Genesis 28-30

Genesis 28-30

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 28: Seed of Jacob

                Isaac blesses Jacob and commands him to get married, but not unto a Canaanite. He tells Jacob to go to Padan-aram to the house of Beuthel and marry one of the daughters of Laban (essentially his cousins). Esau sees that Jacob received his  father's blessing and that his father did not want him to marry a Canaanite. So Esau goes and marries one of the daughters of Ishmael.

                Jacob has a vision of a ladder reaching into heaven, he saw angels descending and ascending the ladder into heaven. Jacob sees the Lord and the Lord tells him that his seed shall be of the dust of the earth in number.

                Jacob promises to pay 1/10 of all his earnings (10% tithe)

Chapter 29: Jacob falls in Love with Rachel

                Jacob goes on his journey and finds Rachel at a well, he helps he with giving water to the sheep and kisses her. Rachel runs home to tell her parents and Laban welcomes Jacob with open arms, he asks him if he wants a job and Jacob agrees to work 7 years and after completing the work of 7 years he can marry Rachel.

                7 years pass...

                Laban holds a party and gives Jacob his oldest daughter to marry; Leah.  Jacob is a little irritated and asks Laban why he has done this to him, basically something like this; "I thought we had agreed, I work 7 years for you and you give me Rachel, not Leah". Well Laban explains that he cannot marry off his younger daughter before his firstborn. But Laban proposes that Jacob also marry Rachel. He permits the marriage to happen if he gives Leah 1 week and then he can marry Rachel, if he promises to work another 7 years.

                1 week passes...

                Jacob marries Rachel and loves her more than Leah. God sees that Jacob loves Rachel more than Leah, he makes the womb of Rachel barren. But Leah conceives and bares 4 children;

·         Reuben

·         Simeon

·         Levi

·         Judah

Chapter 30: Rachel Conceives

                After Rachel sees the children of her sister, she pleads with Jacob to give her children also. She suggests he marry her handmaid Bilhah and have children by her. Bilhah conceives and bares Jacob a son, his name was Dan. Bilhah conceived a second time and called his name Naphtali. Leah sees that more children are being born and gets jealous and suggests that Jacob marry Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah. Zilpah bares a son and they name the son Gad. Zilpah conceives a second some and names the child Asher.

                Leah continues to have more children, she bares another two sons; Issachar and Zebulun, and one daughter; Dinah.

                Rachel finally bares a son, and calls his name; Joseph.

                Jacob continues to work for Laban for wages of cattle and sheep.