OT: The Book of Genesis, Chapter 33

Genesis 33:1-20

33:1-2 As Jacob nears home, he sees Esau coming toward him along with an army of men. Going forward with his plan to ensure his family's safety, Jacob divides his camp into two.

33:3 Jacob leads his family, going before them in order to meet Esau first. He puts himself before his family. In an attempt at a cautious greeting, Jacob bows himself to the ground, humbling himself to his twin brother.

33:4 Unexpectedly, Esau runs to Jacob and embraces him. Each of them cry at the heartfelt greeting, having been separated for many years.

33:5 Esau then observes all of the people travelling with Jacob and inquires as to who they are. Jacob explains that the people are his family, given to him generously by God. 

Jacob is still speaking to his brother in humble tone. The deference he shows Esau is genuine because Jacob truly does want to find favor in Esau's eyes. Perhaps it bothered Jacob that they had been enemies for so long and perhaps Jacob was still concerned for his family's safety. Either way, he wanted to dissipate any tension in the relationship.

33:6-7 Following Jacob's lead, his wives and children bow to Esau in deference. Although Jacob and his family are at home in faith, perfectly secured in God's love, they are currently nomads on Earth. They are travelling to Jacob's former home seeking refuge. In order to be able to stay, it was imperative that they get along with Esau.

33:6-8 Esau asks Jacob why he was sent messengers with gifts. Jacob explains that he sent them in order to heal the relationship between himself and Esau.

33:9 Esau explains that the gifts are unnecessary. He does not require or even need them. Esau has done well, he is not destitute and he's no longer angry with Jacob. Esau tells Jacob to keep everything.

33:10-11 Jacob insists. Jacob asks Esau to accept the gift if they are on good terms. Jacob explains that through his faith he has done well; he's very fortunate, he has more than enough to gift to his brother.

33:12 Esau accepts and then offers to lead the way home.

33:13-14 Jacob, still nervous to accept his brother's generosity suggests that Esau continue and he will follow slowly behind with his family. Jacob's excuse is that he needs to travel carefully because of his young animals and children weakened from the long journey.

33:15 Esau offers to leave some of his men behind to help Jacob and his family but Jacob explains that it will not be necessary. Jacob is being careful with his family: he wants to make sure that only people he knows and trusts are around those who he loves so much.

Moreover, Jacob never passes on or shares the responsibility of caring for his family. Through Jacob would come so many generations of people on the earth and it is symbolic that he would allow only his faith to protect and lead them. Jacob was travelling with and through God, a God Esau did not ascribe to. It was imperative that Jacob remain with God as his leader, completely independent from men.

33:16 So Esau continued on without Jacob accepting his choice of independence.

33:17 As he came closer, Jacob constructed a farm for his animals. He began to settle in this region where he grew up.

33:18-20 Jacob builds an altar from which to worship God: El Elohe Israel, the mighty God of Israel. Jacob is always consistent in keeping God a part of his life. He remembers God in times of struggle and joy. In the journey and in accomplishment.

OT: The Book of Genesis, Chapter 32

Genesis 32:1-32

32:1-2 Jacob continues his journey home and along the way, he is met by angels, messengers, of God. The beauty of God's family is each soul's compassion and eagerness to join Him in His work. God promises to take care of Jacob, and you, and to ensure that his promise is kept, he employs the help of his angels. They are right there with him and even though you cannot see them, they are right here with you. For Jesus explained to us in John 14:6 that if we pray for help, we receive a helper, a comforter. 

32:3-5 Jacob arranges for a message to be sent to his twin brother Esau. Jacob and Esau parted with unsettled matters and we can guess that Jacob wanted to either: get an understanding of the current condition of the relationship with his brother before arrival or simply give him notice before showing up. In other words, Jacob was either testing the waters or being polite.

Jacob's arrangement might suggest that he has a flaw (a flaw we all have sometimes): not completely trusting in God. It is a worthwhile trait to have to be prepared and cautious however God had specifically told Jacob to journey home... thereby stating it as a safe place to be.

We can relate to Jacob because we are also human. We are highly susceptible to fear.

32:6-7 The messengers speak with Esau and return to Jacob with a message: Esau is now also journeying toward him... with an army of four hundred men. Jacob is terrified. He's anxious. 

32:8 Jacob begins to plan for the worst. He divides his people and animals into two different groups that way, if Esau attacks one group, the other has a chance at survival.

32:9 Jacob prays to God; praying has always been Jacob's initial response and it has been his saving grace every time. Jacob prays to God and even though he's frightened, reiterates the plan God gave to him: "Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you." Jacob remembers this promise and yet it's still not enough to stifle his fear. 

God chose truly relatable humans to be his prophets and pioneers of the faith. If Jacob were perfect, we could not directly apply his experience of distress to ours. God showers us with promises of love and protection and yet we still allow fear to sneak through. God's hope is that we come to understand that his love is perfect, the application of his guidance and wisdom in our lives is perfect. We do not need to fear anything, not an army of four hundred men not anything at all.

32:10 Although Jacob's faith is not a solid as it could be, he is praying to God. He is working to battle his fear with faith and because of that, he will. He presents himself to God with humility saying: I am not worthy of all of the blessings you have showered on me, my family and my life. 

