Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Jacob made a vow close to thirty years previous at this point. God came to Jacob and reminded him of it. “And Jacob made a vow[a] saying, “If God will be with me and protect me on this way that I am going, and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return in peace to the house of my father, then Yahweh will become my God” (Genesis 28:20-21). So God came to Jacob and told him to go to Bethel, live there, and make an altar. To go back and fulfill the vow. Yesterday you may have noticed that there was little looking to God in Jacob’s life. Most of what he did – and all in the case of Dinah – was done in his own strength and wisdom, not God’s. It didn’t go well for him. But this reminder of that vow sparked something in Jacob.

The first thing Jacob does is require all those with him to give up their idols. This is his household AND those with him, but not family (servants and hired workers). Anyone who wanted to be part of the Jacob business holdings from that day onward would be dedicated toward Yahweh, and not dabbling in any way with foreign gods or divination. They complied and it was all buried under a tree.

The second thing that was required was purification. To symbolically wash off all that old influence. To dedicate themselves mind and heart to following God.

The third thing that was required was new clothes. They were to change their clothes before starting their journey. Put away anything that wasn’t God, purify their minds and hearts of the interest they had in those things, and put on the new clothes they’d wear in their new life. This was a complete dedication and change of life.

They did these things and travelled to Bethel (about 50 km). While they traveled a reverence for God descended on all those around them. Anyone who was thinking of attacking them in retaliation for what the sons did to Shechem, felt the presence of God on them and they could not bring themselves to take action. They arrived in Bethel in peace.

While there, Jacob’s mother’s nurse died. This is generally considered to be when Jacob learned his mother was dead. That since Rebekah was dead, she didn’t need her nurse, so either Jacob was taking care of the nurse and she died or the nurse came to tell Jacob the news and then passed away. In any case, it is the closest we get to finding out about Rebekah being dead.

God appeared to Jacob after he built the altar. He affirmed that Jacob was to use the name Israel. He affirmed the promise of blessing and offspring. He affirmed that He was giving the land that He gave Abraham and Isaac to Jacob as well. And that kings would be among his descendants. Jacob set up a pillar dedicated it and named it (or re-dedicated the name) Bethel meaning ‘House of God’.

They left Bethel and were headed toward Ephrath (Bethlehem) and Rachel went into labour. Remember that second son she was so declarative that she would have? Here he is. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy birth and Rachel died during it. She was young. When Leah died, it is said in the Midrash (Jewish teaching) she was 44  years old although I think closer to 52 (we’ll get there) and Rachel was the younger sister. According to Midrash she was 36 years old, although I think closer to 44. It shows the age gap because Jacob is over a hundred at this point (97 when he left Laban and this was within 10 years of that). Although with her dying breaths she named the son Ben-Oni (son of my sorrow), Jacob felt different and named the boy Benjamin. That means ‘son of my right hand’ or his support. His figurative cane to lean on as he aged. That will matter much later.

Rachel was buried in Bethlehem and Jacob erected a pillar on it. Jacob (now calling himself Israel as he was supposed to) finished the journey and ended up beyond the tower of Eder. While they were there, Reuben went and slept with his stepmother Bilhah (uncovering his father’s nakedness – forbidden in future by the Law, so we know this was immoral). Israel found out about it, but didn’t do anything at the time. Now, some traditions teach that they didn’t have sex. Rather, that Reuben got upset that Israel was taking Bilhah as his main companion and not Leah, Reuben’s mother (who had been second banana to Rachel although Leah was the first wife). It’s said he turned over Bilhah’s bed (maybe destroying it) and dragging in Leah’s bed. Considering what is said/done on Israel’s deathbed, the face-value reading of sexual relations seems more likely to me. Reuben was in his early twenties (24 tops). Maidservants were younger than their mistresses. So since Rachel married at 18-22 (I personally think 16-18), at this point Bilhah was probably between 42 and 45. That’s not a huge age gap (twenty years), especially in the ancient world, but morally wrong (he’d been raised with her as a mother figure after all AND she was concubine to his father). Reuben was not an upstanding person.

Jacob travelled on to Mamre and stayed with his father, Isaac. Although chronologically Isaac was alive when Joseph was 17 (well get there), to close off this section it lists his death at 180 years old. Jacob and Esau met again and buried their father together.

