Genesis: a 12-session study

Session 9AFrom Jacob to

Israel

Genesis32:1–35:29

SUMMARYGenesis Structure

Genesis 1: wide angle view of creation Creation is ordered: first formed and then filled. God works 6 days,

then rests the 7th day. Rest is a gift from God. Genesis 2-4: close up view of Adam’s generation

Adam & Eve made in the image of God as rulers and priests. The Fall brings inherited sin. Cain kills Abel. Seth appointed.

Genesis 5-11: wide angle view of the nations Noah & The Flood. Shem, Ham, & Japheth. Tower of Babel. Languages

confused and people diffused across the world. Genesis 11-50: close up view of the nation of Israel

Terah (father of Abram, Nahor, & Haran; grandfather of Lot) Abram/Abraham (Sarah & Hagar) Ishmael & Isaac (Rebekah) Esau & Jacob/Israel (Leah & Zilpah, Rachel & Bilhah) 12 sons = 12

tribes Joseph

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (1) Terah:

Left for Canaan. Settled half-way. His son finished the journey.

Abram/Abraham: Went to Canaan faithfully. Went to Egypt fearfully. (Called Sarah

“sister”.) Came back to Canaan faithfully. Abram tithes to Melchizedek the king-priest of Salem (peace). God appeared and confirmed His covenant. Abram built altars. Abram rescued Lot. Lot escaped Sodom. Remember Lot’s wife. Abraham received covenant name, sign, son, place, and presence. Abimelech acknowledged that God was with Abraham. Treaty in Gerar. Near sacrifice of Isaac. God’s substituted ram foreshadowed Christ. Return to Beersheba. Hagar & Keturah’s children sent away. Gifts given to Isaac. Sarah & Abraham buried in a cave in Canaan.

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (2)

Ishmael (slave) & Isaac (free): Ishmael born first, but Isaac received the covenant. Hagar cast out, but her son Ishmael still blessed. Before Abraham’s death, his servant finds a godly wife, Rebekah, for

Isaac. Ishmael & Isaac bury Abraham together. God’s blessing passes to Isaac. Isaac settles at Beer-lahai-roi (The Well of the Vision). Ishmael settles in Shur, to the west of Beer-lahai-roi. Isaac goes to Gerar, like Abraham. Isaac calls his wife his “sister”, like

Abraham. God protects Isaac’s wife. King Abimelech protects them, but later asks Isaac to leave because God

has blessed Isaac so much that the Philistines are jealous. Isaac reopens Abraham’s wells. Isaac goes to Beersheba. God appears, confirming His covenant yet again. Isaac builds an altar, pitches a tent, and builds a well. Abimelech makes a peace treaty with Isaac. Isaac imitates the faith and faithfulness of Abraham.

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (3)

Esau & Jacob God revealed to mother Rebekah that the older would serve the younger. Esau born first—didn’t value his birthright, sold it to Jacob for red stew. Not understanding his parents’ faith, Esau took an unbelieving wife (Hittite). Jacob took a believing wife, followed the faith of his father. Rebekah helped Jacob deceive Isaac; he blessed Jacob instead of Esau. The deception wasn’t necessary as God had already revealed His will to Rebekah

while she was pregnant that the older Esau would serve the younger Jacob. To project Jacob from angry Esau, Rebekah convinces Isaac to send Jacob to

Paddan-Aram to find a wife. Isaac grants blessing of Abraham to Jacob. Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael (non-Canaanite) to placate his parents. Jacob encounters God in a dream at Bethel. Builds a pillar (not an altar). In Paddan-Aram, God leads Jacob to his wife, Rachel, daughter of Laban. Laban makes Jacob work 7 years for Rachel and gives her Leah. Jacob receives

Rachel, and works for Laban another 7 years. Jacob blessed with many children. Laban cheats Jacob out of a flock of sheep. Jacob works 6 years tending the flock. God blessed Jacob with large flocks, servants, camels, and donkeys.

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (4)

Joseph“The Patriarchs”

Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. All of their wives were healed of

barrenness. This is the covenant line. The entire nation of Israel, God’s chosen

people, and Jesus’ earthly parents, Mary & her husband Joseph, descend from them.

