Genesis 25-33: Join Jacob in the Great Nation of Israel
Jacob’s story is filled with sin giving him the image of a sinful scoundrel. This is definitely how he started, but, by the grace of God, he ended up as a pretty decent man of God. I also can attest to the grace of God because God has also helped me turn my own life around. By looking to Jacob’s story, we can see how God can work with even the worst of sinners to make a saint.
Conception of Jacob and Esau
We are introduced to Jacob at his birth with his twin brother, Esau. Their mother, Rebekah, was barren until God answered the prayer of their father, Isaac. Rebekah then conceived twin boys, Jacob and Esau. Rebekah felt the two boys “struggling” within her and she went to inquire with the Lord through prayer. God told her
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the elder shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23)
Esau was born first as the elder and Jacob was born second as the younger. As the boys grew up, “Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.” (Genesis 25:28).
We end up wondering, did God intentionally turn Esau and Jacob against each other? In reality, this is simply God foretelling the future as a prophecy rather than God actively willing for this disorder to happen. This disorder will come about because of mankind’s sinfulness and the boys’ concupiscence, not because God caused it to happen Himself. We will see the cause of this disorder momentarily.
Esau sells his birthright
This chapter then progresses to the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob. Jacob had been boiling some pottage when ‘Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red pottage, for I am famished!” …Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.’ (Genesis 25:30-34)
The key part of this is the last sentence, “Thus, Esau despised his birthright.” This birthright rightfully belonged to the eldest. The birthright was a double portion of the father’s estate for the first-born (see Deut 21:17). By selling this birthright, Esau was showing that he did not value that which his father was to give him. In contrast, Jacob valued the gifts from his fathers, to the point that he was willing to kill for it by starving his brother to death.
This is the disorder that God prophesied to Rebekah. Esau was disordered with earthly sight worried about his mortal life without any regard for the gifts from his father. Jacob was disordered in willing to kill for this birthright. Esau, in his disorder, sold the birthright placing himself beneath his younger brother, thus, “the elder shall serve the younger,” a servitude which would cause for these two men, these two nations, to “be divided.”
Rebekah and Jacob plan to deceive Isaac
After Esau sells his birthright, we are reintroduced to Jacob and Esau when Esau was forty years old. He had taken two Hittite women as his wives, “and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” (Genesis 26:35).
Then we read that Isaac was old and blind. Isaac instructed Esau to go and hunt game to make him a meal so he may eat and then bless Esau before Isaac dies. Rebekah overheard this conversation. After Esau left to the field, Rebekah told her son Jacob her plan to have Isaac bless Jacob instead of Esau. She instructs Jacob to get her two kid goats so that she can prepare for a meal for Jacob to give to Isaac. Jacob tells Rebekah his concern that Isaac will feel his smooth skin and recognize that he is not hairy like Esau and possibly bring a curse on Jacob for the deceit. Rebekah tells him that she will take his curse upon herself. Jacob then brought the kid goats to his mother. Rebekah prepared a meal and dressed Jacob with Esau’s garments and put the skins of the goats on Jacob’s hands and the smooth part of his neck.
This brings all sorts of red flags. The first thing we must understand is that contrary to popular misconception, the Bible is not filled with biblically moral behavior and instead is fill with stories about sin, because the stories are about people and people are sinners. So, this story is not promoting deception of elders. But we can work to understand why Rebekah did this.
We saw that Esau despised his birthright and rejected the promises of God by trading them for a bowl of soup. Esau then continued to show his rejection of God by marrying two Hittite women. Esau was aware of the fact that such marriages were not condoned because Abraham, his grandfather, was adamant that Isaac was not to marry a Canaanite woman or any other women from that land. Esau would have been aware of this because of the oral family history passed down explaining how Isaac and Rebekah got married.
Abraham did not want this for Isaac because he did not want Isaac to marry a woman who worshipped other Gods, which could cause Isaac to leave the ways of God and thus the promises and covenant from God. Esau serves to validate this concern. The same man who married women who did not follow God also despised his own birthright, a birthright that entailed the promises and covenant of God.
