The Life of Jacob,
Part III--Genesis 30:1-43
The Life of Jacob, Part IV--Genesis
31:1-55
The Life of Jacob, Part V--Genesis
32:1-33:20
The Life of Jacob, Part VI--Genesis 34:1-35:29
The Life of Jacob, Part VII--Genesis 49:1-33
The Life of Jacob, Part II
Genesis 29:1-35
INTRODUCTION:
1. The first study of Jacob's life dealt with his trip to Haran.
2. In this second study, we proceed with the next phase:
II. THE MARRIAGE OF JACOB--Genesis 29:1-35
A. Jacob's Arrival at Haran--vv. 1-8. . . ."Then Jacob went on his
journey, and came into the land of the people of the
east. [2] And he
looked, and behold a
well in the field, and, lo, there
were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they
watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's
mouth. [3] And thither were all the flocks gathered: and
they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and
put the stone again upon the
well's mouth in
his place. [4] And Jacob said unto them, 'My brethren, whence be
ye?' And they said, 'Of Haran are we.' [5] And he said unto them,
'Know ye Laban the son of Nahor?' And they said, 'We know him.' [6] And he said unto them, 'Is
he well?' And they said, 'He is well: and, behold,
Rachel
his daughter cometh with the sheep.' [7] And he said, 'Lo, it
is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should
be gathered together: water ye the
sheep, and go and feed
them.' [8] And they said, 'We cannot, until all the flocks be
gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's
mouth; then
we water the sheep.'"
1. Jacob proceeds on the journey cheerfully.--v. 1
a. He went with the presence of God--implied by the context.
b. "Note. After the visions we have had of God, and the
vows we have made to him
in solemn ordinances, we should run the way of his commandments
with
enlarged hearts" (Matthew Henry. Commentary
on the Whole Bible.
Mc Lean, VA: Mac Donald Publishing Company, n. d.; I:174)
c. Cf. Hebrews 12:1, 2--"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our
faith;
Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God."
2. Jacob reaches the journey's end--vv. 2-8
a. Divine providence brought him on in his journey.
(I) There is no evidence here that he acknowledged God here or thanked
Him.
(II) Nevertheless, he did looked and observed; maybe even scratched his
head.
b. People having flocks need to tend to them.
(I) Cf. Proverbs 27:23--"Be thou diligent to know the state of thy
flocks,
and look well to thy herds."
(II) The shepherds here may well illustrate our Lord Jesus, the great
Shepherd.--cf. vv. 2, 3, 7, 8
(III) Cf. John 10:14--"I am the good Shepherd, and know My sheep,
and am known of Mine."
c. These shepherds with separate flocks do make use of mutual
help.
(I) Note verse 3
(II) There is a lesson here for the local church--we need to mutually
help one
another in the work.
d. Jacob and the shepherds greet each other respectfully.
(I) Proverbs 31:26--"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her
tongue is the law of kindness."
(II) He might have called them brethren because they were of the
same trade.
(III) Being civil to them resulted in they being civil to him.
(IV) His enquiry about Laban may have helped to break the ice.
(V) They did not consider him to be a meddler when he undertook to
teach them--v. 7
(VI) The respectfully gave him an answer--v. 8
B. Jacob's Lodging with Laban--vv. 9-14. . . ."And while he yet spoke
with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them. [10] And it came to
pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of
Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of
Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the
stone
from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of
Laban his mother's brother. [11] And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up
his voice, and wept. [12]
And Jacob told Rachel that
he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and
she ran and told her father. [13] And it came to
pass, when
Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son,
that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him,
and brought him to his house. And he told
Laban all these things. [14] And Laban said to him, 'Surely thou art my bone
and my flesh.' And he abode with him the space of a month."
1. Rachel arrives to water her sheep--vv. 9-11
a. She was the shepherdess of her father flock.
(I) This showed humility--her name meant "a sheep".
(II) This showed industry--"Honest useful labour is that which nobody
needs to be ashamed of, nor ought it to be a hindrance to any one's preferment."
(Henry, I:175)
(III) Cf. James 2:1ff. about preferment. ("My brethren, have not the
faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. [2]
For if there come unto
your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly 0apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; [3] And ye
have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, 'Sit thou here in a good place'; and
say to the poor, 'Stand thou there, or sit
here under my footstool': [4] Are ye not then partial in yourselves,
and are become judges of evil thoughts?"
b. Jacob shows tenderness and affection.
(I) He had just heard her name, and thus knew she was related--v. 6.
(II) She was a comely person and industrious.
(III) Thus, he was quick to serve her, probably having in mind his
purpose of
coming there.
(IV) He expressed joy and affection by his greeting.
2. Laban invites Jacob to his home.--vv. 12-14
a. Jacob told Rachel that he was Rebekah's son.
b. She ran and told Laban.
(I) She was circumspect in telling Laban immediately about this
kinsman.
(II) This demonstrates God's providence in meeting Jacob's purpose for
coming
with positive results.
(III) Cf. Psalm 32:8--"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way
which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."
c. Laban ran to Jacob, greeted him, and invited him home.
(I) Laban acknowledges him as a kinsman.
(II) Jacob told Laban why he was there.
(III) He lived with Laban about a month.
C. Jacob's Marriage Contract with Laban--vv. 15-30
1. The nature of the contract--vv. 15-19. . . ."And Laban said
unto Jacob, 'Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for naught? tell
me, what shall thy
wages be?' [16] And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was
Rachel. [17]
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. [18] And Jacob loved Rachel; and said,
'I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy
younger daughter.' [19] And Laban said, 'It is better that I give her
to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.'"
a. Should Jacob serve Laban for nothing?--v. 15
(I) Apparently, during the month's stay as a guest, Jacob was not idle.
(II) He probably continued to help with the sheep as he did at the
well--v. 10
(III) Wherever we are, we should be willing to labor at some useful
occupation.
b. Jacob now had the opportunity to express his affection for Rachel.
(I) He had nothing for a dowry.
(II) He offered to serve Laban seven years for her.
(III) Some suggest that Jacob was now 77 years old.
(A) He was at least 40 years old when he stole the birthright--cf.
Genesis 26:34. . . ."And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the
daughter of Beeri the
Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:"
(B) It is difficult to say because one must calculate back from his
apparent age of 147 at death. (Cf. Genesis 47:28--"And Jacob lived in the land
of Egypt seventeen
years: so the whole age of Jacob was a hundred forty and seven years.")
(C) We know that Isaac lived to be 180 years--Genesis 35:28. . . ."And
the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years."
(D) He was old (but we don't know how old) when Jacob left home--cf.
Genesis 27:1. . . ."And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his
eyes were dim, so that he could
not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, 'My son': and he said unto him, 'Behold, here
am I.'"
(E) Joseph was 17 when his brothers sold into Egypt.--Genesis 37:2. . .
."These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old,
was feeding the
flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his
father's wives: and Joseph
brought unto his father their evil report."
(F) We don't know Joseph's age when he became ruler under Pharaoh, for
we don't know how long he served Potiphar nor how long he was in
prison
when the butler and baker were put in prison.
(G) Thus, Jacob could have been between 50 and 80 years old.
2. The fulfilling of the contract--vv. 20-22. . . ."And Jacob
served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to
her. [21] And Jacob said unto
Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.' [22] And Laban gathered together
all the
men of the place, and made a feast."
a. Jacob serves Laban 7 years for Rachel--v. 20.
(I) He apparently served them faithfully and cheerfully.
(II) It is not evident whether Rachel continue to tend sheep also, or
not.
b. Jacob requests of Laban to give him Rachel as his wife--v. 21.
(I) Because of his love for Rachel, they seemed but a few days.
(II) True love will hold even if there is delay (or even
separation) for some time.
c. Laban gives a wedding feast--v. 22
(I) Weddings are always a time for festivity.
(II) It should be a public affair of friends and relatives.
3. The cheating on the contract--vv. 23-25. . . ."And it came to pass
in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in
unto her. [24] And Laban gave
unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for a handmaid. [25] And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was
Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore
then hast thou beguiled me?'"
a. Instead of Rachel, Laban gave Jacob Leah, the older sister.
(I) This was Laban's sin.
(II) It was possible because the bride came to the husband veiled.
(III) Leah was wrong in going along with it, though she may have felt
it necessary to obey her father. (At best she was a party to the deception.)
b. Jacob was paid for his sin.
(I) Jacob was such in the blessing of Isaac.
(II) Cf. Numbers 32:23--"But if ye will not do so, behold, ye
have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out."
(III) The Lord judges correctly recompensing unrighteousness in His
way--cf. Judges 1:7. . . ."And Adoni-bezek said, T'hreescore and ten kings,
having their thumbs and their great
toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me.' And they
brought
him to Jerusalem, and there he died."
c. Jacob rebukes Laban for his sin.
(I) Verse 25
(II) Done with a series of questions.
4. The excuse and compromise of Laban--vv. 26-30. . . ."And Laban
said, 'It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
[27] Fulfill her week, and we
will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.' [28] And Jacob did so, and
fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. [29] And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
[30] And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah,
and served with him yet seven other years."
a. The ridiculous excuse--v. 26
(I) It is not the custom here to give the younger in marriage before
the older.
(II) It is quite probable that no such custom actually existed, but
Laban used it in any case.
(III) "Note. Those that can do wickedly and then think to turn it
off with a jest [or any subterfuge], though they may deceive themselves and others,
will find at
last that God is not mocked." (Henry, I:177)
b. The offered compromise--vv. 27
(I) Laban compounded the matter making what was bad worse.
(II) This drew Jacob into the sin (though he went along with it)
of polygamy.
(III) It resulted in no end of trouble for Jacob.
c. The accepted compromise--vv. 28-30
(I) Jacob could have refused the offer though probably engaged to
Rachel, but
Laban knowing Jacob cleverly baited the trap.
(II) This is exactly the tactic of Satan; knowing what we are, he
baits his trap well.
(III) Jacob fulfilled his week for Rachel.
(A) Note carefully, he served Laban for 7 years, but it is called a
week.--cf. vv. 27, 28, 30.
(B) This is important to an understanding of Daniel 9:24ff. (Read
this passage for yourself); its context shows that years are involved.)
(IV) Jacob finally gets to marry Rachel and loves her more than Leah.
D. Jacob's Marriage with Leah--vv. 31-35. . . ."And when the LORD saw
that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was
barren. [32] And Leah
conceived, and bore a son, and she called his
name Reuben: for she said, 'Surely the LORD
hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will
love me.' [33] And she conceived again, and bore
a son; and said, 'Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated,
he hath therefore given me this
son
also': and she called his name Simeon. [34] And she
conceived again, and bore a son; and said, 'Now this time will my husband be
joined unto me, because
I have born him three sons': therefore was his
name called Levi. [35] And she conceived again, and bore a son: and
she said, 'Now will I praise the LORD':
therefore she called his name Judah; and left
bearing."
1. God compensates Leah with children.--v. 31
a. Leah did not have Jacob's love.
(I) A woman can have love without children--this was Rachel's case.
(II) A woman can have children without love--this was Leah's case.
(III) This is the danger of polygamy.
(IV) Cf. 1 Samuel 1:5--"But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for
he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb."
b. God provides children allowing parents to participate in producing
them.
(I) Rachel wanted children, but she had Jacob's love.
(II) Leah wanted love, but she was fruitful with children.
2. Leah names the children respectfully.--vv. 32-35
a. Reuben
(I) She was ambitious for Jacob's love.
(II) Lacking his love was an affliction to her, but we find no reproach
of Jacob for
the lack.
(III) His name means "See a son".
(IV) Having a son as first born was special, and she thought it would
give her
more of Jacob's love.
b. Simeon
(I) His name means "heard."
(II) She believed God heard her cry because she thought she was hated.
c. Levi
(I) His name means "attached" or "joined".
(II) She thought Jacob would now be more attached to her having bore a
third son.
d. Judah
(I) His name means "Praise".
(II) She praised the Lord for this fourth son.
(A) "Whatever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the
matter of our
thanksgiving." (Henry, I:178)
(B) Our Lord is descended from Judah; "all our praises must center in
Christ, both in the matter of them and as the Mediator of them." (Ibid.)
CONCLUSION:
1. We have been discussing the marriage
of Jacob.--Genesis 29:1-35
a. Jacob's
Arrival at Haran--vv. 1-8
b. Jacob's
Lodging with Laban--vv. 9-14
c. Jacob's
Marriage Contract with Laban--vv. 15-30
d. Jacob's
Marriage with Leah--vv. 31-35
2. We observed the problems that arose in
polygamy.
a. One wife is
generally preferred over the other.
b. One may have
children but no real, genuine love.
c. One may have
love without children.
3. We saw that one's sin eventually catches up
with them.
a. Jacob
deceived Esau.
b. Jacob was in
turn deceived by Laban.
4. We need to be careful in what we do; it is
best to leave the matter in the Lord's hands and let Him take care
of the situation.
The Life of Jacob, Part III
Genesis 30:1-43
INTRODUCTION:
1. We are studying the life of Jacob.
a. Covered so
far was his early life in connection with Isaac.
(I). His birth together with Esau
(II). The obtaining of the birthright from Esau
(III). The stealing of the blessing
b. Consideration
was given to the trip to Haran--Genesis 28:1-22.
c. An examined
of the marriage of Jacob was made--Genesis 29:1-35.
