Burunche’s Blog

May 26, 2024 The village of Zuguyizeju, Northern Region

From the time I was a small baby, my parents carried me to church in our little village. Sundays meant church and Sunday School, and church meant special music by either the choir or a soloist. My mother had a lovely soprano voice and was frequently called on for solos. In those days, there was still a vogue for music from oratorios such as the Messiah. One of my mother’s favorite solos told the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18:10-14. Even now, I can still hear my mother singing that story, and this Sunday, those memories became a sermon.

We were visiting a small village church and were asked to give the message. The question God was placing before the congregation was this: What idols are preventing you from communion with God?

After describing a number of things that have become modern idols, including cell phones, I described how our self-righteous attitudes could keep us from God. That’s when the memories of Mom’s solo kicked in. As I was telling the story, in my mind I could hear Mom singing it. The congregation was blessed by the words of Jesus, but I was blessed once more by Mom’s music. And a seventy-year-old solo worked its magic once more.  “He that humbles himself will be exalted, and he who exalts himself will be humbled.”

Genesis 34:1-31 The Defiling of Dinah

“Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly. So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned. Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob. When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves. You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”

Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask. Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”

The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers

But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city: “These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them. But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are. Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”

All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.

Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field. They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me repugnant to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

But Simeon and Levi answered, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

Dinah goes out to visit the local girls in Shechem; however, she appears to have gone without a chaperone. Generally, Dinah should have been accompanied by an older woman or by one of her brothers; however, somehow that hasn’t happened. Perhaps Dinah is spoiled and willful; she meets a young man who is equally spoiled. The prince of the region falls in love with Dinah; however, he chooses to rape first and to propose later, a deadly mistake.

The action of the local prince is actually not that unusual and he belatedly promises to do the right thing. Notice that Dinah remains in his house until her brothers rescue her-what does Dinah think about this whole thing?.

Jacob waits until his sons return from the field and then informs them, knowing full well that they will take vengeance. As a hero of faith, Jacob is failing. Even though God has given Jacob a new name and even though Jacob has suffered under twenty years of his Uncle Laban’s manipulation, Jacob is still manipulating his sons to take vengeance without blatantly ordering them to do so. When Simeon and Levi hatch their diabolic plot, the other sons join them in plundering the city, carrying off everything including women and children. Later, when Jacob is pronouncing his blessings/predictions over his sons, he reminds Simeon and Levi of their horrible actions.

Does Jacob’s manipulation of his sons achieve peace? Far from it! After the men have been slaughtered and the city looted, Jacob suddenly realizes that his sons have endangered the entire family by taking revenge.

There are all kinds of foolish sayings about revenge, including “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” While such a saying might appear smart or crafty, it’s wrong. James 1:20 tells us that “the wrath of men does not produce the righteousness of God.” Romans 12:14-19 tells us “Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

 The  longer we plot revenge on someone, the more we poison ourselves. As a father, Jacob should be leading his sons wisely, not inciting them to murder and mayhem. Jacob never stops to consider the long-term effects of his manipulation but simply wants revenge and uses his sons to get it. Then after Jacob’s sons have taken the revenge Jacob has sought for his daughter’s rape, Jacob can react in righteous indignation that they have gone too far. Not a prime example for good fatherhood!  

I have written about forgiveness before and there’s good reason to do so. When we allow ourselves to become offended, we hand our heads to the Devil. It’s as if we cut off our own heads, place them on a platter, and hand them to Satan. Joyce Meyer tells the story of sitting on a platform with other speakers before a huge audience while she listened as one of the speakers viciously attacked another one verbally. Joyce was sitting close enough to the man under attack that she should hear him muttering to himself, “I will not be offended! I will not be offended!” That man was a spiritual giant whose ministry blessed thousands, all because he refused to take offense.

Are you smarting from some attack? Are you considering how you might fight back? STOP! Don’t do it! First, you don’t know what that other person is going through; perhaps they have spoken out of their great hurt. Second, only God can handle matters of the heart. Ask God to give you His mind about the situation and then leave it with Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel offended. Help us to leave these offenses with You and to allow You to sort things out. Help us to forgive and move forward. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 33:1-20 Jacob Meets Esau

“Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?”

Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau.

“To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.

“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”

But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably. Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.

Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die. Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

“Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said.

But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir, but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth. (Booths)

Jacob Settles in Shechem

After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. (El-Elohe-Israel means God is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.)”