Jacob's claim to be unworthy is born out of his inherently human ineptitude: we cannot match the glory of God. As fallible creatures, we make mistakes. We are weak when our strength is required sometimes. But Jacob proclaims himself a servant of God, a child dedicated to working toward and for God's compassionate will. With God as our commitment and our destination, He is able to work us through our flaws and tribulations. He is able to keep us on our path.

32:11 In desperation, Jacob prays for something God has already promised: that he and his family are protected.

32:12 Jacob reminds God of his promise to take care of him and allow his family to thrive... God does not need reminding but we as humans certainly do. We need consistent reassurance until (and even after) our faith and our trust is strong.

32:13-16 Jacob gathers a gift for Esau: a significant portion of his livelihood, his animals.

32:17 Jacob sends his workers to greet Esau with the gift. Jacob is so fearful of his brother that he is trying to warm him up, rectify the relationship before they meet face to face.

32:18-19 Jacob tells his workers to explain to Esau that the gift comes from Esau's "servant Jacob." Jacob is not Esau's servant but he is trying to appease his brother, to reduce the tension between them by humbling himself. Jacob is going a little overboard but he's worried.

32:20-21 Jacob's hope is that he will be accepted by Esau when they meet. He makes camp for the night while his workers make the journey with the gift.

32:22-23 He moves Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Ziplah and his eleven sons to a place where he believes they will be safe.

32:24 Jacob's stress level reaches an all time high. He's completely overwhelmed and overtaken by worry and anxiety. He's experiencing an internal crisis, a spiritual crisis. He begins to physically struggle against God*: a symbolic representation of the work it takes to let faith break through and gain complete control, to break our bad habits, fears and insecurities and completely reform us.

*We know from Hosea 12 that Jacob indeed does struggle with God.

It is an existential crisis most, if not all, of us confront during our lives. Jacob has the promises of God but he is yet unable to allow himself to fully trust in Him. He truly does believe in and love God, he's grateful for His Hand in his life but his is unable for some reason to give Him complete control. We know this; we've felt this.

It is at this point in his life that he must make a decision: what is he going to fear? Is he going to fear the wrath and unpredictability of humans? Or is he going to fear a future without God? For when we choose to fear a life separate from God, we ensure that our lives are always aligned with God. And when we do that, our fear melts away; it becomes obsolete. Our fear loses it's purpose and power.

32:25 This struggle reveals the resiliency of Jacob's faith: even if tribulation looms over him, tests him, contends with him, Jacob is not going to give up. He's never going to abandon his faith. God uses this moment to still Jacob. The test of faith is over and God requires Jacob's full attention.

32:26 Before the struggle official ends, Jacob needs to proclaim his faith. He and God need to formally, personally reestablish their trust in each other.

32:27 God asks Jacob: "What is your name?" Jacob responds.

32:28 In this moment God changes his name for symbolic purposes to Israel. The name Israel will represent God's commitment and Jacob's willingness to join with Him in faith. Jacob/Israel has had his faith tested by his experiences with men and God and he prevailed in choosing God.

32:29 Jacob asks for this Entity's name. God asks Jacob why he requests his name... for Jacob knows Who God is. He knows Him. God blesses Jacob because even though nameless, God knows that Jacob knows Who He is. You might not have a name for God either but if you know, truly, deeply know his compassion and creative and wise nature: then you know all you need to know. You know everything about Him. You know exactly Who he is, more than a measly name could ever say.

32:30 Jacob leaves with fantastic experience with God and hobbles away in love and gratitude and remembrance of God. He names the place of his struggle Peniel: vision of God. God has preserved Jacob's life... his eternal life. Not just his life on Earth. God's children receive protection over their eternal lives from God, not just this life.

32:31 Tradition came from Jacob's struggle and hip injury meaning that Jacob shared his experience, taught and explained his faith in God to his family... and through generations they kept Jacob's encounter with God alive.

OT: The Book of Genesis, Chapter 31

Genesis 31:1-55

31:1-2 Eventually, Laban's crookedness overwhelms the coexistence of his and Jacob's family. Jacob hears and observes Laban's jealousy of him and his plan to overthrow Jacob's success. Laban unfairly and inaccurately labels Jacob as a thief. 

Jacob arrived in Laban's region and helped him to become successful. Jacob loves God and follows His instruction, because of that, he is successful in all of his endeavors. Laban tries to convince the people around him that Jacob's success was stolen.

31:3 How does Jacob respond initially? He brings the issue to God. Before making decisions or dealing with unfavorable or even favorable conditions in our lives, it's so worthwhile for us to pause and request God's assistance and perspective. He helps us to see clearly and objectively. In Him, our hope for better is not blind. Our hope is informed and patient, layered and constructed with plan and purpose. 

Through His communication with God, Jacob is encouraged to go to his home. God's promise: I will be with you. We all receive this reassurance force, rush of love from God before taking steps. Jacob convened with God; he essentially took a time out from the game. That is what prayer is. It gives a moment to step out of the game, call a time-out with our coach and establish a new direction. A game plan. He helps us to situate ourselves amidst changing and even difficult circumstances. 

God helps us to clearly define the origin of our struggle, an objective view of our circumstance, and a path to a more stable destination. And like any coach worth his salt, God finishes the time-out with... 1...2...3... I am with you. God says to us: "Hey, we went over everything. We have a plan. I love you. I am with you." He reminds us that even though we hesitate and falter and forget He never does. Therefore we always have stability in Him. We always have focus and clear direction in Him. He's always going to motivate us, move us forward and protect the place where we land after taking the jump.