2. Now, we come to the third aspect of
Jacob's life:
III. THE FURTHER PROBLEMS IN JACOB'S LIFE--Genesis 30:1-43
A. Jacob's Conflict with Rachel--vv. 1-13
1. The unhappy
disagreement between Jacob and Rachel--vv. 1, 2. . . ."And when Rachel
saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and
said unto Jacob, 'Give me
children, or else I die.' [2] And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, 'Am I in God's stead,
who hath withheld
from thee the fruit of the womb?'"
a. Rachel is fretful--v. 1
(I) The apparent cause
(A) She bore Jacob no children.
(B) The same was true of Hannah--cf. 1 Samuel 1:6. . . ."And her
adversary [the other wife] also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because
the LORD had shut up her womb."
(II) The actual cause
(A) Envy
(B) It is grief at the good of another.
(C) Scripture
(1) Proverbs 23:17--"Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou
in the fear of the LORD all the day long." (At least 3 times in Proverbs this
idea is presented.)
(2) Pilate--Matthew 27:18. . . ."For he [Pilate] knew that for envy
they [Scribes and Pharisees] had delivered Him [Jesus]."
(3) A work of the flesh--Galatians 5:19-21. . . ."Now the works
of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, [20]
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, [21] Envyings,
murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also
told you in time past, that they which do such things shall
not
inherit the kingdom of God." (Bold type for emphasis)
(D) Hannah in contrast to Rachel--cf. 1 Samuel 1:7ff. . . ."And as
he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she
provoked her; therefore she
wept, and did not eat. [8] Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, 'why weepest thou? and why eatest
thou
not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?' [9] So Hannah
rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they
had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a
post of the temple of the LORD. [10] And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto
the LORD,
and wept sore. [11] And she vowed a vow, and said, 'O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the
affliction of Thine
handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a
man child, then I will give him unto the LORD
all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come
upon his head.'"
(III) The resultant cause
(A) Give me children
(B) One child would not give her contentment, for Leah had more.
(C) Threatened death (whether through fretting or else possibly actual
attempt)
(IV) The wrong cause
(A) She complained to Jacob as if he could wave some magic wand.
(B) She failed to turn to God
(C) Again, Hannah is in contrast.
(1) She did tell her her husband what her fretting was about.
(2) She took her problem to the right Person, God.
(3) She asked for one child, and God gave her four more.
b. Jacob justly chides Rachel--v. 2
(I) He became angry with her.
(A) He loved her and must reprove her for her sin of envy.
(B) "Faithful reproofs are products and instances of true
affection." (Matthew Henry. Commentary
on the Whole Bible. Mc Lean, VA: Mac
Donald Publishing
Company, n. d.; I:179)
(C) Job had to reprove his wife--Job 2:10. . . ."But he said unto her,
'Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we
receive good at the hand of God,
and shall we not receive evil?' In all this
did not Job sin with his lips."
(II) He gave the correct rebuke.
(A) Am I in God's stead?
(B) He thus acknowledged the sovereignty of God in this affair
which affected both of them.
(C) God is the One who has withheld children from you.
(1) He was not blaming God.
(2) He was acknowledging that it is God who gives life.
(3) In spite of all that we know about biology, God is still in
control.
2. The unhappy
agreement between Jacob and the handmaidens--vv. 3-13
a. Jacob's relation with Bilhah--vv. 3-8. . . ."And she said, 'Behold
my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have
children by her.' [4] And she gave
him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. [5] And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
[6] And Rachel said, 'God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son':
therefore called she his name Dan. [7] And
Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. [8] And
Rachel said, 'With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I
have prevailed': and she called
his name Naphtali."
(I) Rachel instigated this relationship--vv. 3, 4
(A) This may have been the custom of that day.
(B) It was still wrong, and Jacob--by so doing--sinned.
(C) He could have said, "This is wrong"; but he didn't.
(D) He could have said, "We need to consult God"; but he didn't
(II) Rachel names the children born of Bilhah--vv. 5-8
(A) Dan--vv. 5, 6
(1) Means "judgment"
(2) In a way she did praise God for the child, but it was a selfish
praise--"God has judged me", i.e., He has
given me justice in giving me this child.
(B) Naphtali--vv. 7, 8
(1) Means "wrestlings"
(2) This shows that utter selfishness of Rachel.
(3) In essence she said, "Ha, I have wrestled with my sister and have
won!"
(4) Again, we can note the contrast of Hannah--cf. 1 Samuel 1
& 2. (Read to see her attitude)
b. Jacob's relation with Zilpah--vv. 9-13. . . ."When Leah saw that she
had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. [10] And
Zilpah Leah's maid bore Jacob a
son. [11] And Leah said, 'A troop cometh': and she called his name Gad. [12] And Zilpah Leah's maid
bore Jacob
a second son. [13] And Leah said, 'Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed': and
she called his name Asher."
(I) Now, Leah gets into the act of instigation of a wrong
relationship--v. 9
(A) One sin often leads to another.
(B) Leah ceased to have children.
(C) She prevailed upon Jacob to go into Zilpah.
(D) "See the power of jealousy and rivalship"; see also "the
wisdom of" God's way of uniting "one man and
one woman only." (Henry, I:179)
(II) Leah names the children born of Zilpah--vv. 10-13
(A) Gad--v. 11
(1) Means "a troop"
(2) She saw the prospect of having many more children.
(3) Cf. Psalm 127:4, 5--"As arrows are in the hand of a
mighty man; so are children of the youth. [5] Happy is the man that hath his quiver
full of them: they
shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."
(B) Asher
(1) Means "happy"
(2) She thought herself happy; she thought the neighbors would think it
so.
(3) "It is an instance of the vanity of the world, and the
foolishness bound up in our hearts, that most people value themselves more by
reputation than either by reason or
religion." (Henry, I:180)
B. Leah and Rachel in Conflict--vv. 14-24
1. The fight over mandrakes--vv. 14-15a. . . ."And Reuben went in the
days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his
mother Leah. Then Rachel
said to Leah, 'Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.' [15] And she said unto her, 'Is it a small matter
that thou hast
taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also?'"
a. Reuben finds mandrakes--v. 14a
(I) Mandrakes
(A) Apparently a somewhat rare, beautiful, and nice smelling flower or
fruit (as such may have been very tasty).
(B) Song of Solomon 7:13--"The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates
are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for
thee, O my beloved."
(II) Notice that God not only provides for our necessities, but our
delights.
(III) Evidently mandrakes gave a pleasant odor, perhaps even used as a
perfume.
(IV) Here it is a child that finds them.
(V) He properly brings them to Leah, his mother.
b. Rachel fancies the mandrakes--v. 14b
(I) "Rachel could not see them in Leah's hand, where the child had
place them, but must covet them." (Henry, I:180)
(II) She would have them at any cost, even to the giving up of
Jacob to Leah.
c. Leah forms a retort--v. 15a
(I) You have stolen my husband.
(II) Will you now demand my child's mandrakes?
2. The fee of the mandrakes--vv. 15b, 16. . . ."And Rachel said,
'Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes.' [16] And Jacob came out
of the field in the evening,
and Leah went out to meet him, and said, 'Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's
mandrakes.'
And he lay with her that night."
a. The proposal made--v. 15b
(I) Rachel proposes a bargain of giving Jacob to Leah for the
mandrakes
(II) Leah apparently accepted the bargain.
b. The proposal consummated--v. 16
(I) Jacob comes in from the field.
(II) Leah confronts him with her demand to have him that night.
(A) You must come in unto me.
(B) I have hired you from Rachel with my son's mandrakes.
(III) Jacob complies.
(A) Was he being a mouse instead of a man?
(B) Was he trying to keep peace in the family?
3. The fulfillment of the mandrakes--vv. 17-21. . . ."And God
hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob the fifth son. [18] And Leah said,
'God hath given me my hire,
because I have given my maiden to my husband': and she called his name Issachar.
[19] And Leah
conceived again, and
bore Jacob the sixth son. [20] And Leah said, 'God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my
husband dwell with me, because I have born him
six sons': and she called his name Zebulun. [21] And
afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah."
a. God hearkened to Leah.--v. 17a
(I) There may have been some prayer on Leah's part.
(II) This still shows God's sovereignty over the birth of
children.
b. Leah conceived a fifth son.--vv. 17b, 18
(I) Named him Issachar.
(II) His name means "hired", or possible "reward."
(III) "I have given my maiden to my husband"; there may have been a
sharing of him
with her.
c. Leah bared a sixth son--vv. 19, 20
(I) Simple statement made--v. 19
(II) Son simply named--v. 20
(A) Zebulun
(B) Means "dwelling"
(III) We sometimes "abuse God's mercy when we reckon that his favours
countenance
and patronize our follies." (Henry, I:181)
d. Leah has a daughter--v. 21
(I) Another simple statement of fact
(II) Named her "Dinah"
(A) Means "judgment"
(B) Specifically named because of the events recorded in Genesis
34.
(III) Probably had other daughters
(A) Genesis 37:35--"And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to
comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, 'For I will go down
into the grave unto my son
mourning.' Thus his father wept for him [Joseph]."
(B) Genesis 46:7, 15--"[7] His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his
daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into
Egypt. [15] These be the
sons of Leah, which she bore unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his
daughters
were thirty and three."
(1) There were six sons born by Leah
(2) There 25 grandsons
(3) There was Dinah
(4) This left one unnamed which may have been a daughter.
4. The fruitfulness from the mandrakes--vv. 22-24. . . ."And God
remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. [23] And she
conceived, and bore a son; and said, 'God
hath taken away my reproach': [24] And she called his name Joseph; and said, 'The LORD shall add to me
another son.'"
a. God remembers Rachel--v. 22
(I) God always remembers us even when it seems that He has forgotten us.
(II) Cf. Hebrews 13:5--"Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with such things as ye
have: for he hath said, 'I will never
leave thee, nor forsake
thee.'"
(III) God hearkens to her suggesting she may have prayed even though we
see little of it before this point.
(IV) God opened her womb--again, it is God who gives children though He
gives us apart. (NOTE: It was not the mandrakes, but God)
b. Rachel bared a son--v. 23, 24
(I) Named him Joseph
(II) The name had a twofold meaning.
(A) Taken away--in this case her reproach of having no children
(B) May He add--a trust in God to give her another son
(III) Cf. James 4:6--"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
C. Laban's Contract with Jacob--vv. 25-43
1. The reason for the contract--vv. 25-30. . . ." And it came to pass,
when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, 'Send me away, that I may
go unto mine own place, and to my
country. [26] Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou
knowest my
service which I have done thee.' [27] And Laban said unto him, 'I pray thee, if I have found favor
in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience
that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.' [28] And he
said, 'Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.' [29] And he said unto him, 'Thou knowest
how I have served thee,
and how thy cattle was with me. [30] For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now
increased unto a multitude;
and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house
also?'"
a. Jacob begins to think of home.--vv. 25, 26
(I) Apparently, fourteen years have gone by, thus fulfilling his week
for Rachel.
(II) Requests permission to leave with his wives and children.
(III) He honestly fulfilled his initial commitment to Laban.
(IV) He has retained fondness for the land of Canaan.
(A) The land of his birth
(B) The place of his parents (though there is no record that
Rebecah was
still alive)
b. Laban blessed of God because of Jacob--v. 27
(I) Laban acknowledged God's blessing because of Jacob.
(II) Laban begs him to stay, not because of his daughters and
grandchildren, but for the increase of his wealth.
(III) Laban learned by experience that in spite of his sin
of treachery, God bless him.
(IV) Laban's lesson is clearly set forth.
(A) His prosperity was due to God blessing him.
(B) Jacob's piety, demonstrated by his faithfulness in serving Laban,
had brought
prosperity to Laban.
(V) Often God will bless a business because of the presence
of believers who faithfully
serve in that business.
c. Laban's bargained with Jacob out of craftiness and
covetousness--vv.
28-30
(I) Appoint me your wages.--v. 28
(II) Jacob expounds his faithfulness in serving Laban--v. 29
(III) Jacob further states God's blessing upon Laban because of
Jacob's
labors--v. 30a
(IV) Jacob asks how will he now provide for his own family--v. 30b
2. The remaking of a new contract--vv. 31-36. . . ."And he said,
'What shall I give thee?' And Jacob said, 'Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do
this thing for me, I
will again feed and keep thy flock: [32] I will pass through all thy flock today, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted
cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of
such shall be my hire. [33] So shall my
righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before
thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats,
and brown among the sheep, that shall be
counted stolen with me.' [34] And Laban said, 'Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.' [35] And
he
removed that day the he goats that were ringstreaked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and
spotted, and every one that had some
white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand
of his sons. [36] And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob:
and Jacob fed the rest
of Laban's flocks."
a. Laban proposed to give Jacob a gift.--v. 31
(I) Perhaps, he thought that would suffice Jacob (perhaps of
cattle).
(II) Jacob refuses a gift, but rather presents a counter proposal.
b. Jacob presented his proposition--vv. 32-34
(I) He would remove from the flock the speckled, spotted and the brown
of the cattle,
sheep, and goats.
(II) Laban agrees with this, for apparently the number of such
was
relatively small in
comparison to the whole herd.
(III) He relied on God to vindicate his just dealings with Laban.
c. Jacob initiates the contract--v. 35
(I) The speckled, spotted and brown cattle, sheep, and goats removed.
(II) It is not clear whether Jacob did this, or whether Laban did it.
(see v. 36)
(III) On the one hand, it appears that Jacob did so, but on the other,
Laban did it.