The day of reckoning has finally come. Jacob/Israel has returned to face his twin brother Esau. No coward, Jacob runs ahead of everyone else, followed by his concubines with their children, Leah and her children, and Rachel and her children. Jacob is terrified about this meeting; however, Esau runs to him as he is running to Esau and the two embrace in tears. Then Esau asks about all the livestock that has already arrived, explaining that he already is quite prosperous. Jacob explains that this is a present for Esau and convinces Esau to accept his gift, an important part of any reconciliation. “If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably. Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.”

 Esau offers to guard Jacob and his company; however, Jacob has plenty of servants to help guard already. The two brothers part on excellent terms, presumably never to meet again.

The reunion of Jacob and Esau underscores several important points. Both parties are anxious for reconciliation. Both parties are willing to forgive and forget. And both parties are willing to compromise. If anybody can claim to be offended, it would be Esau. But in the last twenty years, Esau has prospered and can be proud of having succeeded on his own; why hold Jacob’s previous offenses against him? Esau is accompanied by 400 warriors; we have no idea how big Esau’s possessions actually are. Family relationships are more important than holding grudges.

Nobody can hurt you as badly as your family can. While we all have suffered at the hands of strangers, it is particularly painful if a close relative such as a sibling hurts us. But unforgiveness hurts the person who fails to forgive, not the person who has committed an offense. There is a great test when considering painful situations: in five years, will I even remember this situation? During our years working at our mission hospital, there have been many hurtful incidents; however, when I look at some of my notes, I can’t even remember all the details of situations that seemed to be so terrible at the time.

 Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. When you fail to forgive, you are only hurting yourself and not the person who has offended you. When Jesus Christ was being crucified, he prayed to his Heavenly Father to forgive those who were crucifying him because they didn’t know what they were doing. Even though my father was nearly killed by a drunk driver who hit his vehicle head-on, I never heard my parents breathe a single word against that man; instead, they pitied him.

Is there someone in your life who needs your forgiveness? Perhaps you feel you have been hurt so badly that you cannot possibly forgive. Ask God for help, and then see what He will do. Forgiving those people will give you a peace that only God can give.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, open our eyes to the people whom we feel have offended us and then help us to forgive them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Genesis 32:1-32 Preparing to Meet Esau

“Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim. (Two camps)

Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau; he is coming to meet you—he and four hundred men with him.”

In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.”

Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the

Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me, and also the mothers and their children with me. But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to count.’”

Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 1530 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”

He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, where are you going, and whose animals are these before you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us.’”

He also instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind the herds: “When you meet Esau, you are to say the same thing to him. You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.(Perhaps he will lift my face.) ”

So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.

So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that He could not overpower Jacob, He struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled. Then the man said, “Let Me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.”

“What is your name?” the man asked.

“Jacob,” he replied.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob,( Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives.) but Israel, (Israel means he struggles with God.)  because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me Your name.”

“Why do you ask My name?” he replied. And He blessed Jacob there.

So Jacob named the place Peniel (Peniel means “the face of God.”) saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

The sun rose above him as he passed by Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon at the hip socket, because the man struck Jacob’s hip socket near that tendon.”

It’s been twenty years since Jacob last saw his brother Esau. At that point, Jacob was running out of town, fleeing his brother’s wrath after stealing both Esau’s birthright and their father’s blessing on Esau as the eldest twin. Twenty years later, Jacob has changed. Uncle Laban has taught Jacob some valuable lessons in humility and honesty by being neither humble nor honest. God has prospered Jacob, despite Uncle Laban’s best attempts to use him as a slave. But now Jacob is about to encounter Esau, and Jacob is worried. Esau has always been a violent warrior; what will Esau do to Jacob and his family? To appease Esau, Jacob sends herds ahead of him. Note the numbers: 14200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 1530 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. Wow! For a guy who originally crossed the Jordan with nothing more than his staff, Jacob has really done well if this is a present and he has more livestock than this.

How has Jacob arrived at these particular numbers of animals? Do these numbers represent the amounts Esau would have inherited from Isaac? Is Jacob trying to impress Esau? Or is Jacob merely doing everything he can to avoid Esau’s wrath? Notice the language Jacob uses to in his message to Esau, “my master, Esau,” “my Lord Esau,” “your servant Jacob.” Twenty years ago, Jacob may have thought Esau was nothing more than a brute, but he’s since learned to respect others. And there’s the small matter of Esau coming with 400 men, presumably all warriors. Little wonder that Jacob is begging God to save his life, something he did not do twenty years ago. Twenty years of suffering under Laban has driven Jacob to depend on God.

