1.In Proverbs 18:21 we read, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” How did this verse play out in Rachel’s death.
Ya’akov and his family were making their way through the land of Canaan, going to the city of Hebron where his father Isaac still lived. On the way, Rachel went into labor with her second child. She had severe labor with this birth and died. Ya’akov buried her beside the road near Bethlehem. In Genesis 35:20 it says he set up a stone over her grave. Her grave is still a place where many people visit. She is the only matriarch not buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs in Hebron.
If you remember, in our portion from last week, Rachel stole her father’s idols and hid them in her tent. When Laban caught up with Ya’akov, one of his complaints was that someone had taken his family idols.
In Genesis 31:32 we can read Ya’akov’s response, “The one with whom you find your gods shall not live.” With these words Ya’akov inadvertently spoke a curse over his beloved wife. This verse sheds light on the words of Yeshua warning against swearing an oath.
We read in Matthew 5:36-37 where Yeshua said not to make an oath but let your yes be yes and your no, no. Anything beyond that is from the evil one.
I believe this lesson is very important to us. We hear so much being spoken out that may or may not have any actual truth behind it. It is our role as G-d’s people to not become part of such speech. We are to be the light and speak the words of truth, love and peace, not half-truths, negativity, hate or anger.
Rachel is also mentioned in Jeremiah 31:15 and again in Matthew 2:18 where she is mourning the exiles being led off to Babylon.
2.Read the conversation between Hamor and Ya’akov in Genesis 34:9-10. It says, “And you shall dwell with us, the land shall be before you; settle and move around in her and acquire property in her.” Why was this not a good deal for Ya’akov? Can we think of a similar situation in the Messianic scripture?
In this meeting Hamor made an offer to Ya’akov and his family. He offered them the opportunity to dwell in the land, to move about in the land and to acquire possessions in the land such as flocks and herds, They could have free movement in the land.
Think about this, Ya’akov had been a traveler for over twenty years. He had no place of his own. Here he arrived back in the land that G-d had promised him. This might have sounded like a good offer from Hamor. He would have the freedom to live his life free from trouble with the surrounding population. He could finally relax for a while. He could even acquire land legally with no argument. This was the most valuable part of Hamor’s offer. He, Ya’akov, would become a respected citizen.
However, all was not so rosy. We read in Genesis 34:23 Hamor had another more subtle reason for making Ya’akov this offer. In this verse we read, “Their cattle and substance and all their beasts will be ours. If we only agree to their terms so that they will settle among us.” Hamor’s generous offer to Ya’akov was only to eventually take all that Ya’akov possessed. Then they would become like all the other people of Canaan.
Tempting offer for sure but one not worth the price of giving away the promises of G-d. The Father gave Ya’akov the promises of Avraham and Isaac. The Father had said they would be His people. Hamor was basically saying, “come on over to us, why wait for some future promise, become one of us.”
Where do we find the same kind of offer in the Messianic scriptures? Luke 4:5-8, “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.7 If you worship me, it will all be yours. Yeshua answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the L-rd your G-d and serve him only.’[c]”
Satan made basically the same offer to Yeshua, bow down and worship me and I’ll give you the whole world. Yeshua answered him by quoting Deut. 6:13, “Fear the L-rd your G-d, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name”.
Yeshua refused the offer. He stood on who He was and who His father was.
My point in all this is that each of us also have been tempted to accept a short cut to something we desire. We might be tempted to do things we know are not the will of G-d. The offer may give us the feeling of being accepted by others or our desires or needs finally being fulfilled. Satan is always ready to give us a counterfeit for G-d’s promises. Think back on Ya’akov and Yeshua. G-d has more for us than being accepted by the world. He has His world for us. Don’t settle for less than G-d’s best for you.
3.In B’resheet/Genesis 32:27-28 we read of the first time Ya’akov was told he would no longer be called Ya’akov but would be called Israel. The second time this happened, in B’resheet/Genesis 35:9-10, G-d Himself told him his name would be Israel rather than Ya’akov. Given the fact that G-d Himself told him his name would no longer be Ya’akov but would be called Israel, why do we continue to see both names being used for him? What is scripture showing us?
