Week of Sunday July 26, 2020
Bible Study for Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 29:15-28
The reading appointed for Sunday in the semi-continuous series of the lectionary are a few short
verses from a much greater story of part of Jacob’s life. You will recall that Jacob deceived his
brother Esau in very significant and life-changing ways. Because of this and assisted by his
mother, Rebekah, he is fleeing his brother’s wrath – he is running away back to the home of his
grandfather’s people, purportedly to find a wife. So, I would urge you to sit back and read the
larger narrative that follows last week’s reading of Jacob’s Dream. Read Genesis 29-31 to get a
sense of the whole story of this part of Jacob’s life. I might suggest that you read this in one
sitting and it may be easier for you to read this in one of the paraphrases, such as
The Message (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+29+-+31&version=MSG)
or The Living Bible https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+29+-+31&version=TLB.
It is difficult to summarize the many events in this three chapters of Scripture. Let me try in abbreviated form.
- After the dream, Jacob comes to a well
- Jacob sees Rachel and is smitten.
- Jacob meets Rachel’s father (his uncle, Laban)
- Laban and Jacob strike a deal – 7 years labor for Rachel to be his wife
- At the end of 7 years, Jacob asks for Rachel and there is a great feast for the wedding.
- Jacob is tricked! Laban brings Leah instead.
- They strike another deal – 7 more years for Rachel
- Jacob’s household was Leah, Rachel, and their handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah.
- The childbearing begins with Leah having 4
- Rachel was barren and envious; blames Jacob. Tells him to go into her handmaid, Bilhah.
- Bilhah has 2.
- Confusing story about a deal for some mandrakes and Jacob is with Leah again
- She has 2 more.
- Score: Leah = 6; her handmaid = 2; Rachel’s handmaid = 2; Rachel = 0
- Jacob deals with Laban again that he may go back to his home. What is a fitting reward for years of labor? They come up with a way of dividing the flocks
- Jacob remembers his trickster ways and arranges for rapid proliferation of the share of the flock that was to be his – every speckled and spotted animal
- Laban tried to trick him by cherry-picking the flock and then fleeing
- Jacob’s trick was better than Laban’s
- Laban’s sons are angry
- Jacob convinces Leah and Rachel to leave their father and go with him. They flee.
- Laban chases after them, catches up and there is a confrontation. Laban accuses Jacob of stealing household “gods” – likely small idols. Searched but couldn’t find them (Rachel was hiding them)
- Jacob speaks his mind. Laban wants a truce.
- They built a rock pile as sign of their agreement. “God watch each of us to be sure we keep the truce.”
- They ate a meal, spent the night at this place and Laban left the next day to go back home.
- (Coming next week on the "Saga of Jacob" -- Jacob is pursued by his brother Esau from whom he has been fleeing for decades.)
Oh my goodness! This tends to read like a modern day soap opera, doesn’t it? And there is even more
melodrama ahead. What do you make of this? What questions do you have about it? Are there parts of
this about which you are skeptical? It is likely that the events we read about in Genesis were
assembled into a book during or shortly after the Babylonian Exile. How might that have contributed
to this narrative?
Who in this story do you most identify with? And who do you least identify with? “Say some more
about that.”
What do you think our forebears in faith want us to take away from this dramatic narrative? Is
there something that speaks to you as you read it?
The story of Jacob is filled with deception and tricks and wrestlings and rivalry. (And next week
we will read of yet another wrestling on Jacob’s part – this time with God.) List them. Then review
the list. Rather ironic, isn’t it? What do you make of this?
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, as we hear the story of Jacob we are amazed at its intricacies, its
Tomfoolery, and it seems preposterous to us. Lord, help us to find our place in this story and help
us to find your words of promise and covenant to each one. Give us clarity of thinking and
sensitivity of heart as we meditate on these stories of the Ancients. Thank you for their witness.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
