Month: July 2024

Israel—Chosen by God:  Jacob – Part 3

On By Carmen1 Comment

This week we continue the story of Jacob’s life after he marries both Leah and Rachel.

If you remember from “Israel—Chosen by God: Jacob – Part 2,” Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah by his uncle Laban. He had worked seven years for whom he thought was Rachel, Leah’s younger sister. He woke up the morning after the wedding ceremony and found out it was Leah who was with him. He was not at all happy about this and confronted Laban who insisted that he had to marry his oldest daughter first. Laban offered Rachel to Jacob in marriage for another seven years of work and Jacob accepted this offer because it was Rachel whom he loved.

Messed up!

And this is in the Bible? Oh yes, and it is true.

The good news is that God can take our human mess and use it for His purpose and for our good.

Let’s continue the story.

Jacob’s children

Jacob fathered 12 sons and 1 daughter by Leah, Rachel, and their handmaids. His first four children were born to Leah—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Rachel had been without a child for a few years and was quite upset about this, so she gave her servant Bilhah to him so that she could conceive a child for her. Bilhah gave birth to Dan.

Once again, we witness a chosen and loved wife feeling insecure about not having a child of her own. You would think that this lesson would have been passed down and learned from Sarah and Abraham. Instead of taking her concern of being barren to the LORD, Rachel became jealous of her sister Leah and devised a way of having children through her handmaid.

We cause ourselves a multitude of problems when we do not trust God and lay our sensitive issues before Him.  

Not long after Dan was born, Bilhah gave birth to another son named Naphtali.

Then Leah could not conceive, so she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife in hopes of having more children. Zilpah gave birth to Gad and then to Asher.

I personally cannot imagine sharing my husband with any woman, let alone three other wives with their own children. I guess you could say that I have a righteous jealousy. I wouldn’t be able to live this way, not to mention the chaos that comes with all of this.

This was not God’s design.

No matter how one may explain or even excuse this behavior, God created one woman for one man (Genesis 2:20b-24).

Eventually Leah became pregnant again and bore Issachar; and then again with Zebulun; and again, with a daughter, Dinah.

Finally, Rachel was able to conceive and gave birth to Joseph. Later after Jacob’s return to Canaan, Rachel gave birth to Benjamin.

Jacob Becomes Successful

After many years of shepherding in both Canaan and Haran, Jacob was very knowledgeable in the breeding and raising of sheep and goats.

He lived in Haran and worked for Laban fourteen years, completing his commitment for his wives. During these years, all his children except Benjamin were born in Haran.

Jacob decided to leave and return to his family in Canaan. He spoke with his uncle about his intentions, but Laban wanted him to stay and offered him whatever he asked. Laban knew that God was with Jacob and had blessed him through Jacob’s work these fourteen years.

Jacob wanted nothing from Laban and told him so, but he decided to work with him a while longer to show his uncle once again his loyalty to him.  It turned out that Jacob stayed another six years.

During this time, Laban tried to make it as difficult as possible for Jacob to be successful and separated Jacob from him a distance of three days travel.

But God was with Jacob and he became even more successful.

Instead of being grateful for Jacob’s success, Laban and his sons became jealous and began accusing Jacob of cheating them and stealing from them.

At this point, God was ready for Jacob to return to his family in Canaan.

And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 31:2-3

God’s timing is perfect!

We need to remember this when we are feeling down and disappointed with the difficulties in our lives. We may not see it, but God is always working on behalf of his children.

Our focus should always be on serving and following God—no matter what.

In the famous words of Dr. Charles Stanley, one of my lifelong mentors in the LORD, “Obey God and leave all the consequences up to Him.”

We will have success when we wait upon the LORD. It may not be easy and it may be a long wait, but God has only the best intentions for us. We may not understand it at the time, but if we will trust Him and walk in obedience to Him, we will one day understand why God allowed difficulties in our lives. Sometimes, we perpetrate these hardships, other times we are being refined and groomed for God’s purposes.

After God tells Jacob that it’s time to leave Haran, he immediately speaks to Leah and Rachel to let them know that they will be leaving for Canaan. Jacob reminds them of how he served their father, Laban, faithfully all these years and was loyal to him. He reminds them how their father cheated him again and again, and is now becoming hostile toward him. He also tells them that God has seen all this and has made him successful anyway, and is now telling him to leave for Canaan.  