Esau’s marriage, which was an expression of his feelings towards his birthright and God, “made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” Upon Rebekah hearing Isaac’s plan to bless Esau, a blessing she knew would be the means to pass down God’s promises and covenant, she decided she did not want Esau to inherit the blessing, even at the risk of her receiving a curse. This was because she understood that Esau did not merit to receive this blessing due to his continued choices to reject God.
We can also see Jacob’s guilt in this sin as well. When Rebekah proposed this plan to Jacob, he did not reject on any moral basis, instead only speaking against it out of fear of being caught and cursed. Once Rebekah took the curse on herself, Jacob felt comfortable doing this. This is comparable to how he coerced the birthright from Esau, something that showed that Jacob was willing to do whatever it takes, even sin, to get what he wanted.
While Rebekah and Jacob sinned greatly in deceiving Isaac, it did come from a place of good intentions, at least for Rebekah. The fact that God honors this blessing later on does not mean God approved the behavior of Rebekah and Jacob, instead we can see this as an example of God choosing to save us by His will and not our works or merits. God was not going to wait for people to act perfectly because we humans have inherited original sin and will inevitably fall into sin. This is because God’s purpose of election needed to continue, and God’s election was “not because of works but because of His call” (Romans 9:11).1
Jacob receives the blessing
Jacob approaches Isaac and deceives him by telling him that he is Esau. Isaac expresses his disbelief because it was not long enough for Esau to go and harvest wild game. Jacob tells Isaac that “the Lord your God granted me success.” (Gen 27:20). There is an interesting indication that Jacob had not yet accepted God as his own God, instead identifying God as Isaac’s God.
Isaac then told Jacob to come near so he may feel him, expressing his doubt about the identity of Jacob. That doubt is also shown when Isaac says the voice is Jacob not Esau. Isaac takes it a step further by asking for Jacob to come near to kiss him, and then Isaac smelled the smell of his garments, which smelled like Esau. Assured by this, Isaac gave Jacob the blessing promised to Esau.
Esau then returns with food from his hunt and asks for his father’s blessing. Isaac was greatly surprised and “trembled violently” and told Esau that his brother had taken the blessing from him. Esau cried out for a blessing from his father but Isaac refused saying “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” (Genesis 27:37). Esau persists for a blessing, then Isaac weeps and says,
“Behold, away fromthe fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,
and away fromthe dew of heaven on high.
By your sword you shall live,
and you shall serve your brother
but when you break loose
you shall break his yoke from your neck.” (Genesis 27:39-40)
At first read, this can be very confusing. Isaac blessed Jacob due to deceit and seems to be unable to revoke the blessing from Jacob to grant it to Esau. Even worse, it seems that Isaac actually curses Esau.
First, the patriarchs of the ancient world held the belief that blessings had an immediate and irrevocable effect.2 Isaac gave the blessing to Jacob, something that could not be revoked, thus Jacob was already lord over Esau, fulfilling the prophecy from God to Rebekah, “the elder shall serve the younger.”
Second, we need to understand what was pronounced against Esau. Isaac did not pronounce a curse, instead, he prophesied to Esau. We can see this because in the blessing to Jacob, Isaac said “May God give you…” as in, Isaac was blessing him under God for certain gifts. If Isaac was actually cursing Esau, he would have sounded similar to Noah who pronounced a curse on Ham saying “Cursed be…” (Gen 9:25). Whereas with Esau, Isaac simply told him what would come of the future, all of which was a consequence of the blessing given to Jacob.
Additionally, this loss of the blessing to Esau can be seen a consequence from his rejection of the birthright. “Esau…sold his birthright for a single meal…afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:16-17). If Esau did not value his birthright, he did not merit to inherit even greater gifts, especially the great gift of the blessing.
Jacob flees
Esau was angry against Jacob proclaiming that he would kill Jacob once Isaac died. When Rebekah learned this, she instructed Jacob to flee to Haran to find Laban her brother, to stay with him until Esau calmed down. Rebekah then convinced Isaac to agree with this by reminding him of their frustrations with Esau’s marriage to the Hittite women. Isaac then instructs Jacob that he is not to marry of the Canaanites and tells him to return to Rebekah’s family to find a wife. Isaac then blesses Jacob with the promises given to Abraham.
