Day: October 10, 2021

CHAPTER NINE

GOD’S HISTORY IN TIME 
(FROM THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE 
TO THE FINAL JUDGMENT 
AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE—
GENESIS 1:1—REVELATION 20:15)

(8)

WORKING ON HIS ELECT 
FROM ABRAHAM TO JOSEPH

(4)

WORKING ON ISAAC AND JACOB WITH JOSEPH

(2)

Scripture Reading: Gen. 32:24-32; 35:1-15; 47:7, 10-12, 27-31; 48:8-9, 15-16, 20; 49:28; 41:39-44, 55-57

OUTLINE

2. Working on Jacob with Joseph:
   3. Having destined him to live a struggling life all his days:
      8. To escape from his uncle Laban according to the indication of the complaint of Laban’s sons and the attitude of Laban, and according to God’s instruction—Gen. 31:1-21.
      9. To face the trouble of Laban’s pursuing and overtaking him while he was under the secret care and protection of God as the Angel of God—Christ (vv. 10-13)—vv. 22-55.
      10. To face the trouble of his brother Esau’s dealing with him—32:1-23; 33:1-16.
      11. To wrestle even with God, who changed his name from Jacob to Israel, indicating that God would transform him from a supplanter (Jacob) to a wrestler with God, or a prince of God (Israel), and who made him limp—32:24-32.
      12. To face the trouble of the case of his daughter Dinah—ch. 34.
      13. To be purified with his family from the foreign gods and their ornaments that they loved, according to God’s commandment, so that they might serve God with an altar built at Bethel, where God changed his name from Jacob to Israel and promised him that:
          1. He as the All-sufficient God would make him fruitful and multiplied; a nation and a company of nations would come from him, and kings would come forth from his loins.
          2. He would give to him and his seed the land He gave to Abraham and Isaac—35:1-15.
      14. To take care of the burial of Deborah, his mother Rebekah’s nurse, without seeing his mother—v. 8.
      15. To suffer the death of Rachel at the birth of Ben-oni (“the son of my sorrow,” named by Rachel while dying at his birth), Benjamin (“the son of the right hand,” named by Jacob the father)—vv. 16-20.
      16. To suffer his son Reuben’s incest with his concubine Bilhah—v. 22.
      17. To suffer the loss of his beloved son Joseph—ch. 37.
      18. To suffer the danger of losing his son Simeon and his youngest son Benjamin—42:18—43:15; 44:9-34.
   4. Releasing him from all his sufferings:
      1. To see his beloved son Joseph again in his honor and glory—45:1—47:12.
      2. To enjoy a rich and peaceful life with the worship to God at his old age—vv. 11-12, 27-31.
   5. Causing him:
      1. To be transformed from a supplanter (Jacob) to a prince of God (Israel)—35:9-10.
      2. To be matured to bless all people whom he contacted:
         1. To bless Pharaoh—47:7, 10.
         2. To bless Joseph with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh—ch. 48.
         3. To bless all his twelve sons—49:1-28.
   6. Causing him, with Joseph:
      1. To go through a long period of suffering—37:4-36; 39:1-23; 40:12-15, 21-23; 41:9-37.
      2. To be exalted as the sovereign ruler—vv. 39-44:
         1. To rule over all of Egypt—45:8b-9a.
         2. To supply all the earth with food—41:55-57; 42:5-6.

Marrying Four Wives and Begetting Eleven Sons

Eventually, Jacob married four wives and begot eleven sons by fourteen years of hard labor and much grinding under his wives (v. 15—30:24). Jacob wanted to marry Rachel, but Laban deceived him and gave him his older daughter, Leah. Then Laban said that if he wanted Rachel, he would have to serve with him seven more years. Rachel and Leah were competing with each other, so they gave their maids to Jacob to give them more children.

Jacob came to Laban as a young, single man, but he left Laban with four wives and eleven children. His wives and children caused him to be greatly burdened and troubled. We may think that this was because of Jacob’s mistakes, but we should not forget that Jacob was loved by God. Surely he was in the hand of God. God allowed him to have four wives and eleven sons because God destined him to live a struggling life.