Finally, Jacob sends his wives and his sons and all his personal possessions across the Jabbok stream while he remains alone. Jacob really needs to hear from God and he needs peace and quiet to do so. In the stillness, an unknown man and Jacob wrestle all night until the man dislocates Jacob’s hip. Even then, Jacob demands that the man bless him, and the man gives Jacob a new name, Israel, meaning “he struggles with God.” God has given Jacob a singular blessing, and Jacob is content, knowing that he has seen the face of God and remains alive.

There are times in our lives when we may feel that we too are wrestling with God. In 1965 the farm on which my family was living was struck by a tornado. In a few minutes, the whirling storm demolished ten huge maple trees, a large hip-roofed barn, and the garage next to our house, sucking out most of the windows in the house and generally causing havoc. Out in the hog pasture, the winds destroyed two large pull-together hog houses; however, none of our implements nor our car were harmed. Our animals survived unscathed. Blessedly, we were already preparing to move to another farm and were in the process of renovating the house on that farm. If we needed anything to impel us to move, that tornado did it.   

Why does God wrestle with Jacob and not simply show up and give him a new name? God wants Jacob to remember the name Israel and its meaning for the rest of his life. Just in case Jacob fails to remember, God also dislocates Jacob’s hip, something he will also live with for the rest of his life. While Jacob is probably in great shape after all those years of tending sheep in the wilderness, he’s no match for Esau physically. God wants Jacob to rely on Him and not on himself. Jacob’s old name is a curse while Jacob’s new name is a blessing. God doesn’t want Jacob entering into a new life bearing a cursed name.

Sometimes our families of origin can pronounce curses on us. It took me more than forty years to get over my mother’s idea that I was emotionally cold; in fact, my mother was recovering from a chronic illness when she gave birth to me and undoubtedly suffered from severe post-partum depression, something that was largely unrecognized those days. I was a normal kid born to a severely depressed mother, but I didn’t recognize that fact until years after my mother’s death. When Jacob’s family named him Jacob, or “deceiver,” they obviously did him no favors. Prior to fleeing to Haran, Jacob lived up to that name. It took twenty years of depending on God plus a personal encounter for Jacob to be transformed into Israel.

Perhaps you too have suffered from the names or nicknames your family has given you. Names are critically important. One set of friends has named their infant daughter Jean Anne Wunpini. Jean means “grace” while “Anne” means “favor,” and “Wunpini” is Dagbani for “God’s gift.” My first two names are Jean Anne, and I have since appropriated Wunpini for its lovely meaning. I have a name in another tribal language that means “God will not refuse.” Again, it is a lovely name indicating that God will hear my prayers and answer them.

You don’t have to be stuck with whatever curses your family has spoken over you. Ask God to reveal Himself and to tell you what He thinks of you. God loves you so much that He sent His son Jesus to die for your sins. Certainly, God wants to favor you and to bless you, if only you will ask.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are struggling with hurtful things our families have spoken over us. Thank You that You are the Way-maker, that You transform people and situations. Help all those who struggle to put their trust in You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 31:22-54 Laban Pursues Jacob

“On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled. So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him at Mount Gilead. But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well. Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war! Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps. But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me? You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.

I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock. I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night. As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times! If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

Jacob’s Covenant with Laban

But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne? Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar, and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate. Laban named it Jegar-sahadutha (“Heap of witness” in Aramean), but Jacob called it Galeed (“Heap of Witness” in Hebrew.)

Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed. It was also called Mizpah, (watch) because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from one another. If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me. This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”

So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.”

Laban has wasted his daughters’ doweries and has attempted to cheat Jacob, changing his wages ten times. Rachel and Leah feel their father is treating them like strangers and ignoring their children altogether. So if all this is true, why is Laban vigorously pursuing Jacob? Rachel has stolen her father’s household gods, and Laban is frightened and furious. But a God whom Laban has never known has confronted Laban in a dream, warning him to be careful in his handling of Jacob.