(IV) The latter is more probable because Laban was too crafty to trust
Jacob to do the honest thing.
d. Laban separates the two sets of flocks--v. 36.
(I) This would tend to confirm that Laban did the removing.
(II) In any case, Laban turned over those of the herd separated
out to
his sons who then
went 3 days journey from Laban's flock.
(III) Jacob then tended the flocks of Laban.
(IV) There is no indication that the ones separated out were given to
Jacob; thus, he
was relying on God to produce the desired traits.
3. The maneuverings of Jacob to increase his flock--vv. 37-43. .
. ."And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree; and
peeled white streaks in them,
and made the white appear which was in the rods. [38] And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the
gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. [39]
And the flocks conceived before
the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstreaked, speckled, and spotted. [40] And
Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the
ringstreaked, and all the brown in
the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle. [41] And it came to
pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the
gutters, that they might conceive among the
rods. [42] But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in:
so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. [43] And the man increased
exceedingly, and had much cattle,
and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses."
a. He contrives to influence the production of speckled, spotted,
etc.
animals.
(I) Jacob's actions have been classified as fairy tales.
(II) Jacob was a keen observer of keeping sheep and cattle.
(III) He may have observed that these animals may have fed off
of some
of these plants
and tend to reproduce in a certain way.
(IV) We are just learning the nature of genetics and what
triggers
arrangement of certain
DNA patterns.
(V) Two possibilities come to mind.
(A) The chemical nature of some of these plants may have
had a
heightening effect
on the natural animal desire.
(B) It is possible that an animal seeing certain patterns may have been
either
repelled or attracted to drink water at that time.
(C) The combination of the two would cause what is described in
our
text.
(D) Ultimately, God was in control of the whole process.
(VI) Jacob showed ingenuity in the management of the flock.
b. He separates the stronger flock from the weaker flock.
(I) He thus favored the production of stronger animals for his
own.
(II) He left the weaker ones for Laban.
(III) Laban was crafty, but Jacob did him one better in craftiness.
(IV) Though Jacob did some maneuvering, it must be kept in mind that it
is God Who
gives the increase.
CONCLUSION:
1. Jacob experienced trouble with his wives.
a. They fought for his affection.
b. They vied for his favor of giving them children.
c. They caused him to try to keep peace by pleasing first one, then the
other.
2. Jacob experienced trouble with Laban
a. He served 14 years for his two wives.
b. He had nothing of his own as the result of this service.
c. He made a bargain with Laban which seemed to be best for Laban, but
in the end benefited him.
3. Jacob the supplanter was supplanted by Laban, but in the end he
supplanted Laban, thus living
up to his name.
The Life of Jacob, Part IV
Genesis 31:1-55
INTRODUCTION:
1. In this message a study of the life
of Jacob is being made.
a. His early
life in connection with Isaac was covered.
b. The trip to
Haran was considered.--Genesis 28:1-22
c. The marriage
of Jacob was examined.--Genesis 29:1-35
d. The further
problems in Jacob's Life were pondered.--Genesis 30:1-43
2. Now the fourth phase of his adult
life is to be investigated, namely:
IV. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE RETURN TO CANAAN BY JACOB--Genesis
31:1-55
A. The Decision to Return to Canaan--vv. 1-16
1. The just
provocation--vv. 1, 2. . . ."And he heard the words of Laban's
sons, saying, 'Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which
was
our father's hath he gotten all this glory.' [2] And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him
as before."
a. The complaint of Laban's sons--v. 1
(I) Jacob heard their complaining, which may have been said near him
deliberately.--v. 1a
(II) They stated that Jacob had taken away what was their father's.
(A) They falsely accused him of stealing the flock of
Laban.--v. 1b
(B) Yet they magnified Jacob's prosperity--v. 1c
b. The countenance of Laban--v. 2
(I) Sour looks can destroy peace in any family.
(II) Resulted in envy--cf. Proverbs 23:6. . . ."Eat thou not the bread
of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:"
(A) An evil eye-- "There are those that pretend to bid their friends
welcome that are not hearty and sincere in it." (Henry, Matthew, Commentary
on the Whole Bible. Mc
Lean, VA: Mac Donald Publishing Company, n. d.; III:923)
(B) "Never eat with a covetous or stingy man; if he entertains
you at his own expense, he grudges every morsel you put in your mouth." (Clarke,
Adam, Commentary on the Bible.
Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation; e-Sword, c2000)
2. The divine
prompting--v. 3. . . ."And the LORD said unto Jacob, 'Return unto the
land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.'"
a. The command
(I) The Lord Who guided him to Haran now directs him to return to
Canaan.
(A) He doubtlessly did so through speaking directly to him.
(B) He now directs us through His written Word, the Bible.
(II) The Lord reiterates it in a dream which Jacob relates to Leah and
Rachel--v. 10.
b. The promise
(I) I will be with thee.
(II) Cf. Genesis 28:15--"And, behold, I am with thee, and will
keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I
will not leave thee, until I
have done that which I have spoken to thee of."
3. The wives
consenting--vv. 4-16
a. His call to them to tell them what is happening--v. 4-9. . . ."And
Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, [5] And said unto
them, 'I see your father's
countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. [6] And ye know that with all
my power I have served your father. [7] And
your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God
suffered him not to hurt me.
[8] If he said thus, "The speckled shall be thy wages"; then all the cattle bore
speckled: and if he said thus, "The ringstreaked shall be thy hire"; then
bore all the cattle ringstreaked. [9] Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.'"
(I) He called them to the field--v. 4
(A) This would give him more privacy in discussing the matter.
(B) "Note. Husbands that love their wives will communicate their
purposes and intentions to them." (Henry, I:185)
(II) He explain to them the situation--vv. 5-9
(A) He states Laban's changed attitude--v. 5
(B) He presents his faithful service to Laban--v. 6
(C) He tells how Laban had changed his wages ten times--v. 7, 8
(1) This is the first inkling we have that Laban repeatedly broke the
second contract.
(2) Whatever Laban tried to do, God provided the way around Laban's
changes.
(3) "Note. God is not unrighteous to forget his people's work and
labour of love, though men be so."
(a) (Ibid.)
(b) Cf. Hebrews 6:10--"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work
and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that
ye have ministered to the saints,
and do minister."
(D) He gives God the credit for his increase in wealth--v. 9
b. His courage to them to tell of his dream--vv. 10-13. . . ."And it
came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in
a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled. [11] And the angel of
God spoke unto me in
a dream, saying, 'Jacob': And I said, 'Here am I.' [12] And he said, 'Lift up now thine eyes, and
see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are
ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that
Laban doeth unto thee. [13] I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar,
and where thou vowedst a vow unto
Me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred."
(I) While the cattle were conceiving, he had a dream--v. 10
(II) In the dream, the angel of God spoke to him--v. 11
(A) There is the simple statement of it.--v. 11a
(B) There is the simple reply to it.--v. 11b
(III) The angel tells him what God had done for him.--v. 12
(A) The cattle have produced ringstraked, speckled, and grizzled.
(B) God sees what Laban has done to Jacob--God always see what our
enemy--whether satanic or human--does to us.
(IV) God fulfills His promise to Jacob--v. 13
(A) I am the God of Bethel.
(B) This was the place of promise to Jacob--cf. Genesis 28:15f. .
. "'And, behold, I am with thee, and will
keep thee in all places whither thou
goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.' [16]
And Jacob
awaked out of his sleep, and he said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.'"
c. His choice is agreed to by his wives--vv. 14-16. . . ."And Rachel
and Leah answered and said unto him, 'Is there
yet any portion or inheritance for us
in our father's house? [15] Are
we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. [16] For all the
riches
which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath
said unto thee, do.'"
(I) They express their grievances and complaints about their father's
being unkind and unjust to them.--v. 14
(II) They exclaimed they felt as strangers to their fathers.--v. 15
(A) He sold us.
(B) He stole our money (It is uncertain whether is money they had accumulated or
whether this was the inheritance due to them).
(III) They agree with Jacob's departure--v. 16
(A) God has given to us and our children what was our father's.
(B) Therefore, do what God has told you to do.
(C) It is always good to have your wife in agreement to a course of
action.
B. The Departure to Return to Canaan--vv.
17-24. . . ."Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon
camels; [18] And he
carried away all his cattle,
and all his goods which he had gotten, the
cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
[19]
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had
stolen the images that were her father's. [20] And Jacob stole
away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in
that he told him
not that he fled. [21] So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up,
and passed over the river, and set his face toward
the mount Gilead.
[22] And it was told Laban on the third day that
Jacob was fled. [23] And he took his brethren
with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and
they overtook
him in the mount Gilead. [24] And God came to
Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, 'Take heed
that thou speak not to
Jacob either good or bad.'"
1. Jacob's
flight from Laban--vv. 17-21
a. The lawfulness of Jacob's flight--vv. 17, 18
(I) He was justified to do so because God had instructed him to leave.
(II) He was prudent to do so because Laban may have hindered him or
even plundered him.
(III) He was righteous to do so because he took only those of his
own cattle--remember he was shepherding Laban's flock.
b. The unlawfulness of Rachel's theft--v. 19
(I) The leaving was done while Laban was shearing his sheep (thus,
preoccupied)--v. 19a.
(II) Rachel stole her father's images--v. 19b
(A) These may have been just representations of ancestors.
(B) These may have been actual images which were worshipped and
cherished by Laban and stolen by Rachel out of fear that Laban would use
them to do them harm.
(C) These may have been taken to show the folly of using
idols--cf. Isaiah 46:1, 2. . . ."Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon
the beasts, and upon the cattle:
your carriages were heavy laden; they are a burden to the weary beast. [2] They stoop,
they bow down
together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity."
(D) These may have been associated with property rights, and she may
have thought it would assure Jacob's property rights.
c. The line of their flight--vv. 20, 21
(I) He departed unawares from Laban--v. 20
(II) He passed over the river, probably the Euphrates--v. 21a
(III) He set out toward Mount Gilead, a mountain region east of
the Jordan River.--v. 21b
2. Laban's
pursuit of Jacob--vv. 22-24
a. The communicating of the flight--v. 22
(I) Laban was informed of the flight on the third day.
(II) Possibly it took that length of time to discover his flight.
(III) It is also possible that they just could not leave the sheep
shearing immediately.
b. The chasing after Jacob--v. 23
(I) He took them 7 days journey to catch up with Jacob.
(A) Jacob had 3 days head start.
(B) Laban had to cover those 3 days journey.
(C) In the meantime Jacob had moved further on.
(D) Thus, it took Laban an additional 4 days to catch him at Mount
Gilead.
(II) He was serving his sinful passions of greed rather than
setting his love on his daughters.
c. The cautioning of God--v. 24
(I) God speaks to Laban in a dream about doing Jacob no harm.
(II) God cautioned him not to speak good or bad of Jacob.
(III) God demonstrated thus His protection of Jacob.--cf. Genesis
28:15. . . ."And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither
thou goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."
C. The Dissension About the Return to
Canaan--vv. 25-35
1. The charge
of Laban against Jacob--vv. 25-30. . . ."Then Laban overtook
Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his
brethren pitched in the mount
of Gilead. [26] And Laban said to Jacob, 'What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried
away
my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? [27] Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away
from me; and didst not tell me, that
I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with
harp? [28] And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters?
thou hast now done foolishly in so
doing. [29] It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke unto me last night, saying,
"Take
thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." [30] And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone,
because thou sore longedst
after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?'"
a. He accused Jacob as a renegade.--vv. 25-28
(I) Apparently Laban and Jacob had pitched their tents in two different
sections of Mount Gilead--v. 25.
(II) You have stolen away from me unawares.
(A) You deserted your post of service--v. 26a
(B) You carried my daughters away as captives (not that he really cared
for his daughters)--v. 26b
(III) You slipped away secretly--vv. 27, 28
(A) You did not allow me to send you away with feasting (he didn't
really care, for it spared him the expense)--v. 27
(B) You did not allow me to kiss my sons and daughters--v. 28
(1) He really could have cared less about them, but used it as a
convenient excuse.
(2) He accused Jacob of folly in doing this.
b. He affirmed the caution of God about Jacob--v. 29
(I) Laban acknowledges that he could do Jacob harm.
(II) Laban acknowledges the protection of God for Jacob.
c. He accused Jacob of being a thief.--v 30
(I) He recognized that Jacob wanted to return to Canaan and his
father--v. 30a.
(II) He reproached Jacob for stealing his gods--v. 30b
2. The
counterstatement of Jacob to Laban--vv. 31, 32. . . ."And Jacob answered
and said to Laban, 'Because I was afraid: for I said, "Peradventure thou
wouldest take by force thy daughters from me." [32] With whomsoever thou
findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what
is
thine with me, and take it to thee.' For Jacob knew not that Rachel
had stolen them."
a. The rebuttal of the charge of being a renegade--v. 31
(I) He feared that Laban would forcibly take away his wives, thus,
placing him back under Laban's servitude.
(II) Those that are unfaithful in the least will generally be
unfaithful in the much--cf. Luke 16:10. . . ."He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also
in much: and he
that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."
(III) "What may not be feared from men that have no principle of
honesty?" (Henry, I:188)
b. The refusal of the charge of being a thief--vv. 32
(I) He rejected the charge because he did not take the idols himself.
(II) He rejected the charge because he did not know that the idols were
even missing.
(III) He rashly made the statement that with whomever they were found
should die.
