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Chapter 9

The History of Jacob and Esau

1. The Birth of Jacob and Esau (Gen 25:19–26), 2006 BC, 76th Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Abraham’s age, 160; Isaac’s age, 60

Ages of the godly ancestors at the time: Shem, 550; Shelah, 415; Eber, 385

Isaac married Rebekah at the age of 40, and he had no children for the first 20 years of his marriage to her (Gen 25:20, 26). Isaac was probably deeply distressed that he did not have a son to fulfill God’s covenant. He earnestly prayed that his wife would conceive a child (Gen 25:21). The word used for “to pray” in Genesis 25:21 is rt;[‘ in Hebrew, meaning “to burn incense.” It shares the same root as the word for “fragrance” or “incense” . It can be understood that sincere prayers become a holy incense that rises to be an offering before God (Rev 5:8; 8:3–4).

Isaac persevered in prayer for 20 years, and at last God heard his prayer, and Rebekah bore him twin sons, Esau and Jacob, when he was 60 years old (Gen 25:21–22). While Isaac was praying, Abraham must have sympathized with him and prayed together with him for the fulfillment of God’s covenant. In the past, God said to Abraham, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him” (Gen 17:19). Abraham most likely prayed with Isaac and consoled him, since he was once in the same situation when his wife was barren.

Abraham had Isaac at the age of 100, and Isaac had Jacob at the age of 60. Since Abraham lived 175 years, three generations—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—lived contemporaneously for 15 years (Heb 11:9). While dwelling in the tents together, Abraham taught Isaac and Jacob the Word of God. Passing down his faith to his descendants was the duty for which Abraham was called and part of his holy obligation to fulfill the covenant (Gen 18:18–19).

Because Jacob spent much time in the tents, being educated in faith by his grandfather Abraham, he yearned to complete the work of God’s eternal inheritance (Gen 25:27).

Today, the church is God’s tent. Mary enjoyed sitting at the foot of Jesus to listen to His Word, and Jesus acknowledged her by saying, “For Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). Like Jacob and Mary, we too must choose to listen to the Word and yearn after it so that “the good part” we choose may not be taken away as in Luke 10:39, “And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet.”

2. The Death of Abraham (Age 175) (Gen 25:7–8), 1991 BC, 91st Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Abraham’s age, 175; Isaac’s age, 75; Ishmael’s age, 89, Esau and Jacob’s age, 15

Ages of the godly ancestors at the time: Shem, 565; Shelah, 430; Eber, 400

[Shem lived until Isaac was 110 and Jacob was 50; Shelah lived until Isaac was 78 and Jacob was 18; Eber lived until Isaac was 139 and Jacob was 79.]

Ever since Abraham was called at the age of 75 (Isa 51:2), God blessed him in every way so that he was greatly multiplied (Gen 24:1, 35). Furthermore, God blessed him with good health and he took Keturah as his wife and had six more children even after he was 140 years old (Gen 25:1–2). After this, Abraham lived until the ripe old age of 175 and was gathered to his people in accordance with the prophecy in Genesis 15:15 (Gen 25:7–8).

Abraham died 38 years after his wife Sarah. Although Abraham had driven him out, Ishmael came to see his father after learning about his death and was with Isaac to bury him in the cave of Machpelah (Gen 25:9).

If there is one special characteristic about Abraham’s 175 years of life, it is that he lived the life of a sojourner (Gen 23:4). He dwelt in tent homes and never built a permanent home to live in, for he “desired a better country, that is a heavenly one,” a city that God had prepared for him (Heb 11:9–16).

The Bible records the account of Isaac, the second person to inherit the covenant after the death of Abraham. It was at this time, while he was living in Beer-lahai-roi, that a second great famine struck the land. Isaac sought to go down to Egypt, but because God confirmed the covenant that He made with Abraham regarding the land and the descendants, Isaac decided to stay in Canaan (Gen 26:1–5). Because Isaac obeyed God and stayed in the land, he sowed in the land and in the same year reaped a hundredfold, even during the famine when there was no rain (Gen 26:12). The Lord blessed him so that he “became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy . . . so that the Philistines envied him” (Gen 26:13–14).

From then on, Isaac expanded his territory, which was to become a home for the descendants of the promise in the future. He also began to dig wells and became prosperous (Gen 26:17–22). Then he went back to Beersheba, where he received God’s promise regarding the multiplication of his descendants. He built an altar and continued to dwell there (Gen 26:23–25).