The 12 “Tribes of Israel” (Jacob’s sons) SUMMARY from Genesis 29-30, 35

Leah Reuben ("see, a

son") Simeon ("heard") Levi ("attached") Judah ("praise") Issachar ("wages") Zebulun ("honor")

Bilhah, Rachel's Servant Dan ("judged") Naphtali ("wrestling")

Zilpah, Leah's Servant Gad ("good fortune") Asher ("happy")

Rachel Joseph ("He may add”) Benjamin (“son of the right

hand”) (Genesis 35)

Notice how Leah, who was “unloved” and even “hated” by her husband, was the one who received the most children from God.God honors His promise to multiply Abraham’s offspring!

ISAAC/JACOB

ISHMAEL

HARAN/NAHOR (in Paddan-Aram)

about 550 milesABRAHAM/ BETHEL

Jacob Leaves LabanGenesis 31

God had blessed Jacob. Laban’s sons became jealous. Laban changes. God calls Jacob to go back. God chose the timing: 20 years. Jacob cites losing favor, changing wages, & having a dream from God. The “angel” also claims to be “God”. Could he be Jesus pre-incarnate? “Whatever God has said to you, do.” (v. 16) Rachel secretly steals Laban’s idols. She hides this from her spouse. God tells Laban not to harm Jacob. Laban still pursues and accuses. Laban doesn’t find his idols. Rachel learned deception from her father. Jacob became very angry, listing off Laban’s sins of 20 years. Jacob told of God’s protection, counteracting the wrongs done to him. Jacob’s faith in God grew and began to show. Laban offered a covenant. Jacob set up a pillar. Relatives set up stones. Jacob’s pillar stood for 1 God. Their stones represented many “gods”. The families shared a covenant meal. Jacob offers a sacrifice to God. In the morning, Laban blessed and kissed daughters and grandchildren. Laban leaves.

THE BIG PICTUREGenesis 32-35

Jacob experienced the pain of deception under Uncle Laban.

God worked on Jacob’s heart during the 20 years away.

Jacob faces his greatest fears in reconciling with his brother Esau.

A dramatic picture of the grace of God emerges as he faces his fears.

Jacob Fears EsauGenesis 32:1-12

Jacob meets the “angels of God”. He says it’s “God’s camp” and calls it Mahanaim (“two camps”). Only here and in Jacob’s dream at Bethel does the O.T. mention the “angels of God”, both times with Jacob.

God shows Jacob that His protection is there, even when not apparent. How will Jacob be received by Esau, who threatened to kill him? Jacob sends messengers ahead. The messengers tell Esau that Jacob has come

with animals and servants, asking to find favor in Esau’s sight. The messengers tell Jacob that Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob splits all into two camps, hoping one will escape the attack. Jacob prays. 9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac,

O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

Jacob prays to God by name (for the first time), includes God’s directions, shows humility, makes his request, is honest about his feelings, and prays God’s word back to him. Jacob’s faith is maturing!

Map

Jacob returns.

Esau pursues.

Jacob Prepares a PresentGenesis 32:13-21

Jacob stays the night and prepares a gift for Esau. Goats: 200 female goats (200 ewes), 20 male goats (20 rams) Camels: 30 milk camels, plus their calves Cattle: 40 cows, 10 bulls Donkeys: 20 female donkeys, 10 male donkeys

Jacob tells the servants to space out the herds. (a procession of gifts) Jacob tells each group to tell Esau that these are gifts from Jacob, who is

behind them. Jacob thought he may appease Esau. (Lit. “appease his face”. In the Bible

“face” can stand for the person.) Jacob thinks, “If I appease his face, when I see his face, he will lift my

face.” “Appease” means to “cover over”. In the O.T., this often has the idea of

making an offering to cover over one’s sin. By Jacob’s gift, he hopes to be forgiven of his past sins in the eyes of his brother.

“He will lift my face” likely means acceptance, and could have the double meaning of making Jacob smile, indicating the joy of acceptance.

The gift went on ahead, and Jacob spends one more night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with GodGenesis 32:22-32

Jacob crosses the Jabbok river with 2 wives, 2 female servants, 11 sons, and (presumably) 1 daughter. Everything else he has also crosses over.