Jacob’s wives respond in favor of leaving.

Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

Genesis 31:14-16

Imagine trying to convince your spouse to leave their family and the only home they’ve ever known under such circumstances. Jacob had to convince two wives who were sisters, jealous of each other and who worked against each other.

When God is in it, He makes the way possible!

Jacob leaves Paddan-aram (Haran) without notifying Laban, and heads toward Canaan with his wives, children, servants, and livestock. The Bible tells us that he was wealthy, and in those days, this meant a lot of people and flocks were part of the caravan leaving Haran. This was going to be a long, slow journey.

Join me next for Israel—Chosen by God: Jacob – Part 4

Wishing you God’s abundant blessings as you walk with Him.

Below is a beautiful song about how God always makes a way for us when He is in our battles.

Don’t give up following God—He is with you and for you!  

Way Maker – Leeland

Israel—Chosen by God:  Jacob – Part 2

On By Carmen2 Comments

If you read my previous post, “Israel—Chosen by God: Jacob – Part 1,” you know that Jacob received the family blessing by deceiving his father Isaac and his brother Esau.

He is now fleeing Canaan to live with his uncle Laban in Paddan-aram, also known as Haran. He is running for his life, away from Esau who was planning to kill him as soon as their father dies. He is sent there by his father and his mother Rebekah. They not only want to protect Jacob, but also want him to choose a wife from his uncle Laban’s daughters.

Isaac blesses him and instructs Jacob before leaves.

“You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!”
Genesis 28:1b-4

On his way to Haran, Jacob stopped for the night and found a place to rest. While sleeping, he had a dream about a ladder that reached all the way up to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and down the ladder, and then the LORD stood above the ladder and spoke to him.

“…I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth 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 promised you.”
Genesis 28:13-15

Jacob woke up and realized that God was there with him, so he took the stone that he used for a pillow and poured oil over it as a landmark to honor God and named the place Bethel, which means house of God. Jacob vowed to worship God and tithe all his earnings if God would protect and provide for him, while leading him securely along the way to Haran and back again to his father’s house.

Jacob undoubtedly remembered the blessing that his father Isaac pronounced over him and he had great expectations. In those days, a family blessing was taken very seriously and believed word for word.

This is why it’s so important for us to speak words of blessing and goodness to our children and teach them about God’s faithfulness. We can achieve our goals if they align with God’s will. 

Jacob continues his journey east to Haran and stops at a well where the local shepherds were watering their sheep. He talks with the shepherds about Laban whom they know and is told that he is well. At that moment, a young lady, Rachel, comes to the well with her father’s sheep, and the shepherds let him know that she is Laban’s daughter.

He is very happy that he finds his family that he traveled so far to meet, and tells Rachel that her father is his mother’s brother. She runs to tell her father Laban who then goes to meet Jacob and embraces him and invites him to stay with him. They share stories and Laban recognizes that Jacob is truly his kinsman. He invites Jacob to stay with him a while, so Jacob begins to work for Laban.

When we belong to God, He is faithful and orchestrates our future—just as He did for Jacob.

After a month’s work, Laban asks Jacob what he wants as wages in return for his work. During the time that Jacob works for Laban, he falls in love with Rachel whom the Bible describes as beautiful. He tells Laban that he will work for him for seven years for Rachel to be his wife. Laban agrees.

It’s important to know that Rachel has an older sister named Leah.

So, Jacob stays and works for Laban for seven years. When this time is completed, he goes to Laban to ask for Rachel in marriage. Laban plans a big wedding feast and in the evening after the ceremony, he takes his eldest daughter Leah to Jacob.

I am not sure why Jacob doesn’t recognize that Leah is with him instead of Rachel—maybe it was too dark for him to see her on their wedding night. The Bible doesn’t give an explanation.

When morning comes, Jacob realizes that he’s been deceived by Laban! The cheater has himself been cheated!

I hate to say it, but “what goes around, comes around.”

Jacob confronts Laban and is told that it is their custom for the eldest daughter to be given in marriage first. He tells Jacob to stay and complete the marriage week with Leah, and then he will be given Rachel for another seven years of work.  

Laban is all too eager to keep Jacob, because he knows God is with him and blesses him in all that he does. Laban reaps these benefits with Jacob working for him and wants to keep him as long as he can.

No doubt Jacob loved Rachel, but now he had to trust Laban once again.

