Genesis 28-30 -- We are not told what happens to Jacob's material inheritance while he is gone. He took very little with him. Yet, it would be unthinkable for Isaac to send his heir off with only a knapsack. It is therefore reasonable to assume that he had at least a couple of beasts of burden, and perhaps a servant or two. We do know that Jacob did not carry the customary bridal gifts, such as Eliezer exchanged for Rebekah. That would have taken too long to gather. Jacob was hastily fleeing a confrontation for which he was ill-equipped.
Traveling lightly, Jacob would have made the fifty miles (80 km) or so to the city of Luz in two or three days. His vision there was the beginning of a long, hard struggle to become Jehovah's man. His shallow commitment at the time was apparently accepted. Jehovah alone can judge the sincerity of a man's commitment, and what He accepts from him. To mark the event, Jacob set up a stone pillar. This would be any naturally occuring rock that so much as vaguely suggested a piller, by being rather longer on one axis. The commemorative pillar would not have been large, but it would have been recognized by any passer-by for what it was. Such stones are seldom left standing by natural forces, and seasoned olive oil coating it was used in numerous religious rituals.
The time frame for his arriving in what is today Northern Syria is not given. Jacob's queries of the shepherds would have been typical of that day. Flocks were normally gathered at dusk for protective purposes, so gathering them at midday puzzled Jacob. The well was probably the only source of water in that area. From the context, it seems to have been a matter of the stone cover's size and weight that necessitated the gathering of several flocks in order to water them. Shepherds worked virtually alone, and it would take several people to move a large protective cover. Jacob felt joy and relief at finding so quickly a member of his kin, as well as being thrilled with her beauty. Together, these feelings provoked him to remove the stone cover over the well, and bring up enough water for the flock of sheep Rachel was tending. Thus, we have an odd reversal of Eliezer's experience in finding Rebekah.
Jacob's uncle Laban welcomed him with open arms, then promptly began to prove a far greater schemer than Jacob ever dreamed of being. Laban's claim of custom dictating the marriage of the elder daughter is not supported by archaeological evidence. This, in spite of the wealth of knowledge we have on the marriage customs of that place and time, so it can be taken as a lie. This was simply a ruse by Laban to dispose of an unattractive daughter, for whom there was little hope of finding local suitors. After seeing what a circus this family became, it is little wonder that the Law of Moses prohibited a man marrying sisters while both lived. The mention of mandrakes reflects the silliness of the sisters jockeying for position. Mandrakes were a yellow plum-like wild fruit, commonly referred to as "love apples," ripening in May when wheat was ready to harvest. It was believed they had magical powers to improve fertility. Oddly enough, it was Leah who got pregnant, after she traded them away. Jehovah was not impressed with the mandrakes.
Laban also practiced magic: divination, through his household gods. Yet it took no revelation from demons for him to know that he prospered at the hands of Jacob. As Laban's victim, Jacob was learning to trust Jehovah to keep the covenant they made at Bethel, now fourteen years past. He boldly offered to accept the smallest share of the herds by coloring. Sheep were normally all white, and goats were black. Exceptions were rare. Such a choice guaranteed Laban could not cheat Jacob of his wages. At least, so Jacob thought. Laban immediately directed his sons to drive all such animals in a herd roughly fifty miles (80 km) away. This would minimize their presence in the gene-pool. Acting on a revelation from Jehovah, which came in a dream, Jacob used prenatal influence on the healthier sheep and goats, a practice that is known today to be somewhat effective; all the more so with Jehovah's help.
Few men of the Covenant lineage were as morally and ethically challenged as the scheming Jacob. Yet we see the miraculous power of God at work in the man's heart, taming the selfish impulses. The change is nothing less than dramatic.
Genesis 31-36 -- After seven years of this genetic manipulation of Laban's herds, Jacob was quite wealthy. Things were tense between his and his uncle's households. Jehovah came in a dream to tell Jacob it was time to go home. Foregoing the usual formalities to avoid further efforts by Laban to detain him, Jacob fled Paddan-aram ("High Plains"). His wives went willingly, in part because Laban neglected to give them the customary bridal share of his wealth. Rachel was not content to simply leave; she took her father's household idols (teraphim). Possession of these would mark Jacob as the legal heir to Laban's household. It was no doubt this that was Laban's real concern in pursuing Jacob.
Hastily departing the sheep-shearing festival with his armed men, Laban caught up with Jacob in the hills of Gilead, some 300 miles (480 km) away. His violent intent blunted by a warning from Jehovah, Laban was left with bluster and threats. Rachel's wicker camel saddle was a convenient hiding place from his search, not to mention quite comfortable for just sitting. She knew Laban would be loathe to touch a woman in menses, or anything on which she was sitting. Relieved that Laban found nothing, Jacob was in a position to deliver his own sharp rebuke. With no leverage, Laban settled for a covenant that would prevent Jacob avenging his mistreatment. It was sealed with a ritual peace meal, and a monument to represent Jehovah as the sentry blocking the path of retribution. Laban departed, his schemes finally defeated.
Meeting Esau was the final test of Jacob's character. While he was not above deceiving Esau about his intentions, Jacob was able to trust Jehovah for the outcome. His savvy preparations for the worst shows he was resigned to a bad ending. The theophany wrestling match indicates how far Jacob had come since his last dealings with his brother. It was common for lords to give new names to their servants, usually to indicate recognition of some newly earned respect, or to mark a promotion. Jacob's new name, Israel ("Prevails with God"), indicated a complete change in character, as well. The new names Israel gave the places along the way, to mark pivotal events, traced his path down the Jabbok River. Mahanaim ("Two Camps") is half-way up the Jabbok Valley, Peniel or Penuel ("Face of God") farther down, and Succoth ("Tents") at the mouth, where the river flowed into the Jordan. His brother Esau had made his home in the old Hurrian Kingdom southeast of the Dead Sea. Because of his nickname, Edom, the region is known by that name, as well as by the name Mount Seir, or simply Seir. The area was also predominately known for red sandstone. In the New Testament, the descendants of Esau were known by their Roman name, Idumaeans, derived from Edom.
Israel's sons seemed to have learned some of his previously deceptive ways. Israel wisely made peace with the local powers by purchasing land Jehovah had promised that his descendants would inherit. Two of his sons arrogantly butchered the whole male population, and plundered the city as well. It is noteworthy that this crime forfeited their standing as second and third in line to inherit their father's throne as petty king. Indeed, their actions threatened to provoke the demise of their entire household. At Jehovah's prompting, Israel moved his small kingdom south to Bethel. Eventually, he moved farther south to Ephrath, later known as Bethlehem. On the way, he lost Rachel in childbirth. With the birth of this last of his twelve sons, the Hebrew scribe inserts a list of those sons in birth-order. Mentioned in passing is Reuben's trespass on his father's harem, forfeiting his rights as first-born. This shift of the birthright was not formally announced until Israel was on his death bed. The passing of Isaac is noted. The records of Esau's descendants, and those of the Hurrians (Horites) with whom he lived, follow that.
No effort is made to hide the sinful acts of the main characters. Indeed, much of the story centers on showing how much they were changed by living under the Covenant. More than just the maturity of becoming a man, or the wisdom of aging, but the Omniscient hand of God at work in forming the character of each man to pass on the obligations of the Covenant. Again, fallen man cannot frustrate the plans of God.
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Ed Hurst
revised 30 January 2004
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