We can see the reinforcement with how strongly Isaac and Rebekah valued for their sons not to marry the Canaanite women so they would stay as followers of God to uphold their end of the covenant. Isaac chose to send Jacob by himself on a far journey to find a wife rather than have him marry a woman from the land. The covenant was on the line and Isaac did not want to risk breaking it.
Jacob’s ladder and the vow
In Jacob’s travels, he stops for the night and rests. He has a dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth with angels ascending and descending upon it. Jacob saw God standing above it. God said
“I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)
Jacob then awoke saying to himself that surely God is in that place calling it “the house of God” and “the gate of heaven” (Gen 29:17). Jacob then set a stone up as a pillar and anointed it with oil. Then Jacob made a vow saying,
“If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee.” (Genesis 28:20-21)
Jacob seems rather like a scoundrel by setting conditions on a vow with God. If God delivers certain things, then Jacob will accept Him as his God and tithe a tenth to Him. While this behavior seems rather ill, it was common practice for people to make conditional vows with gods in the ancient world. It was also common for the ancient people to setup pillars to their gods, just as Jacob did. We also see that Jacob had not yet accepted God as his God, something that was alluded to earlier when he deceived Isaac and referred to God as Isaac’s God. Jacob was simply following the ways of the ancient world.
Jacob meets Rachel and is deceived by Laban
Jacob makes it to Haran and meets Rachel who then told her father, Laban, that a family member had arrived. Laban greeted Jacob lovingly and welcomed him into his house. After Jacob had stayed there a month, Laban asked Jacob to name his wages. Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Rachel, the younger one, had captured Jacob’s heart. Jacob told Laban that he would serve him for seven years to marry Rachel. Laban happily agreed to this. “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.” (Genesis 29:20).
At the completion of the seven years, it was time for the wedding. Laban gathered all the men from the area and made a feast. Laban gave Leah to Jacob in the marriage, much to Jacob’s surprise the next morning when he awoke and saw Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob confronted Laban about this deception. Laban responded that it was not customary to marry off the younger daughter before the first-born. Laban told Jacob that he could also marry Rachel for another seven years of service. Jacob then married Rachel, whom he loved more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.
One of the first questions is, how did Jacob not know this was Leah? Well, that is because weddings in the ancient world were much different than in the modern world. The brides were veiled until the wedding night. In combination with the darkness of Jacob’s tent, he would not have been able to see that this was Leah instead of Rachel until the morning sun had risen.3
We can also see Laban’s deception has an aura of justice for Jacob’s deception of Isaac. Our sins always result in a temporal response during this mortal life.
Jacob then entered into a polygamous marriage with both sisters. God had not instituted the Levitical law, however this practice of marrying sisters would later be a violation of the Levitical law (Lev 18:18). This serves to show the reliable nature of the biblical stories of the patriarchs because this paints an honest picture of Jacob as a liar who violates the future Levitical law. If the stories were false, Jacob would be painted in a better picture.
Jacob’s sons
After the weddings, we read that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. “The Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.” (Genesis 29:31). Leah then gave birth to four sons before she ceased bearing children. Rachel envied her sister and pled with Jacob saying, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Jacob angrily responded, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Genesis 30:1-2). Rachel then gave Jacob Bilhah, her maidservant, for him to conceive with her so that Bilhah may give birth upon Rachel’s knees. After two sons were born, Rachel then claimed she had wrestled with her sister and prevailed.
Leah, who had stopped conceiving children, then took her maid Zilpah for Jacob to bear children with. Zilpah gave two children to Jacob. With time, Leah was able to conceive again and bore two more sons and a daughter. “Then God remembered Rachel…and opened her womb.” (Gen 30:22). Rachel bore a son, Joseph.
One of the first red flags people may have is it seems that in opening Leah’s womb, God closed Rachel’s womb. This is not the case. We see that God did open Leah’s womb, however Rachel’s womb was barren, as in, Rachel was and continued to be barren, not, God closed her womb.