31:4-6 Next step: Jacob informs his family of the situation and the plan. Jacob explains to his wives that their father has been against them, against the family that together they have created. More importantly: Jacob explains to his wives that our Father, our spiritual Father, our God has been with him. Romans 8:31, if God is with us nobody can be against us.

31:7-7 Jacob allows his wives to review the events: Laban received honest and fair commitment from Jacob from the very beginning... Jacob never received the same in return.

Jacob reminds them that God never allowed Laban to hurt him. Although Laban threw trick after trick at Jacob, Jacob received everything and more than he always wanted. The love of his life, a successful farm (the means which supported his lifestyle and his family), many children and also a second kind wife. Laban set Jacob up for disaster but was never able to thwart him. Jacob's fortune grew and grew because of His faith and direction from God.

31:8-9 God has orchestrated Jacob's success. He enables Jacob to thrive despite opposition. He does this for all of His children who give him the trust and permission to do so.

31:10-12 Jacob continues to dream spiritual communication with God. God is leading him through life and most important: Jacob is following. God is aware of every aspect of Jacob's life, of all the ways Laban is plotting against him. God knows our friends and our enemies, He keeps close watch on all matters of our lives.

God can see our lives from every perspective. From our perspective. From the perspective of others. He knows what and who is coming toward us; he whats what and who is planning to depart from us. He prepares us for all of it.

31:13 Pure reassurance from God: I am the God you have known and followed all your life. I will continue to lead you. Have courage, stand up and walk where to the place I lead you.

Sometimes (read: often) we need this jump-start of reassurance. God encourages us to stand up with courage, prepared to journey down new paths... new paths with the same leader, the same destination: our God.

31:14-15 Laban's daughters are shocked when they realize that their father is withholding their inheritance. 

31:16 Their father having abandoned the priority of his daughter's well-being, Leah and Rachel both commit to Jacob's plan. They tell him to listen to God, to do all that He suggests. They know that their spiritual Father does have their best interest at heart and they feel comfortable and encouraged in following Him.

31:17-18 Jacob follows God's instruction with the support of his wives, gathers all of his belongings and sets on a journey for home: the land of Canaan where he was raised by Isaac and Rebekah.

31:19-21 To escape Laban's contention, Jacob and his family do not inform Laban of their departure. Rachel, feeling mistreated by her father, takes his golden idol. Rachel believes in the same God as Jacob, not idols... but the figure it self was made of gold and therefore had monetary value. This 1) declares what we might already know: Laban was not focused on the true God and 2) Rachel is entirely human, as in, not above somewhat petty behavior. We are all flawed (like Laban, like Rachel), God loves and leads us anyway when He knows we're trying.

31:22-23 Furious, Laban pursues Jacob. Yet Jacob had no reason to worry, God is always watching our back, covering our bases when we are living in accordance with His compassionate will.

31:24 God halts Laban. He instructs Laban to leave Jacob alone. God tells Laban not to speak to Jacob, not even kindly... he tells him to simply let Jacob go. No contention. No mess.

31:25-26 Laban does want he wants to do instead. He follows Jacob and then confronts him.

31:27-28 Laban fawns innocence: he asks Jacob why he was not informed of their departure. Laban claims that he would have had a farewell celebration. Laban lies: he was angry with Jacob and planned to take away all of his hard work.

31:29 Laban almost threatens Jacob but reveals the instruction God gave to him not to speak to Jacob. Laban believes he is powerful but children of God know that He is the only power and any entity against Him is powerless.

31:30 Laban also mentions the idol that Rachel took from his house.

31:31 Jacob is honest with Laban: he left without notice because he feared that Laban would take away his family.

31:32 Jacob is unaware that Rachel stole the idol from Laban. He tells Laban that he may take the life of the person who took the idol from him. Jacob does not think that anyone with his took the idol.

31:33-34 Laban begins searching in everyone's belongings in order to find the golden idol. He cannot find it; Rachel has it packed in her camel's saddle.

31:35 When Laban is about to search her, Rachel claims that she is unwell and cannot be moved at the moment.

31:36-41 Jacob finally loses his tempter with Laban. He recounts all of the ways that he has been fair with Laban only to have Laban deceive and thwart him in return. Jacob reminds Laban that he has served and worked for twenty years. 

31:42 Jacob is honest in saying that if it were not for God, Laban would have completely stripped Jacob of everything he has. And this is the root of all of Jacob's success, joy and fortune: he knows Who enabled and delivered it. God. He follows God's advice, His philosophy of life which is comprised of honesty, hard work, love, compassion, patience and justice. Jacobs knows that those qualities are the cobblestones of the path which leads to life.

Jacob explains that God has 1) seen how he has worked and 2) his affliction. God knows when we are a positive force and will never allow negativity to overcome us.

31:43-44 Stubborn and unjust as always, Laban continues the claim that everything Jacob has is actually his. Unsure of how to take it all back, however, Laban offers a peace-treaty with Jacob.

31:45-50 Laban and Jacob create the conditions under which to make a formal deal. Laban tells Jacob that he may not harm his daughters or take on any additional wives. 

31:51-54 Under the agreement, with God as witness, Jacob and Laban promise to go separate ways.

31:55 Laban says goodbye to his daughters and their children, wishes them well and then departs.