Jacob stays behind. A man wrestled with him until daybreak. Word play: God wrestles (ye’abeq) with Jacob (ya‘aqob) by the Jabbok (yabboq). The man touched Jacob’s hip and it went out of joint. The Man: “Let me go, for the day has broken.” Jacob: “I will not let go until you bless me.” The Man renames Jacob as Israel, meaning, “He strives with God.” Jacob has striven with men and God and prevailed. Earlier Jacob prayed using God’s covenant name, now Jacob receives his own

covenant name. The God of his fathers has truly become HIS God! Jacob asks for the man’s name, but he doesn’t give it. Jacob calls the place Peniel: “the face of God”. “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” In the O.T., it was believed that if you saw God’s face, you would die. A Jewish tradition said not to eat the sinew of the thigh on the hip socket,

because that is where Jacob’s hip was touched. Notice that we have another appearance of God as a man, like he did with

Abraham earlier. God appearing in human form anticipates Christ. The O.T. is the N.T. concealed. The N.T. is the O.T. revealed!

Jacob Meets EsauGenesis 33:1-10

Next, Jacob sees Esau coming with 400 men. Jacob sends the servants and their children, Leah and her children, then

Rachel and Joseph. Joseph is the only son named, due to importance. Jacob goes ahead, bowing 7 times. This ancient tradition indicates submission

to his elder brother, even though God revealed the older would serve the younger.

Esau runs, embraces Jacob, falls on his neck, kisses him, and they weep. Jesus may have used this familiar image in the parable of the Lost Son. By God’s grace, Esau holds nothing against Jacob. God delivered Jacob, answering his earlier prayer. Esau asks about the family. Jacob says the children are given by God. Jacob’s family, one after the other, comes and bows before Esau.

Esau asks about the flocks and herds. Jacob says it is to find favor. Esau says he has enough. Jacob insists that Esau accept it. v. 10 …For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God,

and you have accepted me. Jacob thought, “If I appease his face, when he sees my face, he will lift my

face.” Regardless of what we’ve done, we all need acceptance in the face of God. God shows his acceptance of us through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Jacob Reaches HomeGenesis 33:11-20

v. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

Jacob insists on giving a blessing to Esau for the blessing he stole from Isaac. Jacob is making a biblical restitution for the harm he caused someone else. Esau desires to journey together with his brother Jacob to Esau’s home in Seir. Jacob makes an excuse of weary children, flocks, and herds to stay behind. Jacob has no intention of following Esau. He may still be afraid of his brother. Esau goes back home, south to Seir. But Jacob goes west to Succoth. Succoth means “booths”. Jacob builds booths for his livestock there. Jacob finally reaches Shechem in Canaan, about 20 miles west of Succoth. Jacob purchases a piece of land for 100 pieces of money (qesitahs). Jacob pitches his tent there. He believes God that this is the Promised Land. Jacob builds an altar “El-Elohe-Israel”: “God, the God of Israel” or “God, the God of

he who strives with God”. Jacob worships the God who changed his name. This is the first altar Jacob builds. Abraham also built an altar in Shechem, and it’s

possible this is a reconstruction of it. Previously, Jacob built pillars as a witness. By building an altar, Jacob commits to worship God.

DISCUSSIONGenesis 32-33

1. Why is Jacob fearful to return home to the Promised Land?2. How does Jacob’s prayer serve as a model prayer?3. Where does Jacob find strength to cast his fears on God?4. How does God show His grace and faithfulness to answer prayer when

Jacob meets Esau?5. How does Esau’s response to Jacob reflect the heart of God?

(Think about Jesus parable of the Prodigal Son)6. Jacob sends gifts to appease Esau. “Appease” is often used of gifts to God.

How do Jacobs gifts demonstrate the reality of repentance in Jacob’s life?

7. What does it mean to wrestle with God and not let go until He blesses you?

8. Jacob wrestled with God, asking for a blessing. How did God bless Jacob?9. Jacob’s old name means “cheater”. What is Jacob’s new name and what is

the meaning and message in his new name?10. When Jacob divides his family to meet Esau, it may look like more of the

old Jacob scheming. But how does he take personal responsibility?11. How does Jacob’s return to Canaan tie to God’s promises to Abraham?