Second, we see that the sisters had Jacob go into their maidservants. This was a common practice in the ancient near east for a man’s lawful wife to have maternal rights over a child born of a surrogate mother, which is why Rachel speaks of her maid giving birth upon the knees her mistress, because this was Rachel’s means of claiming maternal rights over the child. This was something that Abraham and Sarah did with the maidservant Hagar, but it was not a good action then. So why isn’t this heavily condemned like with Abraham and Sarah? Well, we can’t say it was not condemned because the sons will eventually have strife with one another. This strife is quite possibly due to the sins of their conception. The children were born from a polygamous marriage with sisters who then out of envy had Jacob give them more children by having him engage in adultery with their maidservants. Sin always has its consequences.
One additional insight offered by this portion of Jacob’s story is Jacob’s understanding of God. Rachel blames Jacob for not giving her children but he tells her that he is not God. Jacob is beginning to understand that all providence comes from God.
Jacob leaves Laban
Jacob then tells Laban he wishes to leave to return to his home country with his wives and children. Laban then tells him that he knows he has been blessed by God because of Jacob and instructs Jacob to name his wages. Jacob gives thanks to God for His providence then tells Laban that he would like every speckled, spotted, and black lamb and speckled and spotted goat. Jacob says this so his honesty will speak for him because it will be clearly visible if he had stolen any animals outside that description.
Laban agrees but, in an effort to reduce his payment to Jacob, he removed all the goats and lambs that were speckled and spotted and every black lamb. Jacob then took care of the remainder of the flock and used superstitious methods to try to cause the goats and lambs to produce striped, speckled, and spotted offspring, which proved successful. Jacob focused on making the stronger animals breed for him while not intentionally keeping the weaker ones at bay so that he would have a stronger flock than Laban’s.
After Jacob learned that Laban was displeased with Jacob for this, God told Jacob to return to his father’s land and that God would be with Jacob. Jacob then brings Rachel and Leah to him telling them that God has been with him and provided for him. Jacob said that God told him in a dream, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go forth from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’” (Genesis 31:13).
Jacob tells them God is the reason that Laban’s herd became his own by giving birth to speckled and spotted offspring. Jacob said God told him that this was provided to him because of Laban’s treatment of Jacob. Rachel and Leah agree that it is best to leave their father. Rachel stole her father’s idols before they departed in secret.
The first thing to discuss is Jacob’s superstitious behavior. These breeding superstitions are indicative of the beliefs at the time, beliefs that Jacob followed yet were contrary to God. Why did God provide for Jacob despite the superstitious beliefs? Because God works with us in our broken ways. God referred to Himself as the God of Bethel because Jacob understood gods to be limited in location. God is not limited by location, as shown by Him speaking to Jacob outside of Bethel, but God referred to Himself as such so as to work with Jacob’s limited knowledge. We also see that God mentioned Jacob’s vow, which was conditional as was customary for pagan worshippers in the ancient world. God honored this vow because Jacob was limited in what he knew and God worked with that rather than forsaking sinful mankind
Another red flag might be that Rachel stole her father’s idols. This could be used to inspired the belief that Rachel was a pagan idolater thus nullifying the entire point of Jacob not marrying a Canaanite woman. But we have to ask, why did she take the idols? An ancient document from the region of Mesopotamia states that if an adoptive sons works for an adoptive father, then that son is considered an heir, and if a natural child is born, the father and adoptive son will divide the property equally, but the natural son will receive the idols of the house.4 So with thism, we can see this is less of a question of worshipping and more a question of property. Rachel and Leah both said to Jacob, “All the property which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children” indicating they believed Jacob was entitled to the property, which includes the idols.
We can also see that Rachel was not religiously attached to the idols, the gods. Rachel and Leah noted that God gave the property to Jacob for his work under Laban and they told Jacob to do whatever God told him to do, indicating they did not desire to consult with their father’s gods and instead wanted their husband to follow the ways of God. This is further reinforced in a later chapter when Jacob tells them to “Put away the foreign gods that are among you” and they “gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had” (Genesis 35:2,4). They did not put any fight, they handed over the idols, the gods, so that he could bury them.