Esau now leaves. He and Jacob had so much stuff, the land could not support them. Esau did not fulfill his vow to kill Jacob once their father was dead. Instead, he fulfilled the blessing Isaac spoke over him and left his brother’s influence. He went to the hill country of Seir and established Edom (which was his other name). He left Canaan to Jacob – perhaps recognising in his own way, Jacob’s birthright (taken by deceit) and blessing (given by God).

We’re given Esau’s wives names, which are different from before. Some believe it’s because two of the women had the same name, so alternative names were given. Some believe the previous names were false (to be more acceptable to Isaac and Rebekah) and these were the real ones. In any case, he had three wives and five sons. We then get the genealogy of Esau’s line. It starts by listing sons. Then they start being called chiefs. And then they start wrestling kingships from the area (before they became subject to Israel’s kings centuries later). We’re told of the chiefs of those in Seir when Esau came, but through intermarriage and force, Esau’s descendants were in charge in the end. So Esau became the father of the Edomites.

“And Jacob settled in the land of the sojourning of his father, in the land of Canaan.” (Genesis 37:1)

We’re going to need to shotgun this next bit because there is a LOT to unpack here. Seriously. Books have been written about it. There are types of Jesus. There are lessons on stewardship and servanthood. There are lessons on integrity. There are lessons on God’s idea of prosperity. There are lessons on repentance. In the space I have, I can really only tell the main points.

Joseph was 17 years old and his father’s favoured son. He was honest to a fault, which his brothers did NOT appreciate – they liked to gloss things over in their reports to Israel. Israel made Joseph a long-sleeved coat of multiple colours (most coats were short-sleeved and functional). It was the kind ceremonial priests wore for special occasions. Or ambassadors. It was fancy dress wear. Israel’s favouritism and his sons’ natural dispositions (they were immoral people) set up their antagonism with Joseph – who for his part wanted to be accepted and friends with his brothers.

Joseph dreamed a dream. He and his brothers were binding sheaves of wheat in the fields. His sheave stood upright and his brothers’ bowed down. They didn’t take well to that. He had been enthusiastic in this neat, but odd dream. They were resentful.

Joseph dreamed again. This time the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing to him. Again, in innocent enthusiasm, he shared it. The brothers? More resentful and also jealous. Israel? Initially he rebuked Joseph, but then kept it in mind and mulled it over.

Israel sent the brothers to graze the herds – they had to travel because there were so many. After a bit, Israel sent Joseph to visit them and bring back a report. Off he went and tracked them down.

The brothers saw him coming and decided to kill him. Reuben suggested just abandoning the boy in a pit instead of murder – he was planning to rescue Joseph later and return him to Israel. So they attacked Joseph, took the coat, and tossed him in the pit. Reuben obviously went off to check the sheep, because when the brothers saw some traders coming Judah suggested they sell Joseph into slavery. So they did for twenty pieces of silver (here is the first instance of inflation. By the time the Law was given about three hundred fifty years later, the price of a slave was thirty pieces of silver). Reuben came back, was really ticked, but went in with them on the plot. They killed a goat and used its blood on the coat to convince Israel his son was dead. Israel dedicated his life to mourning Joseph – despite efforts by his sons and daughters. It is assumed that by this point Leah had died. She is not a part of what happens later.

Joseph is taken to Egypt – the pit (near Dothan) was along the trading path or caravan route between Midian (descendants of Ishmael) and Egypt. They took him there and sold him to Potiphar who was an ‘officer of Pharoah and captain of the guard’. This could mean exactly as it reads. He could also have been chief executioner/head of the penal system. He could also have been head of the kitchens. The Hebrew words can mean all things. The Pharaoh at the time was probably Sesostris II (1897-1878 BC) or Sesostris III (1878-1843 BC). These were certainly the two Pharaohs who ruled during his lifetime (more on that later, in Exodus).

Summary

Key Players: Jacob/Israel, Rachel, Esau, Reuben, Judah, Joseph

Key Themes: Vows, Relationship with God, Genealogy, Favoritism, Dreams, Jealousy

Key Verse(s): Genesis 35:1, 10-15, 18-20; 36:6-8, 40-43; 37:3, 5-7, 9-11, 19-24, 28, 31-36