The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

A story of completion, corruption, and a new beginning.

Jacob’s travels

Rachel’s death

Reuben’s sin

Genealogy

Isaac’s death

Genesis 35:16-29 (NLT)
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
¹⁶ Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. ¹⁷ After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” ¹⁸ Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). ¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.
²¹ Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder. ²² While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it.
These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:
²³ The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
²⁴ The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
²⁵ The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
²⁶ The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.
²⁷ So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners. ²⁸ Isaac lived for 180 years. ²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 35:16-29 (NLT)
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

¹⁶ Leaving Bethel,

• Jacob and his clan are in the Promised Land. (This is not new for this lesson.)

Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath (another name for Bethlehem).

That name should sound familiar.

Ephrath or Ephrathah

More about Ephrathah

Micah 5:2 (NLT)
A Ruler from Bethlehem
² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf. 

But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. ¹⁷ After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” 

Another son.
A previous prayer of Rachel was to have another son.  God answered this prayer.

Genesis 30:24 (NLT)
²⁴ And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.” 

• Rachel had prayed for another son. 

¹⁸ Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). 

The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). 

Assigning him a place of honor in the family.

A more positive name for the child who was the answer to Rachel’s prayer.

In the Bible names communicated something about the individual to other people.

Benjamin was the only son of Jacob that was born in the Promised Land.

• Jacob’s family was completed with the birth of Benjamin.

¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.

“To this day” means that the monument could still be seen in Moses’ day.  The monument was about one mile north of Bethlehem.

Three other monuments are listed in 28:18, 31:45-47, and 35:14.

• Rachel died and was buried near Bethlehem.

²¹ Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder. 

The tower of Eder
“Tower of the flock
“Between Bethlehem and Hebron
Towers for guarding flocks against robbers 

²² While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it.

Other scriptures addressing this incident:

Genesis 49:3-4 (NLT)
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.
⁴ But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch. 

Ruben lost his birthright.

1 Chronicles 5:1-2 (NLT)
Descendants of Reuben
5 The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. ² The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph. 

Genesis 48:5-6 (NLT)
⁵ “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours (Joseph), Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh. 

Note: Ruben knew that this behavior was wrong.

Genesis 30:4 (NLT)
⁴ So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her.

Genesis 26:9-10 (NLT)
⁹ Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
“Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.
¹⁰ “How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”

Deuteronomy 22:30 (NLT)
³⁰ “A man must not marry his father’s former wife, for this would violate his father.

• Ruben dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines.

Jacob’s seemingly failure to address this matter immediately was similar to the incident with his daughter Dinah.

Genesis 34:5 (NLT)
⁵ Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.

These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:
²³ The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
²⁴ The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
²⁵ The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
²⁶ The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram. 

Heads of the 12 original tribes.

• The 12 sons of Jacob became the heads of the 12 original tribes of Israel.

The sons of Jacob are listed more than two dozen times in the scriptures (in various forms).

Deuteronomy 27:11-13 (NLT)
¹¹ That same day Moses also gave this charge to the people: ¹² “When you cross the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people. ¹³ And the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali must stand on Mount Ebal to proclaim a curse. 

Slightly different in Revelation 7

Revelation 7:4-8 New Living Translation (NLT)
4 And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
5 from Judah              12,000
from Reuben              12,000
from Gad                    12,000
6 from Asher              12,000
from Naphtali            12,000
from Manasseh         12,000
7 from Simeon           12,000
from Levi                    12,000
from Issachar            12,000
8 from Zebulun         12,000
from Joseph               12,000
from Benjamin          12,000
(no Dan listed here) 

The names of the heads of the 12 original tribes are slightly different than the names used to divide the Promised Land.  The Levites were not assigned a section of land since they were given assignments throughout the Promised Land.  A section of land was not named after Joseph, instead, two sections of land were named after his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

Note: Reuben is included in each of these lists.

• God uses imperfect people. (The nation of Israel was comprised of less than perfect people.)

²⁷ So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners.  

Genesis 13:18 (NLT)
¹⁸ So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord. 

