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Scripture Reading: Gen. 32:24-32; 35:1-15; 47:7, 10-12, 27-31; 48:8-9, 15-16, 20; 49:28; 41:39-44, 55-57
II. Working on Jacob with Joseph:
C. Having destined him to live a struggling life all his days:
8. To escape from his uncle Laban according to the indication of the complaint of Laban’s sons and the attitude of Laban, and according to God’s instruction — Gen. 31:1-21.
9. To face the trouble of Laban’s pursuing and overtaking him while he was under the secret care and protection of God as the Angel of God — Christ (vv. 10-13) — vv. 22-55.
10. To face the trouble of his brother Esau’s dealing with him — 32:1-23; 33:1-16.
11. To wrestle even with God, who changed his name from Jacob to Israel, indicating that God would transform him from a supplanter (Jacob) to a wrestler with God, or a prince of God (Israel), and who made him limp — 32:24-32.
12. To face the trouble of the case of his daughter Dinah — ch. 34.
13. To be purified with his family from the foreign gods and their ornaments that they loved, according to God’s commandment, so that they might serve God with an altar built at Bethel, where God changed his name from Jacob to Israel and promised him that:
а. He as the All-sufficient God would make him fruitful and multiplied; a nation and a company of nations would come from him, and kings would come forth from his loins.
b. He would give to him and his seed the land He gave to Abraham and Isaac — 35:1-15.
14. To take care of the burial of Deborah, his mother Rebekah’s nurse, without seeing his mother — v. 8.
15. To suffer the death of Rachel at the birth of Ben-oni (“the son of my sorrow,” named by Rachel while dying at his birth), Benjamin (“the son of the right hand,” named by Jacob the father) — vv. 16-20.
16. To suffer his son Reuben’s incest with his concubine Bilhah — v. 22.
17. To suffer the loss of his beloved son Joseph — ch. 37.
18. To suffer the danger of losing his son Simeon and his youngest son Benjamin — 42:18—43:15; 44:9-34.
D. Releasing him from all his sufferings:
1. To see his beloved son Joseph again in his honor and glory — 45:1—47:12.
2. To enjoy a rich and peaceful life with the worship to God at his old age — vv. 11-12, 27-31.
E. Causing him:
1. To be transformed from a supplanter (Jacob) to a prince of God (Israel) — 35:9-10.
2. To be matured to bless all people whom he contacted:
а. To bless Pharaoh — 47:7, 10.
b. To bless Joseph with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh — ch. 48.
c. To bless all his twelve sons — 49:1-28.
F. Causing him, with Joseph:
1. To go through a long period of suffering — 37:4-36; 39:1-23; 40:12-15, 21-23; 41:9-37.
2. To be exalted as the sovereign ruler — vv. 39-44:
а. To rule over all of Egypt — 45:8b-9a.
b. To supply all the earth with food — 41:55-57; 42:5-6.
In the previous chapters we saw God’s working on Abraham and Isaac, and we began to see His working on Jacob with Joseph. In order for us to understand the book of Genesis thoroughly, we have to know the life of Jacob even more than the life of Abraham. The experiences of Abraham are not as subjective as those of Jacob. The book of Genesis has fifty chapters, and the last twenty-six chapters speak of Jacob’s life. Jacob’s history begins in Genesis 25 and is wrapped up with two persons — his father Isaac and his son Joseph. Jacob needed such a father and such a son to complete his life.
Genesis 25 shows us Jacob’s birth and his gaining the birthright from Esau. Even from his mother’s womb Jacob was struggling to be the firstborn of the twins (vv. 22-26a). Genesis 27 shows us how Jacob struggled to receive the blessing of the firstborn son through his deceiving according to his mother Rebekah’s device (vv. 1-29). Rebekah caused trouble for her husband and her two sons. Isaac, in a sense, lived a peaceful life, but in another sense, he did not, because his second son was forced to leave him. From the time that Rebekah devised to send Jacob away to her brother Laban, she never saw Jacob again. This shows that if we exercise our natural, human wisdom and device, we will suffer.
