Jacob's Faith Journey

When we talk of the patriarchs, we talk of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  As I already discussed, Abraham is portrayed as the ideal faithful follower.  We actually don't hear a lot about Isaac's faith journey. He seemed to have walked in obedience and faith from the beginning, always building alters and digging wells, both forms of covenant worship.

We do hear a lot about Jacob's faith journey.  It started before he was born.  In Genesis 25:22-23 Rebekah prays about her pregnancy and is told that she is carrying twins, and that "the elder shall serve the younger."  In Jacob's early years he seems to have been guided primarily by his mother.  The text states that Jacob was Rebekah's favorite (Gen 25:28) but the reader is left to wonder how much Rebekah told Jacob about her revelation about his destiny.  We do know that when Jacob has food and Esau is hungry, Jacob suggests that Esau sell his birthright to get food (Gen 25:31-33). Later when it is time for Isaac to pass on covenant blessings to his eldest son, Rebekah convinces Jacob to deceive Isaac and obtain the blessing instead, thus fulfilling, she thought, her revelation about Jacob.

The result of Jacob following his mother's direction to deceive his father, was that, to avoid Esau's revenge, Jacob had to leave his parents to find refuge, and a wife, among extended family. Before he left, Isaac blessed him with all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 28:3-4). This is another example of faith coming from a parent, this time his father. 

It wasn't until Jacob started traveling toward Haran that he had his own revelatory experience. He had a dream of the Lord confirming the promises Isaac had pronounced upon him before he left (Gen 28: 12-15).  In the revelation, the Lord didn't mention that he required anything from Jacob. When Jacob woke up he recognized that he was in a sacred space (Gen 28:16) and he built a monument to his experience there (28:18).  He didn't, however, at that time, fully accept the Lord as his god.  He made a vow to the Lord, but it was conditional. "If God be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God" (Gen 28:20-21). 

Jacob goes on to Haran, and meets Laban, Rachel, and Leah.  In an ironic twist of fate, Laban deceives him into honoring birth order (which Jacob had defied) and marrying Leah before Rachel.  Jacob toils for many years for Laban.  Presumably, Esau stays at home and enjoys, in the absence of his rival, if not the actual birthright, the effectual benefit of a firstborn son. Jacob seems to be humbled by his years in service.  As he becomes more humble and submissive, both to Laban, his wives, and the Lord, his flocks and progeny grows. 

After Jacob has worked for Laban for 20 years, the Lord appears to him and shows him that He had kept most of his end of the bargain.  The Lord led him to Haran and prospered him there. The Lord tells him that it is time to do the last thing in the bargain, which was to return to the home of his father in peace. (Gen 31:13)  Jacob is nervous about this.  He is worried about what Laban will do when he tries to leave and what Esau will do when he arrives at home. The Lord takes care of the first concern.  Laban is pacified by a dream (Gen 31:24) so he eventually lets Jacob go in peace (Gen 31:55).

Jacob is about to face his final, and it seems his most dangerous trial, facing Esau.  As he is about to face his brother, and his brother's army of 400, Jacob says a prayer that shows that he has finally developed faith in God, and true humility. He prays "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto they servant." (Gen 32:10)  It is when Jacob reaches this place of humility and submission (symbolized in wrestle with the angel and breaking of his hip, Gen 33:28) that he becomes a new person, a heir of the covenant.  The Lord commemorates Jacob's acceptance of the covenant by changing his name from Jacob, which means Supplanter, to Israel, which means Let God Prevail. (Gen 32:38)

It is interesting that Jacob's reunion with Esau comes after his experience with the angel.  One of the podcasters I listen to compared Jacob's embrace with Esau to God's embrace when we pass through the veil into immortality.  Jacob had wronged Esau and was cast out from his presence. In order to return to his brother, he humbled himself, sacrificed all he had, and begged for forgiveness.  Esau, like the Lord, accepted Jacob's offering and received him back into full fellowship.

There is one more account of Jacob's faith journey that brings it full circle. In Genesis 34 there is an account where Dinah is raped by men of a neighboring tribe.  Her two biggest brothers, Ruben and Levi, retaliate by tricking and then slaying the perpetrators and ravaging their village.  Jacob recognizes this as a great sin.  The Lord, in chapter 35, commands Jacob to take  his family back to Beth-el (the place of his covenant with the Lord) and purify them and make sacrifices for them.  Jacob started out relying on the faith of his parents, and now he has become the parent, taking upon himself the responsibility of passing on his faith tradition to his sons. 

So we have the faith journey of Jacob.  It starts by him relying on his parent's faith.  Then he comes to recognize the existence of God, but puts conditions on him--you grant me this and I will acknowledge you as my god. Over time, Jacob humbles himself completely, repents of his sins, offers all he has, and is accepted back into God's symbolic embrace.  Then he takes upon himself the role of the parent who is passing on his faith tradition to the next generation.