Feb 8 2012

Genesis 31 – Jacob Flees from Laban

In Genesis 31, Jacob provides Leah and Rachel an explanation of where they are going and that the Lord has instructed him to go back to his father’s land. Twice, the scripture tells us that Laban has cheated Jacob out of his wages 10 times; and verses 7-12 show that Laban had indeed tried – even beyond what we were told about in chapter 30, but the Lord had looked after Jacob so that he prospered greatly anyway.

But Laban’s sons were jealous and they stirred him up to pursue Jacob after they left. But God put Laban on notice in verse 24 before he confronted him. Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen her father’s “gods,” and she hides them cleverly in verses 34-35, so that his search for them is fruitless. It is then, that Jacob tells him exactly what he thinks of the way he has treated him.

The two of them make a covenant that basically is the same as drawing a line in the sand that says – let God judge you if you cross it to come after me or mine. Laban goes away empty-handed after kissing his daughters and grandchildren.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

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Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com. For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.
/Robert

Feb 6 2012

Genesis 29 – Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

In Genesis 29, Jacob is still traveling; and he meets some shepherds at a well. When he finds out they are from Haran, he asks whether they know his mother’s brother “Laban the son of Nahor” You may remember from Genesis 24:47 that Rebekah and Laban were the Bethuel’s children, and that Bethuel was the son of Nahor, actually making them his grand-children. The Bible often notes people speaking of a “son” in terms of later generations. Jesus is often called the “son of David.”

Jacob is taken with Laban’s daughter, Rachel, and works there for him for seven years to pay the bride-price for her. But the great trickster gets tricked himself, and must marry her sister Leah. He then has to work another seven years for her (v. 21-27). Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, so verse 31 tells us that the Lord “opened her womb,” and Leah bears the first four of Jacob’s 12 sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah).

Sometimes, unless we are reading a Bible that has easily followed footnotes, some passages can seem “curious” to us. This is true in verses 32-35, which explain that she chose the name for each one for a certain reason. It makes more sense when we understand that “Reuben” means “See, a son,” “Simeon” sounds like the Hebrew for “heard,” “Levi” like the Hebrew for “attached,” and “Judah” like the Hebrew for “heard.”

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

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Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com. For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.
/Robert

Feb 3 2012

Genesis 28 – Jacob Sent to Laban

Genesis 28 continues with Isaac sending Jacob to the family of his uncle, Laban (Rebekah’s brother) to choose a wife. Esau, seeing that his parents were not pleased with his taking Canaanite women as wives, takes another wife from Ishmael’s family – seemingly hoping to please them. But as verse 9 points out, this was “besides the wives he had.” So he kept the Canaanite women, and therefore, nothing really changed. Esau just didn’t “get it.”

Jacob’s Dream

This is the chapter best known for Jacob’s ladder. The important thing about this dream of Jacob’s is God’s repeat of the promise to Abraham and affirming in it to Jacob that ALL the nations of the earth will be blessed in his offspring (the Messiah to come) in verse 14. (We “hear” Jesus speaking to Nathanael in John 1:51 of seeing “angels of God ascending and descending.” that reminds us of this dream in verse 12). And this dream along with the conviction that God was with him increases Jacob’s faith. After he awakes, he takes the stone he had laid on during that dream and he later called that place Bethel. Jacob will return there in Genesis 35 at God’s instruction to build an altar.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

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