• Jacob is “back home” with his sons.

Remember Jacob’s vow.

*** Genesis 28:20-21 (NLT)
²⁰ Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, ²¹ and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 

²⁸ Isaac lived for 180 years. ²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death.

This chapter records the deaths of:
Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah (v.8)
Rachel (v. 19)
Isaac

• Isaac joins his ancestors in death.

And his (Isaac) sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

• Jacob and Esau are once again reunited.

The two brothers previously separated.
Genesis 33:16 (NLT)
¹⁶ So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day. 

Jacob and Esau were reunited just as Isaac and Ishmael were at the time of the death of Abraham.

Genesis 25:9 (NLT)
⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him (Abraham) in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

Isaac is dead.

The story continues – God has become the God of Jacob.

Acts 7:46 (NLT)
⁴⁶ “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.

• God has become the God of Jacob.

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God blesses and renames Jacob.

God never gave up on Jacob. 

God never said to Jacob, “I’m only going to tell you this once.”

Jacob’s name appears hundreds of times in the Old Testament and 26 times in the New Testament.

Jacob’s name appears in the following New Testament books:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, and Hebrews.

Matthew 8:11 (NLT)
¹¹ And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Luke 13:28 (NLT)
²⁸ “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out.

John 4:12 (NLT)
¹² And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

Acts 7:46 (NLT)
⁴⁶ “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.

Genesis 35:1-15 (NLT)

Jacob’s Return to Bethel
¹ Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.”
² So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. ³ We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”
⁴ So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem. ⁵ As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob’s family.
⁶ Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. ⁷ Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.
⁸ Soon after this, Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the oak tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called Allon-bacuth (which means “oak of weeping”).
⁹ Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, ¹⁰ saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel.
¹¹ Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! ¹² And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” ¹³ Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob.
¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. ¹⁵ And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there.

 Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 35:1-15 (NLT)

Jacob’s Return to Bethel

¹ Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there.

• • God is bringing Jacob and his family back to the Promised Land. (20+ years later)

Settle down in the Promised Land.

Build an altar there to the God

“The God”

Why didn’t God say, “To Me”?

God told Jacob to build an altar.

• Up to this point, Jacob’s relationship to God appeared to be conditional. (See Genesis 28:20-22.)

Previous visit to Bethel.

Genesis 28:10-22
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
¹⁰ Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. ¹¹ At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. ¹² As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.
¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. ¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” ¹⁷ But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”
¹⁸ The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. ¹⁹ He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.
²⁰ Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, ²¹ and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God.
²² And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God,
and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”

 who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.”   (20+ years earlier)

Previous encounters with God:

Genesis 32:22-32 (At Peniel)
Jacob Wrestles with God
²² During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. ²³ After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.
²⁴ This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. ²⁵ When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
²⁷ “What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”
²⁸ “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
²⁹ “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.
“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” ³¹ The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. ³² (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

• Jacob had a previous face to face encounter with God.

² So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. 

• Up to this point, Jacob tolerated the worship of pagan idols in his household.

Genesis 31:19 (NLT)
¹⁹ At the time they left, Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her.

Exodus 34:14 (NLT)
¹⁴ You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

Deuteronomy 6:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴ “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, ¹⁵ for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. 

³ We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God

“The God”

 who answered my prayers when I was in distress.

“when I was in distress”

Psalm 34:1 (NLT)
A psalm of David
¹ I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises. 

Reminder: Don’t just pray when you are in distress.

He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Genesis 28:15 (NLT)
¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

• God was with Jacob throughout his travels. 

⁴ So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem.

• We need to bury our idols.

 ⁵ As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob’s family.

Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
⁹ This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

⁶ Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. ⁷ Jacob built an altar there

Built an altar to God. (Obedience to God’s instructions.)

 and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.

• Jacob reconfirmed his allegiance to God.

⁸ Soon after this, Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the oak tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called Allon-bacuth (which means “oak of weeping”). 

Notice the continuity in the story.

Genesis 27:45 New Living Translation (NLT)
⁴⁵ When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I (Rebekah) will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 

Scripture does not say when Rebekah died. 

