Good morning from the Panhandle. Well let's see, Jacob tricked Esau out of everything and then Esau threatens to kill him. So Jacob gets ready to take off and go back to Haran. Just before he goes his dad, Isaac makes him promise to get a wife from their kin and not from Canaan. Esau at the time has a Canaanite wife and then he married a woman from his Uncle Ishmael's family. On his first night out Jacob sees a ladder reaching fro heaven down to the Earth. And then God speaks to him making the same promises to him that He had made to Abraham. But that wasn't enough for Jacob – Jacob said “if” God will be with him. What part of God's promise did he not understand? Now the trickster was about to be tricked.

And so, this chapter gives us an account of God's care concerning Jacob, based on the promises made to him in chapter 28. Note the contrast between the servant of Abraham and Jacob in coming to Haran to find a bride. The servant of Abraham relied totally on God for guidance, while Jacob was still living by his wits. He was sure he could get a wife by his own devices and did not need help from anyone.

In this and the following chapters, Jacob grows from a solitary fugitive with a staff in his hand (Gen 32:10) to be the father of a large family and the owner of great wealth. He proves himself to be a man of patience and perseverance, and the Lord according to promise is with him.

Genesis 29 At A Glance:

I. How he was brought in safety to his journey's end, and directed to his relations there, who bade him welcome v. 1-14.

II. How he was comfortably disposed of in marriage v. 15-30.

III. How his family was built up in the birth of four sons v. 31-35. The affairs of princes and mighty nations that were then in being are not recorded in the book of God, but are left to be buried in oblivion; while these small domestic concerns of holy Jacob are particularly recorded with their minute circumstances, that they may be in everlasting remembrance. For "the memory of the just is blessed."

Genesis 29:1-8

29:1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?"

"We're from Haran," they replied.

5 He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?"

"Yes, we know him," they answered.

6 Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?"

"Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."

7 "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."

8 "We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."

1. JACOB GOES EAST (vv. 1-8)

Jacob arrives at the well of Haran. "The land of the sons of the east."

Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the whole region beyond the Euphrates, are by the ancient writers included under the general designation, `the East' (Judg 6:3; 1 Kings 4:30; Job 1:3). Mesopotamia is specially referred to in this passage. Between the first and the second article of this verse is understood to be a journey of some four hundred miles.

The points of the heavens were defined by the usage of practical life, and not by the standard of a science yet unknown. Hence, the east means any land toward the sun rising. Haran was sightly north-east of Beer-sheba. The distance was about four hundred and fifty miles, and therefore it would take Jacob fifteen days to complete the journey at thirty miles a day. If he reached Bethel the first night, he must have traveled about fifty miles the first day. After this he proceeds on his journey without any memorable incident.

In the neighborhood of Haran he came upon a well, by which lay three flocks. This is not the well near Haran where Abraham's servant met Rebecca. It is in the pasture grounds some distance from the town. On its mouth was a large stone, indicating that water was precious, and that the well was the common property of the surrounding peoples.

In Arabia, because of the shifting sands, and in other places, because of the strong evaporation, the mouth of a well is generally covered, especially when it is private property. The custom was to gather the flocks, roll away the stone, which was too great to be moved by a boy or a female, water the flocks, and replace the stone.

Jacob, on making inquiry, learns that Haran was close by, that Laban was well, and that Rachel was drawing close with her father's flocks. Laban is called by Jacob the son of Nahor, that is, his grandson, with the usual latitude of relative names in Scripture (Gen 28:13).

"The day is great." A great part of it yet remained. It was not yet the time to shut up the cattle for the night; "water the sheep and go feed them." Jacob may have wished to meet with Rachel without presence of the shepherds. "We cannot." There was a rule or custom that the flocks must be all assembled before the stone was rolled away for the purpose of watering the cattle. This may have been required to insure a fair distribution of the water to all parties, and especially to those who were too weak to roll away the stone.

Genesis 29:9-14

9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood."

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,

2. JACOB MEETS RACHEL AND UNCLE LABAN (vv. 9-14)

Rachel came up and Jacob was so carried away by the feelings of relationship, possibly by a certain love at first sight, that he rolled the stone away from the well, watered her flock, and after kissing her, introduced himself with tears of joyous emotion as her cousin, Rebekah's son.

What the other shepherds thought of all this, is not mentioned, and the friendly reception of Jacob by Laban is related immediately afterwards. When Jacob had told Laban "all these things,"- i.e., hardly "the cause of his journey, and the things which had happened to him in relation to the birthright.” Laban acknowledged him as his relative: "Yes, thou art my bone and my flesh"; and thereby ensured him an abode in his house.

Genesis 29:14-21

15 Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."

16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."

19 Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."

3. JACOB STRIKES A BARGIN WITH LABAN (vv. 15-20)

After a full month ("a month of days," Gen 41:4; Numb. 11:20, etc.), during which time Laban had discovered that he was a good and useful shepherd, he said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be." Laban's selfishness comes out here under the appearance of justice and kindness. To prevent all claims on the part of his sister's son to gratitude or affection in return for his services, he proposes to pay him like an ordinary servant.

Jacob offered to serve him seven years for Rachel, the younger of his two daughters, whom he loved because of her beauty. Laban agreed. He would rather give his daughter to him than to a stranger. Leah, the elder daughter, had weak eyes, and consequently was not so good-looking; since bright eyes, with fire in them, are regarded as the height of beauty in Oriental women.

Jacob's proposal may be explained, partly on the ground that he was not then in a condition to give the customary dowry, or the usual presents to relations, and partly also from the fact that his situation with regard to Esau compelled him to remain some time with Laban.