Endeavoring to Become Rich 
by Deceiving His Uncle Laban

Jacob also endeavored to become rich by deceiving his uncle Laban with his subtle skill (vv. 25-43). On the one hand, Jacob deceived his uncle, but on the other hand, his uncle deceived him. Laban changed Jacob’s wages ten times (31:7, 41). Actually, Laban was more subtle than Jacob, but Jacob was more benefited. When Jacob left Laban, he left with four wives, eleven sons, and many flocks and herds.

We will see in the next chapter that Jacob had to struggle to leave Laban. Laban pursued him and overtook him, and he had to face Laban (vv. 14-55). Eventually, he had to face his brother Esau (33:1-16). Before he faced Esau, he saw God face to face and even wrestled with God (32:24-32). He struggled with God, so God made him lame and changed his name to Israel, a prince of God.

Suffering Loneliness and Homelessness 
in the Journey to His Uncle

Jacob suffered loneliness and homelessness in the journey to his uncle (vv. 10-11). While he was on his journey, he had to sleep in the open air. No doubt, he was lonely and even fearful of being attacked by wild beasts or robbers. In that situation God appeared to him to comfort him (vv. 12-19).

God promised Jacob that He, as the God of Abraham his father and the God of Isaac, would give to him and his seed the land on which he lay (v. 13). He also promised Jacob at Bethel that his seed would be multiplied as the dust of the earth, spreading to the west, east, north, and south. He told Jacob that all the families of the earth would be blessed in him and in his seed (v. 14). In Jacob’s seed, Christ, the whole earth would be blessed. Finally, God promised Jacob that He would be with him, keep him wherever he went, cause him to return to his father’s land, and not leave him until He had done what He had promised him (v. 15).

Jacob’s response to God’s comforting promise was to vow a vow to God as his terms to this promise. Jacob made God’s promise a kind of business transaction with terms. In his vow he said, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and garments to put on, so that I return to my father’s house in peace, then Jehovah will be my God, and this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house; and of all that You give me I will surely give one tenth to You” (vv. 20-22). These were Jacob’s terms. If Jehovah did not fulfill them, Jacob would not take Him as his God. This transaction was absolutely according to the nature of Jacob. He was born this way. Jacob is a full type of us. We are today’s Jacobs.

Arriving at His Uncle Laban’s Home 
by Suffering a Long, Lonely Journey

Jacob eventually arrived at his uncle Laban’s home by suffering a long, lonely journey, indicated by his weeping to his cousin Rachel (29:1-14). When he reached his uncle’s land, his uncle’s daughter Rachel met him. He wept before her, indicating that his journey was very unpleasant. He surely suffered through his long journey to Laban’s home.

Having Destined Him 
to Live a Struggling Life All His Days

God destined Jacob to live a struggling life all his days. His life was absolutely different from the life of Isaac. Isaac’s life had no struggle, just enjoyment. But Jacob’s life was full of troubles.

Struggling from His Mother’s Womb to Be the Firstborn

Even from his mother’s womb, he struggled to be the firstborn of the twins (25:22-26a). Even before he was brought forth in birth, he struggled with his brother. Jacob wanted to be the first.

Struggling to Receive the Blessing of the Firstborn

He also struggled to receive the blessing of the firstborn son through his deceiving according to his mother’s device (27:1-29). Rebekah told Jacob to pretend that he was Esau so that he could receive his father’s blessing. After Jacob stole his father’s blessing from Esau, Esau purposed in his heart to kill Jacob. Thus, Rebekah told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban. Rebekah’s device ushered Jacob into trouble. As a young man, he was forced to leave his father’s home to flee from his brother. Furthermore, his staying with Laban brought him much hardship.

Because of his deceiving, Jacob received Isaac’s blessing, the blessing of the firstborn son. Isaac blessed Jacob by telling him that God would give him of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and an abundance of grain and new wine (v. 28). Peoples would serve him, and nations would bow down to him. Jacob would be lord over his brothers, and his mother’s sons would bow down to him (v. 29a). Then Isaac told Jacob, “Cursed be those who curse you, / And blessed be those who bless you” (v. 29b).

Forced to Leave His Parents and Go to His Uncle Laban

Jacob struggled for the blessing of the firstborn son, and because of this, he had to suffer. He was forced by his brother’s hatred and his mother’s partial love and natural wisdom to leave his parents and go to his uncle Laban (v. 41—28:5).