Genesis 36:9-43 – The tragic end of uncontrolled passion

One of the greatest setbacks for the way Esau had chosen to lead his life was the fact that he and his people were assimilated into a foreign culture insidiously. Esau after all was still Isaac’s son and Abraham’s grandson. Didn’t God tell Abraham that through him would come a nation with a wonderful destiny? We feel sorry for the hurt Esau felt by his brother’s underhanded ways of stealing his birthright and the blessing that was due him as the firstborn of Isaac. But he had himself to blame for being so careless and frivolous. The way he lived his life so irresponsibly had left us an example of how we ought not to live ours. We must set our hearts and minds on things above so as to cultivate a heavenly mindedness.   

In these verses we see the expanding family of Esau. In the ensuing years he had prospered. We even see a succession of kings coming forth from his genealogy. For all his expanding family, we see one bucking trend. They became increasingly integrated into a culture that would push them further and further from one that pleases God. We see how intermarriage with pagans progressively became more and more an accepted norm.  When we come to verses 20-30 we see that marriages even included chiefs and leading figures of the foreign community. By the time we reach verses 31-39 we see the genealogy including eight kings. For all the expansion of Esau’s descendants, we however would see in the history of Israel that they would tragically become the chronic enemies of God’s chosen people.

Esau dreadfully was a person devoid of vision but full of unholy passion. He had no spiritual mind nor eye for the things of God. He could neither be bothered with heaven nor with hell. His was a nonchalant life. Pleasure was all he was looking for and was at his deck and call. If anything he felt pleases him, he would go for it. What truly mattered to him was his regular hunting trips and plenty of women. His carefree, unthinking attitude toward life had led him down the catastrophic appalling route of his life.

The downward spiral of Esau’s life leaves us with a lesson that there are certainly more to life than just having a good time. Life indulgences will constantly shout out enticingly to us to have a game or two. It is okay they echo. This is what life is all about. But is it? In the persistent beckoning of the world, let’s not be numbed to the Lord’s call to, “…seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” We must spend time to insulate our life by building a fortitude of mind that will carry us forward with God. We must not follow the example of Esau who despised his privilege, despite being so blessed to have Abraham as a grandfather. We must never sell out our glorious future for a cheap, monetary thrill offered by the world. John in his letter said, “Love not the world neither the things of this world such as: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.” Else, we will have to pay dearly!   

Genesis 36:1-8 – Choices in life shape what we become

Esau was not only carefree but also careless. He had no appetite for spiritual things at all. While Jacob his brother was to be blamed for being deceptive, he on his part was to be blamed for being frivolous. He sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. By being so careless about a position so sacred, he had despised his birthright. He was an outdoor, active kind of a man and very impulsive. While being an active outdoor man was not wrong, it was his inability to gain a tight reign over his appetite and emotion that ruined him. He lived for what was set before him whether it be food or women. His motto was self-gratification. The kind of enjoy now, worry later. So he sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage and he slept carelessly with foreign women just to spite his parents. He was the kind that would cut his nose to spite his face. From him we learn much lessons on the necessity for self-discipline and self-control. Nothing can be more destructive than one’s unfettered appetite, the let go and let loose kind of lifestyle.  

Hebrews 12:15-17 warned us against this kind of life. We are warned not to emulate Esau. The three verses in Hebrews said this precisely, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birth-right for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” In selling his birthright, he not only sold himself short, he literally despised his God ordained position.    

His inability to control himself was in part due to his sensual nature. That had driven him sadly into a lifestyle of sin. His sensuality also drove him into polygamy. His marital life was a washout. In Genesis 26:35 we read that he openly defied his parents and took wives from the idolatrous Hittites and brought them into his tent. What he did was calculated to make life difficult for Isaac and Rebekah. Again in Genesis 28:8-9, we learn that he married an Ishmaelite woman. Indiscipline and carnal, this was the trajectory of his life. The one good thing we read about Esau was his willingness to forgive and be reconciled with Jacob his brother. When his father died, we read briefly that he and Jacob buried his father alongside their mother Rebekah and their grandparents, Abraham and Sarah.

What can Esau’s genealogies and unrestrained life teach us? His decision to be unequally yoked had its consequences. He had chosen to cut himself off from the line of the chosen people. Verses 6-8 record another of his monumental mistake. His departure from the Promised Land was an indication of the last connection he had to the blessing. He gave up his right to the land. It was a choice that he made. He literally walked out of the line of God’s chosen people and His promise to them. While it was sad to see Esau go down this route, it was significant to Jacob for it sealed his claim to what God had promised him. We must know the responsibility for the decision we make in life belongs to us. In consultation with God, we must look at life from the perspective of where we hope to land. The journey of a thousand miles begin with the first step. So it is needful to begin well but just as needful to end well. Our ability to end well begins with the first step we take. We must begin with what we hope to accomplish in mind. Choosing wisely today for a glorious tomorrow!   

Genesis 35:22-28 – The lingering effect of sin versus God’s transforming grace

The last segment of Genesis 35 began by narrating the incestuous relationship between Jacob’s firstborn and his concubine, Bilhah. Reuben of curse was his firstborn and Bilhah was Rachel’s maid through whom he had two sons – Dan and Naphtali. Verse 22 tells us that “It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.”   

Why did Reuben do that? Without a cause there would be no effect. What happened between Reuben and Bilhah was not a sin of passion. It resulted because of Jacob’s partiality. He had all along favoured Rachel’s children over Leah’s children. In an earlier account, we learned of Jacob’s nonchalant when Dinah was raped by Shechem and that had already angered her brothers. That passivity of Jacob caused his sons to take matters into their own hands. Now with the death of Rachel, Reuben must have thought that Bilhah would soon fill the void in Jacob’s heart left by the death of Rachel. He reckoned that she might become Jacob’s favourite over his mother. So he seduced Bilhah to make sure that she could never replace Rachel in Jacob’s heart. As a result of this liaison, Jacob would no longer have intimacy with Bilhah. She would literally be rendered a living widow.

