JACOB, LEAH & RACHEL
Now after Jacob (through subtlety) received the blessing that was meant for his older brother Esau, their mother Rebekah wished for Jacob to flee. For she believed that Esau might kill Jacob for taking away the blessing that was meant for him. So, Rebekah spoke to her husband Issac of how weary she was thinking what would happen if Jacob took a wife from the daughters of Heth. So, Issac called Jacob and blessed him, and told him not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Rather Issac sent Jacob to Padan-aram in upper Mesopotamia, to the house of Rebekah’s father, and Jacob was to take a wife from the daughters of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. And Issac prayed that God Almighty would bless Jacob and make him fruitful, and that he would become a multitude of people. So Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and went on to Padan-aram.
Jacob would go on to marry not just one of Laban’s daughters but two. For Laban had two daughters: the name of the eldest was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Now Leah was plain, but Rachel was beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel and pledged to serve Laban for seven years to take Rachel as his wife, and the agreement was made. After the seven years were fulfilled Jacob asked Laban for Rachel. Laban then made a great wedding feast. That evening however, Laban put Leah and not Rachel in Jacobs quarters. The next morning when Jacob saw it was Leah and not Rachel, he spoke to Laban as to why he would do this since he worked seven years for the hand of Rachel and asked why he would trick him. Laban replied that in his country you should not give in marriage the younger before the first-born. Laban then told Jacob to serve him for another seven years and then he could marry Rachel. Jacob did so, and when the seven years were fulfilled, Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel and she became his wife.
THE TWELVE SONS OF JACOB
Now Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb that she might be fruitful, but Rachel was barren. Leah would go on to bare four sons by Jacob in close succession to one another. The first son was named Reuben, the second Simeon, the third Levi, and the fourth son was named Judah. As time went on and Rachel bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. So Rachel gave Jacob her handmaid Bilhah to wife, so Rachel could have children by her. Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a son, and Rachel named him Dan. Bilhah conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son, and Rachel named him Naphtali.
Now Leah noticed that she had ceased from bearing children. So, Leah gave Jacob her handmaid Zilpah as a wife, to beget children through her. Zilpah would bare Jacob two sons: the first son was named Gad, and the other son was named Asher. Later, Leah would begin to bare again and she brought forth two sons, Issachar and Zebulun. Leah also brought forth Jacob’s one and only daughter, Dinah. After this God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. Rachel conceived and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” So Rachel brought forth her first son and named him Joseph. Rachel would conceive again and bare a son, but she died while in labor. As she was departing, Rachel named her son Ben-oni, but his father Jacob called him Benjamin. All in all, Jacob would father twelve sons – six sons by Leah, two sons from Bilhah, two sons from Zilpah, and two sons by Rachel. Later, these twelve sons of Jacob would be known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel. For Jacob’s name would be changed to Israel, and his descendants would be known as the Children of Israel.
ISRAEL – HE WHO STRUGGLES WITH GOD
Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob wanted to leave Laban his father-in-law, and have a portion of country for himself, his wives, his children and his flocks. After some difficulty with Laban, the Lord intervened. The Lord spoke to Jacob and told him to return to the land of his fathers and that He (the Lord) would be with him. So Jacob went his way along with his family. As they came near the land of Seir, which is the country of Edom where Esau and his family dwelt, Jacob was fearful of his brother Esau that he would kill him along with his family. So they traveled cautiously. One night when Jacob was alone, a man came and wrestled with him until daybreak.
And when the man saw that he was not overpowering him, the man touched Jacob’s thigh and his hip came out of socket. The man told Jacob to let him go, but Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Then the man asked Jacob what his name was. When he replied that his name was Jacob the man told him thus: “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28). At this place the man blessed Jacob who would also be known now as Israel. So, Jacob called the name of that place Peniel, which means: I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
MAN, ANGEL, OR GOD?
The man that wrestled with Jacob is believed by many to be an angel. Others hold to the position that this “Man” was none other than the Word of God Himself: the pre-incarnate Christ. It would seem that Jacob believed it was the Lord, considering how he named the place Peniel: I have seen God, and lived. Also when Jacob asked the man if he would reveal his name, the man rebuked him a bit and didn’t tell Jacob his name. The significance of the man not revealing his name connects with other places in scripture that refer to Christ. A reference of Christ in Revelation 19:12 states that, “..he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” So just as the person that blessed Jacob had a name that was not revealed, so too does Jesus Christ have a name that only he himself knows.
References:
Brenton. The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. (London: Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., 1851).
Green, J.P. The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000).
Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).