Now Laban has pursued Jacob for seven days and is attempting to play the role of offended patriarch. Suddenly, Laban is trying to pretend an affection for his daughters and their children that he has never demonstrated previously. It’s likely that if Rachel hadn’t stolen those household gods, Laban might have stayed in Haran, leaving Jacob to return to Canaan. Laban might not know God, but he certainly doesn’t want to offend Him and suffer the consequences. Jacob, meanwhile, has no idea that Rachel has stolen the household gods and so pronounces a curse on anyone who has done so. Rachel eventually dies while delivering Benjamin, and many people feel her death during that delivery is a result of this curse.

Laban and Jacob make a covenant, erecting a monument, a mound and a pillar, and swearing that neither of them will pass that monument to harm the other. Laban belatedly attempts to save face by forbidding Jacob to mistreat his daughters or to take other wives; however, these statements are mostly for show. Certainly, Laban has not cared for his daughters up until now.

Jacob makes a covenant with Laban even though he knows better than to trust Laban. But erecting a mound and a pillar is very serious business and indicates a lasting agreement. There is no mention of “cutting covenant” as was described earlier in Genesis; however, if Jacob and Laban also cut covenant, that will be an additional reason for Laban to behave well. Laban’s previous agreements with Jacob may have been undocumented, but this time the monument is there for everyone to see.

Although Jacob has considered himself to be a slick trickster, twenty years with Uncle Laban has taught him that Laban is even slicker than he is. Laban might be considered as a psychopathic liar. When dealing with such people the only way of securing agreements is complete documentation. 

One of the major struggles we have in our mission hospital is getting people to document incidents and to submit written requests. At times I have joked with some of the workers that I don’t see any POP on their wrists, so they should be able to write. Documentation is critically important in health care; if it’s not documented, it’s as if you never did anything. Only documentation will protect you in case of a lawsuit. Documentation also brings peace because we then have a written record to which we can refer. The mound and pillar that Jacob and Laban are erecting is a permanent form of documentation of their covenant, ensuring peace between them.

Today you might be dealing with a family member or someone in your workplace who habitually lies. Ask God for assistance and then document any agreements you must make.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You that You are a God of truth and that You know the end from the beginning in every situation. Help us to forge out agreements and then to document them so that there will be no further arguments. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 

Genesis 31:1-21 Jacob Flees from Laban

“Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.” And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were, and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my strength. And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring. Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’

And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house? Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us. Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

So Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels, and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away. So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.”

Things are not rosy in Laban’s household. Laban’s sons are angry and resentful, being certain that Jacob has stolen their father’s wealth that might eventually come to them. Now we learn that Laban has done everything he can to cheat Jacob, changing Jacob’s wages ten times. God orders Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” Rachel and Leah feel their father now regards them as outsiders and not as his daughters, having sold them and then having squandered their doweries. “Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”  While Rachel and Leah might be competing to see who can bear more children, they are united in their frustration and hurt. Clearly, their father has regarded them as nothing more than marketable commodities and having sold them, now appears to have no affection for them or their children whatsoever.

While Laban is shearing his sheep, Rachel steals the household gods without anyone’s knowledge and then Jacob loads everyone and flees with all his possessions to Gilead, just east of the Jordan River. Jacob has probably been considering this move for some time; however, he has waited until God has given him the release to leave Laban.

“Do I stay or go? If I go, am I simply a coward?” No situation is static, and sometimes we find that a situation we have thought to be promising turns sour. What do we do when our circumstances have changed? Prior to leaving for the mission field 36 years ago, an older friend closely queried us regarding the nature of our first project. Was this hospital really going to be a non-profit project, or would it benefit a private individual? Once we entered into the situation and studied it for some time, we realized that there were those working behind the scenes who anticipated making a great deal of money from the efforts of our mission. We did our best to alert our mission and the national church; sadly, our mission refused to believe us and prematurely ended our term. At the time, the actions of our mission devastated and wounded us; however, looking back, we now realize that God used those actions to deliver us out of an untenable situation.

God made our decision to leave for us; however, the experience we gained from that first term proved invaluable when we returned two years later with a different sending agency. (While interviewing with that second sending agency, we outlined all the mistakes our first group had made and indicated that if this group was planning to operate in the same fashion, we wanted no part of them.)