⁹ Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, (the large plain, surrounded by mountains, in which the town of Haran, the home of Laban, was situated) God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, ¹⁰ saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. 

• God reminded Jacob that he would be called Israel.

Jacob renamed.
Genesis 32:28 (NLT)
²⁸ “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

¹¹ Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’

In verse 3 Jacob referred to God as, “the God.”

God refers to himself here as “God Almighty”.

• God said, “I am El-Shaddai – God Almighty.”

Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. 

Kings will be among your descendants! 

This is an addition to the promise made to Jacob previously in Genesis 28.

¹² And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” 

• God confirmed (and expanded) the promise He had earlier made to Jacob (Genesis chapter 28). 

¹³ Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob.

¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. 

• Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him.

A tangible reminder of God’s covenant.

• Tangible reminders are helpful.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT)
⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

¹⁵ And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there.

Genesis 28:16-22 (NLT)
¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” ¹⁷ But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”
¹⁸ The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. ¹⁹ He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.
²⁰ Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, ²¹ and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. ²² And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”

Final comments: 

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Psalm 86:15 (NLT)
But you, O Lord,
are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 

God never said to Jacob, “I’m only going to tell you this once.”

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Revenge Against Shechem

A seemingly insignificant choice ends in disaster.

Genesis 34 (NLT)
Revenge against Shechem
¹ One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. ² But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. ³ But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. ⁴ He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.”
⁵ Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. ⁶ Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. ⁷ Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, something that should never be done.
⁸ Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. ⁹ In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. ¹⁰ And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”
¹¹ Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. ¹² No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”
¹³ But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. ¹⁴ They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! ¹⁵ But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, ¹⁶ then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. ¹⁷ But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”
¹⁸ Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. ¹⁹ Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, ²⁰ and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.
²¹ “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. ²² But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. ²³ But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”
²⁴ So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. ²⁵ But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, ²⁶ including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.
²⁷ Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. ²⁸ They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. ²⁹ They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.
³⁰ Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”
³¹ “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 34 (NLT)
Revenge against Shechem
¹ One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah,

Jacob’s only daughter (only daughter mentioned in scripture).

Note: Daughter of Leah, not the daughter of Rachel.  That most likely would have made a big difference.

went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. 

A seemingly insignificant choice.

Avoidance of the Canaanites would have been safer.

Deuteronomy 7:1-6 (NLT)
The Privilege of Holiness
¹ “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. ² When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. ³ You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, ⁴ for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you. ⁵ This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols. ⁶ For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

 Deuteronomy 20:16-18 (NLT)
¹⁶ In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. ¹⁷ You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹⁸ This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God. 

Genesis 24:3 (NLT) (Abraham speaking)
³ Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 

Leviticus 20:26 (NLT)
²⁶ You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own. 

• A seemingly insignificant choice ends in disaster.

² But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, 

Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, (v.19) 

Genesis 33:19 (NLT)
¹⁹ Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. 

saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.  

… letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. (Romans 8:6)

After being raped, Dinah could not expect to have a valid marriage with another man.

• Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.

• Shechem raped Dinah.

³ But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. ⁴ He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.” 

⁵ Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. 

This may have been a wise response.

Note: Daughter of Leah, not the daughter of Rachel.  That most likely would have made a big difference.

⁶ Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. 

• Hamor, Shechem’s father, tried to defuse this explosive incident.

⁷ Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, 

NIV, ESV, and other translations say “in Israel”.  This is the first mention of God’s chosen people by this name.

Genesis 32:28 (NLT)
²⁸ “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

something that should never be done. 

⁸ Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons.

Hamor played the role of a diplomat.

“My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. ⁹ In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. ¹⁰ And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”

Repeat: Deuteronomy 7:1-6

Verse 2 “Make no treaties with them”

Genesis 17:8 (NLT)
⁸ And I (God) will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

¹¹ Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. ¹² No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”

This was a normal part of marriage arrangements in the ancient Near East.

• Shechem tried to buy his way out of trouble.

• Jacob’s sons interceded on behalf of Jacob.