Lastly, it seems that God condones Jacob’s behavior of cheating Laban out of his flock. This is God trying to preserve His covenant so He may fulfill the promises, which is why He tells Jacob to leave. God held up His end of the vow, now it was time to for Jacob to do the same. God didn’t want a tithe, He wanted to work through Jacob so He could save sinful mankind. Again…God does not condone sin but He worked with sins so He could continue the plan of salvation instead of forsaking us. God was not waiting for perfection from broken people, instead He worked with the broken people to save us all from our sins.
Laban catches up to Jacob
After three days, Laban was made aware of Jacob’s departure. After seven days, Laban was close to Jacob. God appeared to Laban in a dream and instructed Laban to not be hostile to Jacob. The next day, Laban overtook Jacob. Laban then accused Jacob of cheating him and kidnapping his daughters. Laban claims he would have sent Jacob off with a party and wonders why Jacob left in secret. Laban then tells Jacob he could do harm to Jacob but relays God’s warning given to him.
Jacob answers honestly telling Laban that he was afraid and worried that Laban would take his daughters from him. Jacob then presses Laban as to why he has pursued him so angrily. Jacob reminds Laban that he had been with him for twenty years and Laban benefitted exceedingly. Laban then searches for his stolen idols but Rachel hides them, with their presence entirely unknown to Jacob. Jacob then praises God for not leaving him empty-handed noting that God saw Jacob’s affliction and the labor of his hands and rebuked Laban the night before.
Laban then paints a picture with everything and everyone as his possession as though he never truly paid Jacob his wages. But, Laban proposes they enter into covenant so as to not hurt one another. After entering into covenant with Jacob swearing by the God of his fathers, Laban and his men remained the night before departing home.
Laban clearly worshipped other gods, as shown by his search for the stolen idols, yet still respected the strength of God. Laban had witnessed God’s providence, something he had not witnessed before which was why he kept trying to keep Jacob with him. This providence was so valuable that Laban traveled seven days in pursuit of Jacob. Despite all the false arguments Laban tries to make, Laban’s actions ultimately express that he knows he was in the wrong.
Jacob’s praise of God shows a change of character. When he departed from Isaac’s home, he relied on himself and his sinful ways. After leaving Laban, he was praising God for all He had given to Jacob. When in Bethel, Jacob became a child of God and God lovingly fathered him and provided for him.
Jacob approaches Esau
As Jacob and his family continued onward, he sent messengers to Esau in Seir. The messengers were told to tell Esau that Jacob was coming and desired to find favor in Esau’s sight. The messengers went to Esau and returned to Jacob saying that Esau was coming to meet him, along with four hundred men. Jacob grew afraid because of the bitter terms when he departed from Esau over twenty years prior. Jacob split his people, flocks, and herds, into two companies to preserve one if Esau were to destroy the other.
Jacob then pled with God begging for His protection. Jacob recognizes that he is unworthy of God’s providence thus far, and that he had nothing before the vow to God. Jacob reminds God of His promises to Jacob.
Jacob then prepared a gift for Esau of five hundred and fifty animals in an effort to appease the wrath of Esau.
Jacob’s faith in God is developing and growing. In following God’s command to return home, he now finds himself about to be confronted by Esau, who previously wanted to kill Jacob. Jacob knew nothing of his possession came from his own hand, instead all coming from God. Jacob acted on this matter of fact and implored God to protect him from Esau. Jacob did not prepare militarily, instead preparing meek and humble by offering a share of God’s providence with Esau while praying to God.
Jacob wrestles with God
That night, Jacob was left alone and found himself wrestling all night with a man. The man then dislocated Jacob’s hip. Jacob continued to fight and the man told Jacob to let him go. Jacob said he would not let go unless the man blesses Jacob. The man then renamed Jacob as Israel because he has “striven with God and with men and has prevailed” (Gen 32:28). The man blessed Jacob but did not give his name. Jacob understood something of the man because he said “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved” (Gen 32:30). The next morning, Jacob was limping because of the struggle.
The identity of this man is questionable as either an angel of God or God Himself as the preincarnate Christ. Jacob seems to believe this is the preincarnate Christ because he says he has seen God face-to-face.
This battle between Jacob and what seems to be God points to the Passion of Christ. Christ allowed His people to prevail over Him so that He may ultimately bless them. And just as Christ defeated death after injury, Jacob emerged victorious with an injury. This makes Jacob, who is now Israel, a type of the people of Israel, who has the victorious, people who are blessed to believe in Christ, while others are crippled by their unbelief.5
We also can understand Jacob’s wrestling with God in regards to his moral progress. Jacob struggled with God by being a sinful man and making conditional vows, then ultimately being figuratively injured by the consequences of his sins yet God combatted lovingly by giving Jacob His providence so Jacob may recognize he gains nothing without God. Jacob was injured by his sins but emerged victorious as a child of God.
Jacob meets with Esau
Jacob saw Esau approach with his 400 men and decided to divide the children and women placing the maids with their children in the front and Leah and Rachel with their children towards the rear. Jacob went ahead in the very front and bowed down seven times until he came near Esau. Esau then ran to meet him and embraced Jacob and they wept together. Esau inquired as to all the people with him and Jacob responded that they were all given to him by God.
Esau then asked why Jacob sent the other company ahead with the gifts, and noted that he has more than enough. Jacob insists on sharing God’s providence with Eau, and Esau accepts it. Esau suggests that Jacob joins him in journeying to Seir, but Jacob declines. Esau offers to leave some of his men with Jacob to help them on the journey to Seir but Jacob continues to decline saying there is no need. After Esau departs, Jacob journeys to Succoth and built a house and stalls for his cattle. With time, Jacob makes it safely to Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, the land of his fathers. Jacob bought some land and erected an altar.
There is quite a bit of buildup and tension with the meeting with Esau. When they reunite, Esau is warm and welcoming, but Jacob seems to maintain a level of distrust. Jacob expresses this when he deceives Esau yet again by letting Esau believe Jacob is going on to Seir. Esau believes this because Jacob had his servant go ahead of him to tell Esau that he was going to Seir. Jacob clearly deceived him because Seir is not his destination, instead going towards Canaan. Why did Jacob deceive Esau? Because he did not trust him. He did not want Esau to know where he was ultimately going so as to have his whereabouts unknown to Esau so Esau could not go and find him to kill him.
Despite this deception, we continue to see Jacob’s growing relationship as a son of God. Jacob continually gives praise to God while Esau gives no praise to God. Jacob loved the birthright and Esau despised it still.
Conclusion
Jacob started as a scoundrel and a sinner pursuing Esau’s birthright and blessing. After obtaining that which he sought, he let himself become a child of God by making a vow to God. God delivered on His promises to Jacob. Jacob received this gift of God along with the grace of God that came with it. That grace of God helped Jacob to understand that he was a child of God, a child who truly depends on their Father. Jacob praised God for providing for him in Haran and protecting him from Laban and Esau. Jacob started to develop a life of prayer. Jacob became a changed man.
We too can receive these gifts and promises. Jacob became the father to the nation of Israel, a nation with multitudes of people more numerous than the stars and the sands. This Israel is not a nation in an earthly sense, instead, this nation of Israel is “the Israel of God,” “a new creation” (Galatians 6:15-16). This new creation, this Israel of God, is born by those who enter into the life of Christ through the baptismal waters to be born anew (John 3:3). “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17). Jacob entered into this life of Christ by becoming a child of God and receiving the grace of the Father. We can receive God’s grace in this mortal life and trust in Him to provide for us just like He did for Jacob. Jacob started off as a sinner and became a saint. We are all sinners and we can look to Jacob’s example to inspire us to become children of God and ultimately become saints.
References
12008. The Orthodox Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.pg32
22020. New Catholic Bible. Totowa, NJ: Catholic Book Publishing Corp. pg33
32024. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press. Pg95
4 Nun, Yoel Bin. 2025. “Why did Rachel Steal the Household Idols?” 929. December 10. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.929.org.il/lang/en/page/31/post/38593.
52024. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press. Pg99
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