Genesis 30 – 32
The more I read of Genesis, the more I am amazed by all the deceit. Now I have read about Jacob and Esau. Jacob steals the birthright (?) and Isaac’s blessing from his older brother and his mother is in on it. After Jacob steals the blessing, he runs off to his mother’s family to find a bride. He makes a deal with his uncle who then gives the older sister Leah in marriage, instead of the younger Rachel he asked for, because it’s just not the custom to marry off the younger first.
Then the sisters are trying to one-up eachother in the bearing sons department and continue the “take my maid-servant” business! Jacob feels trapped by his father-in-law/uncle so he takes his family and runs away. Laban freaks out partly because his “household gods” are missing – stolen by Rachel. Laban and Jacob make a deal but then learns the Esau is one his way. It’s been 20 years or so but Jacob is still afraid of his brother’s retaliation.
Then Jacob “wrestles with God” and despite having a wrenched hip, he wins. Um, how?? He is renamed Israel, meaning “he struggles with God”, quite foreshadowing don’t you think. This part seems like it’s important but the separation of Jacob’s flock gets more space. I don’t get it. I also don’t get this last part of ch. 32:
“Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.”
Please Leave a Comment: