Joseph—the first journey
Last time on Choosing Peace, we dug into Joseph’s back-story—exploring the Sin Lists of his ancestors and brothers as the backdrop for how Joseph’s life would unfold. And we answered questions about how our parents’ sins may have replayed in our own lives. It was revealing.
Today we’ll travel from Joseph’s birth to age six, when he took the first of two important journeys. Joseph’s mom was Rachel—one of two sisters married to his father Jacob.
The long wait
Rachel’s infertility brought her great emotional pain. I can relate to that. Rachel envied her sister Leah’s fertility.
Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob. …Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and made her fertile. She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my shame.” So she named him Joseph, saying, “May God add another son to me.”
Genesis 30:19, 21-24, New Heart English Bible
After Rachel’s very long wait and many prayers, Joseph’s birth brought remarkable joy. Children are a blessing from the Lord.
When we’re in the midst of desiring a child, it’s hard to understand The Big Picture. It’s hard to wait. Very hard. Many years after our son was born, I started to understand. Right time. Right place. Right friends. Right teachers. Right life. God’s timing is perfect. And while we don’t like to admit it, we learn many things during the waiting. During the hardship. During the “I don’t understand” years.
While we’re waiting for someone or something,
we can learn a lot about contentment and trusting God.
Joseph’s first journey
Leaving the big farm
When Joseph was born, his father Jacob had already fulfilled his 14 years of service to Laban in exchange for his two wives, Rachel and Leah—Laban’s daughters. Then Jacob labored six more years, amassing vast flocks. None of Laban’s tricks or thievery could thwart God’s hand of favor and blessing on Jacob. At that time, Jacob had 11 sons and one daughter. When they all left Grandpa Laban’s Big Farm, Jacob’s youngest—Joseph—was six years old. He was a little boy.
Why they left
Jacob had worked for his father-in-law Laban for 20 years. Why did they leave? In addition to Laban’s long-term trickery, three things came to pass. (1) Laban’s sons were bad-mouthing Jacob and accusing him of stealing. “Jacob heard….” (2) Laban no longer viewed Jacob with favor. “Jacob saw….” And—last, but certainly not least: (3) God told him to leave.
Then God said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
Genesis 31:3, New Heart English Bible
Jacob heard that things were not good. He saw that things were not good. Then God told him what to do—leave.
Jacob’s family left Grandpa Laban’s Big Farm without mentioning that they were leaving. These days, we call that sneaking out. Needless to say, I understand why Jacob packed everyone up and left without saying good-bye. In response to God’s favor on Jacob, Laban’s sons lobbed false accusations—calling Jacob a thief, and Laban became hostile. Things were bad. Jacob saw the writing on the wall, as they say, and obeyed God’s instruction: “Go back home.”
Interestingly enough, the real thief in this chapter of Jacob’s life was Laban, The Trickster Extraordinaire. Ahhh, yes—that popular attack vector called projection. I mean: “Accusing the innocent party of what the guilty party has done.”
Three options
Peaceful Reader, when have you heard and seen the reality that things were problematic or perhaps seriously bad in some area of your life? Sometimes we’re called to wait, work and pray. Sometimes we’re called to leave. Other times, we’re called to struggle—to “get into it.” To fight. To say the hard things. To wrestle.
Jacob thought he was free. They left. It was over. He didn’t know he was about to enter two wrestling rings. He had no idea.
Verbal wrestling
Because they left without Laban’s knowledge and Rachel stole her father’s household gods, Laban came chasing after them and dug through their tents. Jacob was hoppin‘ mad on both counts, and finally let it rip. Laban had repeatedly mistreated and lied to Jacob, and Jacob was done with him. Big time. After 20 years of back-breaking work, game-playing and thievery, Jacob finally said what needed to be said to his very difficult father-in-law. “This is not okay. You treated us wrong.” With God’s instruction and blessing, Jacob drew the line: “We are done.”
Jacob spoke the truth and prevailed. Laban agreed to leave them alone. Shock of America; I mean the Middle East. There’s no mention in the Bible that they ever saw each other again.
