6. Onwards through Genesis Chapters 29 to 36

Sometimes on a long journey the going becomes rather tedious. The same

will occur from time to time in our journey through the Bible Chapters 29 to

36 are an illustration of this. Mainly, the story is concerned with Jacob’s

relationship with his uncle Laban to whom he flees after tricking his brother

out of his birthright. On the way to his uncle’s he has a dream in which he

sees a ladder stretching up to heaven with angels going up and down it. God

promises to give Jacob the land on which he is lying and makes a promise

(read Chapters 28 v 10 -16).

When Jacob arrives at Laban’s he

falls in love with Rachel, Laban’s

younger daughter and agrees to

work for 7 years to marry her.

But Laban then tricks Jacob by

insisting that Jacob has to marry

Leah first. After working for

Laban for seven more years, he is

finally given Rachel as his wife

(Chapters 29 and 31). Rachel gives birth to Joseph, who will figure largely in

our journey later on. Jacob now gets a longing to go back to his own country

and he bargains with Laban in Chapter 30. If you read verses 25 to 43 you

will realize how much trickery sometimes went on in these livestock deals.

Jacob ends up very wealthy possessing great flocks, male and female slaves,

camels and asses.

Learning that Laban’s Sons were very jealous of his wealth Jacob flees,

intending to return to his father Isaac in Canaan. Laban pursues him but is

warned by God to say nothing, either good or bad, to Jacob when he catches

up with him and the result is that in Chapter 31 verse 44 they make a non-aggression

Pact. From time to time on our journey we shall be very close to God and we have

an illustration of this in Chapter 32 verses 22 — 32. On his journey

homeward, in the dead of night, Jacob wrestles with a man until day-break.

The man is frustrated in his attempt to throw Jacob so he strikes him in the

hollow of the thigh so that his hip is dislocated. As As dawn

breaks the man asks Jacob to let him go but Jacob refuses until

the man blesses him. Of course, the man is God and he tells Jacob that he is

changing his name to Israel which means ‘God strove’ because he had striven

with God and with men and had won. Our story tells that from that time the

Israelites will not eat the sinew of the nerve that runs in the hollow of the

thigh of an animal. At last in Chapter 33 Jacob and Esau are reconciled and if

you read the story you may find your mind turning to the parable of the

prodigal son (Luke Chapter 15 verse 20)

Chapter 34 is a tale of rape and how it was avenged with a massacre. Chapter

35 is of great interest. In it Jacob is blessed by God, who once again, changes

his name to Israel. A sacred pillar is erected at the place which Jacob calls

Bethel.. In the same chapter Rachel dies while giving birth to Benjamin and,

at the very end Isaac passes away at a very great age Jacob had twelve sons.

By Leah he had Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebutun.

Rachel’s’ sons were Joseph and Benjamin. By Rachel’s slave-girl Bilhah

Jacob had Dan and Naphtali. Leah’s slave-girl Zilpah gave him Gad and

Asher.

Now we are leaving the part of our journey where the story concentrated on

Jacob and we continue in the final part of Genesis with the fascinating story

of Jacobs son, Joseph. and his doings in Egypt