We have seen that in God’s working on Jacob, He loved Jacob and chose him before the foundation of the world (Mal. 1:2b; Rom. 9:10-13). It was the same with us. Ephesians 1:4 and 5 say that in eternity past before the foundation of the world God chose us and predestinated us. The phrase in love is in Ephesians 1:4. Just as He loved and chose Jacob, God chose us because of His love (1 Thes. 1:4).
Then God raised Jacob as an heir to Abraham and to Isaac (Gen. 28:13-14). God loved him, chose him, and ordained that he would be Abraham’s and Isaac’s heir. Jacob did not need to struggle to get the birthright, to be the heir, because God had already destined him for this. God was doing everything to raise Jacob up so that he could inherit God’s promise to Abraham and Isaac and His covenant with them. Eventually, Jacob obtained the birthright, apparently because of his endeavoring. But we need to see that if God had not destined Jacob to receive the birthright, he could have never obtained it, no matter how much he endeavored.
The history of Jacob is mostly a history of treachery, deceit, falsehood, and struggling. From the womb of his mother, he tried to come out first, but he did not make it. He was a person who was always deceiving, striving, and struggling with others. Through his cunning, he gained much cattle from his uncle Laban (30:31-43). Later, when he was about to confront the threatening situation with his brother Esau, he sent nine droves of cattle to him as a present (32:13-21). This present was actually a bribe. Jacob did not have a sincere, loving heart toward his brother. His present to Esau did not issue out of a heart of love but out of a heart of fear. Then as he was approaching Esau, Jacob put the handmaids and their children foremost, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph last (33:1-2). The ones whom he loved the most were kept at the rear for their protection. This shows that he was still striving and struggling according to his self-effort.
God destined that Jacob should live a struggling life all his days. From his mother’s womb to the end of his life, he was struggling. In the previous chapter we saw seven points concerning Jacob’s life of struggling. First, he was destined from his mother’s womb to struggle to be the firstborn of the twins (25:22-26a). Second, he struggled to receive the blessing of the firstborn son through his deceiving according to his mother’s device (27:1-29). Third, he was forced by his brother’s hatred and his mother’s partial love and natural wisdom to leave his parents and go to his uncle Laban (v. 41—28:5). Fourth, he suffered loneliness and homelessness in the journey to his uncle (vv. 10-11). Fifth, he arrived at his uncle Laban’s home by suffering a long, lonely journey, indicated by his weeping to his cousin Rachel (29:1-14). Sixth, he married four wives and begot eleven sons by fourteen years of hard labor and much grinding under his wives (v. 15—30:24). Seventh, he endeavored to become rich by deceiving his uncle Laban with his subtle skill (vv. 25-43). Now we want to see eleven more points in Jacob’s life of struggling.
Jacob escaped from his uncle Laban according to the indication of the complaint of Laban’s sons and the attitude of Laban and according to God’s instruction (31:1-21). Jacob stayed with Laban and worked for Laban for twenty years, and within this time Laban changed Jacob’s wages ten times (v. 41). The first fourteen years of his labor were his service to Laban so that he could gain Leah and Rachel as his wives. Jacob loved Rachel and told Laban that he would serve him seven years for her. Laban agreed to this, but when these seven years were completed, Laban tricked him and gave him Leah. Then he told Jacob that he would give him Rachel for another seven years of his service. Jacob agreed, and Laban then gave him his daughter Rachel (29:18-28). Jacob served Laban for a total of twenty years. Although Laban was so subtle and even changed Jacob’s wages ten times, Jacob was eventually the winner. He came to Laban’s house as a young bachelor, but he left Laban’s house with four wives, eleven sons, and many herds of cattle.
