Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, New Jersey

In these chapters, we come to the end of a major section of the Jacob story. We see how Jacob comes back to his homeland with his extended family. Before that can happen, Jacob has to face his brother, Esau, with surprising results. We also continue to see the darker side of life reflected in the revenge exacted by Jacob’s sons. Finally, we witness both the death of Rachel and the birth of the Jacob’s twelfth son, Benjamin, who will be the ancestor of the apostle Paul.

1. Jacob and Esau meet
   1. Jacob sees his brother, Esau, coming toward him with “four hundred men.” He remains apprehensive (Genesis 32:7). This is not surprising given the fact he cheated his brother out of his inheritance. Jacob has a definite order in coming out to meet Esau. He has the less favored part of his family go first, the maids and their children, followed by Leah with her children. He’s willing to sacrifice them to save his preferred wife, Rachel and her son, Joseph (Genesis 33:2). Jacob, however, goes first in line so he will face Esau’s vengeance if that’s what’s to follow (Genesis 33:3). He bows to the ground seven times (the number of perfection) to demonstrate his humility and presumably his repentance.
   2. Jacob is not prepared for what follows (neither are we). Esau runs out to meet his brother, embraces him, falls on his neck and kisses him (Genesis 33:4). This is the exact same language that Jesus uses in describing the father greeting the prodigal son (Luke 15:20, although the NRSV for some reason doesn’t have “fall on his neck” in its translation of the Luke passage).
   3. Esau not only receives Jacob, he welcomes him. This is a prophetic scene of the gospel which is based on the theme of forgiveness (Matthew 6:12, 18:21-22; Luke 23:34; Ephesians 4:3). Esau not only forgives and accepts Jacob but he refuses all of Jacob’s elaborate gifts (Genesis 33:8-9).
   4. In a telling statement, Jacob says to Esau, “for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God” (Genesis 33:10). This essentially quotes Jacob’s statement in the previous chapter after wrestling with God where he says, “For I have seen God face to face” (Genesis 32:30). It is hard to overstate the importance of this scene. Jacob’s experience of being forgiven by his brother is, for him, a direct encounter with God.
   5. Esau had every right to not only be angry with Jacob, but to seek to act out vengeance on him. He does the opposite. This is a picture of grace which forgives those who need to be forgiven, not those who deserve forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7). Jacob can only ask, “Why should my lord be so kind to me?” (Genesis 33:15). The irony here is that the chosen brother is the offender and the rejected brother, Esau, is the model of Christ. Esau here is an example for us all. Karl Barth in his exegesis of Romans 9 raises the possibility that the vessels of wrath (“I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau,” Romans 9:13) may be endured with patience so that they become the vessels of mercy (Romans 9:22-24, 11:32).
2. No Forgiveness – Genesis 34
   1. We know little of Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah. The principal story is found in this chapter. Jacob and his family are nomads. They are wanderers with their flocks always looking for new grazing land. Jacob and his family have settled for the time being in Shechem in the land of Canaan (Genesis 33:18).
   2. Dinah goes out to visit the women in the country. However, Shechem (same name as the city), the son of Prince Hamor, proceeds to rape her. The account is very brief and doesn’t give us much information regarding what happens. The information we do have is clear. It is “by force” (Genesis 34:2). Canaanite sexual practices were abhorrent to Israel (Leviticus 18; 20:10-21).
   3. Shechem actually is in love with Dinah (he had an odd way of showing it). He pleads with his father to get Dinah to be his wife (Genesis 34:4).
   4. Jacob gets the news but doesn’t say anything right away. However, the brothers are outraged when they hear what happened (Genesis 34:5-7).
   5. Prince Hamor offers in effect to establish a treaty with Jacob and his sons. He offers them land which is a crucial commodity for livestock owners. He adds that he will give whatever additional price they may request. He proposes that they intermarry and, in effect, create a single community (Genesis 34:8-12).
   6. The brothers, following the example of their father rather than their uncle Esau, act deceitfully. The pretend to agree to the terms of the proposal, provided that all the men of Shechem become circumcised. On that condition they agree to become “one people” (Genesis 34:16).
   7. Prince Hamor and his men agree to the terms in good faith (Genesis 34:18-24). However, the third day following, when the men were sore, the sons of Jacob, apparently led by Simeon and Levi, massacre the men. The brothers take everything including the young children and wives of the men (Genesis 34:27-29).
   8. Jacob doesn’t so much object to what they’ve done as to the consequences that may result. The brothers justify their actions (Genesis 34:30-31). The narrator offers no moral, much less spiritual comment, on the violent actions of the brothers. Later on, in Israel’s history, Judith will celebrate the vengeance of the brothers as she herself will carry out vengeance against the Babylonian general Holofernes by beheading him (Book of Judith in the Apocrypha).
3. Jacob returns home – Genesis 35
   1. Jacob returns to Bethel where he had the vision of the ladder leading up to heaven (Genesis 28:10-17).
   2. Jacob begins the faith of Israel by telling everyone in his household to ‘put away the foreign gods that are among you” (Genesis 35:2-4).
   3. God protects Jacob by placing a terror on all the surrounding cities so no one pursues them apparently as a consequence of their massacre of Shechem (Genesis 35:5).
   4. Jacob returns to Bethel and builds a temple there to the one true God, Jehovah (Yahweh). God speaks to him there. Again his new name of Israel is confirmed (Genesis 35:10, 32:28). Israel will be the name for the people of God, a pledge of their salvation (Romans 11:26). The promises made to Abraham are repeated (Genesis 35:11-12, 17:1-8). Also the name of Bethel (“house of God”) is confirmed (Genesis 35:14-15, 28:19).
   5. Rachel is pregnant again. She dies in childbirth on the road to Bethlehem. Her son, Benjamin, will be the ancestor of the apostle Paul (Philemon 3:4-5). Jacob sets up a pillar as a marker of her grave (Genesis 35:20). This story is richly symbolic. The whole story of the Old Testament is a journey to Bethlehem from which the Messiah will come (Micah 5:2). The apostle Paul will be the greatest proclaimer of the Messiah (Christ) of the apostolic church.
   6. Sexual brokenness continues in Jacob’s family when Ruben has sex with his father’s concubine. All of this is a far cry from God’s original plan for marriage (Matthew 19:1-6). These same issues will affect the early church (I Corinthians 5:1-2; I Thessalonians 4:3-8).
   7. We now are given a formal list of the twelve sons of Jacob who will be the namesakes of the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:23-26).
   8. Jacob finally returns home. His father Isaac dies and he and his brother Esau bury him (Genesis 35:29).
   9. In all of the deceit and brokenness of Jacob and his family, God’s purposes continue to be followed out. We continue on the road to Bethlehem.
4. Questions for Us –
   1. What lessons about forgiveness can we learn from Esau’s example? Why do you think Esau welcomed his brother back?
   2. Why is sexual brokenness such a part of the history of God’s people (of people in general)?
   3. The picture of Rachel’s death is both one of tragedy and hope. Her death mirrors the promise of both Jesus and Paul. What encouragement can we find in the midst of tragedy and loss?

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