3. The Marriage of Esau (Age 40) (Gen 26:34), 1966 BC, 116th Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Isaac’s age, 100; Jacob’s age, 40

Esau lived with his grandfather, Abraham, and his father, Isaac, so he probably knew very well that he was not to marry a Canaanite woman. However, he followed the lusts of his flesh and chose for himself women pleasing to him from among the daughters of Heth. He married Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite (Gen 26:34), causing grief to Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 26:35).

After Jacob fled to Laban’s house, Esau learned that his marriage to these Canaanite women had displeased his father, and so he married Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael (Gen 28:6–9). His action, however, was led not by the will of God, but by his human desire to appease his father.

Esau did not follow the faith of his parents, and he engaged in polygamy according to human desires and wit, drawing himself even further from God’s will. Today, those who indulge in the world and commit spiritual adultery will move farther and farther away from God’s will and bring grief to God (Ps 95:10; Isa 63:10; Eph 4:30; Jas 4:4).

4. Jacob Receives the Blessing of the Firstborn, 1930 BC, 152nd Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Isaac’s age, 136; Jacob’s age, 76

Esau, Jacob’s older brother, despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew (Gen 25:28–34). Esau loved worldly things more than spiritual things. The Hebrew word for despised in Genesis 25:34 is and means “to disdain” and “to hold in contempt.”

Unlike Esau, Jacob yearned greatly for the birthright of the firstborn. From deep within his heart, he wanted to inherit the blessing of his grandfather, Abraham, and become the spiritual firstborn. This is why the first thing Jacob requested of his brother when he asked for the stew was the birthright (Gen 25:31).

Genesis 25:27 sheds some light on the characters of Esau and Jacob: “When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.” Jacob enjoyed dwelling in tents because it was there that he heard the Word of God from Abraham, Isaac, and Rebekah. In Hebrew, the word peaceful in verse 27 is meaning “perfect” (cf. Job 1:8; Ps 37:37), demonstrating that Jacob’s everyday life was a life of faith. Esau, on the other hand, disliked listening to the Word of God and enjoyed going out into the field.

Hebrews 12:16 describes Esau, who had his birthright taken away by Jacob, as “godless”. The Bible shows that Esau cried out in tears afterwards for the birthright he had lost, but found no place for repentance (Gen 27:34, 36, 38; Heb 12:17), for he had despised and mocked the most precious opportunity that God had given to him in his life and sold it for a cheap price.

Eventually, God led Isaac to bless Jacob, not Esau, as the firstborn in faith (Gen 27:27–29, 39–40; Heb 11:20) (see Reference 2: “A Single Blessing of the Firstborn”).

5. Jacob Flees from His Brother Esau (Gen 27:41–28:5), 1930 BC (Estimated), 152nd Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Isaac’s age, 136; Jacob’s age, 76

(1) The flight of Jacob

Esau, angry that Jacob had taken his birthright, sought to kill him (Gen 27:41). Knowing what was in Esau’s heart, Rebekah helped Jacob to flee from Esau. She remembered what God had revealed to her while her sons were still in her womb: “And the older shall serve the younger” (Gen 25:23).

She had conviction in this revelation and was determined to make sure that Jacob, not Esau, received the blessings even if a curse might fall upon her (Gen 27:13). Rebekah was a mother who did not forget what God had once revealed to her, and she took action until the Word was fulfilled. Isaac’s age at this time is uncertain, but since Jacob fled when he was about 76 years old, it can be presumed that Isaac was about 136 years old.

As Jacob was leaving, Isaac blessed him, saying, “And may God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you; that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham” (Gen 28:3–4). Since Esau’s marriage to Gentile women had grieved them so much (Gen 26:34–35; 27:46), Isaac and Rebekah charged Jacob to choose a wife among the daughters of Laban and sent him to Paddan-aram (Gen 28:1–5).

(2) The vision of the ladder in Luz (Gen 28:10–19)

As he was fleeing to Haran, Jacob came to a place called Luz. There, he took one of the stones, put it under his head, and fell asleep. In a vision, he saw a ladder set between heaven and earth, and he felt the glorious presence of God.

Through this vision, God established a covenant of hope with Jacob, saying, “And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Gen 28:15). In Genesis 28:13–15, God revealed Himself as the “God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac” and promised to lead him back to the land of Canaan. After experiencing the presence of God, he called this place Bethel, meaning “house of God,” to commemorate the event (Gen 28:19).

Jacob’s vision of the ladder represents Jesus Christ, who would come as the spiritual ladder connecting heaven and earth. The great reformers John Calvin and Martin Luther also interpret the vision of the ladder as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the mediator between God and sinners. In John 1:51, Jesus Himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Jesus Christ is the spiritual ladder, the sole mediator between God and sinners, the only path through which sinners can meet the holy God (John 14:6; Gal 3:19–20; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 7:15–28; 8:6; 9:11–15; 12:24).