The agreement on the part of Laban cannot be accounted for from the custom of selling daughters to husbands, for it cannot be shown that the purchase of wives was a general custom at that time; but is to be explained solely on the ground of Laban's selfishness and greed, which came out still more plainly afterwards. To Jacob, however, the seven years seemed but "a few days, because he loved Rachel.

Genesis 29:21-25

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."

22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. 24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"

3. LEBON’S DECEITE (vv. 21-25)

But when Jacob asked for his reward at the end of the seven years, and according to the usual custom a great marriage feast had been prepared, instead of Rachel, Laban took his elder daughter Leah into the bride-chamber, and Jacob went in to her, without discovering in the dark the deception that had taken place.

When Jacob complained to Laban the next morning of his deception, he pleaded the custom of the country. “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.” His excuse was pretty lame, if this had really been the custom in Haran he ought to have told Jacob of it before hand. But to satisfy Jacob, he promised him that in a week he would give him the younger also, if he would serve him seven years longer for her.

Let Leah's marriage-week pass over. The wedding feast generally lasted a week (cf. Judg 14:12; Job 11:19). After this week had passed, he received Rachel also: two wives in eight days. To each of these Laban gave one maidservant to wait upon her; less, therefore, than Bethuel gave to his daughter (Gen 24:61).

NOTE: This bigamy of Jacob must not be judged directly by the Mosaic law, which prohibits marriage with two sisters at the same time (Lev 18:18), or set down as incest (Calvin, etc.), since there was no positive law on the point in existence then. At the same time, it is not to be justified on the ground, that the blessing of God made it the means of the fulfillment of His promise, viz., the multiplication of the seed of Abraham into a great nation.

Genesis 29:29-30:24

29 Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Genesis 30

30:1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I'll die!"

2 Jacob became angry with her and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

3 Then she said, "Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family."

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son." Because of this she named him Dan.

7 Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won." So she named him Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" So she named him Gad.

12 Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, "How happy I am! The women will call me happy." So she named him Asher.

14 During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."

15 But she said to her, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?"

Gen 30:15-24

"Very well," Rachel said, "he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me," she said. "I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband." So she named him Issachar.

19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, "God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun.

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace." 24 She named him Joseph, and said, "May the LORD add to me another son."

4. JACOB BEGETS CHILDREN (Chapter 29 vs.31- Chapter 30 vs.24)

After the wedding festivities for Leah, Jacob married her younger sister, Rachel, but had to work seven more years as payment for her. So now he had two wives of equal standing. His burning love for Rachel made his relationship with Leah rather strange and disappointing. Leah must have suffered much from the realization that her husband did not love her. Yet she carried on in the hope that one day Jacob's heart would turn to her.

At first neither Rachel nor Leah bore Jacob children. In those days, to be barren was regarded as a pathetic situation. However, in time, Jehovah came to Leah's rescue and healed her barrenness, and she became a mother. One after another her sons came, until she had borne six of them. A daughter, Dinah, was added for extra measure. With heart-rending regularity, Leah held out a son with the words: Now my husband will love me. But no word of recognition or appreciation came from Jacob. The word for hatred ('sane) indicates "less affection," or "less devotion." It does not indicate positive hatred.

Born To Leah	1.Reuben – “look, a son” 1^st 2. Simeon – “hearing” 2^nd 3. Levi – “attachment” 3^rd 4. Judah – “praise” 4^th 5. Issachar – “bearing hire or reward” 9^th 6. Zebulun – “dwelling” 10^th 7. Dinah, a daughter
Born To Bilhah, Rachel’s maid	Dan – “justice” 5^th Naphtali – “wresting” 6^th
Born To Zilpah, Leah’s maid	Gad – “lucky or fortune” 7^th Asher – “happy” 8^th
Born To Rachel	Joseph – “may the Lord add 11^th or He has taken away” Benjamin – “son of the 12^th right hand”

5. JACOB MAKES ANOTHER BARGIN WITH LEBON (vv. 25- 43)

Leban offered to let Jacob name his wages. Imagine his surprise when his nephew made him an offer that seemed overwhelmingly in his favor. In Syria the sheep were white and the goats were black, with very few exceptions. Jacob offered to start in business at once, accepting the sheep that were not white and the goats that were not black, and leaving the rest to Laban.

Thus the two estates would be built up. Laban accepted the offer instantly. He began that day by removing to a safe distance every available "off-color" sheep and goat so that Jacob would have nothing with which to start. The separated animals he placed in the keeping of his sons. It was a low, dastardly trick. Laban believed that he had made it impossible for Jacob to win, because he had taken away all of Jacob's capital before the contest began.

But Jacob was not to be counted out so easily. He installed three devices to outwit his uncle. He set up streaked rods before the ewes at the watering places, that the coloring of the young might be subject to prenatal influence.

It is an established fact, declares Delitzsch, that white lambs can be guaranteed by placing a multitude of white objects about the drinking troughs. Jacob also separated the spotted and striped lambs and kids from the herd, but kept them in plain view of the ewes, that they might be influenced. His third device was to bring these predetermining influences to bear upon the stronger ewes so that his lambs and kids would be stronger and more virile than the others. Jacob was smart enough to resort to prenatal influence and selective breeding.

As a result of these schemes, in a few years Jacob became immensely rich in sheep and goats. Though he had used his head, he would have been the first to declare that the Lord intervened to give him the victory. Jehovah was making it possible for the patriarch to return to the promised land with substance, and become the prince of God, who would do the divine will. (From The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

A Panhandle Pastor's Thoughts

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit

Thursday, December 13, 2018

The Trickster Tricked

Genesis 29 At A Glance:

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