After Jacob encounters his brother Esau in peace, Esau returns to Mt. Stir bu Jacob settles outside of Shechem. In time, Jacob’s daughter Leah decides to socially interact with the daughters of the Canaanite city-state of Shechem. She is discovered by Shechem, the prince of the town and is raped.
After wrestling with God and receiving a new name to reflect his changed character, Jacob proceeded towards the Land of Promise. His faith was strengthened; but he was still fearful of meeting his brother Esau. So, once again he devised a plan of escape for his family by separating them into three groups.
After Laban departed from Jacob and returned home, Jacob’s thoughts focussed on his most pressing concern – meeting his brother Esau. Twenty years ago when Jacob left his father’s home to go to Haran, he was also fleeing the anger of his brother Esau, who had sworn to kill him because of a perceived “stolen blessing”.
Jacob has been working for Laban by keeping his flock for six years now – that’s after having done this for fourteen years previously as a dowry for his two daughters. Laban has been very deceitful and has not dealt fairly with him. Plus, Jacob noticed that Laban and his sons’ countenance towards him has become quite toxic.
After Jacob has arrived in Haran, he meets Rachel his uncle’s daughter at a well. He tells her who he is and she takes him to her father’s house. Jacob after seven years marries Leah and Rachel, Laban’s daughters. Jacob loves Rachel, but is not so loving of Leah. So, God graciously opens her womb and she bears him four sons in the hope that Jacob would love her too. In this chapter we see where the two women are engaging in a race to see who can have the most children. But also, there is a note of Rachel’s spiritual lacking. God finally gives her a son and Jacob wants to go back home. However, Laban is unwilling to let Jacob leave because he has noticed how Jacob’s God has prospered him on account of Jacob. So, he bargains with Jacob once again – only to deceive him again. But God over-rules Laban’s actions against Jacob and greatly increases his wealth.
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