6. Jacob’s 20 Years of Refuge (Gen 29–31), 1930–1910 BC, 152nd through 172nd Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Isaac’s age, 136–156; Jacob’s age, 76–96

Jacob was full of expectation after he had received the great blessing and the covenant at Luz. However, contrary to his expectations, he was treated worse than a servant in his uncle Laban’s house. He entered Laban’s house at the age of 76, labored for Laban for seven years, and was given Leah as wife. Jacob also took Rachel, whom he loved, as wife with the condition that he would work an additional seven years for Laban (Gen 29:18, 27).

Jacob was 83 years old when he got married in 1923 BC, the one hundred and fifty-ninth year of the covenant of the torch (Gen 29–30; 31:41). According to these calculations, Jacob was married at an old age—after much of his youth had past—43 years later than his brother Esau. Both Isaac and Esau were married at the age of 40 (Gen 25:20; 26:34).

During the seven years of additional labor, Jacob obtained 11 sons (excluding Benjamin) and one daughter through his wives Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah. During the seven years, Leah gave birth to six sons and one daughter. Thus, assuming that she gave birth to one child each year, she had Dinah on the fourteenth year of Jacob’s stay in Haran (first seven years + second seven years). Since it was not too long after this time that Rachel gave birth to Joseph, it is highly possible that Dinah and Joseph were the same age (Gen 30:21–24).

Even after the birth of his eleventh son, Joseph, Jacob labored another six years for his uncle Laban’s flock (Gen 30:25–31; 31:41). Genesis 31:40 states, “Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.” The Hebrew word for heat in this verse is , which refers to the ground-cracking heat of a drought, and the word for frost is which refers to water-freezing coldness. Jacob endured such heat and cold without rest in order to watch over Laban’s flock. Yet, Laban, his uncle and father-in-law, changed his wages ten times (Gen 31:7, 41).

Even at an old age (from the age of 76 to 96), Jacob lived for 20 years in Laban’s house, where he was treated as if he were less than a human being and suffered indignity (Gen 31:40–42). He endured the trials of “the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men” (2 Sam 7:14). It was the Word of God that gave him the strength to endure the 20 years of affliction: “And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Gen 28:15).

The angel of the Lord appeared to Jacob to comfort him and to fill him with hope, saying, “For I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth” (Gen 31:12–13).

The God of Jacob is our God today. He sees all of our sufferings and keeps an account to wipe away our tears and repay us according to our labor.

Here, God revealed Himself to Jacob as the God of Bethel (Gen 31:13), the same God who gave him the covenant of the ladder 20 years before, promising him descendants like the dust of the earth and guaranteeing his return to Canaan (Gen 28:13–15).

Through the God of Bethel, Jacob came to realize that the misunderstandings and injustice that he suffered under the hands of Laban and even the length of the period of suffering were part of God’s sovereign will. He realized that the time had come for him to return to the land of Canaan.

When Jacob left Canaan at the age of 76, he was like a fugitive on the run; but now at the age of 96, he was returning as the head of a large clan that included four wives, 12 sons, and exceedingly great wealth (Gen 30:43; 31:1).

The flow of God’s work of salvation, which had been passed down from Abraham to Isaac, appeared to have halted with Jacob’s departure from the Promised Land, but this was not the case. In fact, not only did God give Jacob 12 sons so that they might become the foundation for the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel, but He also called Jacob back to Canaan so that the flow of the work of salvation would continue ever so vigorously.

7. The Birth of Joseph (Gen 30:22–24), 1916 BC, 166th Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Isaac’s age, 150; Jacob’s age, 90

Rachel was able to give birth to Joseph wholly because God remembered her. Genesis 30:22 states, “Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.” Here, the Hebrew word for remembered, , refers not to the mere act of remembering, but to a deep understanding and care (cf. Gen 8:1; 1 Sam 1:19). In Egypt, Joseph became second-in-command at the age of 30 and reunited with his father after the seven years of abundance had passed, on the third year of the famine. Since Joseph was 40 years old at this time and Jacob was 130 years old, we can deduce that Joseph was born to Jacob when he was 90 years old (Gen 45:6, 11; 46–47; 47:9, 28).

Rachel’s womb, which had been closed for seven years, miraculously opened when God remembered her; all it took was His remembrance. When God remembered Samuel’s mother, Hannah, she gave birth to three sons and two daughters.

1 Samuel 1:19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

1 Samuel 2:21 And the LORD visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD.

The precious blessing of God’s remembrance awaits those who believe and wait until the end (Ps 40:1; Isa 30:18; Lam 3:25–26; Heb 3:14).