(A) He knew not that Rachel had taken them.
(B) He may have reflected later about this statement when Rachel died
in child birth.
(C) "How just soever we think ourselves to be, it is best to forbear
imprecations, lest they fall heavier than we imagine." (Ibid.)
3. The careful
search by Laban of Jacob's goods--vv. 33-35. . . ."And Laban went into
Jacob's tent, and into Leah's
tent, and into the two maidservants'
tents; but he found them
not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent. [34] Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in
the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. [35] And she said to
her father, 'Let it not displease my
lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon
me.' And he searched, but found not the images."
a. The search of the tents of Jacob, Leah, and
maidservants.--v. 33
(I) Notice he did not search for stolen cattle.
(II) He search for worthless idols; people who worship false gods will
go to all lengths to keep them.
b. The search of the tent of Rachel--v. 34, 35
(I) Rachel had hidden the idols in the camel's furniture, that is, the
saddle and basket equipment used on her
camel.
(II) Laban searched diligently but found nothing.
(III) Rachel remained sited hiding the idols.
(IV) She even claimed she could not rise because it was that time
of the month (Whether that was true or not
could be debated).
D. The Displeasure at the Accusation about the
Return to Canaan--vv. 36-42. . . ."And Jacob was wroth, and chided with Laban: and
Jacob answered and
said to Laban, 'What is my trespass? what is
my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? [37]
Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou
found of all
thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and
thy brethren, that they may judge between us both. [38] This twenty
years have I been
with thee; thy ewes and thy she
goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I
not eaten. [39] That which was torn of beasts
I brought not
unto thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand
didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. [40]
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed
me, and the frost by night;
and my sleep departed from mine eyes. [41]
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen
years for thy two
daughters, and six years for thy cattle:
and thou hast changed my wages ten times. [42] Except the God of
my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear
of
Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now
empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of
my hands, and rebuked thee last night.'"
1. The capacity
of a good anger--v. 36
a. Jacob's natural temperament
(I) Mild and calm
(II) Smooth and plain
b. Laban's unreasonableness raises Jacob's ire.
(I) He was wroth and chided Laban.
(II) His anger was doubtlessly justified.
(III) But his anger is not a good example for us.
(IV) Cf. Ephesians 4:26--"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the
sun go down upon your wrath:"
2. The comfort
of a good conscience--v 37
a. In Laban's false accusing, Jacob's conscience acquitted him.
b. Cf. Hebrews 13:18--"Pray for us: for we trust we have a good
conscience, in all things willing to live honestly."
c. "Note. Those in any employment have dealt faithfully, if they
cannot obtain the credit of it with men, yet shall have the comfort of it in their own
bosoms." (Henry,
I:188)
3. The character
of a good servant (faithful shepherd)--vv. 38-40
a. He was careful--v. 38
(I) He cared properly for the ewes.
(II) "Note. Servants should take no less care of what they are
entrusted with for their masters than if they were entitled to it as their own." (Henry,
I:189)
b. He was very honest--v. 39
(I) He took none of the cattle that were not his.
(II) He did not bring any injured cattle to Laban, but took the loss
himself.
(III) He thus showed all good fidelity.
c. He was very laborious--v. 40
(I) He was no fair-weather worker.
(II) Cf. 2 Timothy 2:1-4--"Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus. [2] And the things that thou hast heard of me among
many witnesses, the same commit thou
to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. [3] Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good
soldier of Jesus Christ. [4] No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may
please him who hath chosen him to be a
soldier."
(III) In all these points, Jacob is a picture of ministers who
must properly shepherd their flock.
4. The character
of a hard master--v. 41
a. He required (or would have) of Jacob's hand any damaged
cattle, even if not Jacob's fault.
(I) Cf. v. 39
(II) Even if there was neglect, it was unjust to punish beyond
the fault.
b. He denied to Jacob what was just and equal.
(I) It was unreasonable for Laban to make Jacob serve for his
daughters.
(II) It was unreasonable for Laban not to give to His daughters a
portion of his wealth--which, incidentally, was gain largely through Jacob's efforts.
(III) It was unjust for Laban to change Jacob's wages 10 times--note: this was a change in wage, not a raise.
5. The care
of the providential God--v. 42
a. It was the God of his father Who saw Jacob's affliction.
(I) He may have felt unworthy to call Him his God.
(II) He saw God as the God of his great ancestor Abraham.
(III) He viewed God as the One who Isaac feared.
(IV) He mentioned God being the God of Abraham (Whom Laban might
have claimed to worship) and the God of Isaac (who Laban had never met,
and yet Isaac served with
awesome trust).
b. It was that God Who blessed Jacob with increased prosperity.
(I) Notice that Jacob did his part--he labored with his hands.
(II) Notice that God did His part.
(A) He greatly increased Jacob's wealth.
(B) He rebuked Laban the night before
E. The Differences Improved over the Return to
Canaan--vv. 43-55. . . ."And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, 'These
daughters are my daughters, and
these children are
my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all
that thou seest is mine:
and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto
their
children which they have born? [44] Now therefore
come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a
witness between me and thee.'
[45] And Jacob took a
stone, and set it up for a pillar. [46] And Jacob said unto his
brethren, 'Gather stones'; and they took
stones, and made
an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. [47] And Laban
called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. [48] And Laban
said, 'This heap is a witness between me
and thee this day.' Therefore was the name of it
called Galeed; [49] And Mizpah; for he said, 'The LORD watch
between me
and thee, when we are absent one from another. [50] If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt
take other wives beside my daughters,
no man is
with us;
see, God is witness between me and thee.' [51] And Laban said
to Jacob, 'Behold this heap, and behold this
pillar,
which I have cast
between me and thee; [52] This heap be
witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not
pass over this heap
to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this
heap and this pillar
unto me, for harm. [53] The God of Abraham, and the
God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between
us. And Jacob swore by
the fear of his father
Isaac. [54] Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his
brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and
tarried all
night in the mount. [55] And early in the morning Laban
rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters,
and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned
unto his
place."
1. A professed
kindness for Jacob's wives and children--v. 43
a. He proffered a natural affection for his descendants.
(I) Having nothing to say about Jacob's accusations, he tried changing
the subject.
(II) He could not excuse his neglect--cf. v.15. . . ."Are we not
counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our
money."
(III) He now tries to make it as if he had affection for them all
along.
(IV) "Note, It is common for those who are without natural affection to
pretend much to it will serve a turn." (Henry, I:190)
b. He boasted that all these were his.
(I) Prosperity lies at the heart of the worldly.
(II) This boast was an outright lie; nothing was his except his
daughters and indirectly the children. All the rest was Jacob's by his earning it.
(III) Nabal is a case of this--cf. 1 Samuel 25:11. . . ."Shall I
then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and
give it unto men, whom I
know not whence they be?"
2. A proposed
covenant of friendship to Jacob--vv. 44-55
a. The nature of the covenant--vv. 44, 50, 52
(I) Laban requests a covenant--v.44
(II) Jacob was to be a good husband to Laban's daughters--v. 50
(A) He should not afflict them.
(B) He should not marry other women.
(C) He never entertained such ideas.
(D) As is often the case, people think of others the way they
themselves would be or are.
(III) Jacob was to be a good neighbor--v. 52
(A) There should be no act of hostility between them.
(B) This was total unnecessary since Jacob was essentially a man
of peace and Laban doubtlessly knew this.
(C) "We may resent an injury which yet we may not revenge." (Henry,
I:190)
(D) Cf. Romans 12:19--"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath: for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine; I
will
repay, saith the Lord.'"
b. The completion of the covenant--vv. 45-49, 51, 53, 54
(I) The erection of the pillar--vv. 45-49, 51, 53
(A) Jacob starts the pillar with a stone.
(B) Jacob's sons join in collecting stones.
(C) Laban named it "The Heap of Witness."
(D) It was also called "Gilead" after the Mount possibly.
(E) It was called "Mizpah"--The Lord watch between us.
(F) Laban reiterates that the pillar was a witness--it is almost like
Laban did not trust Jacob, whereas it should have been the other way around.
(G) God is the Judge of any breaking of the covenant--v. 53
(II) The solemnizing of the pillar--v. 54
(A) This in effect solemnized the covenant.
(B) This was done by a sacrifice.
(C) Interestingly, Laban spoke many words; Jacob, just a few.
c. The departure after the covenant--v. 55
(I) Laban makes a big production of blessing his daughters and
children.
(II) Jacob said nothing letting Laban do his own thing--sometimes
silence is golden.--cf. Ecclesiastes 3:7b. . . ."a time to keep silence, and a time to
speak;"
(III) Laban departed returning to his own country in peace.
CONCLUSION:
1. We observed the decision of returning
to Canaan--vv. 1-16.
a. There was a
just provocation--vv. 1, 2
b. There was the
divine direction--v. 3
c. There was the
consenting wives--vv. 4-16
2. We saw the actual departure for Canaan--vv.
17-24
a. Jacob's
flight from Laban--vv. 17-21
b. Laban's
pursuit of Jacob--vv. 22-24
3. We thought about the dissension over the
return to Canaan--vv. 25-35
a. The false
charge of Laban against Jacob--vv. 25-30
b. The defense
Jacob makes to the accusation--vv. 31, 32
c. The careful
search by Laban of Jacob's goods--vv. 33-35
4. We pondered the displeasure Jacob showed at
the accusation--vv. 36-42
a. The capacity
of a good anger--v. 36
b. The comfort
of a good conscience--v 37
c. The character
of a good servant--vv. 38-40
d. The character
of a hard master--v. 41
e. The care
of the providential God--v. 42
5. We finally understand the differences
improved over the return to Canaan--vv. 43-55
a. A professed
kindness for Jacob's wives and children--v. 43
b. A proposed
covenant of friendship to Jacob--vv. 44-55
INTRODUCTION:
1. We are studying the life of Jacob.
a. His early
life in connection with Isaac was covered.
b. The trip to
Haran was considered--Genesis 28:1-22.
c. The marriage
of Jacob was examined--Genesis 29:1-35.
d. The further
problems in Jacob's Life were pondered--Genesis 30:1-43.
e. The
first phase of the return to Canaan by Jacob was
investigated--Genesis 31:1-55.
2. Now comes the fifth part of his adult
life, namely:
V. THE SECOND PHASE OF THE RETURN TO CANAAN BY JACOB--Genesis
32:1-32
A. The Messengers from God to Jacob--vv. 1, 2.
. . ."And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. [2] And when Jacob saw them,
he said,
'This is God's host': and he called the name of that place Mahanaim."
1. Jacob meets
them in the way--v. 1.
a. After the triumphant over Laban.
(I) Cf. Genesis 31:55--"And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his
sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and
returned unto his place."
(II) It was a peaceful departure.
(III) It was really a victory for Jacob.
b. By the angels of God
(I) Some think Jacob had a vision.
(II) Others think he had a dream. (This was the case at Bethel)
(III) Why not take it just as it says, "The angels of God met
him." (This was true of Abraham--Cf. Genesis 18:1-8)
(IV) There is no message recorded here; perhaps their presence was
enough--cf. Hebrews 1:14. . . ."Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent
forth to minister for them who shall
be heirs of salvation?"
2. Jacob
mentions them in honor--v. 2
a. Comforted by their presence
(I) It is God's host.
(II) It is thus a great source of protection.
(III) It is a note of thankfulness to be so protected of
God (God promised it).
b. Called the place by their presence
(I) Named it "Mahanaim" (probably a dual form signifying two)
(II) Two hosts or camps
(A) Some think that there were two groups of angels--the ones
with Jacob before Canaan handing him over to the second group in Canaan.
(B) More likely it was Jacob's group being one host, and the angels
being a second one.
B. The Messengers from Jacob to Esau--vv. 3-8.
. . ."And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the
country of Edom.
[4] And he commanded them, saying, 'Thus shall ye speak
unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus,
"I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there
until now: [5] And I have
oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants,
and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace
in thy sight."
[6] And the messengers returned
to Jacob, saying, 'We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee,
and four hundred men with him.' [7]
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the
people that was with him, and the flocks, and
herds, and the camels, into two bands; [8]
And said, 'If Esau come to the one
company, and smite it, then the other company
which is left shall escape'".
1. The
messengers sent--vv. 3-5
a. The sending itself--v. 3
(I) He sends a delegation to meet Esau
(II) He learned where Esau lived.
(A) It is not stated how he learned this--whether from others living in
the area or from Rebekah (if she was still alive).
(B) Esau located in the land of Seir--which is south of the
Dead Sea--and in country which had become known as Edom--after Esau's
nickname.
b. The statement to be made--vv. 4, 5
(I) His position--v. 4
(A) They were to call him, lord.
(B) They were to picture Jacob as Esau's servant.
(II) His provision--v. 5a
(A) Oxen, flock, etc.
(B) Servants
(III) His plea--v. 5b
(A) Second time he to call him, lord.
(B) Sought grace in Esau's sight
2. The
messengers return--vv. 6-8
a. The report of the messages--v. 6
(I) Esau was coming with 400 men.
(II) Apparently Esau heard that Jacob was headed home.
(III) Esau may have come with such a group of men not knowing Jacob's
intention.
b. The result of the message--vv. 7, 8
(I) Jacob concludes that Esau intends to do him in.--v. 7a
(II) Jacob divides his company into two parts--v. 7b.
(III) Jacob reasons that if one group is attacked, the other
could escape; as if Esau could not pursue after the second company--v. 8.