Jacob faced the trouble of Laban’s pursuing and overtaking him while he was under the secret care and protection of God as the Angel of God — Christ (31:10-13, 22-55). Laban was not an easygoing person. Jacob with his four wives did not say goodbye to him when they left. They stole away and fled from Laban (v. 20). When Laban realized this, he took his men to pursue them, and he eventually overtook them. Laban rebuked Jacob, but Jacob in turn rebuked Laban more strongly. That subdued Laban (vv. 25-44). Eventually, he and Laban made a covenant of peace with each other. Then Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren, blessed them, and returned to his place (v. 55). This account is a good example of human diplomacy.
Actually, though, Jacob faced the trouble from Laban while he was under the secret care of God as the Angel of God — Christ. The first time we see Christ as the Angel of Jehovah to serve God’s people is in the book of Exodus. Exodus 3:2 says that the Angel of Jehovah appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. Exodus 14 shows that when Pharaoh’s army came to overtake Israel, Christ as the Angel of Jehovah was going before them and was also taking care of them from behind to protect them (v. 19). Jacob was under the secret care of Christ as the Angel of Jehovah.
After Laban departed from Jacob, Genesis 32:1 and 2 say that “Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And Jacob said when he saw them, This is God’s camp. So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” Mahanaim means “two hosts,” “two camps,” “two armies.” As Jacob was on his way, he was probably thinking about how he would face Esau. Much to his surprise, two hosts of the angels of God met him, indicating that they would protect him. Afterward, Jacob divided his family into two camps, two armies (v. 7). Jacob was under God’s protection because his preservation was vital to God’s New Testament economy. Out of Jacob eventually came Mary, of whom Christ was born (Matt. 1:2, 16).
After dealing with the trouble from his uncle, Jacob had to face the trouble of his brother Esau’s dealing with him (Gen. 32:1-23; 33:1-16).
The night before Jacob confronted Esau, he wrestled with God until the break of day, and God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, indicating that God would transform him from a supplanter (Jacob) to a wrestler with God, or a prince of God (Israel). Jacob was such a strong wrestler that he even overcame God. Eventually, however, while Jacob was wrestling with God, God touched his thigh and made him limp (32:24-32). From that time Jacob became a lame person (v. 31).
We need to realize that although Jacob was touched by God, he was not yet a transformed person. After his being touched by God in chapter 32, we see in chapter 37 that Jacob still loved his son Joseph, the son of his beloved wife Rachel, more than his other sons. Because of Jacob’s preferential love, his other sons hated Joseph (vv. 3-4). This proves that Jacob was not transformed but still living in the natural life. When God changed his name to Israel, this indicated that God would eventually transform him.
In Genesis 34 Jacob had to face the trouble of the case of his daughter Dinah. The Lord used the circumstance with her to deal with Jacob in a further way. Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter. He experienced trouble with each of his children. This was because God had destined him to live a struggling life.
After the trouble related to the situation with his daughter Dinah, the Lord charged Jacob to go back to Bethel. Jacob and his family were then purified from the foreign gods and their ornaments that they loved, according to God’s commandment, so that they might serve God with an altar built at Bethel (35:1-3). When God appeared to Jacob at Bethel in Genesis 28, Jacob made a deal with God (vv. 20-22). Now God was reminding Jacob to fulfill his terms to God’s promise.
After Jacob and his family purified themselves from their foreign gods and ornaments, they returned to Bethel to serve God with an altar. Bethel was the place where God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. At Bethel God promised Jacob that He as the All-sufficient God would make him fruitful and multiplied, that a nation and a company of nations would come from him, and that kings would come forth from his loins. God also promised that He would give to him and his seed the land He gave to Abraham and Isaac (35:1-15). This was the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and to Isaac. Eventually, that unique promise became a threefold promise to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Jacob had to take care of the burial of Deborah, his mother Rebekah’s nurse, without seeing his mother (v. 8). God did not allow Jacob to see his mother, but he had to take care of the funeral of his mother’s nurse. This, no doubt, was a suffering to him.
