Chronological Bible Study – Jan 21

What I Noticed Today (Genesis 27-29)

Genesis 27

Chapter 27 reads like a modern-day soap opera with Jacob deceiving his father Isaac, to attain the blessing of the first-born.

In verses 1-29, Jacob steals Esau’s blessing:

• Isaac was old, and his eyes were weak so that he could not see. He called his son Esau to him and told him to prepare a meal of wild game so that he could bless him.

• Rebekah was listening when Isaac gave the instructions to Esau, so she instructed Jacob to kill two goats, and she would prepare them, so Jacob could take it to Abraham and secure his blessing.
• Jacob was concerned about deceiving his father and being discovered, which would then be a curse, but Rebekah assured him the curse would be on her.
• So Jacob went out and got the goats, and Rebekah prepared them. Then she had Jacob dress in Esau’s clothes and covered Jacobs's arms with goat skins to simulate Esau’s hairy arms.
• Jacob took the stew and the bread into his father and lied to his father, saying he was Esau and was there to get the blessing as promised.
• Jacob lied again, saying the Lord had provided the game.
• He lied a third time when Isaac asked him again if he was Esau.
• Isaac said the voice was Jacob’s voice, but the hairy hands were Esau’s.
• Jacob lied a fourth time when Isaac asked him again if he really was his son Esau.
• Isaac ate and drank and then called Esau to him. He smelled the clothes, and the clothes smelled like Esau.
• So Isaac blessed Jacob, thinking it was Esau, saying he would have the richness of the land, abundance of grain and wine, people would serve and nations bow down to him, he would be master over his brother, and those who curse you will be cursed and those who bless you will be blessed.

In verses 30-46, Esau discovers Jacob’s treachery:

• As soon as Isaac finished blessing Jacob in came to Esau saying he had prepared food for his father to eat and then bless him.
• Isaac trembled, realizing he had been deceived and that he had blessed the wrong son, but the blessing must stand, it cannot be reversed.
• Angry, Esau insisted Isaac bless him as well, but Isaac replied he could not because his brother had deceitfully taken his blessing.
• Esau had given up in rights as the firstborn to Jacob, and now Jacob had taken his blessing as well.
• Finally, Isaac blessed Esau saying his dwelling place would be away from the rich land; he would live by the sword, he would serve his brother, but someday he would break Jacob’s yoke from his neck.
• Esau held a grudge against Jacob and swore to himself that after his father died, he would kill Jacob.
• When Rebekah found out about Esau’s plan, she sent Jacob away to her brother Laban’s house in Haran to stay with him until Esau’s anger subsided.
• Rebekah said to Isaac she was sick of the Hittite women (that Esau had married), and she didn’t want Jacob to marry one.

 Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• Going against God’s will almost always set up situations that go from bad to worse. Deceit, lies, and cover-ups are used to get our way. Life is so much easier and pleasant if we just follow God’s plan and TRUST Him!
• Jacob’s main concern with his mother’s plan in attaining Esau’s blessing is not the lies to his father, or incurring the wrath of God, but that he might get caught in his deception, and thus receive a curse instead of a blessing.

Genesis 28

In verses 1-9, Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him to Paddan-Aram to find a wife:

• Isaac brought Jacob in and told him not to find a wife among the Canaanite women, but to go to Paddan-Aram to the house of Laban, your mother’s brother and marry one of his daughters.
• Isaac blessed Jacob praying that God would bless him, multiply him into an assembly of people, and extend the blessing of Abraham upon him.
• Jacob went to Paddan-Aram to Laban, the brother of his mother, Rebekah.
• Esau saw how Isaac had blessed his brother Jacob and sent him to Paddan-Aram to marry because he disapproved of the Canaanite women.
• So Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. (Mahalath is Esau’s cousin)

In verses 10-22, Jacob leaves Beer-sheba and has a vision from God:

• Jacob left Beer-sheba and headed for Haran.
• He traveled until the sunset, then set up camp.
• In his sleep, he saw a vision of a stairway reaching up to heaven, and the angels were going up and down on the stairs.
• Yahweh was standing beside him saying he was the God of Abraham and Isaac and would give him the land he was sleeping on, your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, your people will spread out in all directions, and all the people of the earth will be blessed through your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you, and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done all I have promised.
• When Jacob woke up, he was afraid and in awe, thinking this place was the house of God and the gate to heaven.
• Early in the morning, Jacob set up a stone marker and poured oil on it and named the place Bethel (House of God). Previously the place was known as Luz.
• Then Jacob made a vow that if the Lord would be with him and watch over him, provide food and clothing, and return him to his father’s house in safety, then the Lord would be his God. This stone was a marker of God’s house, and he would give God a tenth (tithe) of all that He gave him.

Genesis 29

Chapter 29 describes Jacob meeting Rachel, Laban’s deceit, and Jacob’s sons:

In verses 1-12, Jacob gets to Haran and meets Rachel:

• Jacob continued his journey and arrived at a well outside of Haran. Jacob asked the men at the well if they knew Laban. At that moment, Rachel, Laban’s daughter, was coming with his sheep.
• As soon as Jacob saw Rachel coming with the sheep, he rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep.
• Jacob kissed Rachel and wept as he told her he was her father’s relative, Rebekah’s son.

In verses 13-30, Laban deceives Jacob over Rachel:

• Laban recognized Jacob as family and invited him to stay.
• Since Jacob was family and not a servant, it was appropriate to negotiate paying him a wage.
• When Laban asked what wages did Jacob want, Jacob said he would work seven years for Rachel because he loved her.
• Laban agreed, and Jacob worked for Laban seven years.
• When the seven years was up, he wanted to marry Rachel.
• Laban invited all the men together for a feast, but that evening he gave Rachel’s older sister Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

• In the morning, Jacob realized the deception and confronted Laban.
• Laban’s excuse was he did this because, according to their tradition, the older daughter must marry first. Then Laban told Jacob if he agreed to work for him another seven years, he could have Rachel as well.
• Jacob loved Rachel more than her sister Leah and worked for Laban another seven years.

Genesis 29:31-30:24

This section contains the records of the children born to Jacob by Leah and Rachel.

Verses 31-35 records the sons born to Jacob by Leah:

• God saw Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb.

• Leah gave birth to a son named Reuben, saying the Lord had seen her affliction.
• Leah gave birth to a son named Simeon, saying the Lord heard she was unloved.
• Leah gave birth to a son named Levi, saying, at last, my husband will be attached to me.
• Leah gave birth to a son named Judah, saying this time I will praise the Lord.
• Then she stopped having children.

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Day 22 Genesis 30-31