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This week our parasha is Vayeitzei, which translates to “And He Went Out”, and covers Genesis 28:10-32:3. We continue with the journey of Jacob, who has gone out from his home to the house of Laban. This parasha contains a very formative and trouble filled part of Jacob’s life, but Jacob is not alone in his struggles.
In Genesis 28, while journeying past Beersheba and about to leave the land of Canaan, Jacob has a very important dream. Jacob sees what appears to be ladder, or what might be stairs, going from the Earth to Heaven. On this ladder Jacob sees angels going from Heaven to Earth and back again. At the top of the ladder is the Lord Himself who declares His reality to Jacob, that he is the God of Abraham, and promises that the land Jacob is currently lying on will be his. Adonai promises, just as He did to Abraham, that Jacob’s offspring would be numerous, and through the spreading of his descendants all nations would be blessed. The Lord also promises to be with Jacob as he left the Promised Land and that He would bring him back to his home country.
Jacob’s dream ends, and as he awakes the next day he exclaims in verse 16, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” Jacob promises to follow the Lord if He stays with him, provides food and clothing, and brings him back to this land. Jacob then promises a tenth of all that he owns to the Lord if He is faithful to His Word. After erecting and consecrating a stone pillar, Jacob renames the city of Luz Beit-El, which means “house of God”. In our English bibles this place is typically known by the Latin name, Bethel.
Jacob has now seen the presence of the Lord around him when he previously was not aware. But the Lord’s presence is not confined to Beit-El, Israel, or any other specific place. The Lord is over all, through all, and in all. There is no place we can go to escape from His presence. Throughout Jacob’s life, from the time he was in his mother’s womb, to the end of his days, the Lord was with him. In this parasha the Lord will show Himself faithful to His promise to be with Jacob.
From Beit-El, Jacob eventually reaches the land of his Uncle, Laban, in chapter 29. After encountering Laban’s daughter Rachel at a well he falls in love. A month later Laban asks Jacob what his wages should be for the work he is providing him and Jacob asks for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban agrees for seven years of service. The Torah records that these seven years were more like several days because of Jacob’s love for Rachel.
When the time came for the marriage of Jacob and Rachel, Laban had decided to trick Jacob. He had Jacob marry Rachel’s older sister Leah, which of course was not their agreement. Jacob was furious with being deceived and confronted Laban, who merely responded that in their country the younger sister’s marriage, does not come before the older. In this moment Jacob experienced the pain of being on a receiving end of a deception. The reference to the older and younger daughters probably served as a stinging reminder of his tricking of Isaac.
Jacob and Laban agree that if Jacob works another seven years he will be allowed to marry Rachel. Jacob takes Rachel as his wife along with her sister Leah and continues to work for Laban, these years are not recorded as having passed quickly, and we see why towards the end of the chapter.
One of the things I love most about God’s Word is how real it is. The serious problems in the marriage of Jacob to Rachel and Leah are laid out in real detail towards the end of this chapter and into chapter 30. Since Jacob favors Rachel over Leah, Leah is understandably very upset. The Lord gives Leah children but does not allow Rachel to conceive any sons. Leah hopes that her ability to produce male offspring will make Jacob desire her more; sadly this does not occur but begins what I can only describe as a marital arms race.
After the birth of several sons, Rachel reacts with jealousy and demands that Jacob give her a male son or she will die. Jacob responds by rightly identifying that the Lord is the one not allowing her to conceive. Rachel and Leah go back and forth using their servants to conceive sons, and Rachel even barters a night with Jacob for Leah’s mandrakes which are supposed to help with pregnancy, probably a local superstition. The Torah records the strife between Rachel and Leah as more and more sons are conceived. Finally the Lord allows Rachel to bear a son, her first son whom she names Joseph, which means “May God Add”, in this case hoping for another son.
While polygamy is very present in the book of Genesis we can see the terrible problems it brings by violating the God designed plan of one man-one woman marriages. Jacob is unable to manage his household and becomes a willing participant in the fighting between Rachel and Leah, with each new plan and scheme adding to their troubles. They all acknowledge the children as a blessing from God, but lose themselves in their fighting. But the Lord is clearly present with Jacob and this entire situation, using their troubles for his purposes and it is from this troubled marriage the fathers of the tribes of Israel come.
After the birth of a son from his favorite wife, Jacob is ready to leave. However, Laban knows that his current prosperity is because of the Lord’s favor on Jacob and he does not want Jacob to go. They decide Jacob’s wages will be every sheep and goat with speckles and spots, and the more desirable perfect animals will stay with Laban. Laban though exacts another scheme and sends away every animal with defect before Jacob can get to the flocks. In this way he deceives Jacob who of course won’t take this lying down.
With the help of the Lord and a gifted knowledge of animal husbandry, Jacob directs the animals to breed in such a way that spotted and strong animals will increase. Over time Jacob’s flock grows larger and stronger than Laban’s, who no longer has favor towards him. Realizing things are coming to a head, Jacob desires to go back to Canaan and the Lord tells him to go and that He will be with him.
Jacob pulls another scheme and is able to leave Laban’s household while he is gone. Realizing the deception, Laban pursues Jacob, but is warned by the Lord not to harm him. Jacob and Laban eventually meet with all their issues coming out. Eventually Laban departs with a clear boundary marker established between them. Rachel is also able to successfully deceive her father and keep his idols that she has stolen hidden. This brings us to the end of the parasha.
In this parasha we see the real struggles of Jacob during this period of his life. But we also see that the Lord is in the middle of all the trying circumstances, using events to bring about His Good Will. Jacob, Leah, Rachel, and Laban, all knew the Lord but still struggled with serious sin. They were as human as we are, with marital problems and unfair business practices being as real today as it was then.
We today have the benefit of seeing Jacob’s life laid out in Genesis for us to learn from. The same lessons the Lord taught Jacob are for us as well. The Lord is the same today as He was then, and our lives are also in His hands. Jacob discovered the Lord can be around us, even now, and we might not know it. The presence of the Lord is throughout all the Earth, what changes is our closeness and awareness of Him. The Lord was present when we all drove here today, the Lord will be present when we drive home, and the Lord is here, right now in His house, made not of stone, but of our hearts.
We do not have to go trace Jacob’s journey to find Beit-El, through Messiah Yeshua, who is the true ladder Jacob saw, God has made His home in the hearts of all those who believe in Him. So where two or three of us gather, the Lord is there also. If the Lord has not made His home within you yet, then I pray today is the day that you too will say, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” That today is the day the Lord makes His home within you. May the Lord continue to be with us all, through all the seasons of our lives, as He fulfills His Word completely.