Episode 312 - "We meet again" - Genesis 42

Gen. 42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Gen. 42:6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

Gen. 42:12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” 13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

Gen. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

Gen. 42:26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this, their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Gen. 42:29 When they came to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

Gen. 42:35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

This is an amazing story. A story has a conflict or a problem that needs to be resolved. But this story introduces all kinds of problems. At the very highest level, we ask, “How is the promised seed going to come and crush the head of the serpent. This family line ordained by God through whom the seed is supposed to come is a mess. Jacob’s sons have committed multiple offenses. Joseph has mostly been in a prison in Egypt, where he has not only interpreted other people’s dreams, but he’s also seen them come true as he interpreted. Yet, his dreams have not come true. Despite all his troubles, Moses has consistently reminded us that God was with Joseph, an important reminder that just because followers of the LORD may experience terrible and even unjust circumstances, it doesn’t mean the LORD has abandoned them.

We read last week that Joseph’s circumstances were significantly reversed. He went from being a prisoner to second in command of Egypt because the LORD had used him to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh then put him in charge of managing the supply of food, knowing that a famine would be coming. Will he ever get to see his father again? Will there be any redemption of his relationship with his brothers? What about the ominous prophecy the LORD gave to Abraham that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign country for 400 years before the LORD would lead them back to the land he promised Abraham and his descendants?

We are at a point where plot movement leads to answers to these questions and problems, but it does so by creating more tension. The famine is severe beyond Egypt. Jacob sent Joseph’s ten older brothers down to Egypt to buy grain so they could survive. Jacob did not trust them to take Rachel’s son Benjamin along. He believes Joseph has died, and he was not going to take any chances by sending Benjamin along.

When the brothers arrived in Egypt, Moses made it clear that they did not recognize Joseph, but he recognized them. What a great opportunity for Joseph to even the score. If we’d never read or heard this story before, surely we’d be wondering how he might torture them or have them all executed. What unfolds is that first Joseph accuses them of being spies and treats them as such for a little while. At the same time, he has extracted information from them about their father and his younger brother.

There is a sense in which Joseph’s treatment of them appears to be a clever, but harsh treatment of them that, on the surface, looks like a cat playing with a mouse before it kills the less powerful creature. But as the story unfolds, we see grace and mercy shown to them. What is happening? I think Joseph is simply an instrument of God who is exacting confession of their wrongdoing against Joseph. Joseph hears their admission to each other about how they treated him. Now, they interpret Joseph’s demand that they bring their younger brother to Egypt while he keeps Simeon in custody as divine reckoning for their sin against Joseph. We have their confession of guilt in verse 21. Their confession to each other, unaware that Joseph understands, leads Joseph to weep. He sends them back to their father with grain and secretly puts their money back in their sacks of grain. When they discover it, they are convinced that God has caused this as punishment. Later, they will be told that God caused it for their blessing. This is an essential and central truth to the whole story of Jacob’s family and Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt.

When they arrive back home without Simeon and the demand that they take Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob refuses. Who can blame him? He cannot bear the thought of losing Benjamin as well. This leaves us with another problem, doesn’t it? What will become of Simeon? Will he die in an Egyptian prison? Will Jacob and his sons survive the famine? They were not allowed to go back to Egypt without Benjamin. We’ll see what happens in the next chapter.

One last thought from this part of the story. Joseph had those dreams so many years ago, and they’d never come true. Furthermore, for most of that time, it appeared that it would be impossible for the dreams to come true. In the meantime, Joseph had interpreted dreams for a baker, cupbearer, and Pharaoh himself, and they had all come true. Finally, Joseph remembers the dreams when his brothers bow before him. Joseph has trusted in the LORD, and now the LORD is affirming that he is faithful to his word. What a great encouragement for us to remember.

Episode 311 - "Joseph rises to power" - Genesis 41

Gen. 41:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

Gen. 41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

Gen. 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

Gen. 41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Joseph Rises to Power

Gen. 41:37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Gen. 41:46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

Gen. 41:50 Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Gen. 41:53 The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

Gen. 41:56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

In our last episode, we read about how Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker had both been thrown into prison, where Joseph was, because they had offended Pharaoh. They both had dreams, which Joseph interpreted with the wisdom and understanding God had given him. After providing the cupbearer with a favorable interpretation, Joseph told him to remember him and put in a good word for him, so that maybe Joseph could be released from prison himself. But the cupbearer forgot, and according to our first verse in chapter forty-one, he spent two more years in prison.

After that time, it was Pharaoh’s turn to have dreams. If you recall, when the two employees of Pharaoh had dreams, Joseph told them that it was God who provided the interpretation of dreams. Now, when Pharaoh wants his dreams interpreted, none of the wise men or magicians were able to interpret the dreams. Not only does this make a statement about the wise men and magicians in Pharaoh at the time, but it also prepares the readers for the limitations of the people under Pharaoh later on in Exodus. Even though the LORD is going to reveal His power and presence to Joseph, the people will forget and abandon any knowledge of what the LORD has done. This is a problem that has been found with people throughout history.

When none of the hired servants of Pharaoh could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, the chief cupbearer suddenly remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh about Joseph’s ability, and Joseph was summoned to Pharaoh. Once again, Joseph gave the LORD credit for interpreting dreams. He not only explained that these dreams meant that there would be seven years of bountiful harvest, followed by seven years of famine, but he also informed Pharaoh that the two dreams had the same meaning and that the duplication meant the interpretation was certain, and there would be no avoiding what was to come.

Joseph was not finished by interpreting the dreams. He continued by giving Pharaoh advice on how to manage the harvest during the bountiful years in order to provide for his people during the lean years. One might suspect that Joseph was an opportunist, making the recommendation to hire someone who would execute the necessary tasks he suggested to secure a cushy job and avoid being sent back to prison. I would probably think that myself, except that we already know about Joseph’s dreams and their interpretation, and the ongoing emphasis that, through all this time, the LORD was with Joseph. What Joseph told Pharaoh was directed or revealed by the LORD.

I believe a key moment in this story is what Pharaoh says about Joseph in verse 37, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” God has made it clear to Pharaoh that he is speaking through Joseph. Pharaoh doesn’t need to wait to see if this is actually going to come true. He’s already convinced the interpretation is absolutely correct. He wisely chooses Joseph to be the authority to manage the food acquisition, storage, and distribution before any of it begins to happen. Once again, we will witness how God’s promise in the Abrahamic covenant, “I will bless those who bless you,” will bear itself out again as the LORD uses Joseph to spare many lives in Egypt and beyond.

The rest of the story explains that what Joseph had said would happen did happen. But Moses includes another detail that I believe is important to the greater story in Genesis and the rest of the Bible. Moses wrote that Pharaoh gave Joseph the daughter of an Egyptian priest to be his wife. Wait a minute. Won’t that get Joseph in trouble with the LORD because he’s married to the daughter of a priest who was, in all likelihood, worshipping the Sun god? I believe what we see here is that the LORD is using Pharaoh to bless Joseph with a wife with whom he can have descendants. Joseph isn’t rebelling against his parents and the LORD like Esau or Judah had done. I believe we are supposed to understand that the LORD is not prejudiced against other people. The occasions in the Scripture where it seems the LORD has a bias are due to the people’s wickedness and not their ethnicity or race. I think the LORD was even superintending this relationship as well.

This story reveals that the LORD is indeed fulfilling everything he has revealed and promised in times past, regardless of how much time expires. He is faithful to his word.