¹³ But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons (not Jacob) responded deceitfully

Deceitfully (like father, like son)

• Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully.

 to Shechem and his father, Hamor. 

¹⁴ They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! ¹⁵ But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, ¹⁶ then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. ¹⁷ But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”

A deceptive covenant

¹⁸ Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. ¹⁹ Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. 

Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,  

²⁰ and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.

The normal place for public gatherings.

It was at the city gates that important business transactions were made, court was convened, and public announcements were heralded.

²¹ “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. ²² But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. ²³ But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours.

The Canaanites were also being deceptive.   They were looking to get all of Israel’s livestock and possessions.

• The Canaanites were also being deceptive.

Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.” 

²⁴ So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. ²⁵ But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, 

The Canaanite men were weak and in pain.

²⁶ including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.

• Simeon and Levi slaughtering every male in the town was an excessive retaliation.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (NLT)
²⁸ “Suppose a man has intercourse with a young woman who is a virgin but is not engaged to be married. If they are discovered, ²⁹ he must pay her father fifty pieces of silver. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he may never divorce her as long as he lives.

²⁷ Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. ²⁸ They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. ²⁹ They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.

• The rest of Jacob’s sons took up where Simeon and Levi left off.

³⁰ Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”

• Jacob feared repercussions from other Canaanites.

Genesis 28:13-15 (NLT)
¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. ¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” 

• Jacob appeared to have forgotten God’s promise to him and his descendants.

Genesis 49 (NLT)
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
⁵ “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;
their weapons are instruments of violence.
⁶ May I never join in their meetings;
may I never be a party to their plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport.
⁷ A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;
a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;
I will disperse them throughout Israel. 

³¹ “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily. 

• Simeon and Levi did not admit doing anything wrong.

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Jacob and Esau Make Peace

Several bullet points from our last lesson.

• • Jacob is coming back into the Promised Land.
  • God confronted Jacob.
  • Big changes were about to take place in Jacob’s life.
  • Jacob wanted a blessing from God.
  • Jacob had to see himself for who he was.
  • Jacob’s life had to be radically changed.
  • As a result of this struggle, Jacob was both “Crippled and Blessed”.
  • The God of Abraham and Isaac was becoming the God of Jacob.

A verse from our last lesson:

Genesis 32:30 (NLT)
³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”

We will see, that after seeing God face to face, Jacob was a changed man, but he still had significant issues in his life that needed to be addressed.

• Sanctification is an on-going process that will not be complete or reach perfection in this life.

Genesis 33 (NLT)
Jacob and Esau Make Peace
¹ Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. ² He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. ³ Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. ⁴ Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
⁵ Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”
“These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied. ⁶ Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him. ⁷ Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him.
⁸ “And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.
Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.”
⁹ “My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourself.”
¹⁰ But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! ¹¹ Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift.
¹² “Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead the way.”
¹³ But Jacob replied, “You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die. ¹⁴ Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.”
¹⁵ “All right,” Esau said, “but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you.”
Jacob responded, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you’ve received me warmly, my lord!”
¹⁶ So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day. ¹⁷ Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means “shelters”).
¹⁸ Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. ¹⁹ Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. ²⁰ And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.

 Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 33 (NLT)
Jacob and Esau Make Peace
¹ Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. ² He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 

The brothers had not seen each other for 20-21 years.

In the perceived danger, Jacob is showing weakness and fear.

It is clear that Jacob favored Rachel and Joseph, putting them in the rear, the safest place.

• Jacob shows weakness and fear in the presence of perceived danger. 

³ Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. 

A sign of total submission.

⁴ Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Esau greeted Jacob with open arms without any hint of a grudge against Jacob.

 And they both wept.

After 21 years of separation.

Hearts had been changed.

Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 

• God changed the hearts of Jacob and Esau.

⁵ Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?” 

“These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied. 

Jacob saw his children as a blessing from God.

Jacob referred to himself as Esau’s servant.

A sign of submission. 

⁶ Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him. ⁷ Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him. 

⁸ “And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.

Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.”

Jacob referred to Esau as “My lord”.  Again, a clear sign of submission.

A gift of 550 animals.