OT: The Book of Genesis, Chapter 30

Genesis 30:1-43

30:1 Rachel began to struggle with the fact that she had not been able to conceive and her sister had. These moments in the Bible humanize the people we are reading about, give us the opportunity to relate to them. Rachel experiences some of the pain and envy that Jacob's grandmother Sarah experienced in the same situation.

Rachel laments to Jacob and remember that in this time and context, people were not aware of the science behind conception. Rachel was truly baffled by her inability to bear children. She was desperate enough even to beg Jacob to give her a child.

30:2 Jacob becomes frustrated. If we were to examine his frustration, we might think about what our own reactions in such a situation would be. Jacob would of course have wanted to have children with the love of his life but it was not happening. He was happy to have sons and loved them but his joy was somewhat diminished by the sadness of the woman he loved so much. He could not fully express his joy and it must have been difficult to balance such a range of emotions. 

Our situations might be different but we each can perfectly understand the ironies and tragedies coupled with the luck and joy of life. When nothing is ever entirely perfect, we work to establish a balance somewhere in between. Jacob's (healthy) response is to bring God into the situation. Although he does not necessarily express himself well, he's trying to convey to Rachel that he's upset he cannot provide what Rachel wants... but reminds her that she should bring her prayers to God.

Jacob reminds Rachel that if there is a perceived problem in her life, the best advice he can give her is to talk to God about it to discover the reason and way out. 

30:3 Rachel follows the footsteps of Sarah and offers her maid to Jacob as a type of surrogate mother. As humans, our patience is not derived out of boundless basins and therefore we frequently run out of it. Even (sometimes especially) when we should not. However, just as Sarah arranged with Hagar, adding another woman into the familial gene pool added new DNA. New DNA ensured that these children being produced could healthfully copulate and populate the world.

30:4-6 Jacob and the maid Bilhah produced a son and Rachel, believing her prayer to be answered, named the child Dan: God is my judge. Hagar and Bilhah although not specifically chosen by the men who gave them children, were specifically chosen by God. Although not highly regarded by society, God enable them to produce the people who would become the patriarchs of population of the Earth. God has no social class distinctions. He loves all equally and blesses all equally. No matter how small or humble you are, God had wonderful things planned for you if you accept them.

30:7-8 Bilhah upon Rachel's request produces another son. Rachel names him Naphtali: my struggle, my strife. Rachel struggled with the fact that Leah was able to have children and she symbolized her triumph over this strife in the naming of Naphtali.

30:9 Leah had four sons but had not been able to conceive after that. She took the same route as Rachel and requested that her maid Zilpah and Jacob have children on her behalf.

30:10-11 Zilpah has a son and Leah names him Gad: Fortune, Luck.

30:12-13 Zilpah has another son and Leah names him Asher: Happy, Blessed.

30:14 Leah's son Reuben went out and found mandrakes, a fruit which at the time was known for being a fertility booster. Rachel asks Leah if she can have some of the mandrakes. 

30:15-16 There is resentment brewing between the sisters and it is expected, their situation is peculiar. Leah takes comfort in the fact that although she is not loved by Jacob as Rachel is, she is the one who has given birth to his children. Each of the sisters feels as though the other sister is luckier. Leah is hesitant to help her sister.

Rachel promises to sent Jacob to Leah if Leah will share the mandrakes with here. We can understand that each wife was constantly battling the other for Jacob's attention. Leah accepts the deal.

30:17-18 As Rachel promised, she sent Jacob to Leah's residence that night. Leah once again conceived a fifth son: Issachar, meaning reward. Leah's reaction is to recognize God's presence with her, ever listening and answering her prayers. 

30:19-20 Leah gives birth to a sixth son: Zebulun, meaning gift. Leah craved Jacob's attention and affection. She craved his presence. The more children she had with him, the more rightful claim she felt she had as his wife.

30:21 Leah then gave birth to a daughter: Dinah, meaning avenged, justice. More on Dinah in following chapters.

30:22 And then finally Rachel conceived a child. Everyone has tribulation in their life. Everyone has something that they passionately (want) pray for that is specific to them. Rachel had precisely what Leah craved yet was unhappy. Leah had precisely what Rachel craved and yet was unhappy. We are each fulfilled in different ways. Our God knows how to adequately and abundantly supply our happiness. We must have faith, trust and patience in Him to deliver to us our greatest joy in His perfect time.

30:23-24 Rachel, the love of Jacob's life, gives birth to a son and she names him Joseph. Joseph meaning: may God add, increase. And indeed he would give Rachel and Jacob another son.

30:25-26 As Jacob's family continued to grow and establish, he requested leave from Laban's house/region. Jacob has dealt fairly with Laban and believes that he has earned the right to move on with his increasingly large family.

30:27-28 Laban does not want Jacob to leave. Laban has personally witnessed the hand of God in Jacob's life (through Jacob's faith) and he does not want to be separate from it. When Jacob arrived in Laban's region, Laban was not doing so well: he had lazy workers and an unsuccessful farm. With Jacob's faith present, life had exploded in abundance and joy.

Laban asks Jacob to remain with him. He offers to give Jacob whatever he wants in order to convince him to stay.

30:29-30 Considering Laban's proposal, Jacob reflects on the growth of Laban's house much (if not all) of it due to Jacob's focused and adept efforts. Essentially Jacob establishes his worth before requesting anything.