This escapade of Reuben could also be seen as an act to claim his right over his father’s power. So he did it firstly to ensure that his mother’s position would not be relegated again, and secondly to stake his claim for his father’s power, Reuben lost his first born privilege because of what he did. Jacob declared it in Genesis 49:3-4 and 1 Chronicles 5:1 emphasized it. It says, “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright.”

The impact of Reuben’s sin could also be seen in the way Jacob’s sons were listed here. They were not listed according to the order of birth but according to who their mothers were. The ugliness of their animosity would eventually led to their attempt at getting rid of Joseph, Rachel’s son. This is the impact and effect of sin. Verses 27-29 are transiting verses. We are told that Isaac lived to a ripe old age of 180 years. He died and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him with Rebekah, his wife and his parents, Abraham and Sarah.

The life of Jacob is more about the transforming grace of God. Thankfully, despite his sinful nature, the relentless grace of God kept pursuing him. His hand was on Jacob’s life to help bring it into alignment with His will. No doubt sin will always bring with it attending consequences. But God, who has graciously drawn us to Himself through Christ, will enable us to become overcomers if we keep an open heart before Him. We are grateful to God that now in Christ we are truly blessed. We are told in Romans 8:1-2, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”       

Genesis 35:12-26 – Make each day count!

From the first moment he set eye on Rachel, Jacob’s love for her was undeniable. Remember he gallantly removed the cover of the well so that she could water her flock. Then he worked seven years for her and then another seven. He was there to watch her struggle with her barrenness as well as her joy when Joseph was born. We cannot imagine how it must have been like for him when he heard that Rachel was pregnant with another child. He, as well as Rachel, must have least expected this son would end her life. Unsuspectingly, they travelled down south to Hebron where Isaac lived. Somewhere near Jerusalem, tragedy struck.

Here Rachel’s labour began and it was a difficult one. It must have been a trying moment for her as she struggled to bring forth the child. The midwife attending to her tried to ease her moment of great distress by comforting her. She said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.” But it was all in vain. And in her dying breath she named her son Ben-oni meaning son of sorrow. This episode brings our mind back to that moment when she was struggling with the pain of her barrenness. Remember she cried out to Jacob saying, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Ironically, now it was having a son that had taken her life. So what could have brought joy brought sorrow instead.

Rather than have a child to remind him of that sorrowful moment, Jacob changed his name to Benjamin. The patriarch was of course very familiar with changing name, for his was changed from Jacob to Israel. Instead of having a son to remind him of the sad departure of Rachel, he’d rather have one to remind him of how favoured he was. So he named him Benjamin, son of the right. The right is a symbol of the place of favour. So naturally Benjamin became a son whom he greatly favored. The conclusion of yet another chapter in Jacob’s life is found in verse 19. He buried the woman he greatly loved in Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar. Despite the deep sorrow, life had to move on. So he journeyed on.  

In this chapter, we see four graves. The first was found in verse 4 where we are told of the grave for the idols of his family. Jacob had them buried underneath the oak tree in Shechem. This is a needful act if we are to experience a victorious journey with God. There is a need to constantly evaluate our life to identify the idols we have created and then have them properly buried. Then in verse 8 we read of the second grave - the grave of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse. This signifies transition. Life is full of transitions. We must move from one phase to another. We cannot afford to stay stagnated, we need to progress to greater heights with God. Be ready to make the transition. And here in verse 19, we read of the grave of Rachel in Ephrath or Bethlehem. This closes another episode in Jacob’s life. Know that people and things that we love and hold dear to our hearts are just borrowed. Jesus let us have them to brighten our life. Our first love must always be reserved for the Lord. In verse 28, we will see the burial of Isaac. Dealing with the dying of people we dearly loved will certainly be very difficult, but we have to live with this inevitability of life. Dreadful as death and burial maybe, they are timely and grim reminders of how transient life really is. It is a reminder to us to seize the day and make it count. Moses tells us in Psalm 90 that life is short, uncertain and transitory. The best advice is found in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You (God) a heart of wisdom.” So let us count our days and make each day count for God! 

Genesis 35:9-15 – Aligning with the destiny of God

Jacob’s obedience was immediately reciprocated by God’s approval of his action. So verse 9 we read that God appeared to him and blessed him. Like what Abraham, his grandfather had experienced, God changed his name. Remember his grandfather’s original name Abram meaning exalted father, was changed to Abraham, father of all nations. So now we see Jacob being renamed Israel. He was no longer a cheat or conniver but one who had struggled with God and prevailed. Both change of name was a symbol of their transformation. Their character and destiny were changed. True to his name, Abraham did indeed become the father of many nations. Israel, having gone through much, found that indeed God had been dealing with him. He was now honed so God appeared to him to validate him in the Promised Land.

We also see that in both the situations, when God invoked His blessings on them, the name used of God was El Shaddai, the God Almighty. This name is a symbol of the absolute power and sovereignty of God. The same El Shaddai, who blessed Abraham years ago recorded in Genesis 17:1, was also the Almighty God who now blessed Israel.  In verses 11-12 we are given a third similarity. It is found in the content of the blessing. Like Abraham’s blessing, God also promised Israel fruitfulness, a great nation and a land. Here we see a rehashed of God’s promise made to Abraham and Isaac. He now also promised the same to Israel. From him, God promised, would also come kings. And we know that the ultimate King from the line of David, from the tribe of Judah, is Jesus Christ, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.  