C. The Match with God's Angel--vv. 9-32
1. Jacob's
prayer to God--vv. 9-12. . . ."And Jacob said, 'O God of my father
Abraham, and God of my father Isaac,
the LORD which saidst unto me,
"Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and
I will deal well with thee:" [10]
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all
the truth,
which
Thou hast showed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. [11]
Deliver me, I pray Thee,
from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him,
lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. [12] And
Thou
saidst, "I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed
as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude."'"
a. His approach--vv. 9, 10
(I) He presents himself to God as the God of his
fathers.--v. 9a
(A) He may have genuinely felt unworthy to address Him as his God.
(B) He may have not yet fully trusted in God.
(II) He produces the warrant he had from God.--v. 9b
(A) God's command to leave Laban
(B) Yet, this may be evidence of some trust in God, for he obeyed
Him.
(III) He professes a humility toward God--v. 10.
(A) I am not worthy.
(B) "Self-denial and self-abasement well become us in all our addresses
to the ."throne of grace." (Matthew Henry, Commentary
on the Whole
Bible. Mc Lean, VA: Mac Donald
Publishing
Company, n. d.; I:193)
(C) He speaks of God's mercy toward him.
(D) He gives thanks for God's goodness to him.
(E) Yet, there is a lack of complete trust in God, for he has
divided his retinue into two camps.
b. His appeal--vv. 11, 12
(I) The nature of his prayer--v. 11
(A) Deliver me from my brother Esau.
(B) We who have trusted God need not be shy in telling Him our
fears.--2 Timothy1:7. . . ."For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
(II) The basis of his prayer--v. 12
(A) He pleads the promise of God (cf. v. 9)
(B) The promises of God are our sure guide and comfort (Cf. Psalm
119:49, 50--"Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast
caused me to hope. [50] This is my comfort in my affliction:
for Thy word hath quickened me. )
(C) It is always right to plea the promises of God in prayer.
2. Jacob's
present to Esau--vv. 13-23. . . ."And he lodged there that same night; and took
of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
[14] Two hundred she goats, and twenty he
goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, ]15] Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten
bulls,
twenty she asses, and ten foals. [16] And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by
themselves; and said unto his servants, 'Pass
over before me, and put a space between drove and drove.' [17] And he commanded
the foremost, saying, 'When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and
asketh thee, saying, "Whose art thou?
and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?" [18] Then thou shalt say, "They be thy servant
Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us."'
[19] And so commanded he the second, and the
third, and all that
followed the droves, saying, 'On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. [20]
And say ye moreover, "Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind
us."' For he said, 'I will appease him with the
present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.' [21] So
went the
present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. [22] And he rose up that night, and took his two
wives, and his two
womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. [23] And he took them, and
sent them over the brook, and sent over that he
had."
a. The noble gift--vv. 13-16
(I) It showed how God had greatly increased him.
(II) It showed some wisdom in parting with some of his wealth for
peace with Esau.
(III) It seemed to him that it would be an acceptable gift to Esau.
(IV) It seemed that it would pacify Esau.
b. The humble message--vv. 17-21a
(I) His servants were to call Esau "lord"; they were to call Jacob his
"servant".
(II) His group of servants was to repeat the message with the one
that Jacob was coming behind them.
c. The careful crossing--vv. 21b-23
(I) He lodged on the east of the River Jordan.
(II) He sent his family across the Jordan ahead of him.
(A) Perhaps, he thought he could escape if Esau came upon them
that night.
(B) Better yet, he needed time alone with God.
3. Jacob's
prevailing with God--vv. 24-32. . . ."And Jacob was left alone; and there
wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day. [25] And when
He saw that He prevailed not against
him, He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled
with Him.
[26] And
He said, 'Let me go, for the day breaketh.' And he said, 'I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.' [27] And
He said unto him, 'What is thy
name?' And he said, 'Jacob.' [28] And
He said, 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with
men, and hast prevailed.' [29] And Jacob asked
Him,
and said, 'Tell me, I pray Thee, Thy name.' And he said, 'Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after
My
name?' And He blessed him there. [30] And Jacob called the name of the place 'Peniel: for I have seen God face to
face, and my life is preserved.'
[31] And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. [32]
Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which
shrank, which is upon the hollow of
the thigh, unto this day: because He touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank."
a. The actuality of the engagement--vv. 24
(I) This was a literal hand to hand conflict.
(II) There is no reason from the text to assume it was some sort
of mental struggle.
(III) However, the spiritual lesson is great.
(A) There was the vigorous act of faith.
(B) There was the holy desire to prevail.
(IV) Cf. Hosea 12:4--"Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept,
and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there
he spoke with us;"
b. The success of the engagement--vv. 25-32
(I) Jacob held his ground--vv. 25, 26
(A) He fought on even after his thigh was touched to being
crippled.--this showed Jacob with Who he was really wrestling. (The Lord Himself)
(B) Cf. Paul's case--2 Corinthians 12:7-10. . . ."And lest I should be exalted
above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was
given to me a thorn in the flesh,
the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
[8] For this thing I besought the
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. [9] And He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for
My
strength is made perfect in
weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure
in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
(C) The
Angel requests that
Jacob let him go. (Day was breaking and Jacob needed to be on his
way).
(D) Jacob refuses until he had been blessed.--Do we struggle in prayer until we
have the blessing of God?
(II) Jacob has his change of
name--vv. 27-29.
(A) The
Angel inquires
about his name (Jacob--supplanter).
(B) The
Angel changes his
name to Israel--a prince of God.
(C) We believers have had a name change also (we were once children of the
Devil; now, we are the
children of
God.)
(1) Romans
8:14-17--"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. [15] For ye have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.' [16] The Spirit Itself beareth witness
with
our spirit, that we are the children of God: [17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that
we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."
(2) 1 John 3:1, 2--"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because
it knew Him not. [2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."
(III) Jacob renames the place--vv. 30-32.
(A) Name it Peniel--the
Face of God
(1) There was a group in New Jersey with which this writer had contact through a
Bible study.
(2) They taught that believers had to have a Peniel experience in order
to be spiritual.
(3) Although some may have to have such an experience to move forward
spiritually, there is no Biblical mandate for such an experience.
(4) They virtually said that without such an experience you did not have the
Holy Spirit.
(5) This is false since the Holy Spirit indwells the believer the moment he is
saved.
(B) He recognized that his struggle was with God, not a mere creature.
(C) The sun began to rise,
and he must needs get on with his journey.
(D) But he carried with him the marks of his struggle (Cf. Galatians
6:17--"From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the
marks of the Lord Jesus.")
VI. THE FINAL PHASE OF THE RETURN TO CANAAN BY JACOB--Genesis 33:1-20
A. The Initial Connection with Esau--vv.
1-4. . . ."And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred
men. And he
divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two
handmaids. [2] And he put the handmaids
and their children foremost, and Leah and her
children after, and Rachel and
Joseph hindmost. [3] And he passed over
before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to
his
brother. [4] And Esau ran to meet
him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept."
1. Jacob
discovers Esau's approach--v. 1a
a. He lifted up his eyes.
(I) He had committed his case to God.
(II) This may indicate that Jacob was facing the situation with confidence (not
in himself but in
God).
b. He beheld Esau coming with 400 men.
(I) What a contrast here
(A) Esau looks big with so many men.
(B) Jacob looks tender and solicitous because of the women and children
with him.
(II) There was no indication that the first set
of servants sent earlier spoke with Esau; they may have seen them and
returned quickly to Jacob--cf.
Genesis 32:6. . . ."And the messengers
returned to Jacob, saying, 'We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four
hundred men with
him.'"
2. Jacob divides his
group--vv. 1b, 2.
a. His arrangement had a twofold purpose.
(I) He put them into an order that protected the ones he loved most.
(A) Handmaids and children
(B) Leah and
children
(C) Rachel and
Joseph
(II) He put them into an order that was climatic.
b. His arrangement ended with Joseph.
(I) Rachel was his real beloved, and therefore,
Joseph was his favorite child (which will be seen later).
(II) This is the second mention of Joseph by name.
3. Jacob draws near
Esau--vv. 3, 4
a. Jacob's humble approach--v. 3
(I) He bowed
seven times (a custom in approaching a king)
(II) This was to show respect unto his elder brother.
(III) "A humble submissive carriage goes a great way towards the turning away of
wrath." (Henry,
I:197)
b. Esau's heartfelt response--v. 4
(I) He ran to him and embraced him.
(II) This is hardly the response Jacob expected.
(A) Some say Esau came with 400 men as a respectful reception rather than a
threat.
(B) Jacob understood it based on his servants return to be a threat.
(III) God has men's heart in His hand to turn hostility into friendship.
(A) Restraining grace--Cf. 1 Samuel 26:21, 25. . . ."[21] Then said Saul, 'I
have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm,
because my soul was precious in
thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.' [25] Then Saul said to David,
'Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still
prevail.' So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his
place."
(B) Renewing grace--Acts 9:21, 22. . . ."But all that heard him were
amazed, and said; 'Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this
name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that
intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?' [22] But Saul increased the more in
strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ."
B. The Interesting Conversation with Esau--vv. 5-15
1. Concerning Jacob's
posterity--vv. 5-7. . . ."And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the
children; and said, 'Who are those with thee?' And he
said, 'The children which God hath
graciously given thy servant.' [6] Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed
themselves. [7]
And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they
bowed
themselves."
a. Esau's question--v. 5a
(I) He (Esau) lifted up his eyes; this simply means he turned his eyes from
Jacob to those behind him.
(II) Who are those with thee?
(A) This was not really a stupid question, though it may have seemed so.
(B) Jacob had mentioned the increase of his wealth, but did not mention
his family--Genesis
32:5. . . ."And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and
menservants, and womenservants: and I
have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight."
b. Jacob's reply--v. 5b
(I) His reply was very fitting and appropriate--God had given these children to
him.
(II) A more abrupt answer would have been "These are my children", but he
affirms that God was the Giver of life.
c. Jacob's presentation--vv. 6, 7
(I) He began with the handmaidens and their children.
(II) Next Leah and her children
(III) Lastly, Rachel and Joseph
2. Concerning Jacob's
present--vv. 8-11. . . ."And he said, 'What meanest thou by all this
drove which I met?' And he said, 'These are to find grace in the
sight of my lord.' [9] And
Esau said, 'I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.' [10] And Jacob said, 'Nay, I pray thee, if now I have
found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had
seen the face of God, and thou wast
pleased with me. [11] Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because
God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.'
And he urged him, and he took it."
a. The question--v. 8
(I) Esau asked what the reason for the droves that he had met.
(II) Jacob replied that it was to find grace in Esau's eyes.
b. The refusal--v. 9
(I) Esau modestly refused the gift.
(II) Esau refused it for he had enough.
(III) Esau was content with what he had and urged Jacob to take the gift back.
c. The urging--vv. 10, 11
(I) Based on his favorable reception by Esau.
(A) It was a thankful acknowledgment of this grace.
(B) It was a high compliment that Jacob paid to Esau--I have seen your face as
the face of God.
(II) Resulted in his urging Esau to take the gift.
(A) God has greatly blessed me.
(B) Let me share my blessing with you.
(III) Accepted by Esau
3. Concerning Jacob's
progress--vv. 12-15. . . ."And he said, 'Let us take our journey, and let us go,
and I will go before thee.' [13] And he said unto him,
'My lord knoweth that the children are tender,
and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the
flock
will die. [14] Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that
goeth before me and the children
be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.' [15] And Esau said, 'Let me now
leave with thee some of the folk that are with me.' And he
said, 'What needeth it? let me find grace in the
sight of my lord.'"
a. The offer by Esau as guide--v. 12
(I) This was doubtlessly a sincere offer by Esau.
(II) God had caused a reconciliation between Jacob and Esau.
b. The offer by Jacob refused--vv. 13, 14
(I) On the surface of his reply for the children and the cattle; his concern may
well have been genuine.
(II) Knowing Jacob as he is (or at least was), one wonders if he did not
fear having Esau travel with him.
c. The offer by Esau of his group as guards--v. 15
(I) Esau may have genuinely thought Jacob needed more protection.
(II) Jacob respectfully refuses.
(A) "Jacob is humble, and needs is not for state; he desires not to make a fair
show in the flesh, by encumbering himself with a needless retinue."
(Henry, I:200)
(B) Jacob is divinely protected and needed not Esau's help.
(C) There still may have been some lack of trust of Esau by Jacob.
C. The Intended Camp of Jacob--vv. 16-20
1. Esau journeys
back to Seir--v. 16. . . ."So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir."
a. This is just a simply statement of fact.
b. He probably thought that Jacob would follow him more slowly.
2. Jacob journeys to
Succoth--v. 17. . . ."And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle:
therefore the name of the
place is
called Succoth."
a. The location is a mile or so east of the river Jordan.
b. He set up booths for the cattle and temporary shelter for the family.
3. Jacob further
journeys to Shechem--vv. 18-20. . . ."And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is
in the land of Canaan, when he came from
Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city. [19] And he bought a
parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of
Hamor, Shechem's father,
for a hundred pieces of money. [20] And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel."
a. The location--v. 18a
(I) About 10 miles west of the river Jordan.
(II) There is no indication as to where he cross the river
Jordan, but the two towns are approximately at the same
latitude.
b. The settlement--vv. 18b, 19
(I) He settle in Shalem (some think it should be
rendered "peace"), a suburb of Shechem.