Jacob the trickster has met his match in his Uncle Laban. God is using Laban’s devious behavior to train Jacob so that Jacob will never attempt to manipulate others again. But God is also delivering Jacob and his family from Laban’s shameful treatment. God has released Jacob and he has peace in leaving.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, some of us are in a quandary. We are caught in bad situations, but we don’t know whether or not we should leave. Give all those facing such thorny decisions Your peace about their decision. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jacob Prospers

Genesis 30:25-43 “Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland. Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock has thrived under my care. Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?”

“What can I give you?” Laban asked.

“You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flock. Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages. So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”

“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”

That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons. Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.

Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches. 42But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.

Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.”

Until Jacob reached Haran, he probably fancied himself as being a little bit smarter than everybody else, but that was before he met tricky Uncle Laban. Uncle Laban has already managed to marry off an unwanted daughter with an eye problem, no mean achievement. Now Uncle Laban has realized that God is blessing all of Jacob’s efforts. Notice Laban has reached this conclusion by divination, not by prayer. Notice also what Jacob says about his time with Laban. “Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?”

Jacob proposes to Laban that he will be paid with all the speckled, spotted, and dark sheep and goats. Laban thinks this is a great idea and immediately culls all such animals out of his herd, sending them a three-day journey away from the place where Jacob is minding Laban’s other herds. So far, Laban is winning. But Jacob places peeled branches in front of the water hole when the herds are coming to mate, timing things so the strongest animals will see the peeled branches and give birth to streaked, spotted, and dark offspring. Does this trick actually work? Who knows? While there’s no scientific basis for the results, the outcome is that Jacob winds up with the strongest animals while Laban owns the weaker ones. Jacob also prospers, owning large flocks, maidservants and menservants and camels and donkeys. Clearly, God is blessing Jacob and protecting him from Laban’s tricks. Anybody who has already resorted to divination will not hesitate to descend into witchcraft to attack a rival, and Laban is probably attempting to curse Jacob.

The story of Laban’s attempts to dominate Jacob and to impoverish him brings out an important point: If you are walking in God’s will, He will protect you and prosper you. Here in Ghana, curses and witchcraft are common. Many market days, someone will leave a calabash with various herbs and other things in it at a crossroads to curse passersby. We have prayed over so many people to break off curses that we have a standard prayer in which we break off ancestral curses, generational curses, multiplying curses, and curses tied to any action. We soak the person for whom we are praying in the Blood of Jesus, the Love of Jesus, and the Fire of the Holy Spirit, and we send the Blood of Jesus, the Love of Jesus, and the Fire of the Holy Spirit back along the lines of communication to consume the connections between the individual invoking the curses and the person being cursed.

Dean Sherman, one of the original YWAM missionaries, emphasizes that there is more power in one drop of the Blood of Jesus than in all the forces of hell. Sherman continues that the victory over Satan has already been won at Calvary; however, we must pray, enforcing that victory and invoking the Blood of Jesus. One important thing to remember is Proverbs 26:2 “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.” The Message translation reads, “You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow.” We don’t have to live in fear, even when we find ourselves in a witchcraft-ridden environment.

All of Laban’s efforts to subdue Jacob are coming to naught. Even though Laban has realized that God is blessing Jacob, he has no idea of God’s greatness and power. Meanwhile, Jacob continues to prosper despite Laban’s best efforts. Today, you may find yourself in a situation similar to that of Jacob. Someone you have assumed wants to help you is actually trying to dominate and impoverish you. Are you in the center of God’s will for your life? If you know that you are doing God’s will, then you can trust that God will help you, guide you, and protect you. But beware! There is always a temptation to manipulate and force events. Be certain that you are also waiting for God’s timing, for if you do, you will have peace.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us find ourselves in difficult situations. Those who should be helping are attacking us, and we are stressing out. Lord, help us remember that if You have led us into these situations, You can protect and deliver us. Help us to trust You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Dan and Naphtali

Genesis 30:1-22 “When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.” (Literally bear children on my knees)

So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as his wife, and he slept with her, and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son. Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan. (Dan means he has judged or he has vindicated.)

And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali. (Naphtali sounds like the Hebrew for wrestling.)

Gad and Asher

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. (Gad sounds like the Hebrew for good fortune, or alternately for band of raiders.)

When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, Leah said, “How happy I am, for the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.( Asher means happy.)

Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?”

“Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah

And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. (Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for wages or reward.)

Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. “God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun. (Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew for honor. )

After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

The Birth of Joseph

Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.” (Joseph means “may he add.”)