Episode 310 - "Joseph interprets dreams of Pharaoh's servants" - Genesis 40

Gen. 40:1 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

Gen. 40:5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

Gen. 40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”

Gen. 40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

Gen. 40:20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

It would seem that there is very little mystery to this story. Two of Pharaoh’s employees upset their boss and were both thrown in prison along with Joseph. They each have a dream and are concerned about the meaning of the dreams. At Joseph’s request, they tell their dreams to Joseph, who interprets them. When Joseph gives the cupbearer a favorable interpretation, telling him that he will be released from prison and restored to his former position, Joseph instructs him to give Pharaoh a good word for him. The baker, hoping to receive a favorable interpretation as well, tells Joseph his dream, but is informed that he will be executed. Joseph correctly interprets both dreams. However, the cupbearer failed to put in a good word for Joseph as Joseph had requested.

So, what do we do with this? Is there something we can learn? Let me suggest that we consider this story in the context of the broader narrative. The first thing that catches my attention is another occurrence of dreams related to Joseph. Joseph had two dreams that both he and his family had agreed upon the interpretation. The only thing was that his brothers outright refused to accept the meaning of the dream and sold him into slavery to get rid of him. Even Jacob had a problem with the second dream, but did not entirely dismiss it. Jacob had had his own crazy dream in which the LORD made him promises and had fulfilled them. In this prison, Joseph is sensitive to what the LORD is doing. So, when these two men reveal they’ve both had a dream on the same night, Joseph responds, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” Joseph can invite them to tell him their dreams because he knows the LORD is with him. This is important to remember because Joseph is about to experience another injustice when the cupbearer fails to inform Pharaoh about Joseph, and Joseph remains in prison.

One might wonder why Pharaoh freed one offender and executed the other. The text doesn’t tell us. However, I suspect it was a means to communicate to others that he can be merciful or harsh, and there is no telling which treatment they will receive if they commit an offense. In other words, I think it was to instill fear in his subjects. Therefore, we should not read too much into the dreams or try to guess the nature of their respective offenses.

I’ve known many people who’ve had dreams and tell me what they think those dreams mean. I would never say, “God doesn’t do that today.” However, in the opening verses of the New Testament book Hebrews, the author writes that in former times God spoke to the prophets in many ways. However, he continues, “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:2). What this means is that if we believe a dream has some particular meaning intended by the LORD, we must consider it in the light of what Jesus teaches. Does our interpretation of the dream contradict Scripture at all? Joseph pointed out to these men that God makes the interpretation known, just as he had made the interpretation of Joseph’s dreams known to his father and brothers. They just chose not to accept it. All we need to do now is wait to see if those dreams come true. The dreams of the cupbearer and the chief baker both worked out exactly as Joseph had interpreted. This story should give us a hint that, somehow, Joseph is going to get out of prison and have a position of power sometime in the future because God is with Joseph and will see to it that what he has said would happen, will happen. God is faithful to his word.

Episode 309 - "Joseph and Potiphar's Wife" - Genesis 39

Gen. 39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time, his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

Gen. 39:11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

Gen. 39:19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

Ok. So after that interlude about Judah having sexual relations with his daughter-in-law (although he was not aware of it), our story returns to Joseph, who has been sold as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Before we do, however, I’d like to review the key thing about what happened with Judah and Tamar.

Judah has been far from righteous. He married a pagan Canaanite woman, contrary to what Abraham and Isaac modeled. The LORD struck down the first two of his three sons because they did evil. Then, rather than trust the LORD to see if his third son would fulfill the Levirate marriage to produce a son for his deceased brother, Judah sought to protect him from the LORD and did not give his son to Tamar. When Tamar realized what Judah was doing, she disguised herself as a prostitute and made herself available to Judah, who fell for her trick, and she conceived twins. We might think that Tamar’s actions were evil. But when Tamar revealed that Judah was the father of her twins, he declared, “She is more righteous than I.” How can that be? The answer to that question may be that Tamar either knew or sensed that she would bear offspring through whom the promised seed would come. Knowingly or unknowingly, she was fulfilling the LORD’s plan. The Messiah would someday carry her DNA.

Now, back to Joseph. Moses tells us that the LORD was with Joseph and caused him to be successful in serving Potiphar. Because Potiphar saw how the LORD blessed Joseph, he gave him more responsibility and privilege. This is the Abrahamic covenant being worked out, isn’t it? God is blessing Joseph as well as those who bless Abraham’s descendants.

It would be so easy to look at the circumstances of what Joseph’s brothers did to him and think, “Where was the LORD in all this?” Moses seems to be indicating that the LORD was with Joseph all the time. But Joseph’s troubles weren’t over.

Apparently, Joseph was an attractive man and caught the eye and interest of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph resisted her advances. But when she grabbed onto him, he ran, leaving his outer garment behind. Now, how will Potiphar’s wife explain this? Simple. She turned the story around to her husband and accused Joseph of attacking her, and fled when she screamed. We’re told that Potiphar became angry and had Joseph thrown in prison. One might wonder why such a powerful person did not have him executed. Is it possible that Potiphar did not trust his wife? Perhaps he was not as angry at Joseph as he was at the situation he was in. He may not have believed her story, but he could not ignore it in fear that other people would get the idea that Potiphar would not punish such an offense. But that’s speculation. What we do know is that the LORD was with Joseph, and nothing was going to happen that the LORD didn’t allow. In fact, Moses reiterates that while in prison, the LORD was with Joseph and, as he had with Potiphar, the LORD caused Joseph to find favor with the keeper of the prison.

I love that emphatic message in this story that, despite all the challenges and terrible things that happened to Joseph, the LORD was with him the whole time. I can’t help but think that same principle holds true for all who trust in the LORD.

Episode 308 - "Judah and Tamer" - Genesis 38

Gen. 38:1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

Gen. 38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.

Gen. 38:12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

Gen. 38:20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

Gen. 38:24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

Gen. 38:27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore, his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward, his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

Here we have another sub-story that has relevance to the greater narrative of Genesis and, in fact, to the continuing story of the LORD’s work through Israel. Given the previous account of what Jacob’s sons did to their brother Joseph, this story seems out of place. But let’s consider the promised seed (Gen 3:15) and the covenant that is passed down from Abraham. I think it’s fair to say that Jacob’s sons have not been acting according to the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Genesis 38:1-5 tells the reader that Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, married a Canaanite woman and had three sons. The reader should sense that this would not work out well. Abraham had commanded his employee not to take a wife for his son, Isaac, from among the Canaanites. The specific purpose was that they worshipped other gods. Likewise, Rebekkah told Isaac to send Jacob to her homeland to find a wife because Esau had married Canaanite women who gave Isaac and Rebekkah much grief.

In Genesis 38:6-11, Moses jumps from the detail of Judah’s decision to marry a Canaanite to a time when Judah takes a wife for his oldest son, Er. Her name was Tamar. Moses simply tells us that Er was wicked. So, the LORD killed him. Due to what is called a Levirate marriage, Judah told his second son, Onan, to essentially take Tamar as a wife to give her a son on behalf of his deceased brother. The idea is that the family’s inheritance continues through that descendant. Onan wanted the sex but did not want that prospective son to inherit his brother’s land. His actions, performed strictly for his own sexual gratification, led the LORD to strike him down as well. This left one more son to fulfill this responsibility. But Judah told Tamar, his daughter-in-law, to live with her father as a widow until his youngest son was older. Moses indicates that this was a stall tactic of Judah because he was afraid that his third son would also die.

In Genesis 38:12-19, two things have happened. First, Judah’s wife died. Second, enough time has passed for Judah to have his third son given to Tamar, by whom she can hopefully bear a son. But Tamar realizes that is not going to happen. So, she takes matters into her own hands. She passes herself off as a prostitute and goes to a place she knows her widowed father-in-law will pass. As a pledge for payment of “services rendered,” she requests items of his that are unmistakably Judah’s. She conceived.

Later on, Judah sent his friend Hirah with the goat he’d promised Tamar (not knowing he’d slept with his daughter-in-law) to exchange the goat for Judah’s personal items. Hirah returned with the goat, saying that he could not find her and that the men of the area were not familiar with any local cult prostitute.

