Jacob's Journey

Part one: Uncles, Deals and Daughters

Jacob escapes from his brother Esau with his stolen blessing and his mother’s help. She arranges for him to make his way to his uncle, her brother Laban. During his travels he stops at a certain place as it is getting late in the day and using what is presumably the most comfortable rock around as a pillow falls asleep.

Here Jacob has a dream. Not just any dream but a dream of a ladder that stretched from the earth to the very heavens themselves and upon this ladder moves a host of angels. These angels are heading both up and down the ladder. Not only does Jacob witness the movement of angels, God from atop the ladder speaks to him of the covenant of Abraham.

On waking Jacob proclaims his revelation seeing that the land around him is God’s house. Anointing the rock that he slept on with oil Jacob names the spot Bethel and promises to keep the covenant if God does.

It does seem like Jacob needed a good reminder of the covenant. He had after all tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright then deceived his father Isaac and stole Esau’s blessing. One could say that the stolen blessing was his mother’s idea but it still doesn’t look good for him that he went along with it and fled afterward. I don’t think Jacob was living quite in accordance with the covenant before this divine dream.

I suppose having a divine revelation will do that to a person.

Again we have a meeting at a well, this time between Jacob and Rachel one of the daughters of Laban. After this fortunate meeting Jacob upon speaking with his uncle get his permission to marry Rachel whom he has become smitten by. But Jacob must labor for his uncle for seven years for his daughters hand to which Jacob happily agrees.

Now we should pause for a second to at least acknowledge the elephant in the text here. Jacob is arranging a marriage to his cousin, something that the parents of both these individuals approve. That isn’t something that is common anymore and is rather frowned on these days, which is probably for the best. I wonder how much the idea of the covenant being bound to a bloodline influenced patterns of marriage.

The story takes a bit of a turn once Jacob completes his seven years of service to Laban whom benefits greatly from Jacob’s labors. Laban holds a feast and sends Leah his oldest daughter to Jacob to consummate the marriage instead of Rachel. I guess he just forgot which one he promised after all that time.

This does sort of feel like Jacob is getting a karmic turn as he is or at least was kind of a trickster himself and not above making a fast and questionable deal. Laban does not seem like he is a keeper of the covenant himself. While seemingly having some awareness of the Lord he does not conduct himself in a very righteous manner. To placate the understandably angry Jacob, Laban tells him that if he works for another seven years he can have Rachel to go along with Leah. Jacob considers the deal a fair one and labors another seven years for Laban.

Laban knows that much of his good fortune is tied to Jacob and doesn’t want to lose this golden goose of a nephew. He even sweetens the deal a bit by gifting a maid to each of his daughters. I feel bad for Leah here as she appears to be part of plans that are never her own. God opens Leah’s womb upon seeing her situation and Leah conceives four sons. Rachel is quite envious of this as it is noted that she is barren.

When Rachel complains to Jacob, he gets angry.

And in an echo of the story of Abraham, Rachel comes up with the solution to give her maid to Jacob, so that Rachel might have a child through her maid. Jacob agrees with this plan as Abraham did before him. At this point it almost seems like part of the covenant. He has two more children with Rachel’s maid. Which makes Leah jealous or it brings out her competitive spirit and not wanting to be outshone by her sister despite already having four sons Leah gives her maid to Jacob. Again Jacob agrees with this plan and he has two more sons with Leah’s maid. Jacob clearly took the sentiment of his descendants being like dust upon the earth seriously. I bet there were more than a few tense nights in Jacob’s tents as well as quite a few enjoyable ones.

After reading this far into the Old Testament, the reason some Christian groups don’t have a problem with intermarrying within the family is pretty clear. There is more than just a pattern of intermarriage out of necessity. When Esau felt like his parents didn’t like his first wife who was not a descendant of Abraham. He got another one this time from the line of Abraham through Ishmael. I wonder if that was representing him finding a more suitable match as he does prosper after this. This was probably far from an uncommon practice within tribal groups at the time where everyone was likely to be related in some way. And the only other people that you can trust are those related to you. I cannot imagine how different the world must have seemed to the people who lived during that time.

Anyway Jacob’s family continues to expand as he has three more children, two more sons and a daughter. Jacob has quite the brood at this point but God has one more for him and Rachel finally gives birth to a son, Joseph. Jacob senses that it is time for him to travel to the land that God had promised him.

Jacob appears to be a skilled herdsman and Laban knows this and not only is Jacob a skilled herdsman, he has the blessing of God. Jacob’s labor has blessed Laban as well as himself and that is not a thing that his uncle wants to lose. When Jacob tells him he is leaving he reminds Laban how much he has gained already and he relents a bit and offers him more to stay which Jacob refuses.

Now it gets interesting for they strike a deal for certain sheep and calves and despite agreeing to the deal, Laban immediately starts swindling. He has his sons hide the sheep and calves that he had agreed to give Jacob. But this doesn’t bother Jacob, he continues to do his work tending the herds and he does it well. The animals of the flock give birth to young in the colors specified in the deal for Jacob. He becomes exceedingly wealthy which angers Laban’s sons who now feel they are being cheated. Jacob who was a bit of a swindler himself shows his growth perhaps his faith in God and without resorting to cheating he has succeeded in doing well for himself.

Jacob feels the growing tension in Laban’s household and knows it is directed at him. After talking to Rachel and Leah who agree that their father is a bit of a cheat agree to follow Jacob. Without telling his uncle Jacob flees with his possessions and household.

Upon hearing that his nephew has fled Laban gathers his kinsmen and purses Jacob for seven days.