Paul writes to the Colossian church,

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Col. 3:22-24).

This is the attitude we are to have at work. And Jacob had worked heartily. He had used his intelligence and shepherding skills. Some commentators praise Jacob here for his wisdom and his faith. Others chide him for his worldly schemes and carnal efforts. Jacob is a complicated man, one who knew God and walked with God, yet one who often relied on the flesh. He’s a lot like us, right? Jacob makes us long for one who is pure, undefiled, who serves God perfectly with no mixed motives. He makes us yearn for the simplicity and integrity of Jesus Christ, the one through whom all the nations of the earth would be truly blessed.

Was Jacob’s success really due to his schemes?

Moses gives us a clue to the real secret of Jacob’s success in Genesis 30:43. Almost all of the words used to depict Jacob’s increase in 30:43 are borrowed from similar depictions of his ancestors’ prospering (24:1, 35; 26:3, 12). In other words, what had happened to Abraham and Isaac was true of Jacob, too—his wealth, just like his predecessors’, was a result of divine blessing.[3]

We will see this even more clearly in Genesis 31.

Jacob plans to depart (31:1-16)

Jacob’s newly obtained prosperity caused problems for Jacob with Laban and his sons:

¹ Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.”² And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. (Gen. 31:1-2).

When Jacob prospered at Laban’s expense, it is easy to understand why Laban’s sons looked on him with disfavor, for all their inheritance was fleeing before their very eyes. But not only did circumstances seem to dictate that Jacob leave, but God revealed to Jacob that it was time to return to his homeland:

³ Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” (Gen. 31:3).

The last recorded revelation that Jacob had received from the LORD was twenty years previous while he was still in the land of promise (Gen. 28:10ff.). Now Jacob receives a divine directive to return home. What circumstances suggested Jacob do, God instructed Jacob to do.

Jacob is going to obey God, but he needs to get his wives on board with him.

⁴ So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, ⁵ and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. ⁶ And you know that with all my might I have served your father. ⁷ Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. ⁸ If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. ⁹ So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. ¹⁰ And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted.¹¹ Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ ¹² And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.¹³ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’” 

Jacob called his wives to him in the field. There he could have a private conversation with them and there he could show the evidence of how God had blessed him. Jacob in effect says that their father had given them a dirty deal (Gen. 31:5-9). Jacob has worked hard (Gen. 31:6), but Laban has been the cheater (Gen. 31:7) continually changing the terms of their agreement (Gen. 31:8).

But more than that, Jacob is finally taking spiritual leadership and responsibility for his family. He makes a great confession of faith before his wives as he relates the dream he had where God spoke to him. Jacob confesses these truths about God:

1. God has been with him (Gen. 31:5).
   Laban’s attitude was not friendly “towards/with him” (Gen. 31:2, 5). The prepositional phrase “towards/with him” is perfectly balanced by “towards/with you” (Gen. 31:3)—Yahweh’s attitude towards Jacob. The foe is against him, but God is for him.
2. God has protected him (Gen. 31:7).
   “God did not allow him to hurt me.” Laban tried to change his wages, but God did not allow it to harm Jacob.
3. God has provided for him (Gen. 31:8-12).
   Laban had changed his wages ten times, but God changed the flocks. God showed Jacobs that it was not his scheming, his intelligence, or his hard work that was the secret to his success. It was God who increased the flocks. It was God who caused the streaked and speckled animals to be born, not the peeled poles. God’s sovereign hand was the secret to Jacob’s success. Not himself. Jacob was successful because God had promised it and God accomplished it.
   Think of it. All of Jacob’s efforts were of no benefit. All that time peeling poles and separating flocks and striving to outdo Laban was all for naught. What seemed at the moment to be the work of Jacob’s hands and the outcome of his schemes was nothing of the sort. It was the hand of God in spite of his scheming, not because of it.[4]
4. God has directed him (Gen. 31:13).
   “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.” This same God, Who had revealed Himself at Bethel was instructing Jacob to return.