The conflict reached its climax when, a few months later, Judah received a report that his daughter-in-law had been immoral and had conceived a child. His response was to demand her execution by burning. It was at this time that she brought out his personal items and revealed that the one by whom she was pregnant was the owner of these items. For once, Judah does something right. He confessed truth. He said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” (v. 26)

The story closes with the birth of twins and a sign of another potential future conflict between these twins concerning birthright and inheritance.

Where will all this lead? Jacob’s sons are a mess. Can the LORD bring something good out of all this? Can there be a redemption in all this? Stay tuned, and we’ll see the LORD do something amazing.

Episode 307 - "Joseph is sold into slavery" - Genesis 37:12-36

Gen. 37:12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

Gen. 37:18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Gen. 37:25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

Gen. 37:29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Well, after what we read last week about Joseph, the events that unfold here are not too surprising, are they? Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph had given a bad report to Jacob about his brother’s activities, which upset them. But then he shared with them dreams he had that everyone interpreted to mean that Joseph would someday rule over all of them. It appears to be this last matter that is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Their plot to kill Joseph appears to stem from their resentment over these dreams. They said, “We will see what will become of his dreams” (v. 20)

This part of the story begins with Joseph leaving home under the auspices of his dad wanting to find out if everything is well with his other sons who were shepherding the flock. It’s interesting that Joseph wasn’t with them. Did they exclude him? Perhaps either Jacob or Joseph did not want Joseph along with his brothers, knowing the animosity they had toward him. Whatever the reason, Jacob believes that they were shepherding near Shechem, about 50 miles north of his home. This seems a reasonable fact because these animals can destroy the grasses in an area if they are left in one place too long. They had to keep moving. In fact, when Joseph got to Shechem, he was informed that they had moved an additional 15 miles further north. I suspect this great distance between Jacob and his sons lends itself to Jacob’s belief that a wild beast had killed Joseph. He had to have been gone at least a few days, covering so much ground.

Two things this story reveals to the readers are, first, character development of some of Joseph’s brothers, and second, the beginning of an explanation of how Israel ends up in a foreign land, an element of what the LORD had revealed to Abraham about the descendants he was going to give Abraham.

When the brothers see Joseph approaching, their hatred is provoked and they conspired to kill him. But Reuben interceded and suggested they only throw Joseph into a cistern and not kill him. The narrator tells the reader that he planned to later rescue Joseph. What motivated Reuben to have this measure of compassion? Was he hoping to earn back favor from his father after having slept with his dad’s concubine? Reuben was the oldest. Perhaps he felt the weight of the responsibility for Joseph’s well-being. He must have gone away after having convinced his brothers not to kill Joseph, because we learn that he is surprised and dismayed when he finds out Joseph is no longer in the pit.

While Reuben was away and Joseph was still in the pit (cistern), the fourth-oldest son, Judah, had the idea of selling Joseph. While he appears to have a little bit of compassion or conscience in suggesting they not kill one of their own family members, his priority is making money by getting rid of this “dreamer.” In Judah’s mind, this was a win-win proposition. The brothers who were there agreed, and Joseph was sold as a slave to Ishmaelite traders who, in turn, sold Joseph to Potiphar, the captain of the guard to Pharaoh in Egypt. All that was left was for the brothers to cover their actions to their father, which they accomplished by taking the coat Jacob had given Joseph and making it look as though a wild animal had attacked Joseph. It worked.

So, what do we make of this story? How does it fit with what we already know? Well, first of all, we have the advantage of knowing that Moses is credited with authoring the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. We’ve read that the LORD promised Abraham that someday his descendants would be in bondage in a foreign land, but that He would deliver them out of that bondage and bring them back to the land the LORD was giving to Abraham and his descendants. We know from the book of Exodus, which follows Genesis, that Moses is God’s prophet who leads the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Ah! This provides an introduction to how they arrived in Egypt in the first place. Joseph was not killed. So, we’re expecting something to happen to him that will be significant to the story. We also know that Jacob’s brothers have demonstrated themselves to be unworthy to be “the seed” who would crush the serpent's heads. The oldest four, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, have all been scoundrels so far. It seems to me that, despite the evil intentions and actions of these sons of Jacob, the LORD is in control.

Perhaps I’m reading into the text too much on this next point. But doesn’t it seem odd in this story that as Joseph journeyed to find his brothers, “a man found him” and “asked him, ‘What are you seeking?’” (v. 15) When Joseph informs him that he’s looking for his brothers, the man seems to know exactly who he’s looking for. Were Joseph’s brothers the only ones shepherding in that area? I doubt it. Perhaps the conversation was much more extensive, leading to that deduction. However, it seems to me that Moses included this detail to suggest that the LORD was watching over Joseph the whole time, and the reader is to anticipate that the LORD is watching over him in Egypt as well.

Episode 306 - Joseph has dreams - Genesis 37:1-11

Gen. 37:1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

Gen. 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Gen. 37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Gen. 37:9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

This is another one of those “toledot” markers in the narrative that gets translated as “These are the generations.” (v. 2) The attention turns immediately to Joseph, who was the first son of Rachel, the wife that Jacob loved. We already know that Rachel had another son whom Jacob named Benjamin. Rachel died giving birth to him. But that son is likely not old enough to be shepherding with his older brothers. In fact, this event may have happened before Benjamin was born, since the context later seems to indicate that Rachel may still have been alive. At this time, Joseph is seventeen years old and is working with his brothers shepherding their father’s flock. Moses writes that “he was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives” (v. 2). Moses doesn’t include Leah’s sons. So, it’s possible they were not present at this moment. But at least Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher are with Joseph while they are pasturing the flock.

The conflict of this next story develops quickly. The reader is told that Joseph was Dad’s favorite. The three oldest sons certainly haven’t endeared themselves to Jacob, given their actions previously mentioned. But given that Joseph is the first of Rachel’s sons, it’s not too surprising. No one would recognize the favoritism more than the children themselves. However, the conflict is exacerbated by the fact that Jacob makes it painfully obvious that Joseph is his favorite by giving him a multicolored coat. Moses writes that his brothers hated him and could not speak to him peacefully. Could it get any worse? Oh yeah. On this occasion, Joseph gave a “bad report” to his father about the brothers he was with. Perhaps they were being lazy or doing something that would have upset his father. Joseph clearly didn’t attempt to assuage his brothers’ hatred of him by keeping his mouth shut. He narc’d. Either Joseph is a naive, patronizing son, or perhaps he enjoyed rubbing his privilege in his brothers’ faces. We’re not told. We just understand that Joseph is not making anything better between himself and his brothers.

Then, Joseph had two dreams. The first was that he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field, and his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his sheave. Even though most people today wouldn’t ever have bound or even seen a sheaf of grain, we understand the imagery, and so did his brothers. You can hardly blame them for disliking him.

The second dream was that the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to Joseph, and he told it to his brothers as well as his father. You would think that he should’ve gotten a clue to keep his mouth shut after telling his brothers the first dream. Even Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph does not allow him to encourage or accept the idea that he and Rachel would bow down to their own son. He rebukes him.

I’m sure that if Leah’s sons weren’t present to hear these dreams from Joseph’s mouth, the word got to them rather quickly because it’s evident that everyone understands that Joseph is suggesting that these dreams are revealing that he will have authority over all of them.

The situation is ripe for a significant conflict between Joseph and his family. While Moses notes that his brothers were jealous of him, “his father kept these sayings in mind” (v. 11). Why do you think that might be? I think it’s because Jacob has had some pretty vivid dreams himself in which the LORD revealed himself and his plans to Jacob, and Jacob knows by now that the LORD fulfills what he reveals will happen. I suspect that, as ridiculous as this may have sounded to Jacob, these dreams of his son had a familiar vibe to them.

Episode 305 - Esau's family - Genesis 36

Gen. 36:1 These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). 2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. 4 And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

Gen. 36:6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)

Gen. 36:9 These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14 These are the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

Gen. 36:15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 18 These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: the chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the chiefs born of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife. 19 These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.

