DBG - January 12 - Genesis 31-32

In this chapter covers Jacob leaving Haran with his family and wealth.

vs. 1-2 – It was apparent that Jacob had worn out his welcome with Laban after growing his herds through this breeding program in chapter 32.  Sometimes God has to make us uncomfortable where we are at before He can call us somewhere else.

vs. 3 – God tells Jacob it is time to return home and that He will honor the promises He made at Bethel in  28:11-22

vs. 7-8 – John Gill writes about the changes in terms in the deal made between Jacob and Laban – “…he had now served him six years upon a new bargain; that he should have all that were of such and such different colours, which were produced out of his flock of white sheep. Laban was at first highly pleased with it, as judging it would be a very good one to him, as he might reasonably think indeed: and it is highly probable he did not attempt any alteration the first year, but observing Jacob's cattle of the speckled sort, &c. prodigiously increasing, he did not choose to abide by the any longer. Now it must be observed, that the sheep in Mesopotamia, as in Italy, brought forth the young twice a year; so that every yeaning time, which was ten times in five years, Laban made an alteration in Jacob's wages; one time he would let him have only the speckled, and not the ringstraked; another time the ringstraked, and not the speckled; and so changed every time, according as he observed the prevailing colour was…”

vs. 10-13 – An earlier vision is recorded here than we see in vs. 3.  This one occurred at the beginning of Jacob and Laban’s deal to work for the livestock.  I think vs. 13 may be from the more recent vision and Jacob jumps from the older to the more recent.

vs. 14-16 – Jacob’s wives agree to leave their homeland, recognizing their future was far brighter with Jacob than Laban.

vs. 17-22 – Jacob slips away with his family and his herds.  It takes three days before Laban notices as he has been busy shearing sheep.

vs. 19 – What Rachel stole were small household idols used as talismans for protection or divination.  There are far more questions here than we have answers.  Were Laban and his family idolators?  Did she take them because they were made of precious metals and thus valuable?  Was she taking them to use for herself?  Was she trying to stop Laban from consulting them to find Jacob?  Whatever the case, nothing good comes from idolatry.

vs. 23 – Gilead is the hilly region on the eastern side of the Jordan River.  The place they meet is about 250 miles from Haran.  Laban travelled lighter and faster than Jacob did and made up for the three day delay.

vs. 24 – God warns Laban to be careful what he says and not mix violent words with peaceful.

vs. 26-30 – Laban meandering accusation against Jacob is full of empty platitudes.  When it comes down to it, his only real concern is the return of his stolen idols.

vs. 31-32 – This may be the only time in Jacob’s life to this point that he had not been involved in the scheming or trickery.  He pledges to put to death the one that stole the idols, unaware it was his precious Rachel.

vs. 34-35 – Rachel hides the idols in the saddle gear of the camels and sits on them.  She complains that she was dealing with woman issues and they do not disturb her.

vs. 36-42 – Jacob vents out twenty years’ worth of frustrations against Laban.

vs. 43-44 – Instead of admitting to anything, Laban shifts any sort of blame against him by saying Jacob had only prospered because of him.  He offers a covenant to save face.

vs. 45-46 – Jacob erects a pile of stones as witness to this agreement.  It is formally entered into with a feast as the custom generally was.

vs. 47 – Jegarsahadutha means “the heap of testimony” in Laban’s Aramaic language and Galeed means “the heap of witness’ in Jacob’s Hebrew.

vs. 49 – Mizpah means “watchtower”.  The idea is that God is watching both of these men to make sure they honor their agreements.

vs. 52 – Mizpah is settled as a border between Jacob and Laban.

vs. 53 – It may be that there is indication of Laban’s idolatry in this verse.  If you get very technical with the language he appears to separate the God of Abraham from the God of Nahor, making them to two different entities.

vs. 54 – This was an offering of thanksgiving for the treaty and the settlement between Jacob and Laban.

This chapter tells of the buildup to the reunion of Jacob and Esau, and of Jacob’s encounter with second God at Bethel.

vs. 1 – When Jacob fled the Promised Land twenty years before he had a vision of angels at Bethel in 28:12.  Now as he nears home he has this reassuring vision that God’s angels were there watching out for him.

vs. 2 – Mananaim means “two hosts”.  Jacob had his host made up of his family and livestock, the other host was the angels.

vs. 3 – Seir is the area south and east of the Dead Sea. 

vs. 4-5 – Jacob is unsure of Esau’s attitude toward him and sends this humble notice to get a sense of his brother’s state of mind regarding him.

vs. 6 – Esau had already learned about Jacob’s coming and was enroute.

vs. 7-8 – Jacob’s arrangement is a sound defensive strategy.  He knew he could not defend against Esau’s greater numbers.  In dividing his family and herds into two, one would have a good chance to escape if Esau attacked the other.

vs. 9-12 – Jacob is placing his trust in God Who had prospered him and brought him thus far.

vs. 13-21 – Jacob sends waves of gifts to Esau hoping to soften his mood.

vs. 15 – KJV – milch is “milk” and kine is “cow”.

vs. 22-23 – Jacob sends all of his family and possessions to the south side of the Jabbok River and remains alone on the northern side.  Jabbok means “wrestler”, which it was probably name after these events.

