by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
The Israel-Hamas War that started when the Hamas attacked and massacred Israelis last October 7, 2023 has now entered a critical phase. Israel has now come into Rafah to finally destroy Hamas after the hostage deal failed yet again. The hostages composed of men, the elderly, 19 women, and children, as well as an unknown number of dead hostages are still held in Rafah or somewhere in Gaza. Let us continue to pray for the immediate release of all hostages and for a just end to this war. Let us continue to stand with Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
Genesis chapters 29 – 35 turns its focus on Jacob’s temporary exile in Haran working under his uncle Laban and his household. There Jacob falls in love with Rachel but is tricked by Laban to marry Leah instead. Commentaries say that apparently, the bride-price during those days was 7 years of labor. So Jacob worked 7 years for Leah and then another 7 years for Rachel as he came to Paddan Aram (in Haran) with virtually only his clothes and staff. In addition, Jacob worked another 6 years for Laban’s (and Jacob’s) flocks for a total of 20 years in Haran. Jacob raised 12 sons and one daughter from Leah and her maidservant Zilpah, and from Rachel and her maidservant Bilhah. After this time, Jacob became very rich because the LORD had blessed him. He also became fed up with Laban that he took his wives and servants and all his flocks and herds to escape back to Canaan. But the LORD had a hand in getting Jacob to return to the land promised to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac.
In Genesis 31:3 the LORD said to Jacob to “return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” Jacob quoted this word of the LORD in Genesis 31:13 to his wives Leah and Rachel to further convince them to flee from their father Laban, get out from Paddan Aram/Haran and go back to Canaan. Jacob also quoted the LORD in the same verse as identifying himself as the “God of Bethel” (see Genesis 28:10-22 re: Jacob’s stairway dream). Jacob convinced his wives to come with him and so set out with all his family, his servants and his accumulated livestock and headed for Canaan to his father Isaac (Genesis 31:17-18). At this point, even if Jacob was not fully committed to the LORD, he may have believed that the LORD did indeed promise land to Abraham and Isaac, for that is where these men held their residence. He also may have also believed then that the LORD was a promise-keeping God who was on his side in his return trip to Canaan. Jacob saw that God favored him when Laban finally caught up with him in Gilead (on the eastern side of the Jordan River).
In Genesis 32, as he headed for Seir/Edom, he prayed to the LORD for protection as he planned to meet his brother Esau. And he called the LORD אֱלֹהֵי֙ אָבִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם וֵאלֹהֵ֖י אָבִ֣י יִצְחָ֑ק (“God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac” from the Hebrew, read left to right) in Genesis 32:9-12. In his prayer, he mentions that it was the LORD who asked him to go back to his own country. Jacob did not know how things would turn out when he encounters his elder brother Esau, whom he had wronged twice in the past. However, Genesis 33 narrates a happy encounter between the 2 brothers after 20 years. But before this, the LORD changes Jacob’s name to יִשְׂרָאֵֽל (“Yisrael” Israel) as a result of an epic wrestling match.
After the sordid affair of Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite defiling his daughter Dinah and the vengeance taken by her brothers Simeon and Levi, who consequently killed them all (Genesis 34), Jacob feared the Canaanites and Perizzites would come after them. But the LORD protected them as the inhabitants of the land they were passing through to get to Bethel in Canaan did not pursue them. This happened after they put away all their household gods and idols. Jacob then built an altar at Bethel and called it אֵ֖ל בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל (“El Beth-El” meaning “The God of Bethel”).
In Genesis 35:9-12 it is narrated that the LORD appeared to Jacob again, blessed him and reiterated his new name: Israel. The LORD also once again said to Jacob that אֲנִ֨י אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ (“Ani El Shaddai” meaning “I [am] El Shaddai” or traditionally, “I [am] God Almighty”) and formally and graciously passed on to him the covenantal promises, including the land grant given to Abraham and Isaac.
The Hebrew verses of Genesis 35:11-12 are given below (read right to left, top down) with the relevant verses regarding the land grant highlighted:
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לֹ֨ו אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֲנִ֨י אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ פְּרֵ֣ה וּרְבֵ֔ה גֹּ֛וי וּקְהַ֥ל גֹּויִ֖ם יִהְיֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑ךָּ וּמְלָכִ֖ים מֵחֲלָצֶ֥יךָ יֵצֵֽאוּ׃
וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛תִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם וּלְיִצְחָ֖ק לְךָ֣ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ אֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
My formal equivalence translation is given below for these 2 verses:
11And God said to him: I (am) El Shaddai. Be fruitful and become numerous; a nation and a company of nations will be from you; and kings from your loins will come forth.
12And the land which I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, to you I give; and to your offspring after you I will give the land.
In the “race” to implement God’s plan to create a new “holy nation” which will be a “kingdom of priests” that will witness to the one true God for all humanity, the baton has been passed. It is now in Jacob’s hands. The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac is now the God of Jacob as well.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.