30. B.C. 1796 to 1739

B.C. 1796 to 1739

Chapter IV

Timeline View:

1. When Jacob was 77 years old, and Isaac 137, we find the patriarchal family again at Beersheba. By that time Isaac’s sight had failed him, and he concluded that he had not long to live. He therefore determined to bestow that blessing which the patriarchal fathers were wont to give to their sons in their last days, and to which much importance was attached, because on such occasions an influence from above enabled them to interpret the designs of the Almighty towards those whom they addressed. The blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, which God intended for Jacob, the fond Isaac now purposed to bestow on Esau. This he made known to him; but first sent him out into the fields to hunt, that, with the game, he might prepare one of those savoury messes with which he had been in the habit of gratifying the appetite of his aged father. All this was overheard by Rebekah, who instantly determined to frustrate the design by artifice. She dressed Jacob in his brother’s clothes, and persuaded him to personate Esau: and he thus obtained from his blind father the important blessing—“Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be every one that blesseth thee! “Jacob had scarcely withdrawn, when the entrance of Esau revealed the deception which had been practised. Isaac was seized with consternation when he discovered that his intention had been counteracted. But convinced that be had been rashly attempting to act in opposition to the divine will, and that, the whole matter had been overruled by a higher power, he made no attempt to recall the blessing he had bestowed on Jacob, but rather confirmed it by the emphatic declaration, “Yea, and he shall be blessed!”

2. The grief and rage of Esau at being thus circumvented by his brother were very great. He earnestly begged another blessing for himself, and obtained one which involved the promise, that although his posterity should for a while be subject to that of Jacob, yet in the end they should throw off the yoke, and establish their independence. All the parties in this transaction were much to blame; Rebekah and Jacob especially, were guilty of the sins of doing evil that good might come, and of promoting, by fraudulent means, the intentions of God, in effecting which their aid was not needful.

3. Esau cherished the most inexorable resentment against Jacob for what he had done. He vowed to be revenged by the death of his brother; but, out of regard for his father, purposed to wait till after his death. This came to the ears of Rebekah, who thereupon persuaded Jacob to withdraw for a time to her brother Laban in Mesopotamia. Not to trouble the mind of the aged Isaac, she forbore to tell him the principal reason for this course, but assigned another, which was also true, being her fear lest Jacob should follow the example of his brother, in marrying one of the women of the country in which they lived. Isaac therefore called Jacob, and charged him not to do this, but to go and obtain for a wife one of the daughters of Laban, his mother’s brother.

4. Dismissed with his father’s blessing, the heir of the promises set forth upon his journey. On his way, he was encouraged by an important vision at Bethel, and in due time arrived at Haran; and when he came to the well outside that city, he found a great number of persons of both sexes assembled there to water their flocks. Among them he discovered Rachel, the daughter of Laban, who had charge of the home flock. Having watered the flock for her, he told her who he was, and went with her to her father’s house. He was well received by Laban, to whom he made his circumstances known. In a short time that person discovered that Jacob had a very superior knowledge of pastoral affairs, and became anxious to retain his services in the management of his flocks. He offered him wages; but Jacob, who! had mach love for his cousin whom he had met at the well-but had no means of paying the price which custom required a man to give to the father of the woman he married—offered Laban seven years of his services for Rachel. Laban consented; and when the time came, made a great feast to celebrate his daughter’s marriage; but instead of giving Jacob the youngest daughter, according to agreement, he managed, by some deception, to substitute Leah, the eldest, for whom Jacob had no regard.