30:31-33 "What should I give you?" Laban asks Jacob. Jacob's response is that Laban should not give him anything, everything that Laban has is due to Jacob's efforts and therefore basically already belongs to him. Jacob requests to keep all of the goats which are spotted and speckled. Laban will be able to keep all of the white goats and they will be able to clearly discern whose is whose property.

30:34-36 Laban had the goats separated. Jacob held his end of the deal and continued to tend to Laban's flocks.

30:37-40 Jacob enabled his flocks to conceive during watering.

30:41-43 Jacob ensured also that he and his family would prosper despite Laban's constant interference. 

OT: The Book of Genesis, Chapter 29

Genesis 29:1-35

29:1 So Jacob went on his journey. Through our conversations, prayers and meditations with God we develop our faith but also our game-plan. We establish with Him our goals, our values and our motivations. We explain to Him through our compassion, through the intention of our spirits where we would like our destination to be and then we allow Him to point and lead us toward it. Jacob went on his journey; although he had been travelling, his journey did not truly begin until he made a commitment with God and until God made a commitment with him. 

29:2-3 Jacob reaches a well and surrounding the well are flocks of sheep. Sheep throughout the Bible represent God's children and He, our shepherd. Our guide, the One who gathers us and leads us toward sustenance not only for our bodies but also for our spirits. The sheep have been taken to the well to be watered. It is a beautiful symbol of God's love, He gathers us and pours into us His healing and loving water of life.

29:4-5 Jacob asks the owners of the sheep if they are familiar with his uncle, Laban and inquires after his health. The men explain that they do know Laban and that he is well.

29:6 During their conversation, a shepherdess walks toward them: her name is Rachel. Rachel is a daughter of Laban, Jacob's mother's brother.

29:7-8 Jacob has been raised to be productive. He knows how to take care of sheep and he encourages the men to do so (they appear to be a bit lazier than they should be). A heavy stone secures the well (implying that water is in short supply and closely monitored) and the men explain to Jacob that they are waiting for men to come move it.

29:9 Rachel approaches Jacob and the well... and captures Jacob's heart. Jacob's outright trust and love for Rachel is not necessarily blind or immature. We know that Jacob just had an intense conversation with God; they talked about his journey in life and the outcome and it is possible that God spoke to Jacob about Rachel.

God makes arrangements in our lives if and when we allow Him to. He knows what we need and what would bring us joy and motivation. He knows exactly what would benefit our lives, our characters and our hearts. Let Him be the matchmaker, not only in love but in all aspects of life. He's going to tailor your blessings to your greatest happiness.

29:10 Without help, Jacob moves the heavy stone anticipating Rachel's need of it. This reveals several things about Jacob's character: he's productive, motivated, and compassionate. He get's work done in a timely manner and anticipates the needs of others. He's not wasting time like the men around him. 

It is also likely that Rachel has already begun to develop a relationship with God: this beautiful soul walks into her life and is about to completely change it. God talks to His children; he delights in surprising them with joyful blessings but he also consults them (us) on His plan beforehand. We must be listening otherwise we might miss it. Jacob and Rachel did not miss His blessings... in fact they both walk toward each other to greet their blessing head-on.

29:11-12 Jacob falls in love with Rachel. From this story we receive the facts but we must take a moment to consider Jacob's reaction: he kisses Rachel, vocally expresses his joy and weeps. He's overcome with love and joy. His reaction implies to us that he has just received a blessing from God he had been praying for. 

When Isaac sensed that his son, Jacob, was looking for a wife, he directed him. But it began with Jacob's motivation to be in love. To find a soul to unite his with. In this moment, his prayer his answered and he's beyond grateful. He identifies himself as family and Rachel returns to her father's home to explain the situation.

29:13 Laban is overjoyed at the arrival of Jacob. The extended family knows at this point that Abraham's descendants are blessed and for one of his grandsons to have interest in his daughter is promising news for him.

29:14 Jacob is welcomed into Laban's home for more than one reason: Laban wants to marry his daughter(s) off and he also needs a productive worker on his land. He's not doing as well as Isaac (because he isn't commitment to faith with yields).

29:15-16 Laban asks Jacob how he can repay him for all of his work on his land. Laban has his own ideas in mind but is yet to reveal them. Laban has two daughters: Leah (the eldest) and Rachel. 

29:17 Leah is described to be delicate in nature and Rachel beautiful (as a chosen wife by God for Jacob, we can understand that the true beauty she possessed was the character of her soul).

29:18 Jacob's proposition to Laban is that he will work for Laban for seven years in order to marry Rachel.

29:19 Laban agrees. In this time and context, it was a parent's responsibility to marry their children off. Laban cannot think of a more perfect (and for him, lucrative) match and makes the deal with Jacob. He invites Jacob to stay with him for the seven years of service.

Jacob's love for Rachel is real and honest. He's willing to devote a large portion of his life to obtaining her hand in marriage. This reveals that Jacob is willing to put in the effort to gain and keep what he loves. This character trait is required by faith: we must be willing to put in the effort in order to maintain our blessings and grow them. If Jacob only lusted after Rachel, he would not have been this committed to her. He easily could have married another girl without having to serve any time. Moreover, he probably could have convinced Laban to marry him with Rachel for nothing. Yet he was committed to marrying Rachel in a fair and honest way that also expressed his true love for her.

