Author: cackywalker@yahoo.com

So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner. This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. Hw worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph-a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a king word to him.

One night, Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, the hated him more than ever. “Listen to my dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine1”

His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. (vv. 1-8, NLT)

Then Jacob ooked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. He put the servant wives and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. Then Esau rant to meet him and embraced him , threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they both wept. (vv. 1-4, NLT)

“And what were all the flocks and herds I met as you came?” Esau asked.

Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.”

“My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourelf.”

But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief is is to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!” Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift. (vv. 8-11, NLT)

During the night, Jacob go up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man cam and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’ship and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.”

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. From now one you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.

“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob.

Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. (Even today people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of that happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.) (vv. 22-32, NLT)

Rachel and Leah responded, “That’s fine with s! We won’t inherit any of or father’s wealth anyway. He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us. All the wealth God has given you from our father legally belongs to us and our children. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you.”

So Jacob put his wives and children on camels, and he drove all his livestock in front of him. He packed all the belongings he had acquired from Paddan-aram and set out the the land of Canaan, where his father, Issac lived. At the time they left Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her. Jacob outwitted Laban, the Armean, for they set out secretly and never told Laban they were leaving. So Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River , heading for the hill country of Gilead. (vv. 14-21, NLT)

But Jacob soon learned that Laban’s sons were grumbling about him. “Jacob has robbed our father of everything!” they said. “He has gained all his wealth at our father’s expense.” And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban’s attitude toward him.

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.” (vv. 1-3, NLT)

“One tine during the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the females were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Then in my dream, the angel of God said ot me, ‘Jacob”And I replied,’Yes, here I am.’

The angel said, ‘Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted females are mating with females of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you. I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to Me. No get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.'” (vv 1-13, NLT)

“All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” But that very day Laban went out and removed the. male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. Heh placed them in the care of his own sons, who took them a three-days journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock

Then Jacob took some fresh branches form the poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. And when the mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time, he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.

Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. But he didn’t do this to the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. As a result, Jacob became very wealthy with large flocks of sheep and gods, female and male servants, and many camels and donkeys. (vv. 34-43, NLT)

(During the next few years, Jacob’s children included: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph, and Benjamin.)

Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”

“Please listen to me, ” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”

Jacob replied, “You know how I’ve worked hard for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown from under my care. You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord blessed you through everything I’ve done. But ow what about me? When can I start providing for my family.”

“What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.

Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything, just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all of the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give me these as my wages. In the future, when, you check on your animals you have give me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. You will find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any of the sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.” (vv. 25-33, NLT)

When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a sone. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She. named him Judah for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And she stopped having children.” (vv. 31-35, NLT)

Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”

So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood, and prepared a wedding feast. But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

But when Jacob woke up in the morning- it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

“It’s not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. Bu twait until the bridal week is over, then we’ll give you Rachel, too-provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave her him Rachel, too. (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years. (vv. 21-30, NLT)

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”

Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. There was not sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven year if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than anyone else. Stay and work with me.” So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. (vv. 14b-20, NLT)