Gen. 36:20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: the chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, chief by chief in the land of Seir.

Gen. 36:31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites. 32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah. 33 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. 36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. 38 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39 Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pau; his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.

Gen. 36:40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession.

This entire chapter is dedicated to Esau’s life and lineage. I’ve chosen not to read this chapter in its entirety because I don’t see the purpose in reading all the names. Rather, let’s focus on some key points of why Moses has likely provided this detail.

First, Moses’ readers are reminded that Esau took wives from the Canaanites and another wife from Ishmael’s line. We should remember that Abraham specifically wanted a wife for his son Isaac, from his own family and not the Canaanites because the Canaanites were under a curse and worshipped foreign gods. Likewise, Rebekah told Isaac to send Jacob back to her family so that he would not marry wives from the Canaanites, like Esau had done. The bottom line is that Esau made unwise choices that were contrary to the wise and righteous decisions made by Abraham and Isaac.

The next thing Moses tells his readers in verses 6-9 is that Esau moved his family away from Canaan to the hill country of Seir (south of the Dead Sea) because “their possessions were too great for them (Esau and Jacob) to dwell together (v. 7). Does that sound familiar? This is similar to the situation between Abraham and Lot. Lot made a decision that did not work out well for him. I strongly suspect this detail is to suggest that this move is not going to end well for Esau’s family.

Moses provides great detail about Esau’s sons and greater family. If you have any feelings of empathy toward Esau, thinking that he got a raw deal, take note that Esau has done very well. He has so many possessions, he needed to move. We see here that, like Jacob, Esau had twelve sons. It looks to me like Esau has been quite blessed by the LORD despite his actions and bad choices. The LORD has been gracious to him.

But in verse 16, we read that Amalek is one of Esau’s family. We don’t see it here. But in Exodus 17, Moses records an event where Amalek’s people attack the Israelites unprovoked. It seems to me this is an outworking of Esau’s poor choices. In Deuteronomy 25, Moses reminds the children of Israel, as they are about to enter the promised land of what Amalek did to them, and that after they obey the LORD by taking possession of the land, they are to blot out the memory of Amalek. This is the LORD fulfilling what he promised to Abraham to bless those who bless him and to curse those who curse Abraham and the inheritors of the covenant.

The whole point of this chapter is to explain to the Israelites who are taking the promised land the history of their ancestors and distant relatives through Esau who are called the Edomites. It reveals that even though the LORD had originally blessed Esau, the actions in later generations in making themselves enemies of Israel, became enemies of God. In turn, this should be a lesson the Israelites should learn. They should be faithful to the LORD. Unfortunately, they too would have seasons of rebellion against the LORD.

Episode 304 - "More trouble with Jacob's sons & Isaac dies" - Genesis 35:16-29

Gen. 35:16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

Gen. 35:22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Gen. 35:27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The latter half of Genesis 35 is a transition in the greater narrative of Isaac and Jacob to a greater focus on Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons. We read in the last episode about the death of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse. In this section, Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel dies giving birth to one last son for Jacob. We’ll come back to that shortly. The chapter concludes with the death of Isaac. The focus is now on Jacob and his twelve sons.

The brief narrative of Rachel’s death has an intriguing element when the midwife says to Rachel, “Do not fear, for you have another son” (v. 17). What is that all about? I believe Rachel’s fear is that she will die without giving Jacob another son. Looking back to Genesis 30:1, Rachel is distraught that her sister Leah has had multiple sons by Jacob, and she has not had any. Perhaps she feels inadequate even though she knows that Jacob loves her more than Leah. She tells Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die” (Gen 30:1). After a while, the LORD hears her prayers and gives her a son, Joseph. When Joseph is named, she says, “May the LORD add to me another son” (Gen 30:24)! Her nurse is comforting her as she is dying by essentially telling her that the LORD had answered her prayer. Rachel named him Ben-oni, meaning “Son of my sorrow.” But Jacob gave him the name Benjamin, meaning “Son of my right hand.” That is to indicate a position of favor with Jacob.

The text now gives us another interesting little detail. Moses tells the reader that Jacob’s oldest son (the one to whom the greatest honor would typically be given) Reuben had sex with his father’s concubine (Rachel’s servant) Bilhah, and Jacob (Israel) found out about it. Hmm . . .someone just got written out of the will. The three oldest have all gotten in trouble with dad. We can see how these problems Jacob has with his sons help the reader anticipate conflict that is yet to come.

The chapter then closes with a summarized list of Jacob’s sons and by whom he had them. Finally, we have the death and burial of Isaac. The greater story now is about Jacob and his sons.

I’m not sure if there is a great spiritual principle that needs to be gleaned from this text. However, by applying the interpretive principle of reading and understanding the greater context, we see how details that seem either out of place or insignificant at first glance are actually important. God’s word is rich and what is preserved for us is valuable.

Episode 303 - "Jacob fulfills his vow to the LORD" - Genesis 35:5-15

Gen. 35:5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. 8 And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.

Gen. 35:9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Let’s review. Jacob has returned home, back to the land of Canaan, after spending two decades working for his uncle Laban. No longer is the LORD simply his father Isaac’s God; the LORD is now Jacob’s God. After the LORD has fulfilled his promises to bring Jacob safely back home, he instructs Jacob to fulfill his vow to worship the LORD. Jacob follows his instruction to return to the place where the LORD had appeared to him when he was on the run from his brother Esau.

We pick up this story at the time Jacob and his whole household are traveling to Bethel to worship the LORD. If we aren’t thinking about the greater context of what’s been happening, some details given to us by Moses seem extraneous. What’s the point of mentioning that “a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them?” (Vs. 5) The answer lies in what happened seemingly a short time after Jacob and his household returned to Canaan, and Shechem the Hittite raped Jacob’s daughter Dinah and wanted to marry her. Jacob’s sons used circumcision, the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, to trick the Hittite men and slaughter them. Jacob was concerned that the various people groups might join forces and seek retribution. Ah! Now it makes sense, right? Moses is simply telling the reader, “This is why the various groups in that area did not pursue Jacob’s family to kill them. The LORD was protecting them while they were traveling to do what God had told them to do.” Jacob arrived at Bethel and built an altar at the place where the LORD first appeared to him.

Moses wrote that Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried. What does this have to do with anything? Is this another “insignificant” detail? I don’t think so. Soon, we’re going to read about the death of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel, who would die giving birth to one more son. Then, Moses records the death of Isaac. What I believe is happening is that Moses is giving the reader this detail to realize that time and life is moving on. Whereas the LORD had spoken to Abraham and made the covenant with him, Abraham died without receiving all the promises of that covenant. But the covenant was passed on to his seed, Isaac. Then, between Esau and Jacob, the covenant goes to Jacob. We’re seeing the passing of the former generation, and the focus should lead us to wonder, through whom, of all these descendants of Jacob, will the promised seed come? Already, a few of the older brothers have committed genocide through an abuse of the sign of the Abrahamic covenant and have likely disqualified themselves.

Genesis 35:3-15 has many parallels to Jacob’s encounter with the LORD recorded in Genesis 28:10-22. In both instances, the LORD reveals himself to Jacob, and Jacob responds by setting up a stone as a monument to the LORD and anoints it with oil. It’s not just an inclusio in the story of Jacob revealing his journey of faith, but a testament to the faithfulness of God to fulfill his promises.

This is an important lesson to Jacob and his descendants, who’ve had their own journey of faith coming out of Egypt, about to enter the land that God has promised them. We who worship the same God can also trust that our God is able and faithful to do all things he has promised.

Episode 302 - "Jacob returns to worship the LORD at Bethel" - Genesis 35:1-4

Gen. 35:1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

Do you recall when Jacob fled the land of Canaan to escape his brother Esau? He had lain down, fallen asleep, and had a dream of angels of God who were ascending and descending a stairway to heaven, with the LORD at the top of the stairs making promises to Jacob. Jacob’s response the next day was to make a vow concerning three things: first, “then the LORD shall be my God” (Gen 28:20-21), second, he would set up a stone as a pillar and it shall be God’s house (Gen 28:22), and third, he would give a tenth of his worth to the LORD (Gen 28:22). That’s important to remember because after twenty years, the LORD has fulfilled all of his promises, and effectively directs Jacob to fulfill his vows.

When Jacob told his family to get rid of all their gods, Jacob is demonstrating that he is serious about his dedication to the LORD alone. At this point, the one person we know who had a household god in their possession is Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife. She stole the household gods from her father. I think this suggests something about Jacob’s faith, as I suspect that he strongly suspects or knows that Rachel had those gods. Jacob wants to demonstrate that he will not tolerate other gods in his household.

Furthermore, when he instructs his household to give up their gods, he explains that he will build an altar “to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone” (Gen 35:3). He is testifying about what he has witnessed in the LORD’s actions. It seems to me that this protracted story of Jacob provides a lesson of what faith looks like. First of all, faith isn’t some feeling that one works up inside themselves. Jacob did not appear to trust the LORD when he pulled the deception with his father to get the blessing. The LORD revealed himself to Jacob, and Jacob responded by listening and giving that revelation consideration. Over time, Jacob recognized that the LORD was following through on his promises to be with him wherever he went and to protect him and, ultimately, to bring him home. This confession of his in Genesis 35 is the culmination of God leading and strengthening Jacob’s trust and commitment to the LORD. Some people appear to have a dramatic moment of decision and awareness, where there’s an apparent radical change in them. That may be valid. But in cases like that, it’s difficult to discern what the LORD has done to bring them to that point. In the story of Jacob, the story is really about God’s loving patience in forming Jacob’s faith and guiding him, letting him mess up, worry, and fail. But he doesn’t give up on Jacob. He stays with him and delivers him back home to a peaceful reunion with his brother and finally, to an opportunity to hear himself confess what he has learned about the LORD and to share that with others.

Jacob tells the people in his household to put away their foreign gods, purify themselves, and to change their garments. What is this about? Jacob is now taking what he’s learned about the LORD and leading his household toward an awe of the LORD. He’s saying, “We can’t worship other gods! The LORD is our God.” By example, he is teaching them to have a reverent worship of the LORD because he is trustworthy and holy.

What was their response? We don’t know if any of them had a dramatic conversion experience. But it seems evident that they gave attention to the revelation they were given by Jacob. They obeyed his command to give up their gods and, the text says, “the rings in their ears” (Gen 35:4). I’m not sure about the significance of their giving their earrings. At the very least, it’s symbolic of them forfeiting their possessions of value or identity. They are taking a step toward the LORD without fully understanding everything.

This has tremendous significance for people today. None of us should think we ever have God figured out. Yet, the LORD has chosen to give us revelation about himself through the Scriptures and, most of all, through the life of Jesus. May each one of us be like Jacob and pay attention to it. May we not dismiss it and disregard its value like Esau did with his birthright. Let the LORD lead us to a deeper trust in him each day. We will fail at times and insist on doing things our own way. But the LORD is faithful and will not abandon us. As we understand his patience, compassion, mercy, and grace to us, may we not only confess what we’ve learned to others, but lead others to his self-revelation as well.

Episode 301 - "Rape of Dinah and her brothers' revenge" - Genesis 34

Gen. 34:1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. 3 And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”

Gen. 34:5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done.

Gen. 34:8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. 9 Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” 11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”

Gen. 34:13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15 Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.”

Gen. 34:18 Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. 19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father’s house. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21 “These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

Gen. 34:25 On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went away. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. 29 All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.

Gen. 34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.” 31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

This story pretty much speaks for itself concerning what happened. Jacob purchased some land in the land of Canaan in faith that the LORD was going to fulfill his promise to make that land the nation for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Jacob’s daughter was raped by Shechem, a Canaanite, who then wanted to marry her and sent his father to convince Jacob and his sons to give Dinah to his son in marriage. Jacob’s sons act amenable to the proposition on one condition: that all their men become circumcised. Take notice that Moses wrote that Jacob’s sons answered Hamor and Shechem deceitfully (Gen 34:13). They didn’t initiate this agreement on good faith that this would be a desirable arrangement, and then later decided to take vengeance. This was calculated. Furthermore, the context reveals that Jacob was not part of this scheme. It was all the plan of the sons.

Hamor and Shechem then convince their men that this will be a good deal for everyone. Specifically, they believe this marriage will bring a cooperative relationship with Jacob’s family and will prosper them financially. But on the third day after having been circumcised, the men are immobilized by their pain from the circumcision. Two of the older brothers, Simeon and Levi, carried out their true plan, and they massacred all the men and plundered their homes. We might say that they brought some “frontier justice.”

Jacob's assessment of this action is recorded immediately afterwards. He recognized that his sons’ actions could get him in a lot of trouble with other inhabitants of the land. Simeon and Levi defend their actions in a rhetorical question. “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute” (v. 31)? The obvious answer is “no.” But the answer to whether or not this justifies their actions in killing all these men is not so obvious from the immediate context. If we fast forward a number of years in Jacob’s life, after he goes down to Egypt with his sons to survive the famine and be reunited with Joseph, we arrive at Genesis 49 and Jacob calls his sons together to what? He’s going to reveal who will carry the “seed” forward. Is it the firstborn Reuben? Nope. We’ll find out why soon. How about the next in line, Simeon and Levi? Here’s what Moses records of his message about those two.

“Gen. 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6 Let my soul come not into their council;

O my glory, be not joined to their company.

For in their anger they killed men,

and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob

and scatter them in Israel.”

This is the indictment concerning their former actions. But not only did they commit a violent action in slaughtering those men, they used (abused) the sign (circumcision) of the Abrahamic Covenant as a means to that end. As evil as Shechem’s actions were against Dinah, Simeon and Levi disregarded the holy purpose of the sign of the covenant and used it to commit violence. Jacob will not let it slide. I think this is one of Jacob’s last actions that reveal his trust and respect for the LORD and his word.

This story should remind us not to take for granted the LORD’s blessings to us and use it in ways that would dishonor the LORD.

Episode 300 - "Jacob and Esau are reunited in peace" - Genesis 33

Gen. 33:1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Gen. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

Gen. 33:12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

Gen. 33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

Gen. 33:18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

I don’t know about you. But up to this point, my assessment of Esau is that he is what we might call a “loose cannon.” Not only did he quickly and easily disregard his birthright by trading it for a bowl of stew, he also intentionally married three wives in disregard, and to spite his parents.

The question at hand in our story is whether or not he is going to attempt to fulfill his vow to kill his brother Jacob. It could be said that there’s not much to like about Esau as far as we know from the greater narrative. For that matter, Jacob is portrayed as an opportunist and a cheat. So, we wouldn’t necessarily vote for him as “man of the year” either. So, it’s confusing when we read passages like Malachi 1:2-3 and Paul’s quotation of it in Romans 9:13 where the LORD says, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” We ask ourselves first, “Is that true?” and secondly, “Is that fair of God?” Why would God hate Esau any more than Jacob?

God’s warning through Moses to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 2 can help us understand this. Beginning with Jacob and Rachel’s son Joseph, the Israelites would spend 400 years in Egypt before God led them out back toward the Promised Land. Due to the faithless and rebellious actions of the Israelites, God made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. That area is near the land that God gave to Esau. When they were about to enter the land, God told them to use caution as they passed through Seir (Edom) because the LORD had given that land to Esau. They were not to create any trouble with them, but to buy things from them instead and be peaceable. Esau had been dead for a long time. Yet, the LORD was telling the Israelites to honor their brothers, the descendants of Esau. That sounds like a far cry from God “hating” Esau, doesn’t it? What’s going on? The statement in Malachi is made many years after the Israelites returned to the land. Over time, the Edomites, Esau’s descendants, became enemies of Israel and looted Jerusalem after Babylon destroyed it. Therefore, the statement in Malachi is the LORD expressing his judgment upon Esau’s descendants who chose to become enemies of Israel and, therefore, of God. It’s not some arbitrary bias directed at Esau personally.