Notice Ya’akov did not just have something added on to his name, unlike when G-d changed Avraham and Sarah’s names. His new name was totally different.
Let’s recall how Torah described both Esau and Ya’akov. As we look back at the life of these two men, it would be an over simplification to say one was good and one was bad. It reads as if they were two different kinds of people, two different personalities. In B’resheet/Genesis 25:28 we see Esau was a hunter, a man’s man and his father’s favorite. While Ya’akov was a man who stayed at home, the favorite of his mother. They were completely different men. As you read the story of these two brothers you might come to the conclusion that Ya’akov wanted what Esau had, his father’s love. Since he took Esau’s birthright and blessing maybe he even wished he was Esau.
Everything changed for Ya’akov at the struggle in the river. Here Ya’akov was told his name would be changed. No longer would he be called Ya’akov but now he would be Israel. Let’s think about these two names. What is the meaning of Ya’akov? It means heel grabber basically. He was holding on to Esau’s heel at birth.
From the first three Hebrew letters of the word Israel we can derive two Hebrew words, the second and third letters together means Sar or prince or royalty. If you look at the first three letters together it means Y’shar or translated to English, upright or straight. The last two letters, “el,” of the name Israel can signify G-d. From all this we can see this name means an upright prince of G-d, no longer a heel grabber.
As you can see, these two names give an entirely different meaning. In the struggle at the river, the person or angel said to him, “You will no longer be called Ya’akov but Israel.” We could read this passage as, “Let your name no longer be Ya’akov but Israel!” When we read it so, it gives us the impression that this name change calls for a different way of living, a different way of making decisions. “Be a prince,” or “Be upright.” G-d could be saying, “be who I created you to be.” So, as we read on through Torah we will see sometimes he was behaving like Israel and sometimes like Ya’akov.
I think we all face this same issue in our own lives. Sometimes we revert back to an old habit or a way we used to live. We face this challenge many times after we come to the L-rd. This is an issue that has been a problem from the beginning. We see in the Messianic scripture this same issue expressed in Romans 7:15-25. Here Shaul was writing about this exact condition. Shaul talked of the struggle he dealt with in his own life. We all have this battle between flesh and spirit. I think when we find ourselves in this battle we should remember that through the Messiah, the Father has given us the spiritual tools to win the struggle and hold on to what we have been given, a new name and a new identity.
These battles surely come but G-d is with us and has done a great work in us that will help us to live up to who we are in Him. Also, remember what Israel did here in our scriptures. He did something to prepare for his coming meeting with his brother. Our trust in G-d does not rule out our duty to do everything we can to find G-d’s way through whatever we confront in our lives. I encourage you to be an Israel every day and not a Ya’akov.
4.Are there verses in scripture that explain to us why Ya’akov had to go through the difficulties of his early life such as running from home, struggling to leave Laban, waiting in fear as his brother Esau was on his way to meet him? Does this speak to your life in any way?
Ya’akov began his life living up to his name. The name Ya’akov means to supplant to overreach. He began his life deceiving others. I believe G-d had to take him through difficult times to refine him.
Our first clue that Ya’akov was beginning to understand the wrongs he had committed are the choices he made in gifts for his brother and how he addressed his brother. Ya’akov referred to himself as servant and addressed his brother as lord – a title Esau would have had if he had received his father’s blessing that Ya’akov took. Ya’akov also gave his brother Esau 550 animals (similar to what Esau might have received in his birthright)
- 200 female goats
- 20 male goats
- 200 female sheep
- 20 male sheep
- 30 female camels with their young
- 40 cows
- 10 bulls
- 20 female donkeys
- 10 male donkeys
I think by the time he was fearfully waiting for his brother’s arrival he was ready to hear G-d. He was ready to hear G-d’s message that he had a better way for him and a better name. G-d wanted change in Ya’akov’s life so he could be used by G-d.
Isaiah 48:10 says, “I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.” Isaiah speaks of G-d’s refining process through suffering, not for destruction but for purification. G-d’s discipline is likened to a furnace, meant to cleanse and purify His people.
Romans 5:3-4 says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
This is true for us also. G-d desires to mold us, refine us until we can be used by Him.