vs. 24 – This was no mere man.  Hosea 12:3-4 calls him an angel, but in vs. 30 Jacob says he has “seen God face to face”.  I believe this to be another preincarnate appearance of Christ, just as we saw with “the angel of the Lord”.

vs. 25 – Jaocb refuses to let up even when his hip is out of socket.  Albert Barnes writes: “ Jacob now finds that this mysterious wrestler has wrested from him, by one touch, all his might, and he can no longer stand alone. Without any support whatever from himself, he hangs upon the conqueror, and in that condition learns by experience the practice of sole reliance on one mightier than himself. This is the turning-point in this strange drama. Henceforth Jacob now feels himself strong, not in himself, but in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

vs. 26 – The importance of the dawning of the day would be that others might see what was happening.

vs. 26 – What sort of blessing was Jacob so desperate to receive?  It is tempting to think it is something temporal like wealth, but that does not fit the desperation of the hour.  Jacob knew he wrestled with God, so what is it that Jacob would want from Him?  It must be confirmation that He would honor the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob, too.  It must be that God would reassure Jacob that Esau would not kill him and wipe out his family, but that they would be the heirs of those same promises.

vs. 28 – Jacob means “supplanter” and Israel means “prince with God”.  It is by this name that his descendants will be known by: “the children of Israel”.

vs. 29 – Jacob already knew His name.  He used it in prayer in vs. 9!

vs. 30 – Peniel means “face of God”.

vs. 32 – Jacob was left humbled by his encounter, but through it he learned to truly trust in God.

vs. 32 – Today the Jews associate this with the sciatic nerve, or gid hanasheh, which is carefully removed when slaughtering animals.  While this custom is not directly commanded by God, it is the second uniquely Jewish custom in Scripture after circumcision.

Jacob as an amazingly capable and crafty individual.  Anything he set his mind to he could do.  But what is human strength compared to Divine strength?  While Jacob may have thought it was by his own power he prospered, it was always because God was blessing him.  When he is at his lowest moment, fearing for his life as Esau approached, he then was humbled enough to truly rely on God.  I pray we may learn this same lesson without being taken to such a desperate place.

Our hymn today, “Wrestling Jacob”, was written by Charles Wesley and was originally published in 1742.  Isaac Watts told Charles’ brother John that this poem was worth all the verses Watts himself had written.  Even though the work is highly praised it has rarely been included in hymnals.

Come, O thou traveler unknown,
Whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,
And I am left alone with thee;
With thee all night I mean to stay
And wrestle till the break of day.

I need not tell thee who I am,
My misery or sin declare;
Thyself hast called me by my name;
Look on thy hands and read it there!
But who, I ask thee, who art thou?
Tell me thy name, and tell me now.

In vain thou strugglest to get free;
I never will unloose my hold.
Art thou the Man that died for me?
The secret of thy love unfold;
Wrestling, I will not let thee go,
Till I thy name, thy nature know.

Wilt thou not yet to me reveal
Thy new, unutterable name?
Tell me, I still beseech thee, tell,
To know it now, resolved I am;
Wrestling, I will not let thee go,
Till I thy name, thy nature know.

’Tis all in vain to hold thy tongue,
Or touch the hollow of my thigh:
Though every sinew were unstrung,
Out of my arms thou shalt not fly;
Wrestling, I will not let thee go,
Till I thy name, thy nature know.

What though my shrinking flesh complain,
And murmur to contend so long,
I rise superior to my pain;
When I am weak, then I am strong;
And when my all of strength shall fail,
I shall with the God-man prevail.

My strength is gone, my nature dies,
I sink beneath thy weighty hand,
Faint to revive, and fall to rise;
I fall, and yet by faith I stand;
I stand, and will not let thee go,
Till I thy name, thy nature know.

Yield to me now—for I am weak,
But confident in self-despair!
Speak to my heart, in blessings speak,
Be conquer’d by my instant prayer;
Speak, or thou never hence shalt move,
And tell me, if thy name is love.

’Tis love! ’tis love! thou diedst for me!
I hear thy whisper in my heart.
The morning breaks, the shadows flee:
Pure, universal love thou art;
To me, to all thy passions move;
Thy nature and thy name is love.

My pray’r hath power with God; the grace
Unspeakable I now receive,
Through faith I see thee face to face;
I see thee face to face and live!
In vain I have not wept and strove;
Thy nature and thy name is love.

I know thee, Savior, who thou art:
Jesus, the feeble sinner’s friend;
Nor wilt thou with the night depart,
But stay and love me to the end;
Thy mercies never shall remove,
Thy nature and thy name is love.

The Sun of Righteousness on me
Hath rose, with healing in his wings;
Withered my nature’s strength; from thee
My soul its life and comfort brings;
My help is all laid up above;
Thy nature and thy name is love.

Contented now, upon my thigh
I halt, till life’s short journey end;
All helplesness, all weakness I,
On thee alone for strength depend,
Nor have I power from thee to move;
Thy nature and thy name is love.

Lame as I am, I take the prey,
Hell, Earth, and sin with ease o’ercome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,
And as a bounding hart fly home,
Through all eternity to prove
Thy nature and thy name is love.