Jacob, now reaffirmed as Israel, a name he was first given at Peniel, did what seemed to be most obvious. Verses 14-15 said, “Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.” In addition to the original altar he had set here when he was a youth, was the wine offering. Israel had given a new meaning to Bethel. This second time his consecration and devotion offered was much richer and deeper.  The experience Jacob went through in some ways do reflect our journey. We can all recall the fervor we experienced when we first acknowledged Christ’s Lordship over our life. Then with time that initial fervor waxed and waned when we have to struggle with the dual nature in us, the new one made in Christ and the old given through Adam. Many of us would have struggled agonizingly to deal with the residual nature inherited from Adam’s fall. When we finally come to a point when we will feel the full import of God’s grace, we would give him a depth of devotion we could not have given earlier. The issue we ask is: how long will it take for us to come to that point of realization? We can only make progress as we fully accept personal responsibility, connect with God and then collaborate with Him for our growth. We need to do this daily with His limitless grace.        

Genesis 35:1-8 – New hope and expectation always start with obedience

In Genesis 35 we see the amazing change that took place in Jacob. God once again became the focal point of his attention. Of course placing God at the center of one’s life can never be wrong. So as Jacob did that, blessings begin to take shape again in his life. It was some thirty years ago, when God appeared to him in a dream at Bethel. Remember, he saw a ladder from earth to heaven with God on the top of the ladder. And he saw how the angels ascending and descending that ladder. God spoke to him in that dream in Genesis 28:15 saying, ^“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Jacob realized then that “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he fearfully exclaimed: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” And there he made a promise to God saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” In the years that followed he had served his uncle Laban, was cheated by him many times over. But God had blessed him and he was now a rich man with plenty of livestock. 

Remember when the episode with his uncle had done, with God’s help his old feud with Esau his brother was also dealt with and reconciliation effected. He did cross into Canaan but instead of going straight to Bethel, he chose to settle 20 miles north in Shechem. There he and his family had a tragic experience. His daughter was raped and the sons massacred Hamor and Shechem to exact revenge for the violation. Probably broken and contrite, Jacob was once again ready to retrace his step with God. And the Lord spoke saying, “Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”  This time around Jacob was ready. Speaking to his people he gave very specific instruction. In verses 2-3 we read, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” Here we see Jacob’s renewed obedience to God. And the obedience of the people were just as full and immediate. Everyone gave to him the foreign idols and rings, most likely talisman, that they wore and Jacob had them buried underneath the oak tree. So with renewed faith, they left Shechem and made their journey to Bethel with new hope and expectation.

We recall that Jacob was fearful that the Canaanites and the Perizzites might gang up against him after the massacre of the people of Shechem, when he rebuked his sons for the murderous act. But it was not the case. Verse 5 tells us that the cities of Canaan were terrified instead. God sent the terror upon them and protected Jacob and his family. When they came to Bethel, he built an altar and called the place El-Bethel, meaning God of the house of God. Home at last, Jacob fulfilled his promise. The account of Deborah’s death was to show the transition that took place. Old had passed and the new had arrived. And something new was brewing in the air. 

Genesis 34:25-31 – The hazard of moving half way with God

Infuriated by Jacob’s seeming passive response, Simeon and Levi took matters into their hand. They exacted revenge on Hamor and Shechem and the male of that city. They were cold and calculating. They knew that the third day after circumcision would be most painful for a person who had undergone it, and would render that person less active. Verse 25 tells us that “Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.” Hamor and Shechem were also murdered and they rescued Dinah from Shechem’s house. The other brothers than came in and went into a killing frenzy taking out every helpless victim and plundering the city. They cleaned out the Shechemites, their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses.  No one escaped, every male died that day.  

Jacob’s response to the whole massacre was pathetic. He merely gave them a dressing down, He was obviously more concerned about his reputation and safety. He was afraid that the Canaanites and the Perizzites might gang up and come against them. He had no word for his victim daughter Dinah. His concern was very self-oriented. He was thinking of saving his own skin and what others would think of him. His sons were not concerned about what he had just said, so they retorted him saying, “Should he (Shechem) treat our sister as a harlot?”

What a mess! What went wrong? Everything was going well for him after he had reconciled with Esau. But he chose to indulge a little in deceit to ward off his brother’s generous offer to guide him to Canaan. Besides when he finally came to the land, he should have had kept up with his obedience by going straight to Bethel. But the little indulgence in Succoth, and finally settling in Shechem, made him too comfortable to move ahead with the plan God had for his life. What a tragic moment when he chose to move only half way with God in His plan. The experience of Jacob leaves us with a lesson to go all the way with God. We should learn to be careful about taking detours in our journey with Him. Let’s take a counsel from the Apostle Paul, he said, “God is not mocked. What a man sows, he shall also reap!”

Genesis 34:8-24 – Anger not harnessed can lead to irrational reaction

It was bad enough for Shechem to violate Dinah but now to cover a wrong so casually, without even an apology, was truly incendiary. When Hamor came to Jacob and his sons with a proposal for Shechem to marry Dinah, they had indeed shown how lightly they took the whole matter. While Shechem tried to make amend for his wrong, he did not even think that what he did was wrong. Both father and son didn’t see the rape as something offensive, and were careful not to mention what Shechem had done. Verses 17 and 26 tell us that they had even detained Dinah in their house. And here they had the audacity to think that they had a reasonable and generous solution and didn’t even feel the weight of guilt for Shechem’s sin. He was young and impetuous but what about Hamor? He was an older man and should have known better that what his son did was down-right wrong. How unconscionable could they be? All we can say is that sin has a way of making dull the human conscience.

Their proposal to Jacob and his family was to let Dinah marry Shechem. They further enticed them by offering intermarriage with their people. Here was an economic appeal to his proposal as well. “Thus you shall live with us, and the land shall be open before you; live and trade in it and acquire property in it.” And Shechem offered to give anything for Dinah. He said, “If I find favour in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me. Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl in marriage.” What an enticement! What a bait! They expected that what they proposed would be accepted immediately.