In case you’ve gotten confused, at this point, there are eleven sons and one daughter, plus four women who are now in a very tangled relationship. It was bad enough when only Rachel and Leah were competing, but now the two sisters are also competing by having given their husband their serving maids as concubines or secondary wives. No peace in this household! Anybody who has raised little boys knows boys make NOISE, get into fights, run around getting into things, pestering their little sister, and accidentally tearing things up. Jacob may be strutting around, boasting of his masculinity, but back in the tents, it’s chaos.

Rachel and Leah’s uneasy relationship has resulted in a kind of armed truce, as evidenced by the story of Leah hiring Jacob for a night with her son’s mandrakes. What are mandrakes? IBible tells us this: “It has large, wrinkled leaves and small, purple flowers, and the root may be several feet long and weigh several pounds. Mandrakes were believed to be a stimulant to help with fertility and conception in barren women. Rachel sees the mandrakes as a way for her to bear a child with Jacob!” https://www.i.bible/behind-the-scenes/mandrakes-in-genesis/#:~:text=It%20has%20large%2C%20wrinkled%20leaves,bear%20a%20child%20with%20Jacob!

Poor Leah! Poor Rachel! Poor Bilhah and Zilpah! The two sisters have competed all their lives, and now are involved in the baby-bearing Olympics. These two women have drawn both their serving maids into the competition, willingly or not. Perhaps Bilhah and Zilpah already have young men interested in them and have no desire to be forced to have sex with Jacob, no matter what his position is. Now the serving maids are being treated as baby – bearing machines through which their mistresses may continue their competition. What if either Bilhah or Zilpah fails to become pregnant? Will they be treated as outcasts?

Sometimes, people are fond of the phrase “healthy competition.” Frequently, these same people are not describing a situation in which they are involved, but are commenting on someone else’s situation. When you are the one whose position is threatened, that competition looks anything but healthy! In this story, the women have been drawn into competition due to cultural norms over which they have no control. But sometimes, we put undue pressure on ourselves by struggling to compete unnecessarily. If we have been raised in families in which love was conditional, we feel that we must strive to perform well or people will fail to value  us. We might find ourselves feeling rejected when no rejection has been intended. We might also feel that we must continue to show off so that we can gain approval from others. If applause and praise do not come quickly or in sufficient quantities, we are likely to blame others, not realizing that the problem lies within ourselves.

God loves each of us for our unique character, even though He knows our failings better than we do ourselves. A pastor friend used to say that God loves each of us so much that if we had been the only person on earth, Jesus would still have died for our sins. We don’t have to compete with others for God’s love; however, many times church members serve not out of love for God but in hopes of gaining praise from others.

Today, examine your heart. Do you feel that you are only as good as your last performance and that people will only love you if you keep performing? Ask God to show you how much He loves you, and then look for His answers. God will never fail or disappoint you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us have been repeatedly wounded and truly believe that You will not love us if we don’t keep performing. Speak to our hearts and help us to know that You love us without setting conditions or boundaries. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Jacob Meets Rachel

Genesis 29:1-35 “Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. He looked and saw a well in the field, and there by it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?”

“We are from Haran,” they answered.

“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked.

“We know him,” they replied.

“Is he well?” Jacob inquired.

“Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”

“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.

When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.”

After Jacob had stayed with him a month, Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. Leah had no sparkle in her eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. (Some sources say that Leah had weak eyes.) Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”

So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast. But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.

When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”

Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”

And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.”

 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.” (Reuben means Look, a son and also sounds like the Hebrew for He has seen my misery.)

Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon. (Simeon probably means “one who hears.”)

Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. (Levi sounds like the Hebrew for being attached or feeling affection for.)

And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. (Praise) Then Leah stopped having children.

Anyone who thinks polygamy is a great idea should study the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah carefully! Jacob falls instantly in love with Rachel; however, Rachel’s older sister Leah has eye problems. Perhaps Leah squints or has a chronic conjunctivitis or even trachoma. Leah is probably a very nice girl; however, in a culture where women may be veiled apart from their eyes, it is the eyes men look at first, and Leah is doomed to remain an old maid. That’s when tricky Uncle Laban comes up with a genius plan. Laban agrees to give Rachel to Jacob as a wife, but after the wedding celebration when Jacob is probably drunk, it’s Leah with whom Jacob has sex and not Rachel. When Jacob wakes up in the morning, he’s horrified to find Leah sharing his bed. Now not only does Jacob have a hangover but he also has a squinty-eyed wife and Rachel is still out there for someone else to marry.