The apostle Paul’s use of quoting this passage is simply to express God’s right to do as he wishes. So, we have essential truths revealed that remind us that God is God and we’re not. God is the one who decides what is good and right, and we will do well to remember that and trust that the LORD makes good and right decisions. More relevant to the immediate story we are in, just because Esau did things that were stupid, irresponsible, and to spite his parents and God, it didn’t mean that God disowned him. God gave him a land and wanted Jacob’s descendants not to disregard them because they were also descendants of Abraham and Isaac. What might seem unfair at a cursory glance is actually grace to Esau. The fact that later generations of Esau violated that desired relationship brought righteous discipline upon them.

And what do we see in this story when Jacob and Esau finally meet after 20 years of separation? Esau runs to meet and welcome Jacob back. There is redemption and blessing for both of them. This is what the LORD intended for them and, I believe, for us. The LORD blessed Jacob, leading him into faith and wanting to bless his brother and to establish a peaceful relationship. The LORD loved Jacob and Esau and blessed each of them according to his omniscient and gracious will.

Through the cross of Christ, God has done the same with us. He doesn’t hold our past offenses against us. He leads us to faith, blesses us, and brings us into a relationship of peace with God.

Episode 299 - "Jacob's wrestling match" - Genesis 32:13-32

Gen. 32:13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Gen. 32:22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Jacob knows that one of his greatest questions or challenges in returning home is making peace, if possible, with his brother Esau. Therefore, Jacob is pulling out all the stops in his plan to appease Esau. It would be easy to suggest that Jacob is not trusting the LORD to protect him. But, I think Jacob is just being wise here. He sends a succession of gifts ahead of him to meet Esau. Whereas Esau’s desire for retribution might be rekindled, knowing that Jacob was returning home after all these years, he might have been angered even more with the first wave of gifts. Yet, the succession of these gifts surely sent a message that Jacob wanted peace and would spare no expense to secure that peace. Jacob is certainly expecting this strategy to effectively subdue Esau’s wrath (v. 20).

Genesis 32:22-23 appears to suggest that Jacob wasn’t 100 percent confident his plan would work and therefore, separated his family from where he would sleep in an effort to protect them from harm by Esau’s men.

In the place where Jacob camped alone, the text simply states that a man wrestled with Jacob (v.24). Most scholars believe this was an angel who appeared as a man. If that’s the case, shouldn’t an angel have tremendous power and easily defeat Jacob? Why were they wrestling in the first place? These kinds of questions have puzzled me as long as I can remember. This is where our principle of reading the context can help lead us to a reasonable and often a “safe” understanding of what’s happening in the text.

Notice how the “man” appears to dislocate Jacob’s hip, and yet Jacob will not let him go. Jacob tells him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (v. 26). The man’s response is to ask Jacob his name. Wouldn’t an angel know his name? Perhaps. But again, the context then reveals that this man has the authority to give Jacob the new name of Israel because Jacob “has struggled with God and men and has prevailed” (v. 28). There’s an understatement of a lifetime. Clearly, this man is some kind of agent from the LORD because he has knowledge and authority from God.

Jacob then asks him his name, and the man’s response is “Why is it that you ask my name” (v. 29)? I’m not sure if this is rhetorical, meaning “You should know who I am,” or possibly “Does it matter that you know my name because you know who sent me?”

The man then blessed Jacob and Jacob named the place Peniel because, he explained, “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered” (v. 30). It would seem from this context that the “man” was actually a theophany or Christophany. (An appearance of God, or Jesus prior to his incarnation.)

The bottom line is that this experience was to affirm God’s presence with Jacob and make his faith more sure. Whatever insecurities Jacob has with the LORD, the LORD is patiently addressing. What a gracious God. This is one more example, contrary to the views of some, the God of the Old Testament is not evil and sadistic.

Episode298 - "Jacob prepares to meet Esau" - Genesis 32:1-12

Gen. 32:1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Gen. 32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Gen. 32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

Gen. 32:9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

Let’s do a quick review of what’s happened in our study in recent weeks. Jacob had finally had enough of Laban cheating him, and the LORD told him to return to his homeland. Jacob, with his wives’ support, decided to leave without telling his father-in-law Laban. When Laban found out that Jacob had fled with his wives, Laban’s daughters, and everything else he had, Laban went after him with a militia. When Laban caught up with him, he leveled his complaints at Jacob, and it culminated with the accusation that Jacob had stolen Laban’s household gods. Rachel had stolen them, but Jacob was unaware of it and invited Laban to search for them. Rachel cleverly hid them. Then, Jacob had words for Laban, and, for whatever reason, it seemed to have a humbling effect on Laban. The two made a covenant of peace, and Laban returned home.

Now Jacob is continuing his journey back to his homeland. Genesis 32:1-2 records that “angels of God met him.” Do you remember when Jacob encountered angels before? It was when Jacob had left home on the run from the vengeance of his brother Esau. Jacob had lain down and fallen asleep and had a dream of a stairway extending from heaven down to earth, and angels were descending and ascending on this stairway (Gen 28). The LORD spoke to him and promised to protect him, provide for him, and ultimately return him to the promised land. When Jacob awoke, he recognized the LORD had spoken to him and called the place Bethel (House of God). So, if that was God’s house, Jacob says, “This is God’s camp” (Gen 32:2) and calls this place Mahanaim (Two camps).

These first two verses seem out of place in relation to what follows, which reveals that Jacob, having resolved his conflict with Laban, now has to interact with Esau, who had vowed to kill him after their father Isaac's death. Why is it important that Jacob sees these angels? I believe there can only be one reason, and that is that God is reminding Jacob of the promises he made to him twenty years earlier when he was on the run from Esau. This had to be an encouragement to Jacob.

In Genesis 32:3-5 Jacob sends servants ahead of their caravan to meet Esau with the purpose of finding out whether he’s cooled off or to possibly appease Esau. But, beginning in verse 6, the messengers return with the message that Esau is on his way with four hundred men. That is not encouraging, and Jacob plans his strategy to ideally protect some of his camp by dividing them into two camps. Therefore, if Esau’s army were to slaughter one camp, the other might escape. But Jacob is not trusting only in his plans. Jacob has come a long way in his faith through God’s work in his life over the past 20 years. Jacob prayed to the LORD and repeated the LORD’s promise to him 20 years earlier, and called upon him to deliver. He even revealed his own fear, his vulnerability, and entreated the LORD to deliver him from Esau’s wrath.

I love this! I love this picture of faith, which, first and foremost, appeals to God’s word. Faith has no pride within it. It’s humility that confesses we are weak and acknowledges our need for God’s help. Faith is never blind. It is always based upon God’s self-revelation. I cannot say, “If you have enough faith, God will give you a new car. God hasn’t promised to give anyone a new car. That’s called wishful thinking, not faith. God does not promise to keep us from any or every form of suffering and death. But God does promise to give you eternal life by faith in Jesus, the author of life. We will die. But according to God’s promise, Jesus will return and raise us to eternal life with the LORD. We may experience fears. Confess that to the LORD. He can take it.

Episode 297 - "Jacob and Laban make peace" - Genesis 31:43-55

Gen. 31:43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

Gen. 31:51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

Gen. 31:55 Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.

Before I reflect upon what I see as meaningful in this section, I’d like to address a few details. According to what I can discern from scholars, the name of the “heap of stones” given by Laban and its corresponding one given by Jacob are not different meanings; just different languages. They both mean “heaps of stones.” Mizpah means something like “watch place.” The point is that Laban and Jacob come to an agreement that they will be peaceful toward each other, and that this monument is a reminder of that agreement.