Genesis 32:13-21 (NLT)
¹³ Jacob stayed where he was for the night. Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau: ¹⁴ 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, ¹⁵ 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. ¹⁶ He divided these animals into herds and assigned each to different servants. Then he told his servants, “Go ahead of me with the animals, but keep some distance between the herds.”
¹⁷ He gave these instructions to the men leading the first group: “When my brother, Esau, meets you, he will ask, ‘Whose servants are you? Where are you going? Who owns these animals?’ ¹⁸ You must reply, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, but they are a gift for his master Esau. Look, he is coming right behind us.’”
¹⁹ Jacob gave the same instructions to the second and third herdsmen and to all who followed behind the herds: “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ²⁰ And be sure to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’”
Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.” ²¹ So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp.

• Jacob tried to appease his brother, Esau, by giving him gifts. 

⁹ “My brother,

Esau referred to Jacob as “my brother”.  Quite a contrast to Jacob’s references to Esau.

God had clearly removed the animosity that had existed between the two brothers.

I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourself.”

• Esau did not need or want Jacob’s gifts. 

¹⁰ But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! 

Genesis 32:30 (NLT)
³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” 

God had spared Jacob’s life (32:30) and now Jacob’s life was spared again by God, from Esau.

¹¹ Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.”

God had blessed Jacob, and Jacob wanted to share these blessings with his brother Esau.

And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift.

The Hebrew word here is the same word used in 27:35 for blessing.

Genesis 27:35 (NLT)
³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing.”

At one point in time, Jacob had taken blessing that Isaac had intended for Esau.  Now he wanted to give back some of the blessings he had received from God.

¹² “Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead the way.”

 ¹³ But Jacob replied, “You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die. ¹⁴ Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.”

One more act of deception.

• Once again Jacob deceives his brother Esau.

• Sanctification is an on-going process that will not be complete or reach perfection in this life.

¹⁵ “All right,” Esau said, “but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you.”

Jacob responded, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you’ve received me warmly, my lord!” 

• Jacob and Esau are now living in peace with each other. 

¹⁶ So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day. 

Deuteronomy 2:4-5 (NLT)
⁴ Give these orders to the people: “You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful. ⁵ Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land.

 Joshua 24:3-4 (NLT)
³ But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac. ⁴ To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 

• Jacob and Esau end up living in different countries.

¹⁷ Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means “shelters”). 

¹⁸ Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. 

Genesis 12:6 (NLT)
⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem (when he first arrived in Canaan). There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. 

¹⁹ Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. 

This is only the second plot of land located in the Promised Land purchased by Abraham or one of his descendants.

Genesis 23:17 (NLT)
¹⁷ So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. (where he buried Sarah) 

²⁰ And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel. 

God, The God of Israel, Or Mighty God of Israel.

Jacob was giving glory to the God of Israel for bringing him safely back to Canaan.

• Jacob gave glory to God for bringing him safely to Canaan.

Genesis 12:7 (NLT)
⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

 Jacob and Esau meet again.

Genesis 35:29 (NLT)
²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

In this story, lives have been changed by God.

In Jacob, God had brought about a spirit of humility and generosity.

Esau was changed from seeking revenge to desiring reconciliation.

Sanctification is an on-going process that will not be complete or reach perfection in this life.

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Jacob Wrestles with God

A life-changing event.

Crippled and Blessed

Genesis 32:22-32 (NLT)
Jacob Wrestles with God
²² During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok  River with them. ²³ After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.
²⁴ This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. ²⁵ When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
²⁷ “What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”
²⁸ “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
²⁹ “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.
“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel  (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” ³¹ The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. ³² (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

Examine the Scriptures

Review:

Genesis 32:9-12 (NLT)
⁹ Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O Lord, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’ ¹⁰ I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps! ¹¹ O Lord, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. ¹² But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’”

Genesis 32:22-32 (NLT)
Jacob Wrestles with God
Crippled and Blessed

 ²² During the night

In the dark of night.

It’s not uncommon for people to use the cover of night to escape from harmful situations.