The army, the messengers and the prayer
After Laban left, what’s recorded next will blow your mind.
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.”
Genesis 32:1-2a, World English Bible
Are you sitting there with your mouth open? I sure was.
Next, Jacob sent messengers to his long-lost twin brother, Esau—the one who wanted to kill Jacob 20 years before. The messengers returned and told Jacob that Esau was coming to see him, and 400 men were coming with him. Jacob was terrified, split his group into two separate camps, and prayed.
Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses and of all the faithfulness which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan [River], and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children. You said, ‘I will surely do you good and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”
Genesis 32:9-12, New Heart English Bible
What a beautiful prayer. Reverent. Humble. Thankful…. I love that window into Jacob’s heart.
Physical wrestling
After Jacob sent a massive gift—I mean bribe—of livestock to Esau, including 30 milking camels with their calves, Jacob sent his immediate family and belongings across a stream to camp for the night.
Then Jacob was alone. Read this remarkable paragraph about what happened that night as Jacob wrestled physically with God, who appeared like a man. At the end of their all-night wrestling match, Jacob was given three things: a limp, a blessing, and a new name.
[God] said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28, World English Bible
Israel means “he strives with God.”
Jacob was amazed. He said, “For I have seen God face to face, and my life has been preserved” ~ Genesis 32:30b, NHEB.
The good fight
What a monumental 24 hours!
After 20 years of joy and pain, sabotage and blessing, Jacob took his family, his servants and his flocks and left Grandpa Laban’s Big Farm. God told Jacob to go back home and he began the journey. Then came the two wrestling matches—the verbal fight with Laban, who chased them down, and the physical fight with God throughout the night. Both of those fights were unexpected. The fight Jacob actually anticipated was right around the corner—his reunion with Esau.
We tend to view the word fight as a negative thing. Remember from Genesis 32:28 above, “…you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.” And that was a compliment from God Almighty. A big one.
Fighting well—or not
Fighting can really strengthen us when it’s done well—filled with truth and an honorable purpose—can’t it? Productive fighting can change things in a major way. Even when the person on the receiving end doesn’t change their ways, saying the tough things strengthens the one throwing the verbal punches. And by “punches,” I don’t mean an out-of-the-blue attack or name-calling. I mean wrestling. I mean, “We’re both in this thing. We’re wrestling together for a meaningful purpose.”
To unpack the difference between an attack and a fair fight, read from Snapshot of an Accomplice through Just Say No in this post. Some very sick people are incapable of participating in a fair fight. I understand that. We’ve had to use The Weapon of Silence with many-a sick relative. (See the Sociopaths series and this post about closing the door to my sister Linda, The New Mob Boss.)
What the fight accomplished
Jacob spoke the truth to Laban. It was heated, and rightly so. But later that day, they made an agreement not to harm each other and they ate together.
Jacob fought well.
He accomplished something important.
The next morning, Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren good-bye and blessed them—including Joseph, the youngest. Remember—Joseph was just six years old. He probably had no idea that he’d never see Grandpa Laban again. This was a turning point for everyone in their family. They left the familiar and journeyed into the unknown.
Purpose in the pain
What was the purpose of this 20-year segment of Jacob’s life? Having taken advantage of his brother Esau and later putting on a costume and telling heinous lies to trick their blind father, Jacob was The Trickster Extraordinaire before he ran for his life to Grandpa Laban’s Big Farm. Jacob found love, family and prosperity there; but he also experienced the deep pain of manipulation and lies. For many years, he was on the receiving end of the pain he had caused his twin brother. I won’t call it karma. I’ll call it what it really was—the Lord’s discipline, which means teaching.
Jacob bought his brother’s birthright and stole his blessing. Not okay. At all. Jacob needed to learn the pain caused by manipulative behavior. He needed to eat it, drink it and live it thoroughly. And he did. Even while God was teaching Jacob important, painful lessons, he was pouring out his blessings on this chosen one. Love, marriage, children, fruitful labor, prosperity, protection and more.
We are sinful. (See part 1.) God is so good.
