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SERIES B --- A CHOSEN PEOPLE --- LESSON 4

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JACOB’S CHILDREN

From Genesis 30

Give me children or I will die! Rachel complained to Jacob. Rachel had become very jealous of her sister Leah because Leah had children but Rachel did not. But Jacob’s anger flared. Do you think I’m YHVH? he shouted. He has kept you from having children, not I! Then take my maid Bilhah, Rachel demanded. Let me have children through her. Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife and Bilhah had a son. YHVH has done what is right for me, said Rachel. He has heard my prayers and has given me a son. Rachel named her new son Dan, which meant -- To Judge or -- To Give Justice. Bilhah then had another son, whom Rachel named Naphtali, which meant -- Wrestle, for, as Rachel said, I have wrestled mightily with my sister and have won. When Leah saw that she was no longer having children she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. As time passed Zilpah had a son whom Leah named Gad, which meant -- Good Fortune, for she said, my good fortune has returned. Later, Zilpah had another son whom Leah named Asher, which meant -- Happy, for Leah said, Now I am happy and that is what other women will say about me. During the time of wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Many women thought that mandrakes would help them have a baby. When Rachel heard about the mandrakes, she wanted to share them. Give me some of your son’s mandrakes, she said to Leah. You’ve already stolen my husband. Do you also want to steal my son’s mandrakes? Leah answered angrily. Then Rachel had another idea. If you give me some of the mandrakes, Jacob may stay with you tonight instead of with me. When Jacob came from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. Tonight, you are staying with me instead of Rachel, for I have hired you with some of my son’s mandrakes. Thus, YHVH heard Leah’s prayers for another child and gave her a fifth son. YHVH has rewarded me for giving Zilpah as a wife to Jacob, said Leah, and she named her son Issachar, a name which suggested the idea of hiring or wages. Later, Leah had a sixth son and named him Zebulun, which meant -- Gifts. She explained the name this way, YHVH has given me a good dowry of six sons, so my husband should certainly honour me now. After that, Leah had one more child, a daughter named Dinah. Then YHVH remembered Rachel. He listened to her prayers and gave her a son. YHVH has taken away the shame of having no children, said Rachel. She named her son Joseph, which meant -- To Add, for she said, May Adonai give me still another son. About this time, Jacob had a talk with Laban. Let me go home to my own country with my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you. You know how hard I have worked to get them! But Laban didn’t want to lose Jacob. Let me tell you something, Laban explained. Through divination, I have learned that all of the blessings Adonai has sent me have been because of you. Tell me how much your wages should be and I’ll pay you. I’m sure you realize how I have served you all these years, Jacob answered, and how much your flocks and herds have increased. Before I came, you didn’t have much, but since then your wealth has kept growing. Everything I have done has brought YHVH’s blessing upon you. But now it’s time I provided for my own family! How much should I give you? Laban asked. You must not give me anything, said Jacob. However, I will take care of your flock again if you let me take all of the black sheep, and all of the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted. Later, if you find white sheep or goats with my flock, you will know that I have stolen them from you. That is a good plan, said Laban. I accept. Laban went out that same day and collected a flock for Jacob, separating the male goats that were striped and spotted, and the she goats that were speckled and spotted, or had white patches on them, and every black lamb. Laban set Jacob’s sons in charge of this flock and separated it by a three days’ journey from his own flock, which he placed in Jacob’s care. But Jacob had a plan to increase his own flock. He carved white streaks in some fresh shoots from the poplar, almond, and plane trees and placed them at the watering troughs, Where the animals mated. This produced young animals that were streaked or spotted, which Jacob put in his own flock. Only the stronger animals were permitted to mate in this way. The weaker animals mated so that they produced young for Laban’s flock. Thus, Jacob’s animals became stronger while Laban’s became weaker. Jacob also separated the female sheep in Laban’s flock and mated them with his own black rams. In this way, Jacob’s flocks increased while Laban’s decreased. Jacob became a wealthy man, with large flocks, and many servants, camels, and donkeys. Jacob and Laban agreed on a plan to divide the flocks. All of the solid-coloured sheep remained in Laban’s herds while the speckled sheep belonged to Jacob. Laban was pleased with this arrangement because men in ancient times saw evil omens in the strange markings of the spotted sheep.

COMMENTARY

JACOB’S FAMILY

The Bible is a faithful record of what has happened. It neither hides nor approves human flaws. Thus, these chapters of Genesis portray honestly the jealousy and competition that existed between the four wives Jacob took in Haran. Certainly, Jacob’s family is not a model of what a home should be. Jacob’s family life was plagued by dissension and disagreement. Childlessness was a disgrace in the Near East, and Rachel envied her sister Leah’s seven children. But since Rachel was beautiful and Jacob’s favourite, Leah was hurt and envious. Bilhah and Zilpah, Rachel and Leah’s servants, were given to Jacob as his substitute wives. They gave birth to four sons by him, which; according to ancient custom; belonged to Rachel or Leah. However, they did not have the same status as the sons of his freeborn wives, and Leah’s children looked down on the servants’ sons. But when Rachel finally gave birth to Joseph, the sons of all three other mothers were united in their dislike of him. The older brothers greatly resented Jacob’s obvious preference for the son of his old age by his favourite wife. He protected Joseph, gave him an elaborate cloak, and planned to make him his principal heir. Jealous and angry, the brothers sold Joseph into slavery. Then they deceived Jacob, using Joseph’s bloodstained cloak to suggest that he had been killed. Thus, Jacob’s family was filled with jealousy and deceit. It existed between Jacob and his brother Esau, Jacob and his father Isaac, between Jacob’s mother Rebekah and his father Isaac, between Jacob and his uncle, between Jacob’s wives, and at last between his children. But despite all of these petty problems, Jacob’s family was the family of promise, through which YHVH caused His covenant to be given. It was the family through which much of our Bible was given, and through which the Messiah came to redeem those who accept Him.

Comment

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