Day 10: Genesis 28-30

(The previous post covered the three chapters that focused on Isaac's portion of the 4th Dispensation: Isaac became rich by sowing (investing) during a famine after receiving protection from Abimelech. Isaac had two sons: Esau and Jacob. Jacob, the younger, supplanted Esau by getting both the birthright and the blessing, meaning the presentation of the 4th Dispensation continued through Jacob's perspective.)

Genesis 28
¹ And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

(Isaac told Jacob not to take a wife of the Canaanites before he sent Jacob to find a wife.)

² Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father. And take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.
³ And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of peoples.
⁴ And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee. That thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham.
⁵ And Isaac sent away Jacob. And he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

(Isaac married Abraham's nephew's daughter. Isaac wanted Jacob to marry his mother's niece, Jacob's cousin. This would be the last time that Jacob would see his parents.)

⁶ Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take him a wife from thence. And that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
⁷ And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan-aram.
⁸ And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father.
⁹ And Esau went unto Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

(Esau saw how Jacob obeyed his parents. Esau saw how his wives upset his parents so he took more wives that upset his parents. Was Esau honoring his mother and father?)

¹⁰ And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.
¹¹ And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set. And he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.

(During his travels, Jacob stopped to sleep.)

¹² And he dreamed. And behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
¹³ And, behold, Jehovah stood above it, and said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.
¹⁴ And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. And in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
¹⁵ And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee, whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land. For I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
¹⁶ And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place. And I knew it not.

(The ladder vision showed angels come down and go back to heaven from this place. The etymology showed the ladder resembled a spiral staircase, like a DNA molecule. This was why this land is so important, it is the gateway to heaven.)

¹⁷ And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

(Jacob called this place the "house of God" and the "gate of heaven." Dreadful meant "fear inducing"; fear meant "reverence/respect." Godly fear (or "fearing God") is a reverence toward God as an effect of knowing God: His power, His Righteousness, His Justness - He is incomparable.)

¹⁸ And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Beth-el. But the name of the city was Luz at the first.

(Jacob changed the name of the city of Luz to Beth-el. Beth-el meant "house of God.")

²⁰ And Jacob vowed 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 raiment to put on,
²¹ so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and Jehovah will be my God,
²² then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

(Jacob vowed to give a tenth back to God if God provided for him. This was a tithe. Jacob knew it was right to do this even before the Law told him to. Would it be right to do this after the Law has been fulfilled?)




Genesis 29
¹ Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.
² And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. And the stone upon the well's mouth was great.
³ And thither were all the flocks gathered. And they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place.
⁴ And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
⁵ And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
⁶ And he said unto them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well. And, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.

(Laban was Rebekah's brother, Jacob's uncle. Rachel, Laban's daughter, was a shepherd.)

⁷ And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together. Water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
⁸ And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep.
⁹ While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep. For she kept them.
¹⁰ And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

(Rebekah helped Abraham's ruler. Jacob helped Rachel.)

¹¹ And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
¹² And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. And she ran and told her father.

(Jacob and Rachel were cousins.)

¹³ And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
¹⁴ And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
¹⁵ And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?

(Laban initiated the exchange where he and Jacob discussed the terms of Jacob serving Laban.)

¹⁶ And Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
¹⁷ And Leah's eyes were tender. But Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
¹⁸ And Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
¹⁹ And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man. Abide with me.

(Laban said he agreed with Jacob's terms: Jacob would serve Laban for seven years for Rachel to be his wife.)

²⁰ And Jacob served seven years for Rachel. And they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
²¹ And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
²² And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
²³ And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. And he went in unto her.

(There was no ceremony. A wedding is a feast. Consensual sexual intercourse is Marriage.)

²⁴ And Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid unto his daughter Leah for a handmaid.
²⁵ And it came to pass in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

(Notice, Jacob did not know it was Leah until the morning, until after he had intercourse with her. Jacob supplanted Esau. Here, Laban had beguiled Jacob.)

²⁶ And Laban said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the first-born.
²⁷ Fulfil the week of this one, and we will give thee the other also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
²⁸ And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. And he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife.

(Since Jacob didn't know it was Leah that he had intercourse with, it seems that he still had to agree with keeping her as his wife. However, Jacob still wanted Rachel as his wife as well. Rachel was given to Jacob before the next seven years was served. Remember, Jacob needed as much time away from Esau as possible. Also, by staying with Jacob for the rest of the week, Leah agreed to Rachel also becoming Jacob's wife. This was the same as Sarai did with Abram and Hagar. Notice, Jacob married sisters. This would be a violation of God's Law in the next dispensation according to Leviticus 18:18. This was another proof that sin is not the action (what). Sin is the cause (how/why) and the action is the effect. This was why an action could be sin during one dispensation and not sin during another dispensation.)