But Jacob and his sons had camouflaged their anger really well. We are told that in verse 13 that the sons of Jacob answered Hamor and Shechem deceitfully. They used circumcision, instituted by God to effect a covenant, as an excuse and a ploy to exact their revenge. They intended to abuse the act of circumcision, the cherished symbol of faith, as a tool for their inhuman act. The brothers of Dinah were not thinking right. Their minds were filled with the idea of revenge. Their goal was to commit mass murder and not to evangelise for God. For Hamor and his son, what they needed to do was to get the consent of the populace of Shechem. This father and son pair was master of deceit. They covered the fact that Dinah was raped by Shechem. They only made known to the populace of what they would gain and not what they had promised to Jacob and his sons for the hand of Dinah. Verse 23 made known their bottom line. For they had a hidden agenda to acquire what belonged to Jacob and his sons. And with that everyone in Shechem was bought and every male was circumcised.

In the first place had Dinah been more careful in her movement and Jacob had been obedient, what we read here would have been avoided. Now all we read are anger, deceit and revenge. We can see that anger and seeking vengeance do have a blinding effect. They cause one to stop at nothing till revenge is exacted. They cause one to even use what is meant to honor a relationship with God as a tool for violence. It is needful for us as God’s people to think soberly and reflect carefully. In our moment of anger always remember that God has said, “Vengeance is mine and I will repay it.” 

Genesis 34:1-7 – Living in the centre of God’s plan

Jacob had chosen to settle for Shechem instead of Bethel, some 20 miles or so from Bethel. It was an indication of incomplete or partial obedience. And partial obedience is a euphemism for disobedience. Jacob even built an altar calling it El-Elohe-Israel, meaning the mighty God of the God of Israel. The building of the altar was of course a pious thing to do. But it became a blind spot that had masked him to being disobedient. His old nature was in full force and he had to pay dearly for his action. Choosing Shechem shows us that he was not trusting God fully. And that he was not attentive to the welfare of his family and their future. The decision he made was costly even as we read Genesis 34 of much depravity. His daughter, Dinah was raped by Schechem. His sons took to themselves and acted treacherously. They came up with a deceitful scheme to have the people of Shechem weakened and they committed mass murder. In all these, the grace of God would not let Jacob go. He pursued him relentlessly. Through his awful experience of the effect of the appalling sin, God awoke Jacob to his calling and helped him back to the path designed for him. God’s grace always triumph despite our sin and human weakness.  

Dinah was Jacob’s daughter born to him by Leah. Ordinarily, being the only girl, she should have had lots of attention from her father. But apparently Jacob had not shown much interest in her. This, together with the fact that Jacob and his family were not where God wanted them to be, left her vulnerable. So Dinah, without due consideration for her own safety, “went out to see the women of the land.”  She should never have left her tent without a proper chaperone. By going alone she had shown impropriety and the worst happened. She was raped. Verse 2 tells us that “Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.” She was violated against her will. But we are told that Shechem was totally besotted by Dinah and was consumed by her. Here we are told that he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her after the rape. He wanted her to be his wife, so Shechem spoke to his father Hamor about arranging a proper marriage to Dinah.

Meanwhile Jacob’s sons were in the field attending to his livestock. While the news grieved him, he did not do a thing till his sons returned from the field. In verse 6 we see that Hamor came to Jacob to propose marriage. The fact that he did not react in anyway reveals how little he cared about Dinah. That must have infuriated her brothers who felt that something had to be done to exact vengeance. To them the violation was a demeaning act not just to Dinah but also to Israel, as a people. Remember Jacob had become Israel in Peniel. The violation of Dinah was a violation against the people of Israel and their God. Unfortunately, Jacob at his low point here did not see it this way. He did not stand up for his daughter nor for his God. These verses remind us that we need to be where God wants us to be. Deviating from his plan and be in a place away from where he want us to be, can put us and the people we cared about in undue hazard. It is important that we stay tuned to God and be where He wants us to be.   

Genesis 33:18-20 – God wants our total obedience

Jacob had truly experienced the tremendous grace of God. And the Almighty had done amazing things in his life. But in these short verses, we learn that the place where this altar was built to celebrate the Lord was misplaced. It should have been built in Bethel instead of Shechem. For in Genesis 28:22 where in Bethel, the words he said to the Lord after building an altar there were, “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”   

Verse 18 tells us that Jacob went to Shechem and camped before the city. Here he bought a piece of land from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father for 100 pieces of money. Ever wonder why the Bible also did not make a big deal of the incident although crossing the Jordan to Shechem would have been a major moment in his life? This is an indication that Jacob had only obeyed the Lord partially. In truth, his obedience was incomplete, even though he built an altar to God and name it El-Elohe-Israel, meaning “the Mighty God is the God of Israel” 

Ever wonder why he didn’t press on to Bethel which was only about 20 miles from where he was? Here could be some of his excuses. Perhaps it’s because Shechem was a better place for his flocks and for business. He must have also considered the fact that Bethel was not too far away from Shechem. So he thought that he could just easily pluck everything up, get up and go there anytime should he wanted. He failed to realize that once he had settled in comfortably, it would be harder to move. Could he had also become a bit careless and taken the Lord for granted instead of obeying Him more precisely? Whatever the case, he had not kept his word to move to Bethel as he had promised. And this had exacted a huge price from his family, a matter we will discuss when we come to Genesis 34.  

What we learn from his choice of Shechem is this: being partly obedient is not enough. We need to know that partial obedience is in fact a euphemism for disobedience. Nothing short of a 100 percent obedience to God is a good enough response to Him. Why is partial obedience not enough? Because it’ll cause us to have the illusion that we have obeyed God totally. Partial obedience is as good as disobedience, no matter how many rational excuses we give to it. God cannot be mocked for, what we sow we shall also reap. Here’s a word from the wisdom of John Eliot, a missionary who was killed in the Amazon jungle in Ecuador while in mission. He said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” 

Genesis 33:12-17 – Sticking to God’s direction in our walk with Him

Having reconciled and restitution made, Jacob could now move on. Esau offered to lead Jacob and his band to Seir, their home. Jacob declined the generous offer. For that was not where God had promised him at Bethel. God told him in Genesis 28:15 that He would bring him back to the land, the Promised Land. In his decline we see a bit of the old Jacob again. He exaggerated to get out of the situation. In verses 13 and 14 he said, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.” Of course he had no intention to do that. Esau could have sensed his intention but did not want to pursue the matter.  