Jacob winds up serving Laban seven years for each girl, or a total of fourteen years. So far Laban is coming out way ahead of the game. God favors Leah with four sons because He knows she is the unfavorite wife. Rachel, meanwhile, remains barren. In the child-bearing sweepstakes, Rachel is falling way behind, and this is a big deal. Women in polygamous marriages frequently are valued depending on the number of children they have borne successfully. Woe betide a woman who miscarries or who is barren! Jacob still loves Rachel more, but he might be getting a bit frustrated with her lack of progeny.

Does God love Leah more than Rachel? No. God loves both of them equally; however, God knows that if Leah does not bear children, Jacob might isolate her or reduce her food allowance so that she is virtually starving. Rachel, on the other hand, is in no danger of mistreatment.

So far, the description of Jacob’s marriage doesn’t sound very peaceful, and things are about to heat up further. We might ask why God is allowing Jacob to marry both sisters. God wants there to be twelve tribes of Israel and the sons born to these two women are the foundations for those tribes. Why twelve? Only God knows the ultimate answer to that question.

One important lesson to draw from the story of Jacob and his family is that God will use anyone who yields himself/herself to Him. God isn’t worried about our frailties or our shortcomings; He knows them better than we do ourselves. But God can overcome any of our failings, provided we will allow Him to do so. And when we yield ourselves to God, we will have perfect peace.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we praise You for using us despite our shortcomings. Help us to yield ourselves completely to You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 28:1-22  Jacob Flees to Laban

“So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded. “Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples. And may He give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants, so that you may possess the land where you dwell as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”

So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Esau Marries Mahalath

Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife there, commanding him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram. And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women, Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Ladder

Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. And taking one of the stones from that place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.

And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder. And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacob woke up, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”

The Stone of Bethel

Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it, and he called that place Bethel, (House of God) though previously the city had been named Luz.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear, so that I may return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God. And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”

For being his father’s favorite, Esau certainly hasn’t exerted himself to try to please his father. Remember those Hittite wives Esau has married? It’s not only Rebekah who is fed up with these women; Isaac is also tired of their wrangling. When Rebekah suggests that Jacob return to her brother Laban in Haran to find a wife, Isaac thinks it’s a great idea. Surely someone from Rebekah’s family will behave better. In a belated attempt to appease Isaac, Esau takes a wife from Ishmael’s family in addition to the two Hittites, not precisely a recipe for peace. What those Hittite ladies may have said or done to this new rival can only be imagined!

Until now, Jacob has never encountered the One True Living God for himself. While Jacob may have heard stories from his father Isaac, it’s likely that he may have dismissed them as myths. Now Jacob is fleeing his brother Esau’s wrath after tricking their father into giving him the blessing that was to be Esau’s. Exhausted, Jacob finds a safe place to sleep and lies down, using a stone for a pillow. And then God shows up. God makes Himself known to Jacob in a dream, identifying as the God of Abraham and Isaac and promising to bless Jacob and to be with him wherever he goes. God even promises that all the families of the earth will be blessed through Jacob and his offspring.

Jacob may be a self-centered manipulator, but he recognizes that he is in a holy place and calls it Bethel, meaning “the House of God.” Jacob vows that if God will keep His promises, Jacob will serve him as his God and will give God one tenth of everything he has. This is the second mention of tithing in the Book of Genesis.

Why Jacob? For that matter, why Abraham or Isaac? The more closely we examine these men, the more repellent they appear; yet, God has chosen them to use and to demonstrate His glory. Jacob is on his way to Haran, where he will meet Uncle Laban, someone far trickier than he is. God is preparing a series of tests and learning experiences for Jacob that will totally change Jacob’s life.

What can we learn from Jacob? God will show up anytime we are open and receptive, and God doesn’t wait until we are cleaned up to show up. That night when Jacob has the dream, he isn’t looking for God, but God IS looking for him. Once Jacob meets God, he has peace that he is going the right way and that God will be with him.

Even though Jacob has left his family to save himself from his brother’s wrath, God is still guiding him. It’s impossible to guide a stationary object; you must be in motion for God to guide you. Even if you start out by heading in a wrong direction, if you will listen to God, God will still direct you and give you His peace.    

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to watch for Your appearing and to listen to Your leading in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.