Jacob returns home

Jacob fled from home many years before because of what had been done to his brother, Esau.  He feared retaliation.

Upon his return home, with his wife, children, and flocks of livestock, he sent gifts on ahead to curry favor with his older brother.  When they finally meet, at the beginning of Chapter 33, Esau threw his arms around Jacob and they wept.  Esau would not accept Jacob's gifts, but Jacob insisted.

An interesting passage, however, occurs in Chapter 32, Verses 24-32.  Jacob sent his family and possessions on ahead while he stayed behind at a river.  This was just prior to his meeting with Esau.  The passage tells that a man visited Jacob just before daybreak and wrestled with him.  The man had no name.  The man, who was losing the match, struck Jacob in the hip and told Jacob to let him go.  Jacob refused and asked the man's name.  The man said that Jacob will no longer be called Jacob, but will be called Israel.  In the aftermath, Jacob said that he had seen God face-to-face, and blessed the spot where the struggle took place.

Dishonest Laban

Laban was a wealthy shepherd, yet he was dishonest.

A dishonest businessman, in other words.  That's the bottom line.

We see Laban from Genesis 29 through 31, as Jacob goes off to see him.  It is a long tale of deceit and dishonesty, yet Jacob, son of Isaac, took it all in stride and knew God would watch over him and make sure no harm came to him.

Jacob falls in love with Laban's daughter Rachel.  Jacob agrees to work for Laban for seven years in order to marry Rachel.  What follows is a twisted story of Jacob fathering children for both Rachel and also to her sister Leah, something Laban had a hand in.

When Rachel gave birth to her son Joseph, Jacob told Laban that he was to return home.  Laban asks what he wishes in wages, and Jacob informs him that he'll take all of the livestock and is spotted or striped or speckled.  Laban then has all of the spotted and striped and speckled livestock removed, deceiving and tricking Jacob out of any livestock.

But Jacob had plans of his own, and I won't give all of the details here, but in the end Jacob ended up with plenty of livestock of his own--spotted, striped, and speckled.  He then flees.  Laban finds out about Jacob leaving with an immense flock and pursues him.

In the end, Laban and Jacob come to an agreement and Laban does no harm to Jacob--this is mostly due to God appearing before him in a dream and said not to harm Jacob.

The strange case of Jacob, son is Isaac

At a first reading, I thought Jacob, the second born of Isaac and Rebecca, was a spoiled brat and something of a momma's boy.  It even says in Genesis 27: 28 that Rebecca preferred Jacob while her husband Isaac preferred Esau--Esau and Jacob were twins, with Esau being born first while Jacob was "born holding on tightly" to his brother's heel.

Jacob tricks Esau into giving up his first-born rights in Genesis 27:31-33.

Then in Genesis 27, the entire chapter is devoted to the exchange between Isaac and Jacob, and then Isaac and Esau.  Isaac told Esau to kill an animal and cook a great meal for him, and then he would give Esau his final blessing before he died.  Rebecca, overhearing this, prepared a meal and had Jacob pose as his brother to receive the final blessing.

After Jacob received the blessing, and Esau arrived and spoke with his father, Esau was outraged at what Jacob had done.  Isaac told Esau that he already blessed Jacob into being the master of Esau--rather deceitfully, I might add.

In the end, Jacob runs off to another land to find a wife, leaving Esau to "cool off" over what his brother had done.  In Genesis 28, Jacob dreams about a ladder leading up to Heaven, the ladder filled with angels, and the Lord God said to He would protect him and all of his people.  This is the famous Jacob's Ladder.  Jacob then blessed the spot and calls it Bethel, and says, "I will give you a tenth of everything you give me."

In the beginning of this tale, before the birth of Esau and Jacob, Rebecca is told by the Lord: "Two nations are within you; You will give birth to two rival peoples, One will be stronger than the other; The older will serve the younger."  This last line sums up and erases everything I originally thought.  Rebecca knew that Jacob would be the one to rule the people, not Esau.  That is why everything was done for Jacob, to help fulfill his destiny.

Psalm 3 - Facing Your Enemies

Psalm 3 starts by telling that "I have so many enemies, Lord . . ."

The speaker has many enemies who talk about him behind his back.  They whisper stuff like, "God will not help him."

But who does the speaker listen to?  Not the enemies.  He knows God will protect him and victory only comes through Him.

When you feel like everyone is against you, take the time to read Psalm 3.  It deals with using the Lord as your shield against your enemies, so that you will not be afraid.  Give all of your fear to the Lord, and you will sleep well.