Why did he do that? Why did he lie and give this lame excuse for the generous offer made by Esau? Remember he was both Jacob and Israel. The old nature was still operating in the new. Like him, after being born again, we too find the new nature in Christ will conflict with the old nature we got from Adam. In Romans 7:21-24, Paul described it this way saying, “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” Perhaps the situation with Jacob’s two natures was like this. The Israel in him should have told the truth, but the Jacob in him rationalized. So he thought to himself, “I am sure one day I might go to Seir, so let me just make up an excuse for why I don’t need him to go with me.” So he exaggerated.  

The episode with Esau would soon come to a close. He parted way with Jacob and went off with his 400 men and the good-will gifts given by his brother. The two would only meet again briefly at the father’s funeral in Genesis 35:29. The last we read of Esau was in the genealogies given in Genesis 36. Meanwhile, Jacob did not just cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land or to Bethel. Instead he travelled down south to Succoth and there he built a house and made booths for his livestock. He named that place where he stopped Succoth meaning “stalls” or “booths.” This perhaps was to make use of the fertile valley there to replenish the remaining stock he had. Remember, he had given some 500 of them to make restitution with Esau, his brother. Going to Succoth actually contravened God’s direction. He was supposed to go to Bethel. It was indeed a step backward in his journey with God. He was still a man who at times would do things according to what he desired. Going to Succoth would exact a huge price from him and his family. He would have to pay dearly for this wrong turn in his journey. Like him we also do create setbacks for ourselves, by not moving in tandem with God’s plan for our life. It behoves us to stay connected, listen carefully, and act wisely to avoid needless meanders in our spiritual voyage to where God intents us to be.           

Genesis 33:1-11 - Repentance, restitution and forgiveness

Jacob was gripped by a feeling of great foreboding. He knew he had wronged his elder brother for deceitfully stealing both his birth-right and the blessing of the first born.  The last words of Esau must have once again reinstated the great fear in his heart. Recorded in Genesis 27:36 were words of how Esau had appraised him. “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” All Esau could do was to wait for an opportune time to get rid of his conniving brother.

When Jacob first heard that Esau was coming to him with his 400 men, he was greatly petrified. Meeting Esau was something Jacob knew he couldn’t avoid. He had grown in grace and his quickened conscience would not allow him to evade what was necessary: to be reconciled with his brother. Having spent a night wrestling with God, and had his hip dislocated by the gentle touch of the angel, Jacob could not run any longer. He knew he must confront the situation. The crippling of Jacob helped to remind him that by himself he was weak. The new name Israel would remind him that it would be God that would fight for him in the journey of life. Like him we must remember this paradox if we want to experience success. It is in our weakness that our strength is made perfect. His grace is truly more than enough for us.  

Jacob’s new name ‘Israel’ was a prophetic declaration of his future. While the wrestling with the supernatural being did transform him, he still had some distance to go in his nature. Though he had grown in depth spiritually, his old nature was still a part of him. So we read that when he lifted his eye and saw Esau coming with 400 men to meet him, he frantically divided his family in the way that those dearest to him would be last, in case Esau should unleash his anger. So he placed the two maids and their children right at the start of the queue. Next were Leah and the children she bore for him and finally right behind was Rachel and Joseph. He himself then passed ahead of them bowing, prostrating himself seven times intermittently until he came to Esau. Oddly this was a reversal of Isaac’s blessing on him in Genesis 27:29 that says, “Be master of your brother and may your mother’s sons bow down to you….” Now what he did was to express his repentance for the shameful act of stealing the blessing due to Esau from his father Isaac.   

Jacob did not expect what Esau would do. Esau actually ran to meet him and embraced him, fell on his neck and kissed him as they both wept uncontrollably. Notice Esau did not even mention the past. The hug and the kiss said it all. God answered Jacob’s prayer. Remember Genesis 32:11 where he pleaded with God saying, “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.” God had indeed changed Esau’s heart. Jacob’s experience affirms that prayer indeed does change things and more importantly, prayer will change us.

When Esau saw the family of Jacob following behind him, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob then introduced to him his wives and his sons whom God had graciously given to him. He attributed to them as God’s grace poured over his life. Notice how he responded to Esau’s question in verse 5, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Jacob had introduced the beginning of the chosen people. The second question Esau asked was concerning the groups of animals, preceded by a messenger, that he had met on the way here. That very question allowed Jacob the opening to seek reconciliation. He told Esau honestly that they were intended to seek his favour. Esau declined at first but at the insistence of Jacob, he finally accepted. The key is found in the second part of verse 10 where it says “…take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favourably.” Jacob was conscious that seeing the face of God at Peniel and seeing Esau’s face were connected. It was God graciously dealing with him. The fact that Esau did not reciprocate by giving something in return to Jacob was an indication that he accepted the brother’s gifts and the old score was totally settled.

What can we learn from all these? It is important that we recognize that the blessing of life comes to us through the grace of God. He relentlessly pursues us with His grace. Hence, relying on God is not an option but an essential part of success in life. We need to know also that reconciliation with God must precede all blessings in life. God must always come first. He must be our pre-eminence in life. And from the gifts Jacob gave to Esau we know that restitution is an essential part of repentance. Forgiveness is never cheap, ours was secured by the very death of our precious Lord. He gave His life for us, so let’s give ours to Him! 

Genesis 32:27-32 – What is your name?