5. Next day, when the fraud was discovered, Laban excused himself by saying, that the custom of the country would not permit the younger daughter to be given in marriage before the elder; and coolly added, that now the elder was married, he might have the other also, if he chose to serve other seven years for her. Jacob, who saw no remedy, and who greatly loved Rachel, agreed to this proposal, and, after a proper interval, she was given to him. He had now two wives, as the custom of the time and country allowed. As might be expected, Rachel was much dearer to him than Leah, whom he treated with comparative neglect; but the Lord, who hates injustice, restored the balance in this matter, by giving Leah children, which were withheld from Rachel. Leah bore successively four sons, whom she named Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. As children are greatly desired by the Orientals, and were more especially desirable to him whose posterity was to become a great nation, this gave to Leah an advantage over her sister, which vexed Rachel She therefore gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob, in the same way, and with the same intention, as that with which Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham, Rachel intending, that if there were children, they should be considered her own. Bilhah had two sons, whom Rachel named Dan and Naphtali. On this, Leah would not be denied the right of giving also her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob. She bore two sons, Gad and Asher, in addition to whom Leah herself had two more sons, Issachar and Zebulun, and one daughter named Dinah. At last, after many years of repining, Rachel herself had a eon, who received the name of Joseph.

6. The fourteen years during which Jacob had agreed to serve Laban for his two daughters were expired, and he no expressed an intention of returning to the land of Canaan. But Laban, convinced that the Lord had blessed him great for Jacob’s sake, and that all his affairs had prospered in his hands, earnestly entreated him to remain, offering whatever recompense for his further services he might demand. As he was still poor, and felt it a duty to provide for his own house Jacob found it prudent to accept this offer, and named the party-colored sheep and goats which might henceforth be born in the flock as the reward of his cares. As pied animals are very rare in Syrian flocks, Laban eagerly agreed to this proposal. By forming into a separate flock, and removing to a distance all the animals which were already party colored, leaving all the rest under the care of Jacob, he took means to prevent the inordinate increase of such as were o become his nephew’s share; but, on the other hand, Jacob, by an ingenious contrivance, endeavoured to promote their increase, and with such success, that a very few years sufficed to render his portion of the flocks greater than Laban’s.

7. Annoyed at the discontent and envy, which Laban and his sons took no pains to conceal, longing to be at home, and deeming his present wealth sufficient, Jacob, after six years more of servitude, malting twenty years in all, determined to return to Canaan. But fearing that Laban might oppose his departure, ho took an occasion of removing clandestinely, with his wives and children, his flocks and herds. Three days passed before Laban heard of his departure, and with his relations and retainers be immediately set off in pursuit. In seven days he traversed the distance for which Jacob, encumbered with flocks and herds, had required ten days, and overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. It had, doubtless, been the intention of Laban either to compel Jacob to return, or to despoil him of his wealth; but the night before they met, he had been warned in a dream against committing any injurious or hostile act. Therefore, when they met the next day, he confined himself to reproofs, which Jacob retorted with great spirit, and much truth; and in the end they came to a good understanding, and entered into covenant of peace; after which they parted, Laban returning home, and Jacob pursuing his journey.

8. Jacob’s next anxiety was to ascertain the disposition towards him of his brother Esau, to evade whose wrath he had quitted the land of Canaan twenty years before. Meanwhile, Esau himself had become a person of consequence, and had established himself in great power as a military chief in the mountains of Seir. Thither Jacob sent messengers to announce his return, which they were instructed to do in terms of the utmost deference and respect. In due time the messengers returned with the alarming intelligence that Esau himself was advancing at the head of 400 men. Jacob much feared that the intentions of his brother were unfriendly; and he recommended himself, in an earnest prayer, to the protection of God. It was night: his caravan had already passed the river Jabbok, and he remained behind to renew his supplications in the solitude. While he was thus engaged, an angel of God appeared and struggled with him, in wrestling, for a long while, and refrained from overcoming the mortal man with whom he conflicted, until the morning broke; and then, to evince his power, he laid his hand upon the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, when instantly the sinew shrank, and he halted with lameness. Yet Jacob left not his hold of the angel, but cried, “I will not let thee go except thou bless me!” The angel asked him, “What is thy name?” He answered, “Jacob.” Then said the angel, “thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel (prince of God); for as a prince has thou power with God, and with men, and hast prevailed.” He then received the blessing for which he strove, and derived all the intended encouragement from this mysterious interview. Israel then joined his family on the other side the Jabbok. The intentions of Esau may have been hostile; but his heart was so wrought upon by the sight of his long absent brother and his peaceful troop, that he ran to meet him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept together.