(II) He pitch his tent there.
(III) He purchases a piece of land from children of Hamor--Shechem's father.
(A) The city was apparently
named after Shechem.
(B) His mention here is in
preparation of the events of the next chapter.
(IV) This shows that Jacob had no real intent to proceed to
Esau.
c. The altar--v. 20
(I) He established a place of worship in thanks to God for
fulfilling His promises to him.
(II) He established the place of worship to maintain his
family in the worship of God.
(III) He established the place of worship in naming it "God,
the God of Israel".
(A) No longer is God the God of Abraham and Isaac.
(B) He is now the God of Israel--a
prince with God.
CONCLUSION:
1. We have observed the second phase of the return to
Canaan by Jacob--Genesis 32:1-32.
a. There were the
messengers of God to Jacob--vv. 1, 2
(I) He met them in the way--v. 1.
(II) He mentioned them in honor--v. 2.
b. There were the
messengers of Jacob to Esau--vv. 3-8
(I) The messengers sent--vv. 3-5
(II) The messengers returned--vv. 6-8
c. There was the match
God's angel--v. 9-32
(I) Jacob prayed to God--vv. 9-12
(II) Jacob presented a gift to Esau--vv. 13-23
(III) Jacob prevailed over God's angel--vv. 24-32
2. We have seen the final phase of the return to Canaan
by Jacob--Genesis 33:1-20
a. The initial connection with
Esau--vv. 1-4
(I) Jacob discerned Esau's approach--v. 1a
(II) Jacob divided his group--vv. 1b, 2
(III) Jacob drew near Esau--vv, 3, 4
b. The interesting
conversation with Esau--vv. 5-15
(I) It concerned Jacob's posterity--vv. 5-7
(II) it concerned Jacob's present--vv. 8-11
(III) It concerned Jacob's progress--vv. 12-15
c. The intended camp of Jacob--vv. 16-20
(I) Esau journeyed back to Seir--v. 16
(II) Jacob journeyed to Succoth--v. 17
(III) Jacob further journeyed to Shechem--vv. 18-20
3. We can conclude some interesting things from these
two chapters.
a. Jacob, though now
Israel, still had the old Jacob nature--so do we.
b. Like Jacob, we often
scheme to avoid supposed trouble.
c. Sometimes we, like
Jacob, must wrestle in prayer before God.
d. Often times, like
Jacob meeting with Esau, our fears are unfounded.
(I) Often due to a lack of faith.
(II) But God has not given us the spirit of fear--cf. 2 Timothy 1:7. . .
."For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind."
e. Let us, like
Jacob--Israel, by faith call upon the God of Israel as our God.
The Life of
Jacob, Part VI
Genesis 34:1-35:29
INTRODUCTION:
1. A study of the life of Jacob continues in this message.
2. A sad episode in his life here studied.
3. First, we have:
VII. THE DEFILEMENT OF DINAH--Genesis 34:1-31
A. The Ravishing of Dinah--vv. 1-5. . . ."And
Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bore unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the
land. [2] And
when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of
the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and
defiled her. [3] And his soul cleaved unto
Dinah the daughter of Jacob,
and he loved the damsel, and spoke kindly unto the
damsel. [4] And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying, 'Get me
this damsel
to wife.' [5] And Jacob heard that
he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the
field: and Jacob held his peace until
they
were come."
1. Her vain curiosity--v.
1
a. She went out
(I) This probably occurred after several years living in Succoth or Shechem in
the area known as Samaria.
(II) She was probably in her teens which would make her brothers in their
twenties.
(III) She may have gone without Jacob's or Leah's knowledge.
b. She visited the daughters of the land.
(I) She may have felt the need of friends her own age.
(II) She may had a bit of rebellion in her.
(III) She may even had a desire to be seen by teenage men.
2. Her lost honor--v. 2
a. The seduction
(I) Shechem saw her and desired her.
(II) Shechem was the son of Hamor, a prince.
(III) He took her.
(A) This may not have been by force.
(B) It may have been more by surprise.
b. The sin
(I) Dinah sinned by going out in the first place.
(A) She made no attempt to flee or to cry out.
(B) She may have even flaunted herself.
(II) Shechem sinned by laying with her, thus defiling her.
3. Her requested
marriage--vv. 3, 4
a. His comfort of her--v. 3
(I) Though he had used her, he did not cast her aside.--cf. Ammon, 2 Samuel
13:15. . . ."Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred
wherewith he hated her was greater than
the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, 'Arise, be gone.'"
(II) He comforted her by his expression of love for her--certainly a
little late for that.
(III) He was solicitous toward her.
(IV) He may have taken her to his house--cf. v. 26
b. His request of his farther--v. 4
(I) Marriage was arranged by parents even among heathen.
(II) Shechem requested that his father get her for him.
4. Her father's
reaction--v. 5
a. He learned what happened whether from some of her friends or her
failure to return home.
b. He held his peace until he consulted with her brothers.
c. He may have left his affairs too much in the hands of his sons.
B. The Request of Hamor--vv. 6-17
1. The tender of
marriage--vv. 6--12. . . ."And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto
Jacob to commune with him. [7] And the sons of Jacob came
out of the field when they heard
it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's
daughter; which thing ought not to be done. [8] And Hamor communed with them, saying, 'The soul of my son Shechem
longeth for your daughter: I
pray you
give her him to wife. [9] And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters
unto us, and take our daughters unto you. [10] And ye shall
dwell with us: and the land shall be before
you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.' [11] And Shechem said unto her father and
unto her
brethren, 'Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. [12] Ask me never so much dowry and
gift, and I will give
according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.'"
a. Hamor and son come to Jacob--v. 6
(I) It states Hamor, but v. 11 shows that Shechem was with him.
(II) There is no word of apology for what his son did.
(III) He simply proposed marriage.
b. Jacob's sons come in--v. 7
(I) They had heard what happened and were very angry.
(II) Shechem by his action had "wrought folly in Israel."
(A) "Uncleanness [Shechem had defiled her] was folly" (Matthew Henry, Commentary
on the Whole Bible. Mc Lean, VA: Mac Donald
Publishing
Company, n. d.; I:202)
(B) "This folly is most shameful in ISRAEL", the family of God. (Ibid.)
(C) "It is a good thing to have sin stamped with a bad name" (Ibid.)
c. Hamor apparently ignores their anger--vv. 8-10
(I) He urges them to accept his proposal of the marriage of Shechem and
Dinah.
(II) He further proposes intermarriage with his people.
(III) He feathered the proposal with a possible gain to Jacob and his sons.
d. Shechem offers anything as dowry--vv. 11, 12
(I) He loves Dinah so much he would give any terms.
(II) Hamor apparently concurred in accepting any terms.
2. The terms of
marriage--vv. 13-17. . . ."And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and
Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled
Dinah their sister: [14] And they said unto
them, 'We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
[15] But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; [16] Then will
we give our daughters unto you,
and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become
one people. [17] But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be
circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will
be gone.'"
a. The condition was cunning--v. 13
(I) They did this because Shechem had defiled Dinah.
(II) Jacob's sons--not Jacob himself--"pretend to insist on a coalition in
religion, when really they designed nothing
less." (Henry, I:202)
(III) It may have been all of Jacob's sons, or at least Leah's, but Simeon
and Levi were the leaders.
b. The condition was circumcision--vv. 14-17
(I) They used their religious principle falsely.
(II) Either be circumcised or we leave with our sister.
(III) They could have cared less about circumcision, but only wanted to deceive
them.
C. The Reception of the Marriage Terms--vv. 18-24
1. They consent to be
circumcised--vv. 18, 19. . . ."And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem
Hamor's son. [19] And the young man deferred not to
do the thing, because he had delight in
Jacob's daughter: and he was more honorable than all the house of his father."
a. They were moved to it by Shechem's love for Dinah, but they may have known of
the sacredness and honorableness of the rite.
b. All too often a man (or a woman) will consent to certain religious practices
to gain a spouse.
(I) It is wrong to marry on this principle; there is often no real heart change.
(II) Scripture
(A) 2 Corinthians 6:14-17--"Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? [16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of
the living God; as God hath said, 'I will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be My people. [17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,'
saith the Lord, 'and touch not
the unclean thing; and I will receive you.'"
(B) 1 Corinthians 7:39--"The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband
liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to
whom she will; only in the Lord."
2. The get the consent of
the men of the city--vv. 20-24. . . ."And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto
the gate of their city, and communed with the
men of their city, saying, [21] 'These
men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large
enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. [22] Only herein will the men
consent unto us for to dwell
with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are
circumcised. [23] Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast
of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto
them, and they will dwell with us.' [24] And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out
of the gate of
his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city."
a. They used their position and willingness (implied rather than stated) to be
circumcised to persuade them.--v. 20
b. They asserted (being unaware of Jacob's sons real intention) that
these were peaceful people.--v. 21a
c. They affirmed that it would be profitable to them--vv. 21b-23
(I) They saw their industry.
(II) They saw the advantage of joining their religion--how often a person
has joined a church for financial gain.
d. They all assented to the rite--v. 24
D. The Results of Acceptance of the
Terms--vv. 25-31. . . ."And it came to pass on the third day, when they were
sore, that two of the
sons of Jacob,
Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword,
and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the
males. [26] And they slew Hamor and
Shechem his son with the edge of the
sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. [27] The sons of Jacob came upon the slain,
and
spoiled the city, because they had defiled
their sister. [28] They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and
that which was in the city, and that
which
was in the field, [29] And all their wealth, and all their little ones,
and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even
all that was in the house. [30]
And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 'Ye
have troubled me to make me to stink among
the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites:
and I being few in number, they shall gather
themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my
house.' [31] And they said,
'Should he
deal with our sister as with an harlot?'"
1. The murderous attack
on the men of Shechem--vv. 25-29
a. The fact of the slaying--vv. 25, 26
(I) Simeon and Levi are said to have done the deed; it would appear that the
rest of the sons were not involved in it.
(II) Apparently God did not stop them in doing this.
(A) God does not always stop us from sinning.
(B) The Shechemites were circumcised for the wrong reason; not to honor God but
to further their own ends.
(III) Simeon and Levi were not just in doing this.
(A) The Shechemites wrought folly in Israel.
(B) Simeon and Levi also wrought follow in Israel instead of leaving it to
God--Cf. Romans 12:19. . . ."Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but
rather give place unto wrath: for it
is written, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' saith the Lord."
(IV) They rescued Dinah (She apparently had remained in Shechem's house.)
b. The foraging of the city--vv. 27-29
(I) The sons of Jacob (Joseph may have been an exception) proceeded to
plunder the town, making them accessories to the murder.
(II) The Shechemites thought that submission to the circumcision would enable
them to gain the wealth of Jacob; but they were plundered in return.
(III) Nevertheless, the punishment of the Shechemites greatly exceeded the crime
committed--Shechem seduced Dinah, but on the other hand there is
no evidence that she may have submitted
willing or that she fought back.
2. The mournful anxiety
of Jacob toward Simeon and Levi--vv. 30, 31
a. The reproach they caused him--v. 30a
(I) He would now be odious to the inhabitants of the land.
(II) "Note, the gross misconduct of wicked children is the grief and shame
of their godly parents." (Henry, I:204)
(A) Proverbs 10:1--"The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a
glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother."
(B) Proverbs 17:25--"A foolish son is a grief to his father, and
bitterness to her that bore him."
b. The ruin to which they exposed him--v. 30b
(I) "If all the Shechemites must be destroyed for the offense of one
why not all the Israelites for the offense of
two?" (Henry, I:204)
(II) Jacob had sowed to the flesh earlier; now he is reaping the
results--Galatians 6:8. . . ."For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
3. The mean answer of
Simeon and Levi to Jacob--v. 31
a. They were attempting to justify their action by their reply.
b. They in effect were insolent to Jacob their father.
(I) This was to show disrespect for their father.
(II) This supposed that one who condones revenge (for whatever reason) is
approving the justifying of the offense.
VIII. THE DEATH OF THREE--Genesis 35:1-29
A. The Departure to Bethel--vv. 1-15
1. The command of
God to go to Bethel--vv. 1-5. . . ."And God said unto Jacob, 'Arise, go up to
Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto
God, that appeared unto thee when thou
fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.' [2] Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were
with
him, 'Put away the strange gods that are
among you, and be clean, and change your garments: [3] And let us arise,
and go up to Bethel; and I will make
there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with
me in the way which I went.' [4] And they gave unto Jacob all the
strange gods which were in their hand, and
all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. [5]
And they
journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the
sons of Jacob."
a. God reminds Jacob of his vow at Bethel--v. 1
(I) God had done His part in the promise He made to Jacob--cf. Genesis 28:15. .
. ."And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places
whither thou goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."
(II) If you vow a vow to God, it is best that you fulfill it as quickly as
possible; it is better late than never--cf. Ecclesiastes 5:4. . . ."When thou vowest
a vow unto God, defer not to pay it;
for He hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed."
b. Jacob requires his household to prepare to go to Bethel--vv. 2, 3
(I) Solemn ordinances require solemn preparation.--cf. Isaiah 1:16-18. . .
."'Wash you, make you clean; put away
the evil of your doings from before
Mine eyes; cease to do evil; [17]
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. [18] Come
now, and let
us reason together,' saith the LORD: 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool.'"
(II) Heads of households should lead their families in promoting
Christianity.
(A) Put away the strange gods.
