Burning Bush Blogs
Equipping Men with Biblical Knowledge and Leadership Skills
Category: Personal Study
Thread: New to the Bible – The Patriarchs – The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Post Topic: Jacob – Deception, Determination, and Blessing
Post in Thread: #3
Previous: Isaac – the miracle child
Next: Joseph – What God meant for good
Scripture: Genesis 29:15-30
Genesis 27:1-29
Note on this series of posts
This post fits within a continuing series meant for readers who are less familiar with Scripture, but anyone can enjoy.
The patriarchs are the fathers of the Hebrew nation, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. For this series we’ll be giving honorary patriarch status to Moses, and we’ll throw in a bonus study of Joseph’s brother Judah. The patriarchs gave birth to the Jewish nation, but were quite human. Genesis doesn’t shy away from describing both their successes and failures; their virtues and their failings. Neither then, shall our blogs shy away from these topics.
Today’s story introduces Jacob, the father of the tribes of Israel, known as a master manipulator.
Key Verses:
Genesis 29:20; Genesis 29:30
So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
…
Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
22 Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him. 24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
Genesis 27:22-24
“I am,” Jacob replied.
Observations
The Good – A man of prayer, determination, and faithfulness
- A man of prayer and faith: Genesis 28:20; Genesis 32:9-12
- Faithful to his love, the beautiful Rachel
- He worked seven years for her father Laban for her hand in marriage.
- Laban tricked Jacob into marrying the older daughter, Leah, in the dark of night
- Jacob worked an additional 7 years for the privileging of marrying his true love
- You think the strain between Sarah and Hagar was rough? Imagine this family dynamic!
- Father of the twelve tribes of Israel (Jacob’s name was eventually changed to Israel)
The Bad – Liar/Schemer
- Jacob tricked his own father into giving him the blessing Isaac intended for Esau (Genesis 27:1-29)
- The almost-blind Isaac loved his man’s man of a son Esau more, and told him to hunt wild game for a meal to give him the blessing.
- Overhearing, mama’s boy Jacob and his mother Rebekah schemed to trick Isaac.
- They dressed Jacob with goat hair so he’d feel and smell like Esau, and prepared a meal from goats.
- Jacob lied to Isaac to get the blessing bestowed upon him.
- For decades he schemed to pilfer riches from his father-in-law Laban, and then tried to run off with his two wives with all his possessions (Genesis 31:1-55).
The Ugly – Bargained food for a birthright (Genesis 25:27-34)
Jacob Tricked older brother Esau into selling his birthright when Esau was starving; How could you refuse food to your brother until you’ve bargained over it?
Interpretation
Geography
After tricking his father Isaac to receive the blessing, Jacob knew he’d need to get out quick. The map below shows his migration from southern Canaan to Paddan-Aram, the home of Abraham’s family and his mother Rebekah. It is here in Haran that he meets Rachel and labors 14 years for her. During the journey he has a life-altering dream in Bethel, where he dedicates himself to God (Genesis 28:10-22).
Map courtesy www.biblemapper.com
Takeaways
- Jacob was a schemer and a trickster. A man of principle would have stood up against his mother’s plan to deceive his father.
- Jacob got a taste of his own medicine when he was tricked by Laban to marry both sisters and work for 14 years.
- In spite of his flaws, Jacob had a lot of good qualities, and was used in a mighty way by God.
Correlation
The Children of Israel origin (Genesis 32:22-30)
Years after the above stories, Jacob returns to Canaan, where he is scared for his life the night before he is to be reunited with his brother Esau. He goes off by himself in the night and spends hours wrestling with a mysterious stranger. Jacob seems to realize this is no ordinary man. His amazing determination again shines through. Somehow, he persists, and demands the stranger bless him.
The man tells him: “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
How emblematic is this of Jacob? He spent his life wrestling with God, but his determination resulted in another blessing. His descendants would thereafter be known as the children of Israel.
Application
Generic Applications
- Even the liars and schemers can have a role in God’s plan, especially if they repent and pray.
- Wrestling with God can be a good thing as we search for our place in this world.
Personalize it
- Do I wrestle with God at times? Jacob did, and was blessed for it. What would his blessing over my life look like?
Historical Significance of Jacob
After God renamed him to Israel, descendants of his sons became known as the tribes of Israel.
Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:
Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.