²⁹ And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid.
³⁰ And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
³¹ And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren.

(God said Leah was "hated" when it was stated that Jacob loved Rachel more. The definition for hate in God's Word was "love less." This was God's definition of "hate.")

³² And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben. For she said, Because Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction. For now my husband will love me.

(Reuben meant "behold a son.")

³³ And she conceived again, and bare a son: and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I am hated, he hath therefore given me this son also. And she called his name Simeon.

(Simeon meant "heard.")

³⁴ And she conceived again, and bare a son. And said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore was his name called Levi.

(Levi meant "joined to.")

³⁵ And she conceived again, and bare a son. And she said, This time will I praise Jehovah. Therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.

(Judah meant "praised.")

(Leah gave birth to Jacob's first four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Rachel was barren.)




Genesis 30
¹ And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
² And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
³ And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.

(Rachel acted the same way as Sarai did.)

⁴ And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

(These women were not handmaids against their will. This was a cultural difference. These women would have been eager to bare a child for Jacob. It would have insured their safety and security for life. This would make them a concubine, unless the wife accepted them into the Marriage. In this case, Leah would also have had to accept Rachel's handmaid into the Marriage. We will see later, Bilhah was a concubine, not Jacob's wife.)

⁵ And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
⁶ And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

(Dan meant "a judge." Remember "Dan" throughout the Bible and where he came from, a situation similar to Ishmael.)

⁷ And Bilhah Rachel's handmaid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
⁸ And Rachel said, With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

(Naphtali meant "wrestling.")

⁹ When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to wife.
¹⁰ And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bare Jacob a son.
¹¹ And Leah said, Fortunate! and she called his name Gad.

(Gad meant "troop." Troop meant "good fortune.")

¹² And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bare Jacob a second son.
¹³ And Leah said, Happy am I! for the daughters will call me happy: and she called his name Asher.

(Asher meant "happy.")

(Rachel's handmaid had two sons. Leah's handmaid had two sons.)

¹⁴ And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
¹⁵ And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes.

(Leah said Rachel had taken her husband. Jacob was not having intercourse with Leah. Jacob wanted to be with Rachel.)

¹⁶ And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for I have surely hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

(After Leah had bargained with Rachel over having intercourse with their husband, she approached Jacob. Jacob did what Leah wanted.)

¹⁷ And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob a fifth son.
¹⁸ And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

(Issachar meant "there is recompense.")

¹⁹ And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jacob.
²⁰ And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

(Zebulun meant "exalted.")

(Leah was responsible for half the tribes of Israel: six of the twelve sons.)

²¹ And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

(Leah also had a daughter. She named her Dinah which meant "judgment.")

²² And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

(God remembered meant that God "intentionally thought on" Rachel.)

²³ And she conceived, and bare a son: and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
²⁴ and she called his name Joseph, saying, Jehovah add to me another son.

(Joseph meant "Jehovah has added." Joseph was Rachel's firstborn and Jacob's second youngest son.)

²⁵ And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

(Once Rachel had a son, Jacob approached Laban about wanting to leave to go to his own country.)

²⁶ Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service wherewith I have served thee.
²⁷ And Laban said unto him, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake.

(Laban recognized he was blessed because of Jacob. This was a foreshadowing of the events in Joseph's life with Potiphar (Genesis 39), the jailer, and Pharaoh.)

²⁸ And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
²⁹ And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle have fared with me.
³⁰ For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it hath increased unto a multitude; and Jehovah hath blessed thee whithersoever I turned: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
³¹ And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me aught: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed thy flock and keep it.

(This began Jacob and Laban's second negotiation.)

³² I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
³³ So shall my righteousness answer for me hereafter, when thou shalt come concerning my hire that is before thee: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that if found with me, shall be counted stolen.
³⁴ And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

(Laban and Jacob made a deal.)

³⁵ And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstreaked and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons;
³⁶ and he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

(Laban was beguiling Jacob again.)

³⁷ And Jacob took him rods of fresh poplar, and of the almond and of the plane-tree. And peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
³⁸ And he set the rods which he had peeled over against the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink; and they conceived when they came to drink.
³⁹ And the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth ringstreaked, speckled, and spotted.
⁴⁰ And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and put them not unto Laban's flock.
⁴¹ And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger of the flock did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;
⁴² but when the flock were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
⁴³ And the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, and maid-servants and men-servants, and camels and asses.

(Jacob put the rods up for him to look at. Animals do not have a will. Jacob had a will. Jacob was expressing his will over the animals with the rods. Laban was unjust to Jacob. Jacob was equaling out Justice with the rods.)

(This post began covering Jacob's time away from Esau. Jacob got married to Leah and Rachel. Jacob and Laban reached an agreement on the terms behind Jacob leaving Laban.)

Day 11