Page 35 - Advanced OT Survey Revised

God changed Jacob’s name, whose name also means trickery or supplanted, to Israel (means “one who
struggled with God.” The idea that God chose Jacob over Esau simply means that he would continue his
covenant with Abraham with Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons (twelve tribes of Israel) but he loved Joseph
(the eleventh son) more than the rest. He gave Joseph a special coat which increased jealousy among his
siblings. Joseph was later sold into slavery by his brothers because of their hatred for Jacob. All this
happened under God’s sovereign control. Joseph is a picture of Christ the New Testament. Joseph was
betrayed by his own brothers, but his betrayal turned into providence for God’s people. In a time when
there was famine Joseph’s interpretation of the Pharaoh’s (in Egypt) dream saved the entire Middle
East. Joseph became second in command to the Pharaoh. His entire family including Jacob came to
Egypt and settled there. Genesis ends with Jacob and his family in Egypt. Jacob blesses his children and
died. Note, the blessing of his twelve sons had a prophetic link to their character and future. Also,
because of Joseph’s character, Jacob added his two son’s Manasseh and Ephraim as a part of the twelve
sons of Israel. xxiii

Family Leadership and the Household Gods xxiv

One of the most curious stories of the patriarchal accounts is the theft of Laban’s gods by his daughter
Rachel (Gen. 31:19). Did not Rachel and Jacob put their trust in Yahweh? Why would Rachel steal
Laban’s clay household gods? Laban came to Jacob and claimed that all that Jacob had taken was his.
But Jacob disagreed, claiming that God alone who had provided him his wealth. Laban disputed this
claim and suggested that all that Jacob possessed, including his wives and children were Laban’s. They
certainly did not agree on who owned what!

Conciliation was reached by making a covenant and establishing a boundary between Laban and Jacob
(31:44-52). They even built a pillar of stones as a protective barrier. Why this barrier?

The story is perplexing until you better understand the purpose for household gods. Understanding
these puzzles is helped by evidence that household gods served a purpose in addition to that of worship.
nd
Information gathered from on ancient tablet found at the 2 millennium B.C. city of Nuzi suggests that,
at times, household gods were used as evidence of family leadership.

The claim to leadership in a family enlightens some aspects of this story. It explains why Rachel stole the
gods: to give her husband the position of tribal leadership rather than Laban. It explains why Laban was
so insistent in getting his gods back: to make sure one of his own sons would become the family head
rather than Jacob. It explains why Laban wanted to erect a boundary between them: to make sure that
Jacob never returned with the household gods to claim the first rights to the family holdings.

Practical Application of Genesis: The overriding theme of Genesis is God’s eternal existence and His
creation of the world. There is no effort on the part of the author to defend the existence of God; he
simply states that God is, always was, and always will be, almighty over all. In the same way, we have
confidence in the truths of Genesis, despite the claims of those who would deny them. All people,
regardless of culture, nationality or language, are accountable to the Creator. But because of sin,
introduced into the world at the Fall, we are separated from Him. But through one small nation, Israel,
God’s redemptive plan for mankind was revealed and made available to all. We rejoice in that plan.

God created the universe, the earth, and every living being. We can trust Him to handle the concerns in
our lives. God can take a hopeless situation, e.g., Abraham and Sarah being childless, and do amazing

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