8. Jacob Returns to Canaan (Gen 33:18–20), 1910 BC, 172nd Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Isaac’s age, 156; Jacob’s age, 96; Joseph’s age, 6 (estimated)15

(1) Israel – Jacob’s new name

Mahanaim was the first encampment for Jacob’s clan as he was returning to Canaan after fleeing from Esau 20 years earlier (Gen 32:1–2). The name Mahanaim means “two camps”; two armies of the angels of God met Jacob and surrounded his groups on all four sides (Ps 34:7; 91:11).

Because Jacob feared greatly the revenge that he might suffer at the hands of his brother Esau, the sight of the angels of God surrounding his family brought great comfort so that he could boldly continue his journey back to Canaan. He was now sure that God would lead him safely to the land of Canaan, and that He would continue to protect him in that land.

Then, messengers told Jacob that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men (Gen 32:6; 33:1). If Esau had no intention of taking revenge, he would not have needed 400 men. Jacob prepared a present for his brother Esau: “two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys” (Gen 32:13-15). Since this list does not specify the number of the milking camels’ colts, the number of animals was more than 550.

Realizing the desperate situation he was in and knowing that he could do nothing by his own strength, Jacob remained behind alone, risking his life. He began to pray at the ford of the Jabbok (Gen 32:24). The name Jabbok (Gen 32:22) in Hebrew is meaning “to flow.” While Jacob was experiencing great fear and distress (Gen 32:7), he keenly realized that all of the worldly merits and advantages, on which he depended all along, were useless. He must have prayed with all his trust in God alone, giving up all the human-centered abilities, tactics, and wit that belonged to his old self.

He prayed with his life on the line until the socket of his thigh became dislocated. He said to the angel of God, “I will not let you go unless you bless me,” and at last, through his prayer, he received the new name Israel (Gen 32:26–28). The name Israel also became the name of the nation that his descendants would establish, demonstrating that the spiritual root of the nation had come through Jacob.

(2) Jacob protects Rachel and Joseph

When Jacob saw that Esau was coming to meet him with his army of men, he placed Rachel and Joseph in the very end of the caravan in order to protect them from Esau (Gen 33:1–3). He did this because Rachel is the one whom God remembered and opened her womb to give birth to Joseph (Gen 30:22). Jacob promised Laban to work seven years for him in order to get married to Rachel (Gen 29:18, 20, 25). It was also for Rachel that he worked another seven years (Gen 29:27–28, 30). In total, he worked for 14 years to take Rachel as his wife.

The “wife” to whom the prophet Hosea refers in Hosea 12:12 was Rachel: “Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram, and Israel worked for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.” Among his four wives (Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah), Rachel was the only true wife in his eyes. H. C. Leupold says, “Now Jacob had naturally destined Rachel to be his only wife. Her sons should have been the firstborn.”16

(3) Jacob and Esau reconcile

Jacob bowed down to the ground seven times until he came near to Esau (Gen 33:3). Jacob was already 96 years old at the time. Bowing down to the ground was the most respectful way to greet another person. Thus, Jacob bowed down to the ground to demonstrate that he had deeply repented of all the things he had done to his brother in the past.

Esau, seeing Jacob bowing to him with great difficulty from a dislocated thigh, ran to meet him and embraced him. He fell on Jacob’s neck and kissed him, and they both wept (Gen 33:4). All the feelings of hatred, conflict, and anger melted away instantly.

All of this was through the work of God. Once Jacob reconciled his relationship with God through prayer at Jabbok, God reconciled Jacob’s relationship with his brother Esau. If we reconcile our relationship with God and please Him, then He will help us resolve the issues that are too great for us to handle. He helps us make peace with our enemies.

Job 22:21 Yield now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.

Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

9. Leah’s Daughter Dinah Is Disgraced (Gen 34), 1900 BC (Estimated), 182nd Year of the Covenant of the Torch

Isaac’s age, 166; Jacob’s age, 106; Joseph’s age, 16

By God’s providence, Jacob returned to the land of Canaan after 20 years. He dwelt in the city of Shechem, camping before the city. He bought the land where he pitched his tent for 100 pieces of silver (Gen 33:18–20). Jacob remembered God’s promise to Abraham when he passed through the land of Shechem. God said, “To your descendants I will give this land” (Gen 12:7). Jacob probably bought the land as a guarantee that the Israelites would possess this land rooted in God’s promise.

Jacob experienced many unfortunate events while he was dwelling in Shechem. Dinah, his only daughter, was disgraced and humiliated by the son of Hamor the Hivite who raped her (Gen 34:1–2). Given the fact that Hamor had suggested marriage, Dinah must have been around 16 years of age (Gen 34:8).17