When you come to know God and trust in Him, you can make this same kind of confession. God has been with me; He has protected me; provided for me; and directed me. It is God who will lead us home.

Jacob was able to convince his wives that it was right to leave Laban.

¹⁴ Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? ¹⁵ Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. ¹⁶ For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

They recognized that they no longer were in their father’s favor. Laban had sold these daughters to Jacob and then spent the proceeds on himself. They also recognized God’s hand in Jacob’s prosperity. God took the riches from their father and gave them to Jacob. Their own statement of faith was, “whatever God has said to you, do it.”  

The parallels between Jacob’s sojourn in Paddan-Aram and Israel’s bondage in Egypt must have been evident to the nation as they first read this account from the pen of Moses. Jacob’s sin necessitated this departure just as Joseph’s journey was the result of many sins. Jacob went to Paddan-aram a poor man, but he left with a large family and great wealth. Joseph was sent to Egypt a virtual slave; but when the nation emerged at the exodus, they were many, and they had considerable wealth. Just as Laban was judged of God by his wealth being given to Jacob, so Egypt was judged by the wealth that was taken out at the exodus.

Just as Jacob’s wealth did not come through his scheming but in spite of it, the Israelites were to understand that their blessings were a gift from God. Jacob was not blessed of God because of his godliness but due to God’s grace. God always deals with His people in grace.

The theme of this story of Jacob is the same one that we have seen over and over again in Genesis: God is faithful to fulfill His promises. He will do it by His sovereign power in spite of the sin and failings and schemes of men. God does it by His grace so that all praise goes to Him and not to ourselves.

Moses will remind the descendants of Jacob:

¹¹ “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, ¹² lest–when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; ¹⁴ when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; ¹⁵ who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end– ¹⁷ then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deut. 8:11-18)

The blessing of God comes only through the grace of God. It’s the same is true of our salvation. We cannot obtain eternal life by anything that we do. It is only by the grace of God. Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9). Bob Deffinbaugh writes,

Religion is as distinct from Christianity as Jacob’s pole-peeling was from God’s sovereign grace in the life of Jacob. Countless men and women are trying to work their way into God’s heaven by their own devices. Some of these would include church membership, baptism, confirmation, communion, church leadership, charity, and so on. Now all of these activities may have great value to the one who is already a Christian, but they are useless to the one who is trying to win God’s approval and blessing by doing them. The appearance of benefit may be there but not the reality of it. People may think we are Christians. They may commend our devotion to duty. But self-effort is mere pole-peeling so far as God is concerned.[5]

The only way to eternal life is to recognize that we are undeserving of it and we cannot earn it. The work of salvation is by God’s sovereign hand. He has accomplished it by His Son, Jesus Christ who bore the penalty for our sins on the cross. Salvation comes when we trust in nothing more and nothing less than the finished work of Jesus Christ for our eternal blessings.

And this is why we come to the Lord’s Table today. We come to remember Jesus Christ who paid our sin debt in full with His own precious blood. We come humbly because we know we did not earn our salvation, nor do we deserve even to be loved by God. We come grateful to God for His mercy, His grace, and His kindness shown us in Jesus Christ. We come by faith, trusting only in the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. We come confessing the Jesus Christ is Lord.

[1] Bob Deffinbaugh, Jacob Gets Laban’s Goat, https://bible.org/seriespage/32-jacob-gets-laban-s-goat-genesis-3025-3116  

[2] Geoff Thomas, The Strange Prospering of Jacob,  http://geoffthomas.org/index.php/gtsermons/the-strange-prospering-of-jacob/

[3] Abe Kuruvilla, https://homiletix.com/preaching2019/commentaries/gen_30_25-31_16/

[4] Deffinbaugh, https://bible.org/seriespage/32-jacob-gets-laban-s-goat-genesis-3025-3116

[5] Deffinbaugh