Jacob later had to suffer the death of Rachel (vv. 16-20). Rachel was the wife of his choice, the one whom he loved the most. She died while she was delivering Benjamin. While she was dying, she called his name Ben-oni, which means “the son of my sorrow.” But Jacob immediately called him Benjamin, which means “the son of the right hand.” This became a prophecy in typology. Christ in His incarnation, on the one hand, was the Son of sorrows from His birth through His human life on the earth (Isa. 53:3). Then through His resurrection and in His ascension, He became the Son of the right hand of God. Thus, “from Ben-oni to Benjamin” is the story of Christ accomplishing His redemption from His incarnation through His ascension. Benjamin represents God’s accomplishment of His complete redemption through Christ, first as a Man of sorrows and second as the One at the right hand of God.
Jacob had to suffer his son Reuben’s incest with his concubine Bilhah (Gen. 35:22). What a shameful thing this was for Jacob! Because of Reuben’s defilement, he lost the birthright, which was then given to the sons of Joseph (49:3-4; 1 Chron. 5:1-2).
Genesis 37 speaks of Jacob’s suffering the loss of his beloved son Joseph. Jacob’s sons conspired to do away with Joseph, and then they lied to Jacob about what had happened. For many years Joseph was separated from Jacob, who thought that he had died.
Because of the famine in the land, Jacob was forced to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain. As a result, he had to suffer the danger of losing his son Simeon and his youngest son Benjamin (42:18 — 43:15; 44:9-34). When Jacob’s sons returned from Egypt with the grain, Jacob learned that Simeon had been detained there (42:24), and he also learned the sad news that Benjamin had to go to Egypt. After he heard this, he said, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me” (v. 36). Although Reuben promised to bring Benjamin back, Jacob did not listen to him. Rather, he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. And if harm should befall him on the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol” (v. 38). Eventually, due to the severity of the famine, Jacob was forced to send his youngest son with his brothers to Egypt to buy grain (vv. 4, 36; 43:1-15). What a suffering this was to Jacob!
Eventually, near the end of his life, Jacob was released from all his sufferings to see his beloved son Joseph again in his honor and glory (45:1—47:12) and to enjoy a rich and peaceful life with the worship of God in his old age (vv. 11-12, 27-31).
God caused Jacob to be transformed from a supplanter, Jacob, to a prince of God, Israel (35:9-10). The Hebrew word for Israel can bear two meanings — “a wrestler with God” and “a prince of God.” In chapter 32 Jacob was surely a wrestler with God. But from this time to the end of Malachi, the name Israel bears the meaning of a prince of God.
Jacob was eventually matured to bless all people whom he contacted. At the end of his life, Jacob’s job, his profession, was to bless. He blessed Pharaoh (47:7, 10), he blessed Joseph with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (ch. 48), and he blessed all his twelve sons (49:1-28). According to Hebrews 7:7, the lesser is blessed by the greater. Thus, Jacob’s blessing of Pharaoh indicates that he was greater than Pharaoh. Even Pharaoh the king of Egypt was under him and under his blessing.
God caused Jacob, with Joseph, to go through a long period of suffering (37:4-36; 39:1-23; 40:12-15, 21-23; 41:9-37). Joseph was actually a part of Jacob. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are a sign of the Triune God. God the Father was expressed in Abraham, God the Son was expressed in Isaac, and God the Spirit was expressed in Jacob. In other words, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with Joseph should be considered as one saint of God. This is why the Bible tells us that God is the God of only these three persons: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Thus, Joseph should be considered only as a part of Jacob.
Eventually, God caused Jacob with Joseph to be exalted as the sovereign ruler (vv. 39-44) in order to rule over all of Egypt (45:8b-9a) and supply all the earth with food (41:55-57; 42:5-6). Apparently, this was done by Joseph. Actually, however, what Joseph did was a part of Jacob’s life. This is God’s working on Jacob with Joseph.
Genesis is a book on the creation of man to consummate with three persons — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — issuing in a people named Israel. The next thirty-eight books of the Old Testament, from Exodus to Malachi, are all on Israel. Israel was to usher in the incarnation of Christ so that God’s real move on the earth could begin.