(B) Be clean and change your garments--cf. Colossians 3:8-14. . . ."But now ye
also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth.
[9] Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; ]10] And have put on the
new
man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him: [11] Where there
is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision
nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:
but Christ is all, and in all. [12] Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; [13] Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. [14] And above all these
things put on charity, which is the
bond of perfectness."
c. His household resigns to the preparation to go to Bethel--v. 4
(I) They gave up every semblance of idolatry (images themselves and the
earrings which had an idolatrous origin.)
(II) Jacob buried them in Shechem under a tree.
(A) They could not come back to them.
(B) Cf. Romans 6:3-7, 11. . . ."[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? [4]
Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also
should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death,
we shall be also in the likeness of
His
resurrection: [6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should
not serve sin. [11] Likewise reckon
ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
d. Jacob and family remove themselves to Bethel--v. 5
(I) They traveled safely from Shechem to Bethel.
(II) The Canaanites, though doubtlessly angry at him for the destruction of
Shechem, restrained themselves.
(A) Their fear came not from Jacob and their sons.
(B) Their fear came from God.
2. The camp of
Jacob at Bethel--vv. 6-15
a. Jacob built an altar--vv. 6, 7. . . ."So Jacob came to Luz, which is
in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that
were with him. [7]
And he built there an altar, and called the place El-bethel: because there
God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother."
(I) They arrived at Luz, which Jacob renamed as Bethel--v. 6
(A) Genesis 28:19--"And he called the name of that place 'Bethel': but the name
of that city was called 'Luz' at the first."
(B) This was a renaming of the former naming.
(C) He named it Bethel--the house of God.
(II) He built an altar.--v. 7
(A) Previously, he just set up a pillar--Genesis 28:18. . . ."And Jacob rose up
early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his
pillows, and set it up for a
pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it."
(B) Now, he built a compete altar--this suggests a growth in faith in God from
simple fear to a real trust in God.
(III) He called the place of the altar, "El-Bethel"--God of the house of
God.
b. Jacob buried Deborah--v. 8. . . ."But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she
was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called
Allon-bachuth."
(I) She was Rebekah's nurse.--Genesis 24:59. . . ."And they sent away Rebekah
their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men."
(II) She was buried under an oak tree.
(III) He named it "Allonbachuth" which means "the tree of weeping."
c. God appeared to Jacob--vv. 9-13. . . ."And God appeared unto Jacob again,
when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. [10] And God said
unto him, 'Thy name is Jacob:
thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name': and he called his name 'Israel.' [11] And
God
said unto him, 'I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of
thee, and kings shall come out of thy
loins; [12] And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to
thy seed after thee will I give the land.' [13] And God went up
from him in the place where He talked with
him."
(I) He came in a time of sorrow--v. 9 (after Deborah's death and burial)
(II) He reaffirms his change of name--cf. Genesis 32:27, 28. . . ."And
He
said unto him, 'What is thy name?' And he said, 'Jacob.' [28] And He said,
'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but
Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.'"
(III) He renews the Abraham covenant with him.
(A) He would be the father of a great nation.
(B) He renewed the promise of the land.
(IV) He departs from Jacob probably in a visible manner--much like the ascension
of our Lord.
d. Jacob erects an memorial--vv. 14, 15. . . ."And Jacob set up a pillar in the
place where He talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a
drink offering thereon, and he
poured oil thereon. [15] And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, 'Bethel.'"
(I) He set up a pillar (whether in the same spot when he departed Canaan or not
is not clear).
(II) He restated the name of the place as Bethel.
(A) Remember it means "The house of God."
(B) Liberals love to use these repetitions as evidence of their so-called
documentary hypothesis.
B. The Death of Rachel--vv. 16-20. . . ."And they
journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel
travailed, and she had
hard labor. [17] And it came to pass, when she was in
hard labor, that the midwife said unto her,
'Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.' [18] And it came
to pass, as her soul
was in departing, (for she died) that she
called his name 'Ben-oni': but his father called him 'Benjamin.' [19] And Rachel
died, and was
buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. [20] And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave:
that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this
day."
1. Rachel was in hard
labor--v. 16-18
a. The journey from Bethel to Ephrath--v. 16
(I) While journeying from Bethel
(II) As they neared Ephrath (the location of Bethlehem)
b. The statement of the midwife--v.17
(I) "Fear not" (because of her hard labor she may have thought she would
lose the new son)
(II) "You shall have this son also" (When Joseph was born, she said that God
would give her another son).
c. The naming of the child--v. 18
(I) While she was dying
(A) Named him "Ben-oni" meaning "the son of my sorrow"
(B) Even a child not born in hard labor can later become a "son of
sorrow"--cf. Proverbs 10:1. . . ."The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son
maketh a glad father: but a foolish
son is the heaviness of his mother."
(II) Afterward renamed by Jacob as Benjamin--the son of my right hand
2. Rachel died and was
buried--vv. 19, 20
a. She died on the way--v. 19
(I) Near Bethlehem
(II) Buried where she died.
(III) No mention of mourning, but it probably took place.
b. She was memorialized with a pillar set up by Jacob--v. 20
(I) Spot came to be known as Rachel's sepulchre--cf. 1 Samuel 10:2a. . . ."When
thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by
Rachel's sepulcher in the border of
Benjamin at Zelzah; ")
(II) By God's direction this area was given to Benjamin.
C. The Death of Isaac--vv. 21-29
1. The sin of Reuben--vv.
21, 22a. . . ."And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. [22] And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in
that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it.:
a. Jacob journeyed beyond the tower of Edar.--v. 21
(I) He is called Israel here.
(II) This prince of God still had to dwell in tents.
b. Reuben lay with Bilhah--v. 22
(I) Nothing is said here about any rebuke from Jacob
(II) At the end of Jacob's life, he rebuked him--Genesis 49:3, 4. . .
."Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the
excellency of dignity, and the
excellency of power: [4] Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then
defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch."
2. The relisting of
Jacob's sons--vv.22b-26. . . ."Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: [23] The
sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and
Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:
[24] The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: [25] And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan,
and
Naphtali: [26] And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were
born to him in Padan-aram."
a. Named from the first-born (Reuben) of Leah to the last (Benjamin) of
Rachel; then the sons of the handmaidens
b. Listed several times through the Bible, the last in Revelation (7:4;
21:12{See these passages})
3. The final days of
Isaac--vv. 27-29. . . ."And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto
the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and
Isaac sojourned. [28] And the days of
Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years. [29] And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto
his
people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him."
a. Jacob come to Isaac at Mamre--v. 27
(I) Located in Hebron
(II) Where Abraham and Isaac lived
b. Isaac's age stated, 180 years--v. 28
c. Isaac dies--v. 29
(I) He died old and full of days
(II) Esau and Jacob together buried Isaac.
CONCLUSION:
1. We studied the defilement of Dinah--Genesis
34:1-31.
a. The ravishing of
Dinah--vv. 1-5
b. The request of
Hamor--vv. 6-17
c. The reception of
the marriage terms--vv. 18-24
d. The results of
acceptance of the terms--vv. 25-31
2. We then considered the death of
Rachel--Genesis 35:1-29
a. The departure to
Bethel--vv. 1-15
b. The death of
Rachel--vv. 16-20
c. The death of
Isaac--vv. 21-29
3. We need to see the lessons of these chapters.
a. Jacob had connived in
stealing the blessing from Esau, and now it is pay back time. (NOTE: sin
always has consequences.)
b. Simeon and Levi
revenge on the Shechemites was not justified.
(I) Shechem's sin was great, but did not deserve the punishment received.
(II) They should have let God deal with the matter--cf. Romans 12:19 (This verse
was quoted above).
c. Joining a church or
religious group for the sake of gain or some personal end is wrong.
d. Death does not
necessarily occur at convenient times.
e. Death can occur early
in life (we don't know how old Rachel was when she died) as well as late in life
(Isaac was 180 years old).
The Life of Jacob, Part VII
Genesis 49:1-33
INTRODUCTION:
1. We have been examining the life of Jacob.
2. His birth and his stealing of the birthright
and the blessing under the life of Isaac was considered.
3. His life from his leaving Canaan to his return to
Canaan was covered.
4. Most of the rest of Genesis does not
deal with Jacob, i.e., Israel, directly.
5. The parts of Israel's life not dealt with here
will be discussed in connection with Joseph.
6. Thus, we will skip to the last part of his
life, namely:
IX. THE FINAL PROPHECY ABOUT JACOB'S SONS--vv. 1-27
A. Concerning Reuben--vv. 1-4. . . ."And Jacob called
unto his sons, and said, 'Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall
befall you in the
last days. [2] Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons
of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. [3] Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and
the beginning of
my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the
excellency of power: [4] Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel;
because thou wentest up to
thy father's bed; then defiledst thou
it: he went up to my couch.'"
1. The preface to the
prophecies--vv. 1, 2
a. The gathering is called--v. 1a, 2a
(I) He was about to die and wanted to see them all once more, namely, to see
them all together.
(II) It was of use to the sons to see him die, to see how a believer can
die, even as he finally learned to live, namely, trusting God.
b. The general idea presented--v. 1b
(I) He presented a prophetic view of each son's future in particular of
their posterity.
(II) We can not tell our children what will happen to them in the future in this
life, but from the Word of God we tell them the future they have if they
trust Jesus Christ as Savior and
Lord.
c. The giving intention demanded--v. 2b
(I) We need to hearken to godly parents, particularly at their death.
(II) Proverbs 4:1--"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and
attend to know understanding."
2. The prophecy about
Reuben--v. 3, 4
a. His exalted position--v. 3
(I) He was the first born, thus entitled to the birthright.
(II) He states his position.
(A) My might
(B) The beginning of my strength (probably referring being able to have
eleven more sons)--Cf. Psalm 127:3-5. . . ."Lo, children are a heritage of
the LORD: and
the fruit of the womb is His reward. [4] As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of
the youth. [5] Happy
is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak
with the enemies in the gate."
(C) The excellency of dignity and power
b. His erroneous plunge--v. 4
(I) His unstable virtue
(A) Led to no excellence
(B) Led to giving into his appetites.
(C) "Instability is the ruin of men's excellency." (Matthew Henry, Commentary
on the Whole Bible. Mc Lean, VA: Mac Donald Publishing
Company, n. d.; I:259)
(II) His unstable honor
(A) It led him to incest.
(B) His sin is still remembered after 40 years, though it may have been
forgiven.
(C) Cf. Proverbs 6:32, 33--"But whoso committeth adultery with a woman
lacketh understanding: he that
doeth it destroyeth his own soul. [33]
A wound and dishonor shall he get; and
his reproach shall not be wiped away."
B. Concerning Simeon and Levi--vv. 5-7. . . ."Simeon
and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. [6] O my soul, come not
thou into
their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united:
for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall. [7] Cursed
be
their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in
Israel."
1. Brothers in
cruelty--v. 5
a. Their character
(I) Alike in disposition--revengeful, fierce, and uncontrolled
(II) Unlike their father in disposition--mild and quiet
b. Their cruelty
(I) Murdered
(A) Resented at the time--Genesis 34:30. . . ."And Jacob said to Simeon and
Levi, 'Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the
inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites
and the Perizzites: and I being
few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me,
and slay me;
and I shall be destroyed, I
and my house.'"
(B) Still resented their behavior
(II) Plundered--literally dug down a wall
2. Father in sadness--v.
6
a. Cried in his soul
(I) Does not want his soul involved in their sin.
(II) Fathers grieve over the wrongs of their children.
b. Connected not with their assembly
(I) Was not united with them in their wrong doing.
(II) Set forth their wrong doing clearly--"We ought, from our hearts, to detest
and abhor all society and confederacy with bloody and mischievous
men." (Henry, I:260)
3. Brothers in curse--v.
7
a. The cause of the curse
(I) Their anger though understandable was not justified.
(II) "Anger is the cause and original of a great deal of sin, and
exposes us to the curse of God, and his judgment, Matt. v. 22" (Ibid.)
(III) "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his
brother, 'Raca', shall be in danger of
the council: but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool', shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matthew
5:22)
(IV) Cf. Ephesians 4:26--"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun
go down upon your wrath:"
b. The result of the curse
(I) Levites scattered throughout the other tribes.
(II) Simeon's lot was so restricted that they had to scatter among the other
tribes.
(III) Yet, God's grace to them is seen in that they have 12,000 sealed from
their tribes.
(A) Cf. Revelation 7:7--"Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were
sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Issachar were sealed
twelve thousand."
(B)
Cf. Ezekiel 48:31, 33--"[31] And the gates of the city shall be after the
names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of
Reuben, one gate of Judah, one
gate of Levi. [33] And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate
of
Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun."
C. Concerning Judah--v. 8-12. . . ."Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren
shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy
father's children shall
bow down before thee. [9] Judah is a lion's whelp:
from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he
stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion;
who shall rouse him up?
[10] The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall
the
gathering of the people be. [11]
Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he
washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the
blood of grapes: [12] His eyes shall be red with wine, and
his teeth white with milk."
1. He shall be victorious in war--v. 8a
a. His name means praise and his brethren will give him that.
b. His hand shall be in the neck of his enemies--cf. Psalm 18:40. . .
."Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that
hate me."
2. He shall be superior to the rest of the tribes--v. 8b
a. The birthright passed to Judah due to
(I) Reuben's sin
(II) Simeon's and Levi's murderous anger.
b. The children of Jacob shall bow down to him.