29:20 "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her." Jacob is so in love with Rachel that the work does not seem like "work" to him at all. More than that, the considerable amount of time passing feels to him like merely a few days. Yet it has been seven years of working for Laban. Because Jacob so loved Rachel, it was all not only worth it, it was enjoyable because he was near her. 

29:21 Jacob fulfilled his promise to Laban: he worked for seven years. At the culmination of the seven years, Jacob is ready to marry the love of his life.

29:22 Laban prepared a feast for celebration. He also begins his duplicitous plans. 

29:23 Instead of offering Rachel to Jacob as he had agreed, Laban prepares Leah for marriage to Jacob. He disguises Leah in wedding garb and a veil and tricks Jacob into believing he is with Rachel. Jacob consummates his marriage to Leah unknowingly.

29:24 Laban gave Leah a maid, Zilpah as a wedding gift. 

29:25 When Jacob realizes what Laban has done, he's extremely upset. Jacob followed his mother's advice in deceiving his father in order to obtain a birthright Esau traded (and then promptly took back) but this time the tables have turned.

29:26 Laban's excuse is that he could not marry his younger daughter before his elder daughter. If this were his true motivation, Laban might have discussed it beforehand (as in, seven years ago!). The fact is that Laban wants to marry of both of his daughters and he wants each exchange to be lucrative for him. It would be easier for him to marry Rachel because of her beauty and he saw an opportunity to marry Leah (who would have been harder to place). He took that opportunity. 

Side note: God promised Abraham countless descendants: Sarah and Hagar enabled Abraham to produce double the amount of children and now through Rachel and Leah, Jacob could do the same. Even though neither man wanted multiple wives, the events of their lives and the dealings of those around him caused it to happen.

29:27 Laban begins to make another deal with Jacob: go forward with this marriage to Leah, work for me another seven years and then marry Rachel.

29:28 Jacob's love for Rachel motivated him to take Laban's deal. This story moves forward very quickly for us but take a moment to contemplate Jacob's struggle and strife. He dealt fairly with Laban and worked arduously... and yet life did not unfold perfectly. But what did happen was that Jacob received blessings along the way and ultimately did receive his greatest prayer: Rachel as his wife.

29:29 Laban gifted Bilhah, a maid, to Rachel as a wedding gift.

29:30 Jacob consummated his relationship with Rachel and really through no fault of his own, loved Rachel more than Leah. He had done all of this for her. Worked for her father, accepted her sister, forgiven her father for his duplicity, and worked again for him to get to marry her.

There is a strong but subtle message to us in Jacob's story: You are also responsible for loving in the same manner you wish to be loved. The love of Jacob's life was delivered to Him but he had to cherish her and earn her love in order to truly "have" her as his. He had to respect her and her family. He had to remain committed to his love. He had to love her actively and consistently. Not only do each of us deserve to be loved in such a way, we also have the responsibility of giving love in such a way.

Jacob's and Rachel's love story is beautiful and inspiring on the surface but there's a deeper and more passionate message within it: marriage is a commitment to effort on behalf of another. Love is a responsibility... a blessed opportunity but also a responsibility. We must be worthy of such a blessing.

29:31 God had compassion for Leah who was a pawn in her father's dealings. She blameless in the situation and yet she is a victim of a marriage lacking in love. To bring her joy, God blesses her with the ability conceive. Her sister, Rachel, however was unable.

29:32 Leah speaks: "The Lord has surely looked on my affliction...". Yes, Leah had a relationship with God. She spoke to him about her troubles and hopes and He listened and answered her. Leah wanted a child to love and to be loved by but she also wanted to earn some love from Jacob. She gives birth to his first child: a son named Reuben. Reuben means: Behold, a son.

29:33 God remains with Leah, as is His nature. He's always with us. Throughout our lives. Leah gives birth to another son, Simeon. Simeon means: Listening.  Our God listens to our prayers with compassion and also with the motivation to fulfill them. To fill us with joy.

29:34 Leah gives birth to a third son (through continued prayer to God) and names him Levi. Levi means: Joined, Attached.

Jacob found love. It happened that the love of his life was unable to bear children. Yet God promised this family generations upon generations of descendants. God's will always finds a way. 

29:35 Leah gives birth to a fourth son, Judah. Judah means: Praise. Leah became the mother of four of Jacob's children. She prayer consistently to God and she had gratitude for His love and blessings. Even though Leah was made a victim by her father, God enabled her to have joy in her life. He gifted her what she prayer for. Her faith allowed Him to deliver blessings into her life. 

OT: The Book of Genesis, Chapter 28

Genesis 28:1-22

28:1 Jacob has become the patriarch to inherent Abraham's blessing from God: promised generations of love, leadership and land. As such, Jacob must marry a woman of the same compassionate nature as himself and his faith. Together they will produce the children who God has promised to guide and bless and therefore it is imperative that their children are raised according to this particular faith. 

Isaac implores Jacob to never take a wife from the region of Canaan. Canaan was known for being a faithless place, or at least a place of faith very contradictory to the one Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob were establishing in the world. For Isaac to be successful in rearing compassionate and faith-focused children, he would need a wife who held the same objectives.

28:2 Isaac's vehement advice is for Jacob to travel to his mother's family's region and find a wife. Abraham had made an identical arrangement in finding Isaac's wife, Rebekah. The population of the world now is quite smaller than it was in Jacob's time and it was custom to marry distant relatives. 

