Genesis 28-30

What I Noticed Today (Genesis 28-30)

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 sun set, 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 by 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.
• 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 were 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.

In 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.

Genesis 30

In verses 1-8, records sons born to Billah, Rachel’s servant:

• When Rachel saw that Leah was bearing children and she was not, she was angry. She gave Billah, her servant, to Jacob to bear children for her.
• Billah conceived and bore a son named Dan, and Rachel said God had vindicated her.
• Billah conceived again and bore a son named Naphtali, and Rachel said I have wrestled with my sister and won.

In verses 9-24, the rest of Jacobs sons are born to him:

• When Leah realized she had stopped having children, she gave her servant, Zilpah, to Jacob.
• Zilpah conceived and bore a son named Gad, and Leah said what good fortune.
• Zilpah conceived again and bore a son named Asher, and Leah said I am happy that women call me happy.
• Rachel wanted some mandrakes, so she allowed Leah to sleep with Jacob in exchange for some mandrakes.

• When Jacob came in from the field that day, Leah met him and said she had “hired” him with her sons’ mandrakes. So Jacob slept with Leah, and Leah conceived again.
• Leah bore a fifth son to Jacob and named him Issachar, saying God rewarded her for giving her servant to Jacob.
• Leah conceived again and bore Jacob, a sixth son, and named him Zebulun, saying, this time, my husband will honor me.
• Leah conceived again and bore a daughter named Dinah.
• God remembered Rachel, opened her womb, and she conceived and bore a son named Joseph, saying God had taken away her shame.

In verses 25-43, the Lord blesses Jacob’s flocks at the expense of Laban’s:

• After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob went to Laban, saying he wanted to return to his homeland.
• Laban, realizing (through divination) that it was God who had blessed Jacob, asked him to stay and name his wages.
• Jacob said he had increased Laban’s wealth, but now it was time for him to work for his own family.
• Jacob finally agreed to stay if Laban would allow him to go through all the flocks and take out all the spotted sheep, and dark-colored goats as his wages.
• Laban agreed and separated all the spotted and colored sheep and goats from the flocks, and had his sons drive them three days’ journey away.
• Jacob then tended Laban’s flocks. He did everything he could to produce spotted and speckled sheep and goats that became his at the expense of Laban. Additionally, his animals were stronger, and Laban’s were weaker.
• Jacob became very rich, with many flocks, slaves, camels, and donkeys.

Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• I am reminded of the quote from the poem Marmion, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we practice to deceive.” Laban deceived the deceiver Jacob. Then in building their family, wives became envious of each other, giving servants as child bearers. All to increase their status and perceived value to their husband.
• Jacob’s family grew, and he became very rich over time, fulfilling God’s promise. But in both cases, man manipulated events trying to bring God’s promises to fruition. Lies and deception were the results. God fulfilled His promises, but He did it in spite of their interference.

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

Tomorrow: Genesis 31-33