(I) Fulfilled in David
(II) Will be fulfilled to its fullness in David's Son, Jesus Christ
3. He shall be a strong and courageous tribe--v. 9
a. He is a lion's whelp.
(I) A lion's whelp is, of course, a baby lion.
(II) But the baby grows in to a full-grown lion.
(III) Jacob has prophesied that Judah would become a very formidable tribe.
b. He is a crouching lion.
(I) This speaks of a lion that is not rampaging.
(II) It suggests that Judah would be one who makes war, but for a peaceful end.
4. He shall be the tribe of the promised Messiah--v. 10
a. The scepter shall not depart from Judah.
(I) This is the great prophecy fulfilled in part in David.
(II) Yet it speaks of the greater fulfillment in the Messiah.
(III) Cf. 2 Samuel 7:16 where God is speaking to David--"And thine house and thy
kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall
be established forever."
(IV) Even during the captivity in Babylon, the Judahite, Daniel, had rulership
for many
years as third ruler.
b. The lawgiver will come from Judah.
(I) David established law and order among the tribes of Judah.
(II) Yet the greater Lawgiver came out of Judah.
c. Shiloh will come from Judah.
(I) Though a town built near Bethel, it certainly refers to a person--"Unto
Him
shall the
gathering of the people be."
(II) The term probably means, "The One who brings peace."
(III) That this is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is abundantly set forth in many
Scripture.
(IV) Revelation 5:5 sets forth Jesus Christ as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah."
5. He shall be a very fruitful tribe.--vv. 11, 12
a. This was true physically.
(I) There would be an abundance of milk for babes.
(II) There would be an abundance of wine to make glad the heart of strong men.
(III) Ultimately, all physical blessings come through the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
b. This was true spiritually.
(I) The tribe of Judah stayed true to God the longest of all the tribes.
(II) The greatest spiritual One came out of Judah.
(III) That One will be the center of worship in the millennium.
(IV) In the millennium, all spiritual blessings will be through the Lion of the
tribe of
Judah, Jesus Christ.
(V) Yet, our present blessings are through Him who loved us and gave Himself for
us.--Cf. Ephesians 1:3. . . ."Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (the whole context is worth reading in this connection
--vv.
3-14)
D. Concerning Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali--vv. 13-21. . .
." Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall
be for a haven of
ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. [14]
Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
[15] And he saw that rest was good, and the
land that it was
pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and
became a servant unto tribute. [16] Dan shall judge his people, as one of
the tribes of Israel.
[17] Dan shall be a
serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that
his rider shall fall backward. [18] I have
waited for thy
salvation, O LORD. [19] Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he
shall overcome at the last. [20] Out of
Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield
royal dainties.
[21] Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words."
1. Zebulun will live by the seaside.--v. 13.
a. They were to be merchants, mariners, and traders at sea.
(I) Their lot went up to the sea--Joshua 19:11. . . ."And their [Zebulun's]
border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth,
and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;"
(II) It was by lot, and therefore, by God's doing, not deliberately planned by
Joshua to
fulfill Jacob's words.
b. They were to be a haven for ships.
(I) "God appoints the bounds of our habitation." (Henry, I:262)
(II) It is wisdom and duty on our part to use our lot for God and to improve
it.--thus, it was
natural for Zebulun to be a haven for ships.
2. Issachar is a donkey--v. 14, 15
a. It tells of a tribe given to industrious labor.
(I) They had two forms of labor--tillage and tribute.
(II) He may have been a rather large man.
b. It tells of a tribe that could rest from labor.
c. It tells of a tribe that had a pleasant land.
(I) They made use of that land to be fruitful.
(II) They bore up under the labor.
(III) They were subject to tribute due to it fruitfulness.
3. Dan shall judge his people--v. 17, 18
a. They were subtle like a serpent.
(I) Remember Dan meant "judge", which the tribe did not always do wisely.
(II) Samson was of the tribe of Dan; yet he was subtle at times.
(III) Dan as a tribe fell into idolatry early.
(IV) Dan is not included among the 144,000 in Revelation 7. (It has been suggested
that the
anti-Christ comes out of Dan.--This
writer knows of no
Scripture that even suggests this.)
b, Jacob was waiting for the salvation that come from God.
(I) Because of the switch in pronoun to first person, it is generally understood
that it was
Jacob waiting for that salvation rather than Dan.
(II) That salvation was through Christ of whom he spoke in verse 10.
(III) That salvation was also to heaven, a better country--cf. Hebrews 11:13, 14.
. . ."These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded
of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
[14] For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.")
4. Gad is a troop--v. 19
a. Recall his name means "a troop."
b. A troop will overcome them, but not permanently.
c. They shall overcome at last.
(I) They were a warlike tribe--cf. 1 Chronicles 12:8. . . ."And of
the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the
wilderness
men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle
shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as
swift as
the roes upon the mountains;"
(II) "The cause of God and his people, though it may seem for a time to be
baffled and run down, will yet be victorious at last." (Henry,
I:263)
(III) It the final analysis, the victory is ours through Christ Jesus.
(A) Cf. 1 John 5:4, 5--"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
[5] Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"
(B) Revelation 19:11-16--"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and
He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness He doth judge and make
war. [12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a
name
written, that no man knew, but
He Himself. [13] And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:
and His name is called The Word of
God. [14] And the armies which were in heaven followed Him
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] And out of His
mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with
it He should smite the nations:
and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the
winepress
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. [16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND
LORD OF LORDS."
5. Asher is a royal baker--v. 20
a. His bread is fat.
(I) May speak of the largeness of the loaves.
(II) Certainly speaks of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, Who is our spiritual
fatness.
b. His baking is royal dainties.
(I) Suggests he provided for the king's table.
(II) Suggests the royal feast of heaven--what wedding supper would not
have a bridal cake!
(A) Cf. Psalm 16:11--"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy
presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."
(B) Revelation 19:7-10--"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him:
for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself
ready. [8]And to her was granted that
she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of
saints. [9]
And He saith unto me, 'Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the
Lamb.' And He saith unto me, 'These are the
true sayings of God.' [10] And I fell at his feet to worship him.
And he said unto me, 'See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy
brethren that have the
testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.'"
6. Naphtali is hind--v. 21
a. As a deer
(I) He is loose hind, that is free--zealous of their liberty.
(II) He is a loving hind.
(III) He is a swift hind--cf. Psalm 18:33. . . ."He maketh my feet like hinds'
feet, and setteth me upon my high places."
(IV) He is a trembling hind--afraid in times of danger
b. As a declarer
(I) A giver of good words
(II) A preacher?--Romans 10:14ff. . . ."How then shall they call on Him in whom
they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of Whom
they have not heard? and how shall
they hear without a preacher? [15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, 'How
beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!' [16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
For Isaiah saith, 'Lord, who hath believed our report?' [17] So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
E. Concerning Joseph and Benjamin--vv. 22-27. . . ."Joseph is a
fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose
branches run over the
wall: [23] The
archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him,
and hated him: [24] But his bow abode in strength, and
the arms of his hands were made strong by the
hands of the mighty God
of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd,
the stone of Israel:) [25] Even by the God of thy father, who
shall help thee; and by the
Almighty, Who shall bless thee with
blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under,
blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: [26] The
blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my
progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting
hills: they shall be on the head of
Joseph, and on the crown of
the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
[27] Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the
prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil."
1. The blessing of Joseph--vv. 22-26
a. The providence of God--vv. 22-24
(I) His description--v. 22
(A) A fruitful tree
(1) God made him fruitful in the land of his affliction.
(2) For Joseph's comment on naming his second son--Genesis 41:52. . . ."And the
name of the second called he 'Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.'"
(B) A fruitful tree by a well
(1) Thus, well-watered; speaking of reliance upon God's word
(2) Cf. Psalm 1:3--"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
(C) The branches represent his two sons.
(1) A twofold tribe
(2) The younger was more prominent than the older
(a) Note Genesis 48:5--"And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were
born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came
unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine."
(b) Also note Genesis 48:13-20--"And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right
hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left
hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. [14] And
Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's
head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's
head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. [15]
And he blessed Joseph, and said, 'God, before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long
unto this day, [16] The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the
name of my
fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude
in the midst of the earth.' [17] And when Joseph saw that his father laid
his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased
him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto
Manasseh's head. [18] And Joseph said unto his father, 'Not so, my
father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.'
[19] And his father refused, and said, 'I know it, my son, I know
it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great:
but truly
his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall
become a multitude of nations.' [20] And he blessed them that day,
saying, 'In thee shall Israel bless, saying, "God make thee as Ephraim and
as Manasseh"': and he set Ephraim before Manasseh."
(II) His affliction--v. 23
(A) Stated under archers shooting at him
(B) His own brothers were his chief enemies--cf. Matthew 10:36. . . ."And a
man's foes shall be they of his own household."
(C) Potipher's wife
(III) His overcoming--v. 24
(A) Stated under the symbol of a bow
(B) He prevailed over his enemies
(C) Overcame by his faith in Almighty God--notice his hands were made strong,
not
in his own strength, but by the hands of the God of Jacob.
(D) He became the shepherd and provider for Jacob and his sons; thus, he is a
type
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the sheep.
b. The promise of God--vv. 25, 26
(I) God will keep Joseph in both of his sons.
(II) God will bless Joseph.
(A) Blessings of heaven--spiritual
(B) Blessings from beneath--temporal
(C) Blessings of children--posterioral
(III) God specially blesses him through Jacob.
(A) Eminent and transcendent blessings
(B) Durable and extensive blessings
(C) Blessings fulfilled in part later in the history of Ephraim (especially) and
Manasseh.
(IV) God did fulfill these blessings through His Son, Jesus Christ of Whom
Joseph was
a type.
2. The blessing of Benjamin--v. 27
a. His attribute
(I) A raving wolf
(II) Shows Jacob was guided by the Spirit, not natural affection
(III) A warlike tribe
b. His activity
(I) In the morning, devoured the prey; in the evening divided the spoil.
(II) Several prominent personages
(A) Ehud--Judges 3:12-29 (Read the entire passage to see what Ehud did.)
(1) 2nd judge
(2) Left-handed
(B) King Saul--1 Samuel 9:1-10:1 (Read the entire passage to see what was done
to Saul.)
(C) Mordecai--Esther 2:5. . . ."Now in Shushan the palace there was a
certain Jew, whose name was
Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of
Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;"
(D) Apostle Paul
(1) Romans 11:1--"I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.
For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the
tribe
of Benjamin."
(2) Philippians 3:5--"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as
touching the
law, a Pharisee;"
X. THE FINAL PERIOD OF JACOB ABOUT HIS DEATH--Genesis 49:28-33. . . ."All
these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it
that their father
spoke unto them, and blessed them; every one according
to his blessing he blessed them. [29] And he charged them, and said unto them,
'I am to be gathered
unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the
cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, [30] In the cave
that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before
Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham
bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a
burial place. [31] There they buried Abraham
and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah
his wife; and there I buried Leah. [32] The purchase of the field and of
the cave that is therein was
from the children of Heth.' [33] And when
Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into
the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and
was gathered unto his people."
A. The Final Statement--v. 28-32
1. The special conclusion --v. 28
a. The statement of the 12 tribes
(I) The first three, more cursing of them than blessing.
(II) The great praise of Judah, whose name meant "praise"
(III) The lesser six tribes--a verse or two at most.
(IV) Joseph and Benjamin--Rachel's sons
b. The blessing of the 12 tribes
(I) God through Jacob rebuked those needing rebuke.
(II) God through Jacob blessed those deserving blessing.
2. The solemn charge--vv. 29-32
a. The charge of burial--v. 29a
(I) He knew he was about to die.
(II) He was wed, so to speak, to the land which God had promised Abraham, Isaac,
and
Israel.
b. The place of burial--vv. 29b-32
(I) The place which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite
(II) The place where Abraham and Sarah are buried
(III) The place where Isaac and Rebekah are buried
(IV) The place where Jacob buried Leah (Note: he requested burial with
Leah, not Rachel)
(V) The place purchased from the children of Heth
(VI) Thus, he carefully and fully described the family plot so to speak.
3. The sure cessation--v. 33
a. He lay down his body.
(I) He was apparently sitting on the edge of the couch (or bed).
(II) He completed the blessing and his testimony.
(III) He simply laid down to die.
b. He gave up his spirit.
(I) "He freely resigned his spirit into the hand of God, the Father of spirits."
(Henry, I:205)
(II) He was gathered to his people--Today we would say he went home to the Lord.
(III) What a way to go!
CONCLUSION:
1. The final blessing of Jacob's sons--vv. 1-27
a. Concerning Reuben--vv. 1-4 (more cursed than blessed)
b. Concerning Simeon and Levi--vv. 5-7 (not really blessed either, but scattered
in Israel)
c. Concerning Judah--vv. 8-12
(I) Victorious in war and superior in Israel
(II) Strong and courageous and Messiah's tribe
(III) Fruitful tribe
d. Concerning the six lesser tribes--vv. 13-21
(I) Zebulun--a mariner
(II) Issachar--an ass
(III) Dan--a judge
(IV) Gad--a troop
(V) Asher--a baker
(VI) Naphtali--a deer
e. Concerning Joseph and Benjamin--vv. 22-27
(I) Joseph particularly blessed
(II) Benjamin--a raving wolf
3. The lessons from this chapter are various, but certainly the centerpiece is
the promise of the
coming Messiah through the tribe of Judah.