Genesis: Jacob’s Blessing & Israel
What’s It All About?
Looking past the Abrahamic Covenant, we eventually find ourselves further down the family tree to a man named Jacob. This is the man that God ultimately uses to further His cause in giving Abraham the nation that he promised would come from his descendants. This is why Jacob is also known as ‘Israel’ in scripture because all Israel’s nations come from Jacob’s sons. This is seen in Genesis 32:28 when it says, “Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” But what is the reason for this name change and what does it ultimately have to do with the future nation of Israel? Why is Jacob such a critical figure at this point in the story? This is what we will look at today in order to see why the blessing of Jacob and the beginning of Israel play such a vital part in Genesis and beyond. Without further delay, let’s dive in.
The Blessing
To begin, we must see how Jacob entered into the big picture. Abraham had a son named Isaac who eventually had two sons named Jacob and Esau. If you aren’t familiar with their story, Genesis 27:19 sums up the bulk of what you need to know, “Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Come now, sit and eat of my game, so that you may bless me.” This is the story where Isaac seeks to bless his firstborn, Esau, and make him the next great man of God over all the nations. However, as we can see, Jacob deceives his father Isaac while pretending to be Esau, and ultimately leads his father to bless him instead of Esau. Now if you’re anything like me, your first thought when you first heard this story was, ‘Why not just take it back?’. If you’re in Isaac’s shoes, this seems like such a simple fix! Once you realize you’ve been deceived, just take back the blessing from Jacob and give it to Esau. This wasn’t how blessings worked, however. Blessing someone and cursing someone in the Old Testament was much like using toothpaste. Once it’s out, it can’t be put back. Immediately at this part in the story, it would seem that mankind has once again ruined God’s plan and covenant that He originally made with Abraham all those years back.
But if there’s anything we’ve learned from the fall of Adam, the fresh start with Noah, and even the sinfulness of Abraham, it’s that God’s providence will always prevail. The sovereignty of our God will not allow His plans to fail no matter how often mankind fails Him. This is why even when a deceitful and sinful act such as stealing a blessing that was never meant for you, can still be a part of God’s eternal plan. So what exactly was this blessing that Jacob stole from his brother? This is what is known as the ‘birthright blessing’. This was greater than any other blessing a parent could give their child. The blessing we see here is in Genesis 27:28-29 which says, “Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you.” This blessing as you can see, offers the goodness of all that the earth has to offer, the support and obedience of all nations, the headship of the family, and the well-being of those who bless him as well. Talk about a blessing! This is what Jacob ultimately stole from his brother when he deceived his father. You can imagine now why this is such a big deal. But how does God use this deception to bring forth the nation of Israel? This is what we will see next.
The Nation
As Jacob runs from Esau after he stole his blessing, he comes to a man named Laban. Jacob essentially agrees to work for Laban for 7 years in order to marry one of his daughters, Rachel. However, when those 7 years were up, Laban gave him his oldest daughter, Leah, insisting that he can’t give away the younger before the older. Many people believe that this deception from Laban is justice for the deception that Jacob brought upon Esau and Isaac. Nevertheless, Jacob agrees to work another 7 years for Laban to marry Rachel as well. Along with marrying Leah and Rachel, Jacob has relations with each of their servants, Zilpah and Bilhah as well. It is through these four women that the sons of Jacob and the future of Israel will come about. All of this is put into play by God in a dramatic scene where Jacob infamously wrestles with God. In Genesis 32, we see Jacob alone wrestling with a man until daybreak. Then, this man dislocates Jacob’s hip by touching it and tells Jacob to let him go. Genesis 32:26-28 says, “Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
In this one instance, God has changed Jacob’s name to Israel, thereby showing that He will fulfill the covenant He made with Abraham through Jacob and his sons. This is why the 12 tribes of Israel that we come to later in the story are all named after the 12 sons of Jacob. Throughout Jacob’s life, we see the continued providential hand of God working to overcome fallen mankind and use the wrong they have committed to fulfill His ultimate purpose. Even with the terrible, sinful act that Jacob had committed against his father and brother, God used his works for good and continued to accomplish what He had set out to accomplish. As Ligonier Ministries plainly reminds us, “The Lord does not let Jacob’s past define him. Instead, He forgives and no longer hold’s Jacob’s sin against him.”
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] From Jacob to Israel | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org. (n.d.). Ligonier Ministries. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/jacob-israel
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