In the ensuing struggle, the angel asked to be released by Jacob for the dawn was breaking. But Jacob was insistent on a blessing before he would let him go. Seeing that he could not prevail over Jacob, the angel asked “what’s your name?” The disclosure of one’s name was an exposure of one’s character, a person’s deepest identity. That question prompted Jacob to make a quick confession. With guilt he said trembling, “Jacob”, meaning a cheater or a fraud or a deceiver. For he had truly deceived Esau, his brother twice – once of his birth-right and once of his firstborn blessing. We surmised that Esau was clearly on his mind. His confession elicited a response from the angel that surpassed his wildest imagination. Truly, it was God releasing His magnanimous grace upon Jacob announcing his new name. The angel said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”   

The new name placed emphasis on his persistence. The name Israel means “God fights” or “God strives.” It’s a pronouncement of the certain way to find victory in life’s journey. Like Jacob, any victorious experience in our spiritual journey must come through relying on the strength that God will provide. This kind of strength can only come through tarrying with God. Emboldened by his new name, Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” The reply he received was, “Why is it that you ask my name?” Without any further word, the angel blessed him there. The action of the angel spoke louder than his words. In releasing a blessing upon the transformed Jacob, the angel had indicated that he was indeed sent from God. And Jacob or rather Israel knew it. What a glorious blessing.

Jacob finally knew that he was wrestling with God. It was a moment of awe and wonder.  So he named the place Peniel. For he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” In reality Jacob only caught a glimpse of the silhouette of God in the dimly lit sky, just before the breaking of dawn. God must withdraw at the break of dawn to protect him. For no man ever sees God’s face and yet live. Now with the rising of the sun came the rising of a bright hope. The light of God greeted the transformed Jacob on his journey toward Canaan. As he passed by Penuel limping, he had to take each step with pain. That did not bother him for he now had a new name. This is the paradox of Christian living – our beginning starts when we come to the end of ourselves. It is in weakness that our strength is made perfect. It is in relying that we find grace for the journey. And God had left a permanent mark on Jacob. It is seen in their tradition of not eating the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh of an animal. Just as God had relentlessly pursued Jacob with His grace, He now pursues us with that same grace. Calvary stands as a testament of His pursuit. On that cruel cross, Christ wrestled with Satan and prevailed. For He has been given a new name that is above every name. And at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father!

Genesis 32:22-26 – Keep praying and don’t give up easily

We last learned of Jacob was that he was all alone. Verse 22 tells us that he spent a night getting his wives, two maids and eleven children to cross the ford of the Jabbok River and all that he had with them. Then all alone now, Jacob must have passed the longest night of his life. It wouldn’t be difficult to imagine what he was doing. His mind must be going through all the events and wondering what was awaiting him ahead. He wrestled with the fact that Esau was after him and the cold mountain air did not help. Then in verse 23 we read that a man wrestled with him. Someone laid hold of him and appeared to want his life. In the pitch dark cover of the night he could see nothing. The man that he struggled with was quiet and without a name. They were rigorously struggling between them. We can tell that Jacob did not know that he was struggling with an angel of God. But we know because we have the advantage of reading verses 29-31. These verses tell us that he was wrestling with an angel. Besides, Hosea 12:4 making reference to this incidence said that he strove with an angel. Implicitly, he was wrestling with God.

Jacob struggled all of his life. His very first struggle was with his brother while they were yet in their mother’s womb. He came forth grasping his brother’s heel. When he was older, he struggled with his brother and managed to wrestle from his brother the birth-right. Then when he was older he struggled again with his father and obtained his brother’s blessing. The last we knew before this incidence was his struggle with Laban his uncle, his father-in-law for his wives, children and wealth. And now he was struggling with God. So we see that he not only wrestled with man but also with God.

Of all his wrestling in life, this final one would be the ultimate. It would mark his life forever. As Jacob agonizingly wrestled with the angel of the Almighty, he was oblivious that God was pursing him relentlessly with His grace. He was in the grip of God’s unfailing love. After many hours and the angel could not make any headway, verse 25 tells us that “When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.” Yet with a dislocated joint Jacob would not let go. That one touch that dislocated his joint clearly indicates that he was not wrestling with any ordinary being. His opponent was a supernatural being. But we know from the concluding account of his struggle that it was truly the fascinating hand of God’s grace. But Jacob only discovered this later. 

As the two wrestled on, they began to converse. Seeing that the day was breaking, the unnamed assailant asked to be released. Realizing that he was no ordinary being, Jacob responded saying, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” By now Jacob already had tasted of the supernatural ability of his assailant, for with his one touch from him, his hip was immediately dislocated. By now the patriarch would almost certain that he was dealing with the divine and insisted on a blessing. He just simply won’t let go till he got what he asked for. The unyielding insistence of Jacob was truly difficult to resist. Isn’t this the attitude we should cultivate when we come to connect with God? We should press in and not readily give up. Didn’t Jesus say that we should ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking and knock and keep on knocking? For to everyone who asks will receive, and everyone who seeks will find and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Yes, we must persist in prayer for we have a God who is not reluctant to answer our prayer.

Genesis 32:9-21 – Praying is needful but we also need to act

Jacob was really terrified. He needn’t be but he did. Feeling that his past had caught up with him, he went into prayer. The fact that he prayed tells us that he had grown spiritually. God is the best person to turn to in our hour of needs, be they real or imagined. So that’s what Jacob did. What he said to God gives us hints on how we also should approach God. He began by calling upon God, the same God that Abraham and Isaac worshiped and served, the one who had instructed him to return and promised to prosper him. He said it in his opening invocation but also in his closing petition. Jacob was essentially reminding God of the promise He had made to him. In this prayer we can also detect his humility. Jacob recognized that all that he had were given by the grace of God, so he acknowledged the faithfulness of God. Instead of apportioning blame and asking why did God allow him to suffer such torment, his mind gravitated toward God’s past faithfulness and gratefully acknowledged it. He also remembered that he had nothing when he crossed the river but now he was a prosperous man, owning many goats, sheep, camels, and servants. He even honesty told God his fear of the harm that Esau would inflict upon him, his wives and children, and humbly requested to be delivered from the hand of his brother.