What I love about this ending to the Laban-Jacob story is not just that there is a peaceful resolution, but that for the first time in the Biblical accounts of Laban, Laban is not so obsessed with getting his way. The LORD had clearly revealed Himself to Laban in the past, and yet Laban had retained household gods. Laban has always sought to manipulate circumstances for his own selfish interest. But now, in the wake of Jacob confronting this history of Laban’s unjust treatment, Laban’s pride appears to dissipate like the air in a weak balloon.

In desiring to do what is good and right for his daughters and grandchildren, Laban, who had come after Jacob with what appears to be a militia and uttering words about his right to do Jacob harm, now suggests a covenant of peace, and Jacob readily concurs. They set up a heap of stones and a marker as a reminder of the agreed-upon terms of the relationship. What a wise concept. The setting up of a physical and visible reminder of the peace agreement is not simply for accountability. Such reminders can serve to turn one’s thoughts away from past offenses and remind us of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and all that is good.

What I love most about this story is that Jacob’s confrontation appears to have a “faith-effect” on Laban. Laban invoked the name of the “LORD,” the God of Abraham, as the judge of obedience to this covenant agreement. He did not invoke his household gods in any way, and the story concludes with Laban kissing his daughters and grandchildren and blessing them before he returned home in peace.

This is one more example of the LORD being with Jacob as promised. I can’t help but see how this is another example of God’s promise to Abraham that the LORD would bless those who blessed him. While Laban had repeatedly cheated Jacob, the LORD used the strained relationship between Laban and Jacob to patiently develop faith in each of them. What an awesome God!

Episode 296 "Jacob flees from Laban" - Genesis 31:17-42

Gen. 31:17 So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20 And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. 21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

Gen. 31:22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

Gen. 31:25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” 31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

Gen. 31:33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.

Gen. 31:36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

With his wives on board with his plans to leave and return to his homeland, Jacob made a secretive exit with all his family and possessions. He would have to know that Laban would ultimately find out and catch up with them. Laban found out after three days. The reader should expect this to create a conflict, and that Laban is not going to let them go without some kind of interaction.

To heighten the conflict even more, the reader is informed that Rachael stole her father’s “household gods” (Gen 31:19), but Jacob did not know that (v. 32). This is problematic on multiple levels. First, it actually is something that belongs to Laban, and Jacob has neither the desire nor the right to have them. In fact, as we’ll read later in Genesis, idols have no business among God’s people.

Sure enough, Laban took off in pursuit, taking kinsmen with him. I’m suspecting that Laban feared that an armed conflict might occur. He pursued after them for seven days, and as he got close to Jacob’s caravan, the LORD spoke to Laban and told him not to say anything good or bad to him (v. 24).

When Laban finally caught up to Jacob, his words were almost laughable. “Why did you trick me?” “Why have you driven away my daughters like captives of the sword?” “I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre.” (vv. 26-27) What a great guy and father, Laban is! (As his daughters roll their eyes.) The fact is, Laban would never have willingly let them go.

Laban finally turns to some truth-speaking when he confesses that “the God of your father” gave me a message last night that I should not “say anything to Jacob, either good or bad” (v. 29). He then asks the question, “Why did you steal my gods” (v.30)? Jacob certainly has no clue that Rachael stole and has the gods because he responds that the one who has them “will not live” (v. 31). He would not say that about the wife that he loves.

Jacob tells Laban to search his group and take whatever belongs to him. But Rachael had hidden them in the camel’s saddle on which she sat, and told her father that it was her time of the month, and to excuse her for not getting off the camel.

When Laban could not find them, it was Jacob’s turn to rail against Laban. He recounts how he had served Laban all these years and how Laban has benefited from his service. He reminds Laban that he’d served him for fourteen years in exchange for the right to marry his daughters. He reminds Laban that in spite of all that he’s done for Laban, Laban had changed his wages ten times. Finally, Jacob’s confession comes down to verse 42: “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

The important thing about this history between Laban and Jacob is not Laban or Jacob. It is about the God of Abraham and Isaac, who has graciously blessed and protected Jacob and has chosen to reveal himself to Laban. Laban needs to forget about his household gods and trust in the God of Abraham and Isaac. He is becoming the God of Jacob as well.

I think there’s an important truth revealed in this story that God doesn’t wait for us to come to him to bestow blessing upon people. God is a patient God who reveals himself in various ways and show his kindness in order to get our attention so that we will turn to him. This story is a picture of God’s grace to both Laban and Jacob.

Episode 295 - "Whatever God says to you, do!" - Genesis 31:1-16

Gen. 31:1 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. 3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

Gen. 31:4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10 In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. 16 All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

In our last episode, we saw how the seed of a new conflict had been sown with Laban removing the spotted, striped, and other sheep and goats that would belong to Jacob according to the agreement between Laban and Jacob. Laban was trying to cheat Jacob out of his portion of the livestock in the hope that it would force Jacob to continue working for him. Leaving Jacob with only the majority of solid-colored sheep and goats, Jacob put peeled sticks near water troughs where the animals would breed in the belief that the visual element of the striped or speckled sticks would affect the coats of the offspring. I’m highly suspicious of the efficacy of such an approach. But I think ultimately, Jacob was trusting the LORD to give him sheep and goats. This section affirms that the LORD did give him bountiful livestock and wealth and that Jacob acknowledges that it all came from the LORD.

This story continues with a rise in the conflict. Jacob hears Laban’s sons complaining that Jacob has essentially stolen all their livestock and family wealth and that his favor with Laban is on the decline. How ironic! Laban had already confessed that his success had been due to the LORD’s presence with Jacob. He then stole from Jacob the animals that they’d agreed would be Jacob’s. Now, he and his sons are blaming Jacob for what they were guilty of themselves.

Jacob now receives a message from the LORD to go home and an affirmation that the LORD will be with him. In other words, the LORD is showing Jacob that he is in control, will fulfill all the promises he’s made to him, and will protect him.

What I love about the Scriptures is that they don’t portray the main characters as people with superpowers. Instead, they often display their humanity. When we read about their thoughts, words, and actions, we realize they are not so different from us. Jacob understands that he has to get his wives on board with his exit plan. He’s asking that they leave their home, and he’s not sure how that’s going to sit with them. Given their own conflict between themselves over Jacob’s attention, this could be another opportunity for one or both of them to create a problem.

He gave an account of the history between him and Laban and how Laban had cheated him multiple times. More importantly, Jacob tells them what God has done. God has been with him (v. 5), God has protected him (v. 7), and God (not Jacob) has taken away Laban’s flocks and given them to Jacob (v.9). He continues to explain what God has done and is directing him to leave.

What is their response? “Whatever God has said to you, do” (v. 16). Wow! Talk about a miracle. They are in full agreement. It’s clear from the text that they have their own well-being in mind because of how the LORD has dealt with Laban and Jacob both. They have the sense that it’s better for them to go with the man to whom God has shown favor. I can’t help but believe that God has used their own need of self-preservation to confess truth, that Jacob should obey the LORD.

What we witness in this story is how the promise God made to Abraham is continuing to be fulfilled exactly as the LORD had promised. God’s promise to bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you (Gen 12:3) is bearing itself out again in Jacob’s life. God’s promises to Jacob as he left home are being fulfilled exactly as the LORD had promised. God is faithful to his word.

Episode 294 - "Laban's tricks and Jacob's faithfulness" - Genesis 30:25-43

Gen. 30:25 As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” 27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you. 28 Name your wages, and I will give it.” 29 Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. 30 For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” 31 He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: 32 let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. 33 So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” 34 Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” 35 But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. 36 And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock.

