Genesis 31 - Interesting to note is Jacob’s position here at the start — he is caught between two VERY angry men - at least he feels he is. On the one side is his brother Esau, angry about the deception Jacob practiced on him to get the blessing. On the other is Laban, angry because of the deception Jacob is alleged to have perpetrated against him.
Jacob realizes he MUST leave Laban’s lands and
go back to his own lands, where he fears his brother Esau will be waiting to
kill him for having “stolen” their father Isaac’s blessing years earlier. When they leave, Rachel takes the household idols and hides them in her
things. Laban catches up with
Jacob and tries to make him feel guilty, telling him he would have sent him off
royally, had he only known they were leaving; but his anger is tapped over the
household idols, which they do not find; compare later the story of Benjamin
being caught with the silver goblet (44:2) that Joseph plants in his bag.
We talked about the rather confusing state of the monotheism Abraham sought to introduce here. Jacob clearly is not upset by the fact that one of his wives still gives some "weight" to the household gods worshipped in Haran and environs. We also spent some time talking about the rather good outcome there is for all the anger in Jacob and Laban and Esau, especially Esau.
Genesis 32 - On the way home, Jacob’s anxiety grows greater
and greater. He camps in a place
called Mahanaim (meaning Double-Camp according to Schocken) where he sends
messengers ahead and learns that his brother Esau is coming to meet him with
400 men. He is afraid for his
children, especially for his favorite child and wife, so he divides his family
and his possessions into two.
At Yabbok Crossing (on the east side of the
Jordan) he wrestles with “some man.” Jacob recognizes the match as having
been with God; Peniel, the name he gives to the place where the encounter
occurred means “face of God." He carries a wound away—a hip socket that is
injured. He wakes with a more
humble attitude. He says he is
“too small . . .for all the faithfulness and trust you [God] have shown your
servant." He sends on part of
his wealth as a peace offering to Esau.
Genesis 33 - Jacob divides
his family in a protective way for Rachel, putting her last in the line of
migrants approaching the feared brother, Esau. But in the end he finds Esau not angry but forgiving. Esau tries to refuse the gifts sent
ahead, and it is interesting what Jacob says to him: “please accept this gift .
. .since to come into your presence is for me like coming into the presence of
God, now that you have received me so kindly.” What he intended as gifts to assuage Esau’s wrath, he
desires now to give as gifts of thanksgiving. Esau’s face is like
the face of God because it is the face of love and forgiveness.
Jacob passes back over into Canaan and buys land in Shechem from the children
of Hamor.
Genesis 34 - The first story we have after this tale of love and forgiveness is a story
of violence and sexual depravity—the land of Canaan is always associated with
these vices. Dinah
is raped by a man named Schechem, son of the chief of the region called Shechem—Hamor. Hamor tries to rectify the situation by
arranging for the marriage of the offending son to Dinah, but Jacob’s
children—especially Simeon and Levi (the angry ones) plan revenge and not only
revenge but revenge taken in the process of Hamor’s men accepting the rite of
circumcision. Jacob reacts weakly,
but the act is really bad in his mind.
Genesis 35 - Jacob is led by God to go to Bethel to build
and altar and get rid of household idols he has permitted to be carried by his
family. Bethel is south in Shechem (half way to Jerusalem)—the place where Jacob had his dream on his
way to Haran. Earrings
worn as amulets associated with the worship of these idols are also gotten rid
of. On the way to Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel dies in giving birth to Benjamin. There is some confusion in
places here because Rachel’s tomb is in Ramah, just north of Jerusalem and
Ephrath is to the south.
Reuben offends his father by sleeping with
Rachel’s maid (mother of Reuben’s half brothers Dan and Naphtali). They end up in Kiriath-arba
(Hebron-Mamre) where Jacob grew up.
Jacob dies at 180.
We noticed that most of the next two chapters seemed to be genealogical, so we skipped over it. We will pick up next time with the Joseph narrative beginning at chapter 37 - note to me. Hopefully, if we keep to the reading schedule, we should be able to discuss and read what we loved through Chapter 46.