28:3 Isaac's prayer for his son is not dissimilar to what any parent in present day would wish for their child: May God enabled you and motivate you to be productive and successful. May God build a loving and faithful community of family and friends around you.

28:4 May God bless you as He blessed Abraham: meaning that if we give to God the same trust and commitment Abraham gave him, may He bless us with faithful descents and place for them to live and thrive, love and create. May we always have a home in Him and on Earth while we are here.

28:5 Jacob follows his father's advice. Isaac was a known-mediator; he communicated with God, reflected on his life and his journey and surely he spoke to God about the lives of his twin boys. Isaac sent Jacob to find a wife from the same place Rebekah was found for he found compassionate love and prayed the same for his children.

28:6-7 Esau did not follow his father's advice. In fact, Esau was still infuriated with losing his father's blessing as the family patriarch (the head of the family household, the head of the family business, the head of the family faith) that he endeavored to spite his father and live in complete opposition to his wishes.

28:8-9 Upon here that Jacob was journeying to find a wife outside of Canaan, Esau determined to choose a wife specifically from Canaan. Esau had already taken multiple wives but added another, a descendant of his uncle Ishmael, son of Hagar.

It is important to remember that Esau was angry about something he essential arranged himself: he gave his birthright to Jacob but went back on his word. Jacob only received what Esau promised to give him. Do not be a roadblock to your own success the way that Esau did. Be grateful and responsible for your opportunities and responsibilities. 

28:10-11 God reaches us in different ways and for various reasons. He knows our hearts, minds and souls. He knows where we struggle and where we thrive.  The messages he sends to individuals are highly specific to them. Jacob is about to receive a dream from God. He has been travelling, following his father's advice, to find a wife in the region of his uncle Laban. He stops to rest, places his head on a stone and falls asleep.

28:12 Jacob dreams of a ladder extending from heaven all the way down to the Earth. On the ladder were a flurry of angels ascending and descending the ladder. This dream suggests to us that God and his messengers (the angels) are constantly working and flowing between Earth and Spirit. 

28:13 In the dream, God spoke to Jacob: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac..." God continues his promise to Abraham by establishing the same promise to his grandson. By doing so, God reaffirms that He will remain with this faithful family (the family through which the messiah would come) blessing them (us) in all ways without deterrence.

28:14 God prophesies the coming of the messiah for through Abraham (and now Jacob) would come the spiritual entity Who would unite the entire Earth with God's love and compassion.

28:15 God makes this promise to Jacob but He also makes this promise to you. The New Testament is more personalized because that was Jesus's mission: to personalize the faith for all people as it had been to the prophets of this Old Testament. The promise is this: "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go...". Remember always that the only thing you require in your life is that promise... and you have it. God promises to lead Jacob until together, they fulfill his entire purpose on Earth. God's promise is to be with us every moment until we leave this earth to be with Him.

28:16-17 Jacob wakes up astonished. It is incredulous to him that God is present with him. This gives us a clue as to what was inside of Jacob's mind: perhaps he was struggling to envision a tangible, manifested presence of God. God reassured Jacob of his constant and true presence. Jacob and his family existed so long before us but in our behavior alone, our similarities are pronounced and declare our kinship with them all on their own.

For we have these same struggles! We're told of blessings and promises from God but still, individually, we sometimes struggle with the concept. With the truth and possibility of the promises. Yet God promises us that if we work to discover and known Him, Jeremiah 29:13, He ensures that we find what we are looking for. For Jacob to receive such a vivid dream from God, we know that he truly reached out for Him (not only in his mind but in the way that he lived his life).

28:18-19 Renewed, Jacob woke up early in the morning and prayed to God! Jacob was passionate and dedicated to this faith. He was productive, contemplative and focused on his faith.

28:20-21 Yet remember that Jacob is human, like we are. He's still in the process of establishing and developing his faith. He grasps onto the promise of God saying that with it, he will always endeavor in faith. 

The New Testament encourages us to endeavor in faith even if there were no promises... simply because it is the right thing to do, to be truthful, compassionate and productive. But Jacob isn't perfect and that is the beauty of God's love for us: He knows we are flawed yet loves and works with us anyway. Our efforts are endearing to Him and when we stumble (whether we deserve to or not) He's right there offering His hand to help us up.

28:22 Jacob makes a commitment here to return God's generosity. It's a modest yet firm start. Part of the balance of healthy faith is being able to return the generosity from God we freely receive. Miraculously, giving from a compassionate heart gives one the feeling of being gifted. God is constantly pumping blessings into our lives, to receive them humbly and gratefully, it is imperative that in some way, we keep the flow of giving strong. We all have something to contribute, it isn't always or only money. Our friendship is a gift, our listening ear, our personality can be a gift... our talents, our time, our shoulder... there are so many ways to give back.

Jacob realizes that he must tangibly express his gratitude to God. Throughout the development of your faith, you will come to feel the same way as Jacob. 

OT: The Book of Genesis, Chapter 27

Genesis 27:1-46

27:1-3 One of the most exciting elements of the Old Testament is the written passage of time told through generations of one family under God. We know of the prayer and hope and faith that Isaac's parents, Abraham and Sarah, expressed in passionate want of him, their unlikely child. And now we learn Isaac's story: he's advancing in age, he's blind and he's contemplating his passing from earth. 