Jacob did not just sit idly by after prayer and did nothing. While he trusted God, he also thought of ways to pacify his brother. However, we must note that it was not the measures that he took that had Esau pacified. The change took place because of the prayer. For the prayer of a righteous man is effective. Verses 13-15 tell us what he did. He assembled together 550 or more worth of animals, 200 female and 20 male goats; 200 ewes and 20 rams; 30 camels and their calves and 20 female and 10 male donkeys. He arranged them into five groups and had each group separated from the other by a certain distance. Each group was accompanied by a messenger who was instructed what to say when they met Esau. Each was told to say, “These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.” 

Jacob had arranged his gifts to Esau in such a way to give him time to appreciate his gifts. It was designed to make maximum impact on him. He thought to himself that his brother would be appeased after seeing the five groups of animals. Jacob even imagined Esau to be pleased and become more accomodative toward him. Verse 21 tells us that he remained behind to spend the night in the camp. Although we are not told what he did that night, we can imagine that he continued in prayer. Jacob’s generous gifts to his brother tell us that he was prepared to pay the price to bring reconciliation. Wealth was secondary in comparison to a peaceful relationship with someone he had offended. He wanted to mend the relationship at all cost. He did what he could but we must learn from him that prayer is still paramount.  Prayer and action must go hand in hand. After praying there must still be action. 

Genesis 32:1-8 – Accurately evaluate situations but keep trusting God

Jacob was on the way home a happy man. With the tussle with his uncle over, he now had the peace of mind. He had every reason to for he never need to deal with the manipulating uncle again. For after all, he was a wealthy man and on the way home with eleven sons.  What encouraged him further were the angels of God whom he met on the way. It was not just one or two but a whole camp of them. It was a sheer delight for Jacob to know that a camp of angels were camping alongside his camp. So he named the place Manahaim, meaning two camps. How refreshing it must have been for Jacob to experience Psalm 34:7. ‘The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear His name, to save them and to deliver them from harm.’ This again was God’s abundant grace poured over him again. Just as the grace of God pursued Jacob, that same grace will also not let us go. Let us emulate Jacob by trusting God and walking with Him. Nothing can be more blessed than keeping company with God. Not only are we surrounded by His love, but He will also dispatch His angels to keep us from being hurt. Isn’t this the promise of Psalm 91:11? “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” We can take comfort that just as God cared for Jacob, He will also release His angels to take care of us, whom He loves.

For years Jacob must have thought often of a burden that weighed heavy on his heart. It was concerning his brother Esau. Since the day he cheated him of his birthright and the blessing of the firstborn, he had not seen him. The fact he ran to his uncle Laban’s place was to avoid his brother. So on his way home, having had several encounters with God, he must have thought of his unfair dealings with his brother. He had been away from him for 20 years already. Looming large on his mind was, had Esau’s anger subsided? How was he to know if this brother was still angry with him? He felt that he needed to make right the relationship. So he initiated the move and sent men to the land of Seir, the country of Edom where Esau dwelt, to test water.

What Jacob set out to do is Biblically right. To mend a broken relationship is something that we should do to honor our Lord Jesus. Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 5:23-24, that “…if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” By God’s grace, seek to be the one to take the initiative to mend any broken relationship. Reconciliation is our Lord’s mission. He came to reconcile us with God. So Jacob started with a peaceful proposal to his brother. Sending a messenger to Esau, he instructed him to say to his brother, “Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now; I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’” Jacob was not only humble but also sincere in his approach. The mention of his wealth was an indication that he was prepared to make generous restitution for how he had wronged his brother. The previous Jacob, prior to his encounter with God, would never come to this point. 

What we read in verse 6 must have sent Jacob into a panic mode. The messenger returned saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” Fear stricken, Jacob first thoughts were filled with the last words his brother had said. Esau was bidding his time till his father’s death. Then he would take Jacob’s life. Thus his fear was not without reason. The very thought of his ruddy, hairy brother must have sent shivers down his spine. Overtaken by fear, he quickly divided his people into two camps. He was in a survival mode. And he wasn’t thinking of the camp of angels now. How quickly he forgot how God had protected him! We would have reacted the same way too, wouldn’t we? We have the advantage of reading forward what Esau finally did, but not so for Jacob. Hence for him to be petrified was understandable. But for us, it leaves us with a lesson to learn to rest in the Lord, and stay trusting when we encounter oppositions, even great ones. Remember he will give his angel charge over us!

Genesis 31:43-55 – Grow in grace through the hard journey of life

Laban was a quick-witted man accustomed at manipulating. Very quickly he thought of an explanation to calm the anger of Jacob. At the back of his mind must also be the dream prior to this confrontation, which God sent to warn him against being aggressive toward Jacob. Like a person caught red-handed, Laban quickly tried to cover himself. So here he portrayed himself as a very benevolent person, claiming that what Jacob had before him were due to his generosity. He asserted that Jacob’s wives were his daughters, their children were his grandchildren and the flocks Jacob had were his in the first place. Laban was implying that it was he who had given them to Jacob. The idea he painted of himself was that he was a generous man. He failed to see the number of times he had cheated Jacob who had put in 2o years of hard labour to gain them. What hollow words from an unscrupulous man. Words are meant to clarify and not to manipulate. As people who love the Lord, let our word be full of integrity. Never should we use words to trap others. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Laban needed to do something so that he would not appear to be a hostile uncle. So he proposed a mutual, non-aggression pact to protect each other. Jacob of course had no need of the pact, for God had already promised to be his protector. However, it would be worth the effort as the treaty would officially keep them apart. So Jacob took a stone and made a pillar out of it. This recalls to mind his vision of the ladder with angels ascending and descending at Bethel. It was a timely reminder of the God who stood at the top of the ladder, the God who had promised him a people, possession and place.  So Jacob also had his men gathered stones to make into a heap and there he and his uncle and his men had a meal. So here they had two stone memorials, and two separate people. The heap of stones had two separate names. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha and Jacob called it Galeed meaning the heap of witness and Mizpah, meaning watch-post. The declaration of Jacob was to show how two men, who did not trust each other, needed God to watch over them. It was not a pact of trust, fellowship or union. Here Laban called upon the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor. Implicit in this was his calling upon the pagan deities of his forefathers. Jacob, however called upon the true God, the God of his father Isaac. And there he offered a sacrifice to Him, then called his man and had a meal on the mountain. Early the next day, Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, and bade them farewell before he left for home.  