Gen. 30:37 Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. 38 He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, 39 the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban’s flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, 42 but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

The first thing I notice in this story is that Jacob is ready to go home. Clearly, he’s had “success” while working for his uncle Laban. He had eleven sons and a daughter by his two wives and their servants. By what transpires with Laban attempting to do whatever he can to keep Jacob and his family from leaving, we know that he has been successful in shepherding Laban’s sheep and goats. Furthermore, it seems clear to everyone in the story that this success is from the LORD. It would be so easy to just keep on keeping on.

But it appears to me that Jacob, having completed his commitment of service to Laban in return for his two wives, understands that he belongs back in the land of Canaan, which will be his inheritance by virtue of the covenant that God made with his grandfather Abraham and has recommitted to Isaac and to Jacob as he fled from his home in fear of his brother Esau. Yet, at this point, Jacob seems to have no concern about Esau. He simply wants to go back home and take his family and earnings with him. I believe this inclination to return home is not Jacob wanting a change of scenery. It’s the LORD’s sovereign work in Jacob’s life that is leading him to the fulfillment of the blessings that the LORD has promised Jacob.

Now we learn something about Laban. First, Laban learned from “divination” that the LORD had blessed him because of Jacob (v. 27). From “divination?” Why did Laban not understand this from revelation and from observation? Laban had some understanding of the LORD’s blessing upon Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when Abraham sent his servant to his family to find a wife for Isaac. Laban’s family was blessed by Abraham through that interaction, and now, for these past fourteen years, Laban has had plenty of opportunity to see the LORD’s blessing upon him by having Jacob marry his daughters and work for him. He doesn’t need divination to understand that. This suggests that while Laban knows who the LORD is, it is not evident that he trusts the LORD.

The next thing that we learn about Laban, which has already appeared before, is that Laban is concerned about nothing but Laban. When Jacob agrees to work longer for him, Laban agrees in word, but promptly attempts to cheat the arrangement.

Let’s talk about this arrangement for a minute. If I understand the scholars correctly, sheep in that part of the world are normally white, and goats are normally black. If this is the case, Jacob, through his proposed arrangement, tells Laban that he will keep the unusual sheep and goats. While Laban agrees to this, Laban promptly removes all the unusual sheep and goats from the herd with the assumption that the all white sheep and the all black goats will continue to breed and bring forth offspring that are solid in their respective colors. In other words, he does everything in his power to minimize the number of sheep and goats Jacob would keep, thereby making it necessary for Jacob to continue working for him.

But Jacob does two things. First, as he was shepherding Laban’s flocks, he put peeled sticks (that would appear striped) in front of the flocks in the anticipation that the breeding animals would see them and that, in turn, would cause their offspring to not have a solid color wool according to their breed. Now, I grew up in an area with sheep, goats, and other livestock. I have never heard of anyone doing this, and I have no evidence that this would work for anyone. But the point is that Jacob did believe this would work because he believed the LORD would bless him. The second thing that Jacob did was he only put the sticks in front of the breeding animals who were the strongest and healthiest. That makes sense.

Verse 43 informs the reader that his flocks became great and he was very successful.

This story is really about the contrast between a man (Laban) who recognizes who the LORD is but does not trust him and only works to serve himself, and a man (Jacob) whom the LORD is leading to a life of faith and blessing as he demonstrates his trust in the LORD.

I am not a “prosperity gospel” person. I don’t read the Scriptures in such a way that the interpretation means that God will provide me with wealth in this life. In fact, Jesus told the disciples that the poor would still be among them and that they themselves would suffer for his name’s sake. But the Scriptures do tell us that God cares for the flowers and the birds, and cares for us even more so. The Scriptures also affirm an eternal life of abundance in all our needs. In this life and this time, the followers of Jesus must not focus on ourselves. We must trust the LORD and be instruments of God’s blessing to others.

Episode 293 - "Family drama for Jacob" - Genesis 30:1-24

Last week’s episode was the story of how Jacob got two wives when he only wanted one. He loved his uncle Laban’s youngest daughter, Rachel, and readily agreed to work seven years for his uncle in order to marry her. But on the night of the wedding, Laban brought his older, less attractive, daughter Leah to the bridal chamber, and Jacob consummated the marriage without knowledge of the deceptive switch until the next day. Laban argued that it was customary to marry off the oldest daughter first. It’s interesting that he failed to mention that to Jacob when Jacob first agreed to work for Laban for seven years. But out of the kindness of Laban’s heart, he suggested that he would allow Jacob to also marry Rachel the following week, provided that Jacob would work another seven years for Laban. Jacob agreed.

We concluded the episode after reading that the LORD opened Leah’s womb and she had four sons with Jacob, but Rachel was barren. Understand the significance of that. The unloved wife had four sons, and the one Jacob loved had none. You can only imagine the tension that would develop between the sisters. So, as we pick up the story this week where we left off, we no longer have to imagine. The conflicts come to a head.

Let’s read the Scripture. Note: As sons are born, Leah and Rachel appear to give a reason why they gave their sons the names we see. Each of those reasons contains a word which, in the Hebrew language, the name of the son sounds like that word.

Gen. 30:1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.” 4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. 7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

Gen. 30:9 When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, “Good fortune has come!” so she called his name Gad. 12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.

Gen. 30:14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.

Gen. 30:19 And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

Gen. 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”

We’d finished the last episode after Leah had given Jacob his fourth son, and Rachel was still barren. What is already evident is that Leah is distraught over the fact that Jacob doesn’t love her like he loves Rachel, and she thinks that her success in bearing him sons will draw his affections to her. Rachel is distraught over the fact that she has not had any children, and she essentially blames it on Jacob. Jacob, who has not had a history of strong faith in God, responds, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Gen 30:2). I must admit that Jacob’s response reminded me of how easy it is for us to put ourselves in the place of God when it’s convenient, but we quickly absolve ourselves of that when things aren’t working out as we would like. The fact of the matter is that Jacob’s response is spot on. He is not in the place of God, and neither is Rachel. I think there’s a truth there that Jacob and Rachel need to learn to seek the LORD and trust in him.

The drama builds when Rachel gives her servant Bilhah to Jacob to have children by her. We saw how Sarah’s plan to do this to provide offspring for Abraham backfired, and the reader should probably be thinking, “Oh . . not again.” Bilhad gives Jacob two sons. But now Leah, who had stopped conceiving, was not going to be outmaneuvered by her sister; she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob, and two more sons were born.

Just when you thought the drama couldn’t get any hotter, Rachel agreed to let Jacob sleep with Leah one night in exchange for some mandrakes that Leah’s son Reuben had gathered. Apparently, these are roots and may have been believed to help with fertility, which would explain why Rachel was so eager to get some. We’re not sure why Reuben would have gathered them. Anyway, how pathetic that Jacob’s attention was the object of a barter. Moses wrote that God heard Leah and opened her womb, and she conceived a fifth and sixth son. Leah then had a daughter named Dinah. She will be the center of another story soon to come.

Finally, in verse 22, we read that God remembered Rachel, heard her prayers, and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, whom she named Joseph. She gave thanks to the LORD and asked for another one.

The count of the sons between Leah, Rachel, and their servants is eleven. The story of Jacob’s children pauses there. But we’ll soon read about the next family drama.

As always, I believe the important question we should answer is, “Why is this here?” Since Moses is writing this specifically to the descendants of these children born to Jacob and his wives, and he’s writing it at a time when they are about to enter the Promised Land, Moses is writing this story to remind them that the LORD is in control. They can make decisions and go about their lives. But reflecting back to Jacob’s words to Rachel that he was not in the place of God to control things. Yet, God was present and he heard Rachel and was compassionate to her inability to have children. He did what no human could do and made it possible for her to have a son. The LORD was also empathetic to Leah’s grief that Jacob did not love her like he loved Rachel. These truths are essential for all of us to learn. The LORD is compassionate, and he is in control. May we learn to trust him in all things.