The Bible tells us that Jacob stayed and worked another seven years, and was finally given Rachel to marry.

God is faithful

…when we have been betrayed

…when we cannot see the path forward

…when we ourselves have sinned against Him and others

If we belong to God, He has a plan for our lives— just as he had for Jacob.

We must be willing to trust Him even when the news is bad, or when everything seems like it’s going in the wrong direction.

I have included a song below that speaks to God’s faithfulness. I hope you enjoy it.

“Faithful” – Chris Tomlin

Please join me next for Israel—Chosen by God:  Jacob – Part 3

Israel—Chosen by God: Jacob – Part I

On By Carmen1 Comment

If you remember from my previous post, “Israel—Chosen by God:  Isaac,” Jacob’s name means “he cheats.” His name perhaps came from his struggle in the womb with his brother Esau to be the firstborn. The Bible says he came out holding onto Esau’s heel.

When Jacob is a young man, we learn that he cheats Esau out of his blessing and lies to his father, Isaac.

Isaac was old and losing his vision, so he called for Esau to give him his blessing. He told Esau to first go out to hunt and bring him back some of the wild game prepared the way that he loved. His mother, Rebekah, overheard the conversation and quickly told Jacob to go out to the flock and bring her two goats so that she could prepare a delicious meal for Isaac and for Jacob to take it to him. Her intention was for Jacob to receive the blessing while Esau was out hunting.

Jacob was concerned that his father would know it was not him, because he and Esau were very different. First, Esau was hairy and Jacob was not. Esau liked to hunt and often smelled like the outdoors in the field where he liked to hunt; Jacob liked to stay around home. Their voices were distinct as most of our voices are compared to our siblings’.

Jacob was further concerned that his father would curse him for trying to fool him, but Rebekah was not about to let Jacob miss the blessing, and she was willing for the curse to be on her if Isaac found out. She told him to put on Esau’s clothes and she put goat’s hair on his body as a disguise.

Jacob took to his father the food Rebekah prepared, and Isaac was suspicious because he had brought him the food so quickly. Isaac may have been old and nearly blind, but his mind and other senses were still good.

So he went to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up an eat of my game, that your soul may bless me." But Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "Because the LORD your God granted me success." Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not." So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him. He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am." Then he said, "Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son's game and bless you." So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 
Genesis 27:18-25

The goat skin he felt on Jacob seemed to convince him that it was his son Esau, so Isaac asked him to come closer to give him a kiss and then blessed him.

So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed! May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” 
Genesis 27:27-29

A father’s blessing was and still is very important to his children. And the blessing of passing on the family leadership meant everything to the child (usually the eldest) who received it.

So, Jacob lived up to his name and cheated his brother Esau out of his blessing.

Esau, on his part, was not an exemplary son; when he was younger, he had sold his birthright to Jacob for food, and had since married women from the Hittite tribe which greatly distressed Isaac and Rebekah. Just as the patriarch Abraham was very careful in ensuring Isaac would marry from his own family, Isaac should have done the same with Esau. Perhaps he contested these marriages with his eldest son, but Esau nevertheless married outside of the family. He clearly was not following God’s plan for his life and the blessing of the family legacy was taken from him.

When Esau returned from his hunting trip, he cooked the stew that his father had requested and went to see him for the family blessing. Isaac told him he had already given the blessing to whom he thought was Esau, but was deceived. They were both distressed and Esau pleaded with his father to give him the blessing. Isaac informed Esau that he could not reverse the blessing and that his future would be less than what it should have been and that he would serve his brother Jacob until he (Esau) broke away from him.  

Esau hated Jacob for this and plotted to kill him after his father died. As soon as Rebekah learned of this, she told Jacob to leave for Haran, where her brother Laban lived. She told Jacob that she would send for him to return when Esau had enough time to get over his anger toward him. Rebekah also wanted Jacob to find a wife from her family and not from any of the Hittite women that lived in Canaan.

Isaac then called for Jacob and told him to go his uncle Laban’s house and marry one of his daughters. He gave strict instructions for Jacob to marry within the family and not from the Canaanites. Isaac blessed him and sent him to Paddan-aram where his uncle lived.

Join me next for Israel—Chosen by God:  Jacob – Part 2

I have included a beautiful song below for your listening pleasure.

“I Am Not Alone” – Kari Jobe