Studies In Genesis Archive

Jacob had been living outside of the will of God. Jacob's 'I'll do it my way' partial obedience had brought tragedy. He had tarried at Shechem with disastrous consequences for his family and the people of Shechem. In the aftermath of the shocking events of chapter 34 who knows what Jacob would have done if left to his own devices but God intervenes with direct instructions, “Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” (Genesis 35:1)

Jacob is finally back in the Promised Land after a twenty year exile but he has settled in the wrong place. As a direct result of his partial obedience to God there are severe consequences that follow for him, his family and the local Canaanite population.

This chapter records a truly shocking and shameful episode in the life of Jacob and it was just as shocking to the ancient readers of Genesis as it is to modern eyes and ears. Why then is it even included in the Bible?

The meeting that Jacob has dreaded for twenty years can no longer be avoided. He must come face to face with his estranged brother Esau. Esau had ever reason to be rightfully angry having been so deceived all those years ago through Jacob's scheming.

As Jacob nears the Promised Land Esau is coming to intercept him with 400 men and Jacob fears Esau intends to take violent retribution against Jacob and his family. Jacob has done all he can to prepare and most importantly of all the previous night he had encountered the Lord at Peniel and received His grace.

Jacob is afraid - as he journeys home he knows he cannot avoid an encounter with his estranged brother Esau. Jacob is desperate - he has divided his people and his belongings into two camps to try and salvage something if Esau attacks and he has sent messages and gifts to try and placate his brother. He has even prayed to the LORD for help.

Now finally Jacob is alone - having sent his family across the ford of Jabbok. Suddenly out of the darkness he is finds himself in a struggle against an unknown assailant. Jacob had thought that his greatest struggle would be his encounter with Esau but during the course of the night he discovers that his greatest struggle is actually against someone infinitely greater.

No sooner was one crisis over than another loomed ominously ahead for Jacob. With God's intervention he has faced and overcome his final confrontation with his devious father-in-law. Laban and Haran now lie behind. But what lay ahead began to loom large in Jacob's mind. He was going home and sooner or later he was going to have to face his estranged brother Esau. Remember the reason Jacob had spent the last 20 years living in exile was because of his brother Esau's murderous intentions towards him. How will this elder brother respond to the prodigal son coming home?

Twenty years earlier Jacob had left home fearing for his life. Those twenty long years have been spent serving his greedy and devious father-in-law Laban. But now Jacob has decided it is time to go home. His heart was telling him it was time to go, his changed circumstances were telling him it was time to go and thirdly and most importantly - the LORD tells him it's time to go.
So Jacob decides to makes a run for it but discovers Laban won't let him escape without a fight.

Anyone who has ever had concern about their wages should be interested in Jacob's ongoing difficult relationship with his father in law Laban. So far Laban has proved to be more than a match for Jacob in every respect. Laban is deceitful and greedy and Jacob has been at his mercy for 14 years. As their struggle continues in chapter 30, Jacob finally emerges with the upper hand: not because he is smarter, but because Jacob has a more powerful ally that Laban could not match.

Just when you think Jacob's life couldn't get any more complicated or messier it does exactly that. Jacob has spent seven years working for his uncle Laban in order to marry his beautiful daughter Rachel. Laban however proves to be at least Jacob' equal when it comes to deceptive scheming. The morning after his wedding Jacob wakes up to discover that it is Laban's eldest daughter Leah he has married instead of Rachel. Jacob then agrees to work for Laban for another seven years in exchange for the right to also marry Rachel.

Jacob is a deceiver - he has deceived both his father Isaac and his brother Esau. But now Jacob is on the run because his brother wants to kill him. Jacob is making a journey of more than 400 miles to what he hopes is the safe haven of his uncle Laban. Let's see how this story unfolds in today's service.

This is a pivotal passage in the life of Jacob, as he leaves his former life behind and ventures into the unknown. In the past, he was guilty of trickery and deceit. In the future, he will become the victim of such trickery. And here, in the present God meets him in the most unexpected of ways to give him comfort and purpose.

Last time we saw how God can use even human deception to accomplish His redemptive purposes. But that doesn't change the reality that all the main characters have shown themselves to be self serving sinners and sin has consequences, often far reaching consequences. Today we see how the consequences of sin played out in this troubled and broken family.

As we saw last time Isaac's family was a deeply dysfunctional one as parents played favourites with their children and brother took advantage of brother. As a result there was a breakdown of trust and integrity culminating in the well known story of Jacob deceitfully gaining Isaac's blessing.
In this tragic episode there are no heroes, all the main characters show themselves to be self serving sinners. Yet despite this we see how God can use even human deception to accomplish His redemptive purposes.

Its Déjà vu time again as we enter into Genesis 26. Isaac is no Abraham his story is not one of a illustrious personality. He is the rather ordinary son of a greater father and the ordinary father of a great son. But, as we will see, he is like his father Abraham is certain important respects - he faces the same problems, he makes the same mistakes and he also receives the same promises.

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Back in 2019 we followed a series in Genesis looking at the life of Abraham. Today we return to the book of Genesis picking up where we left off after the death of Abraham in Genesis 25. Our new series is, 'God's Rascal - The Life Of Jacob.'

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