Jacob was far from the finished product. He still had some way to be the person God intended him to be. But slowly and surely, he was becoming more and more the person and character God wanted him to be. He knew he needed to respond in obedience to God’s word and progressively he did. It was clear to him that the Lord was clearly behind all his successes. The pillar he set up besides the heap of stones affirmed his conviction that it was God who had provided and led him thus far. By God’s grace, Jacob was slowly growing in grace. From his life, we can see that God does work amidst our seeming weaknesses in life. He has the capacity to take all our human weaknesses and oppositions and turn them into a great plan to fulfil His purpose for our life. Our difficult encounters in life are not there to make us fold up and give up. There are there to help us build up and grow up. Thanks be to God who also gives us the strength and ability to do that!     

Genesis 31:36-42 – Do what we can; leave God to do what we cannot

Laban went through the tents of each of Jacob’s family members looking for his lost idols. His inability to find his lost idols made Jacob boiled over. Jacob felt that his uncle had made up a poor lame excuse just to ransack his property. He, of course, was unaware that Rachel had actually stolen her father’s idols. Remember he worked 14 years for Leah and Rachel and then another six for the flocks. In those 20 years, Laban had changed his wages 10 times. Though gentle by nature, the thought of how he was ill-treated made Jacob explosive. He turned angry and aggressive and berated his uncle. His negative emotion towards his uncle were essentially a pent-up emotion of 20 years. In those years he felt badly treated.

Jacob was a hard working person. He worked diligently, discharging and fulfilling the conditions set by Laban. He did not shrink from his assignments. For twenty years the female sheep and goats of Laban had never suffered a miscarriage. Jacob was able to account for the number of animals Laban had. He bore all the losses whether his sheep or goat was attacked by a beast or stolen. In the process of looking after his flock he was also succumbed to all kinds of weather condition – burning heat by day and frost-bite by night. Responsibly, Jacob had spent many sleepless nights looking after his uncle’s flock. Here’s a lesson on faithful stewardship. Like him, we must be faithful to the tasks assigned us by our bosses. Regardless of how they treat us, God will never short-change us. We need to do our best leaving God to do the rewarding. We do what we can and leave God to do what we cannot.

Though Jacob started off as a conniver, God’s transforming work took place in his life since that dream he had at Bethel. We see the progressive change of his perspective. Verse 42 shows that he had indeed come to accept God’s hand in his life. Jacob was sure that, “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed.” He added that “God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night.”  He alluded to God for the favour he had experienced. The Lord not only prospered him but also protected him. He had showered His goodness upon him and made sure that he would not be taken advantage of. He gratefully acknowledged that it was God all the way. Like Jacob, by His grace we shall triumph. Like him, we need to do our best and leave God to do what only He can do – to prosper us.  When all is said and done, the question is: have we done our best for Him? God deserves our best.  

Genesis 31:25-35 – Our Character gives weight to our words

Finally Laban caught up with Jacob. It must have been a petrifying experience for Jacob prior to the confrontation. For sure Laban would have killed him had not God intervened the night before. In verse 24 we are told that “God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, ‘Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.’” So during the meeting it was Laban that was tentative rather than Jacob. There was much uncertainty. What Jacob received were just harsh words Laban tossed at him.

Laban’s words were calculated to put Jacob on a guilt trip. He wanted to make his nephew feel guilty for what he had done. So he painted a picture as if he was a loving father who had been gravely hurt by an inconsiderate son-in-law. He accused Jacob of deceiving him and fleeing secretly. He even had the audacity to give Jacob the idea that had he known that he wanted to return to his father, he would have sent him off with a grand celebration. Really? Would he have acted that way? We all know that those were just hollow words knowing the kind of character that he was. Bear in mind that what we are, speak more loudly than what we say. What we learn from Laban’s deceptive life is this: for our words to be taken seriously, we need to be found trustworthy. There can be no trust when at the basic level we are untrustworthy. Remember it is possible for one’s character to speak so loudly that what that person says cannot be heard.

Whatever Laban had said were just hollow empty words and couldn’t be taken seriously until his final line. He asked Jacob, “…but why did you steal my gods?” Jacob was baffled for he did not know that Rachel had stolen her father’s idol.  So he responded saying, “The one with whom you find your gods shall not live….” With that line, Jacob had just pronounced a death sentence on Rachel, the wife he loved so much. So he confidently allowed Laban to search the tents of his family.  The uncle diligently went through tent by tent beginning from Leah, Zilpah and Bilhah and then back to Leah’s and finally Rachel’s. He found nothing for Rachel, who had stolen it, had placed it in the saddle of her camel and sat on it.

Meanwhile Rachel remained seated and did not move. Her excuse: “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” She claimed to be having her monthly period so she was not moving. Laban bought her excuse because he could not imagine that Rachel would sit on his household gods. That would have been a grave sacrilege. What Rachel did indicated her disregard for her father’s gods. Though we would not go far to do what Rachel had done, we nonetheless would only honor our True and Living God. There is no other God worthy of worship but the Lord God Almighty, the Mighty Creator, the Covenant-Keeping God who came to us in Jesus Christ. He alone deserves the glory and honor and endless praise!