Bible 110 Old Testament
Isaac, Jacob Cycle
A.
Isaac not terribly well defined as a character; misty, shadowy. Is he a
connecting link? Are other traditions about him lost? Probable founder of shrine
at Beersheba.
B.
Genesis 25 – Abraham married again, had more children. Died at 175.
Descendants of Ishmael (died at age 137); descendants of Isaac:
Rebekah barren
Isaac prays
Rebekah conceives – struggle within (two nations in her womb; the elder
would serve the younger).
Birth of Esau – red, hairy, outdoorsman, loved of Isaac
Birth of Jacob – quiet, lived in tents, loved of Rebekah
C.
Isaac stories Gen. 26, built around Beersheba; Isaac the founder of that
shrine?
D.
Jacob stories begin
Esau – Jacob 25, 27, 28
Jacob – Laban 29-31
Jacob – Shechem 32-35
Cult legends (28:10f, 35:5f) Bethel, Peniel. These are the transition
stories, and they display some touching up by Priestly Redactors
1. Esau-Jacob – Jacob steals birthright for a mess of pottage 25:29-34.
Jacob secures the blessing of Isaac, normally reserved for the eldest son
27:1-45. Jacob deceives Isaac, impersonates Esau. Complicity of
Rebekah in the scheme-enmity between Esau and Jacob which lasts a
long time. Jacob flees with the blessing of Isaac to Padda-aram, his
mother’s people, to select a wife from the daughters of Laban (Rebekah
did not want a marriage to Hittite woman). Esau took a wife of the
daughter of Ishmael 28:9.
2. Cult legend 28:10-22. Jacob at Bethel. Dream of the ladder: Babylonian
ziggurat with council of heaven ascending and descending. Theophany to
Jacob; he founds Bethel 16-17; conditional covenant (if you’ll protect me,
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Bible 110 Old Testament
I’ll be your servant 20-21; initiation of tithe, v.22). 35:5-8 Another account
of the founding of Bethel 7-8; tribal blessing to Jacob and his clans 10-13;
Jacob’s name becomes Israel; covenant promise repeated to Jacob 1113.
3. Jacob – Laban 29:31
Jacob arrives at Laban; spies the beautiful Rachel, kisses her 29:11,
bargains with Laban to serve him for the hand of Rachel seven years 1520. Laban’s deception in giving Jacob Leah 21-26; Jacob demands
Rachel, Laban gives her in return for another 7 years 27-30. Leah bears 4
sons – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.
4. Jacob’s sons by Rachel/Leah ch. 30. Rachel barren, angry at Jacob
(“Give me children or I die!”) Gives Jacob her maid Bilhah who bears Dan
and Naphtah; Leah gives Jacob her maid Zilpah who bears Gad, Asher.
Conflict between Leah and Rachel over Reuban’s mandrakes, which
Rachel wanted. Leah accused her of taking her husband, now her son’s
mandrakes. They struck a deal. Rachel received the mandrakes. Leah
got to sleep with Jacob again. She conceived and bore Isaacchar, then
Zebulon.
Then Rachel conceived and gave birth to Joseph.
30:25-43 Jacob desires to leave Laban and go out on his
own. Laban made a deal with Jacob about taking certain ones of the
flock. Laban double crossed Jacob, but Jacob then double crossed
Laban, giving him back the feebler ones of the flock. Jacob kept the
stronger ones for himself.
Ch. 31 Jacob determined dto return to the land of his fathers.
In a dream he was instructed by God to return to his father’s land. So he
rose up and left with out telling Laban. Ja ob was three days away before
Laban discovered him gone. Laban overtook Jacob and asked for the
gods which Jacob (Rachel) had taken. He did not find them, and Jacob
became angry. The two had disagreement 31:36-55, but they ended their
disagreement by establishing a new covenant 44-52. The stone heap
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Bible 110 Old Testament
(Altar?) was Galeed; the pillar MIzpah. Laban went home; Jacob was met
by an army of angels. He called the place Mahanaim.
5. Peniel account – Ch. 32 Jacob returning to be reconciled with Esau.
Jacob wrestled with God.  Pre-Israel story of river demon who thwarts
the efforts of those who try to enter? Demon holds on until day break. 
Jacob enters as founder of shrine at Peniel. Ancient story
demythologized; God, not demon, wrestles with Jacob. 32:29 Jacob’s
name changed, as in 35. Is this a liturgical ritual, a “limp dance?”
Dietary laws 32:32
The God who meets Jacob here is the same God of Abraham and Isaac.
God left his mark in relationship with Jacob. God initiated encounter with
Jacob at Jabbok; God initiates encounter with us through Christ. As
Jacob struggled, we also struggle. Jacob received a new name; in Christ
we receive a new name. Jacob could not posses God or know his nature;
neither can we. We carry the “scar” of the encounter the rest of our life.
6. Ch 33 Jacob and Esau reconciled. Esau returned to Seir; Jacob to
Succoth, then to Shechem.
7. Ch 34 Seduction of Dinah by Shechem, the son of Hamor. Jacob and
sons were angry; Hamor proposes marriages between the two clans;
Jacob demands circumcision of all their males; they undergo
circumcisions; Simeon and Levi kill all the males, including Hamor and
Shechem and plundered their cities and goods.
8. 35:16-29 Rachel gives birth to Benjamin and then died. Jacob then
returned to Isaac at Mamre or Hebron; Isaac died at 180 years old.
9. Ch 36 Descendents of Esau listed. Those were too numerous to live near
Jacob; therefore they went to Seir, the land of Edom. Esau is father of
Edomites in land of Seir
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