Isaac calls Esau to him. Isaac favors Esau over his twin brother Jacob because Isaac is impressed with Esau's hunting skills... and quite enamored with carnivorous meals. It seems a little silly to us perhaps but Isaac is especially proud of his son Esau who's talent in hunting provides Isaac satisfaction. Like us, Isaac is not perfect. If he were, he would be a little less gluttonous and might realize that his elder son has some serious flaws.

27:4 Isaac's intention is to have a good meal with his son and then to essentially dub him as the new patriarch of the family. With that responsibility comes also the responsibility of being the one to carry on the faith. Isaac's distraction disallows him from realizing that Esau is not interested in faith or its responsibilities and therefore he's about to put his family's faith in the hands of someone who will squander it away.

27:5 Rebekah overhears Isaac's intentions and immediately beings to plan. Although we are not privy to it, it is likely that Rebekah has if not frequent, then at least steady, conversations with God. After all, she left her family and travelling to marry a stranger (it's entirely possible that she had been a faithful woman praying to God to be her match-maker, to make her a wife and a mother to an honorable man). We know that God spoke to Rebekah about the future and posterity of her twin boys, Esau and Jacob. We know that God informed her that Jacob would lead, although younger, rather than Esau. We can suspect that God and Rebekah arranged for the right son to receive the inheritance from Isaac, the son who would respect and grow it in faith.

27:6-9 Rebekah plans a rather duplicitous act in order to achieve the desired outcome: Jacob and the heir instead of Esau. She tells Jacob to take two goats from the flock for her to prepare for Isaac and informs him of the conversation between Jacob's father and brother. 

27:10 Rebekah's plan is for Jacob to pretend to be Esau, make the offering to his father and receive the blessing intended for Esau.

27:11-12 Jacob has reservations, among them: he does not believe this plan will work. As we know, since their birth, only is brother Esau was especially hairy. Jacob's fear is that Isaac will reach out to him and realize it is not Esau.

27:13 Rebekah is confident in her plan. She has no history of being a duplicitous woman but she does have a history of following God's plan... her vehemency in accomplishing this hints to us that she's following another of God's intentions.

27:14-17 Trusting in her confidence, Jacob did as his mother instructed him to do.

27:18-19 Jacob enters his fathers room with food and vocally claims to be Esau. Jacob requests his blessing and although the act is duplicitous, Esau had already promised Isaac this position in the family. He traded it in the previous chapter. Esau rejected his inheritance but when the time came to receive it, he went back on his word.

27:20 Isaac asks Jacob (pretending to be Esau) how he retrieved the food so quickly. Jacob claims that the Lord has allowed him to serve his father so quickly. Jacob always readily gives credit and glory to God and surely God had provided them with the farm and food that sustained them. Esau went out into the world to hunt but Jacob and Rebekah knew that God provided them everything they needed. Jacob knew that he did not need to go looking anywhere beyond his faith because from within his faith, he was provided everything.

27:21 Isaac is skeptical; parents know their children very well and he intuits that something is off.

27:22-23 Upon examination, Isaac is confused. He senses that Jacob is with him but his hands tell him it is his older son Esau. Siding with what is tangible, Isaac blesses his child, believing him to be Esau.

27:24 Isaac asks if it is actually Esau with him and Jacob confirms it.

27:25-27 With that, Jacob receives Isaac's blessing, the passing down of the faithful inheritance from God. Jacob becomes the patriarch, taking the position his grandfather Abraham once held and appropriately so, for Jacob loves the God.

27:28 Isaac prays for his son to be successful in his endeavors and to live a life of plenty.

27:29 He prays for his son to be respected and honored as the patriarch by his fellow family members and workers.

27:30-31 Esau returns after the blessing is already handed out to Jacob. Esau came to claim a gift he had promised to give to his brother.

27:32-33 Isaac is confused... as far as he knows, he just finished officially blessing Esau.

27:34 When they realize what has happened (in their context and culture it basically was a signed, and official, legally binding contract to bless a son) Esau throws a tantrum. In desperation, Esau pleads for the birth right he gave away to Jacob. Notice that Esau does not consult God during his anxiety. Had Esau been a man/person/soul of God, nobody would have been able to take away his birth right. 

27:35 Isaac tells Esau that it is too late. The blessing officially belongs to Jacob.

27:36-38 Esau is upset but not because he cannot serve God... everyone at any time has that blessed opportunity. Esau is upset to have lost the power and promise of abundance. If he had cared about his faith, he never would have discarded it in the first place.

27:39-40 Some Bible scholars will tell you that the word "of" in this first sentence is only properly translation as "away from." As in, Esau will receive the opposite of his brother's blessing. This makes sense in that Isaac has already explained he cannot give the same blessing to both sons.

Remember that any person who wants to be a fellow worker with God can, nobody is cursed. Esau did not want to work with God and subsequently does not have the blessings of the opportunity. 

27:41 Esau vows to kill his brother (further revealing he has no compassion). 

27:42-45 Rebekah instructs Jacob to take refuge at her brother, Laban's home to escape Esau's fury. Rebekah cares about both of her twins but she also knows that each are very different souls. 

27:46 Abraham arranged for Isaac to marry a faithful woman and Rebekah wants the same for her sons. Through this family would eventually come our messiah and therefore it mattered that each matriarch and patriarch were rooted in faith.