Can you think of some times in your life when you were experiencing both the Lord’s discipline and his blessings simultaneously? I sure can. We don’t always see those seasons rightly at the time. When we look back, it’s easier to see The Big Picture of correction, sanctification, healing, blessing, etc.
Family feud or reconciliation?
Jacob was so afraid of his brother Esau’s wrath. And rightly so.
Jacob sent messengers and a massive bribe in a caravan-like procession, hoping to squelch Esau’s anticipated anger. So, what happened when Jacob and Esau finally saw each other for the first time in 20 years?
[Jacob] went on ahead of [his family], and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he approached his brother.
Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. And they wept. And he looked up and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the female servants came forward with their children, and they bowed themselves. Leah also and her children came forward, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came forward with Rachel, and they bowed themselves. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in our sight, then accept my present from my hand, because I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, since you have accepted me. Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has been gracious to me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
Genesis 33:3-11, New Heart English Bible
The way Esau ran to embrace his brother reminds me of The Prodigal Son—a picture of God’s love for us. And when Jacob said seeing Esau’s face was like “seeing the face of God,” that too was beautiful.
New direction
What happened next surprised me.
Esau thought they’d be traveling together, now that they reconciled. Jacob lied and made excuses before Esau left, and Jacob traveled another direction. Esau didn’t know Jacob wasn’t behind him. That made me sad for Esau.
Based on the biblical record, the next time these twin brothers saw each other was when they buried their father Isaac. Hmmm.
At the end of Chapter 33 of Genesis, we learn about two of the different places where Jacob and his family lived in Canaan. Jacob built a house in Succoth and made booths for his livestock, which implies that they stayed there for a while. Later, it mentions that they moved to “the city of Shechem.” We’ll dig into that stop next time.
Joseph’s seat
Jacob and his family left Grandpa Laban’s Big Farm when Joseph was six years old. When Joseph was older, did Jacob share the wrestling stories with him? Did Jacob tell his favorite son about the angel army? Did Joseph ask his dad about his limp—caused when he wrestled with God? Did Joseph ask his dad about his name change from Jacob to Israel? Did Joseph remember bowing down to his Uncle Esau and meeting him for the first time during The Big Move? Did they talk about his dad tricking Isaac and stealing Esau’s blessing? Did Joseph’s mom, Rachel, tell him these important family stories? Did his older brothers?
Did Joseph hear his dad pray out loud? What did Jacob teach Joseph about God? From where Joseph sat growing up, what did he hear and see? What did he learn? What questions did he ask? What did he want to do when he grew up?
More about the family
Chapter 35 of Genesis answers a few of those questions.
And God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that you have among you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me wherever I went.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their possession, and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak that was near Shechem.
Genesis 35:1-4, New Heart English Bible
God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him, restating his name change from Jacob to Israel. The Lord also restated that a great nation would come from Jacob, including kings.
God reminds us of important things to encourage us and to help us obey.
Jacob set up a pillar and poured a drink offering and oil on the pillar at Bethel, where the Lord had spoken to him. God told them to live there. How long did they stay at Bethel? We don’t know.
Heading to Bethlehem
After they all left Bethel, Rachel gave birth to her second son, Benjamin. She had a very hard labor and died right after his birth. She was buried on their way to Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar—also called a standing-stone—on her grave. We don’t know how old Joseph was when his mom died, but he was young.
Rachel’s death is a very sad and hard part of Joseph’s story. I’m sorry to be ending today’s post at this event. Thankfully, Joseph’s brother Benjamin will become a bright spot in his story later on.
The next chapter in Joseph’s life tells us big events when he was 17 years old. And those are the stories we heard in Sunday School—the coat of many colors and much more.
Happy Thanksgiving, Peaceful Readers!
I hope you were richly blessed today—in sweet and simple ways.
Coming next: As we dig into the more familiar aspects of Joseph’s story, will there be surprises we forgot? I sure hope so. Until next time, thanks for reading and for Choosing Peace.
Truth from The Word: Genesis 35:9-12
Song: “Guide Me, O My Great Redeemer” by Sovereign Grace Music
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