In the Beginning: A Study in Genesis 27-36Shembull

Why Are Some Families Blessed and Others Cursed?

Jacob had fled from his home as an unmarried man, roughly 40 years of age. Over 20 years later, with two wives, 12 children, and great wealth, Jacob had nearly completed his long journey home to Bethel. In Genesis 34, after recognizing that his sons shared some of his old deceit and self-sufficiency rather than faith in God, Jacob led his family in righteousness in a way that he had failed to do with the story of the abuse of his daughter Dinah.

God again told Jacob to go to Bethel, and like Abraham, he obeyed. Jacob commanded that all false gods and other spiritual paraphernalia be removed, to purify his household, which was filled with spiritual lethargy, godless idols, and superstitions. In this act, we see the progression of Jacob’s faith. After wrestling with God and walking away with a more mature faith,

in Genesis 32. Jacob then witnessed the effects his weak faith had wrought among his children in Genesis 34. So, Jacob responded by rising to become the spiritual leader in his home before returning home to carry on the legacy of a faithful covenant keeper who obeyed God and raised covenant children who likewise obeyed God. After cleansing his household, Jacob worshiped God.

God responded to Jacob’s faith by appearing to him again. God then blessed him and reiterated that his new name was Israel, though, in Genesis 34, he had temporarily fallen back into acting as the old Jacob, gripped by fear and self-preservation when he needed to live confidently by faith. God then reiterated His covenant promises of descendants, land, and blessing. Jacob responded by worshiping God, and now we see a rhythm of regular worship and intimacy with God that had been lacking in his life until this point. His faith has greatly matured, evidenced by Moses’ now writing of him as Israel rather than Jacob frequently throughout the rest of Genesis.

As they were heading to Bethlehem, Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel died during the birth of Jacob’s youngest son, Benjamin, who became the last of the 12 sons who would become the 12 tribes of Israel. She died in Ephrath, also called Bethlehem, where Jesus was later born.

Thereafter, Israel’s son Reuben slept with his father’s concubine, Bilhah. This great sin against his father cost him his position as the firstborn son. Now the two oldest boys and the third have all lost their place as firstborn through the sin of murder and adultery, leaving Judah or Joseph next in line for the role of senior patriarch, which sets the stage for the rest of Genesis. Finally, after at least 20 long years away, Jacob returned home to see his father Isaac, the same place his father Abraham had also been. He had now transformed from the young, impetuous trickster to a patriarch of faith like his father and grandfather. Jacob’s sons got to meet their grandfather, who then died at the age of 158 years and was buried by his only two sons, Esau and Jacob. Many people’s stories have concluded by the beginning of Genesis 36. Rebekah and Isaac had died. Their son, Jacob, the son of the promise, has returned home with his 12 sons and without the wife he loved, Rachel. All that remains is to conclude the account of Isaac’s other son, Esau, and his descendants. This need is met by Genesis 36, which ends the story of Isaac’s sons so that the covenant promises can be explored in the next generation of men, the 12 sons of Israel.

There we discover that both Israel and Esau have been greatly blessed by God. The brothers were both so affluent that the land could no longer accommodate both of them, which forced them to separate so that they could both continue to prosper. Their separation is friendly and beneficial to them both and is described in a fashion similar to the occasion when Abraham and his nephew Lot settled on different land for similar reasons in Genesis 13.

Thus far in Genesis, family history has been traced for 2000 years. We have learned a lot about the believing side, and, in Genesis 36, there is a report of the unbelieving side of the family.

In the genealogy of Esau, there is a careful attempt by Moses to honor his family line and show that, though he was not the son of the promise, he had been blessed by God, even though it seems unlikely that he was a believer. Throughout the genealogy of Esau, we are repeatedly told he was the father of the Edomites, a nation that warred against Israel throughout history, just as the boys had wrestled in their mother’s womb. One side of the family was blessed and a blessing to others. The other side of the family was cursed and a curse to others.

With the conclusion of Genesis 36, Moses has now provided a complete, though selective, account of the lives of Isaac and his sons Esau and Jacob/Israel. Moses is then prepared to focus on the 12 sons of Jacob, as they are the line of covenant promise, and he does so by paying particular attention to his second-to-youngest son, Joseph. In this way, the remainder of Genesis is, in effect, still focused on Jacob through the life of his son Joseph, who takes center stage for the rest of Genesis.

Question:

What changes has God patiently wrought in Jacob’s character as he was slow to grow spiritually? How is this encouraging to you personally?

Thanks for studying Genesis with me. If you enjoyed this plan, there are sermons that accompany it as well as more free resources at realfaith.com.