Acts 17:5 _& 10 (NLT)
⁵ But some of the Jews (in Thessalonica) were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd …
¹⁰ That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 

• It’s not uncommon for people to use the cover of night to escape from harmful situations.

 Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. 

Refer to the map.

²³ After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.

• Jacob is coming back into the Promised Land.

This is more than just meeting up with Esau.

Jacob is coming back home to fulfill a role assigned to him by God.

²⁴ This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled

• The cover of darkness did not hide Jacob from God.

Psalm 139:11-12  (NLT)
¹¹ I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
¹²     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.

Note: The man came to Jacob, Jacob did not go to the man.

Jacob had fought with others throughout his life.

Esau
His father Isaac
His father-in-law
His wives

Now he is wrestling with God, the one who controlled his destiny as he was re-entering the Promised Land.

• God is confronting Jacob.

with him until the dawn began to break.  

Although initially, Jacob may not have known who he is wrestling with, he does figure out that “the man” is in fact, God. (Genesis 32:30, in multiple translations, “I have seen God face to face”.)

An angel of the Lord, also identified as God, a preincarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jacob was 97 years old, but was physically strong and had a great deal of endurance.

For a period of time, Jacob is able to defend himself from his attacker.

This fight took place in the dark.

• Big changes were about to take place in Jacob’s life.

Romans 13:12 (NLT)
The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.

 Colossians 1:13 (NLT)
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 

²⁵ When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. 

God was going to “win” this match.

The “man” saw that he would not win until he supernaturally touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket.

• When our hip is out of its socket we are seriously handicapped.

Jacob was no longer a physical threat. 

²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

Relax your grip.  The fight is over.

Even after being disabled, Jacob clung on to his opponent.

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

Jacob wanted more than Isaac’s blessing.  He wanted God’s blessing.

• Jacob wanted a blessing from God. 

²⁷ “What is your name?” the man asked.

In the Old Testament, one’s name is linked to his nature.

• Jacob had to see himself for who he was.

He replied, “Jacob.”

Holder of the heel
Deceiver
Supplanter – A supplanter takes the place of someone or something that was there first.

²⁸ “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God

Israel – He strives with God and prevails, he struggles with God, or God fights.  Later, the people of Israel will struggle with God.

• Jacob’s life had to be radically changed.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Up to this point, Jacob was a brazen trickster who deceives members of his own family: his father Isaac, his brother Esau, and his uncle Laban. Now we see Jacob as God’s chosen, from whom the entire people Israel derive and for whom they are named.

and with men and have won.”

Esau
His father Isaac
His father-in-law
His wives

This was the end of a lifetime of struggling with others.

²⁹ “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said. 

“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied.

There is no evidence of Jacob getting an answer to his question.

Judges 13:17-18 (NLT)
¹⁷ Then Manoah asked the angel of the Lord, “What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you.”
¹⁸ “Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the Lord replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.” 

Then he blessed Jacob there.

• As a result of this struggle, Jacob was both “Crippled and Blessed”.

Crippled in his natural strength and bold in his faith.

Self-sufficiency is incompatible with the work of God.

³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” 

Hosea 12:4 (NLT)
⁴ Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won.
He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him.
There at Bethel he met God face to face,
and God spoke to him—

Exodus 33:20 (NLT)
But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” 

Others did “see” God. 

Exodus 4:24 (NLT)
On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him. 

Genesis 3:8-9 (NLT)
⁸ When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man (Adam) and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. ⁹ Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Genesis 18:1 (NLT)
18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.

Isaiah 6:1 (NLT)
6 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I (Isaiah) saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.

• Jacob saw God face to face, yet his life was spared. 

³¹ The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. 

 Jacob’s encounter with the Angel of the Lord was actually a type of conversion. His old nature was stripped away – no longer would he be known as ‘the supplanter’, but as ‘one who struggles (and prevails) with God’.

• The God of Abraham and Isaac was becoming the God of Jacob. 

³² (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

This is not mentioned elsewhere in the O.T. and is not a part of the Mosaic Law.

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