Bible Study Online Article

In the last article we saw how God had reminded Jacob of an early vow that he had made to Him back when he as on the run from his brother Esau.

Now we are learning that after Jacob had settled in the land of Bethel and built an altar unto the Lord - we find that people who'd been close to him all his life, would begin passing away.

First let's start by looking at some things that weren't included in the Sacred Record.

For instance, by this time it's believed that Jacob's mother Rebekah had already passed.

This belief is based on the fact that Rebekah's nurse Deborah, had passed when she was in service to Jacob's household, instead of Isaac's. It's also believed that Deborah came to live with Jacob after Rebekah's passing, in order to help with Jacob's new family.

Understand that Deborah had been with the family of Abraham for a long time and on top of this, she was a person of piety and prudence. She provided the family with great wisdom when it came to raising families, which made her services invaluable. So therefore when she died, those who knew her, wept and mourned her death greatly. This is why Jacob would bury her under the oak, in which he called it "Allon-bacuth" which signifies "the oak of weeping."

After this had taken place, God would appear and reaffirm his covenant with Jacob. The Lord would do this by reminding the Jacob that his name had changed and that he would no longer be known as Jacob and that his new name would be "Israel" which signified "A prince with God."

When this had first happened, it was done after Jacob had wrestled with an angel throughout the night. Remember that the angel would voluntarily submit to Jacob and this was done in order to encourage Jacob to face his fears when it came to him meeting his brother Esau. Now it at this time that God would remind Jacob of his name change, during a special visitation by El-shaddai Himself: "I am God Almighty." This time it would be done in order to encourage Jacob to deal with his fears when it came to running into the Canaanites.

After God had departed from him, Jacob would erect a pillar in honor of the Lord. He would pour a wine drink offering on it followed by the pouring of oil. Now some twenty years before, Jacob had already made a pillar in honor of the Almighty. Being that he was once again in the same place, it's possible that he could have repaired the altar that he had made some twenty years before, or he could have erected a new one, as the Scared Record would seem to suggest. After all, things are slightly different with this new confirmation, being that his name had been changed from Jacob to Israel. Keep in mind that he didn't have that honor the last time he was at Bethel.

Afterwards Jacob would move his family from Bethel and started heading towards Ephrath (Bethlehem). During the journey we are informed that Jacob's beloved wife Rachel was found to be with child. Understand that this wasn't an ordinary pregnancy for Rachel this time around, her pains were considered fierce and violent and because of this, she had to endure a very hard labor of childbirth. Rachel's midwife tried to encourage her, by reminding Rachel about the vow she had made after giving birth to her first child Joseph: "Don't be afraid for you should have another son." The midwife had proclaimed.

Keep in mind that Rachel had long desired to have kids and God had finally blessed her with one, in which she named Joseph. Now we find that God has opened her womb once again and she will give birth to another child, in which she name Ben-oni, which signifies - "the son of my sorrows." Know that this child was named as such, because Rachel had a very difficult childbirth with him. But Jacob would eventually change his name to Benjamin, which signified -- "the son of my right hand."

But this special moment in time for Jacob and Rachel would end in a great tragedy, being that Rachel had died while giving birth to her second child. She died during childbirth and because of this she needed to be buried quickly. This would lead to Jacob burying her on the road to Ephrath (Bethlehem), in which he would erect a pillar over Rachel's grave in her honor. After this horrific event, Jacob would move on again and he settled about a thousand paces from Ephrath (Bethlehem) to a place called "The Tower of Edar" or "The Tower of the Flock."

It was at this time Jacob's oldest son Reuben would commit the sinful act of sleeping with his father's wife Bilhah. Because of his actions, Reuben would lose his birthright and the blessing that he was entitled to under the Abrahamic Covenant: "Reuben, you are my first born, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it." -- (Genesis 49:3-4)

Now it's at this time that the Sacred Record informs us that Jacob's father Issac had passed away at the age of one-hundred and eighty. Understand that this would make him the longest living patriarch from out of the three, since Abraham had died at the age of one-hundred and seventy-five and Jacob would live to reach the age of one-hundred and forty-seven.

Now I would like to point out at this time that although God's Word has recorded Issac's death at this point in time - know that his actual death wouldn't happen until many years later, after Joseph (his grandson) had been betrayed and sold into slavery.

So like I just stated - Isaac's death has not actually happened yet, for I personally feel that it's important information to know. Many times people make the claims that the Bible contradicts itself, when in fact their "contradiction arguments" are caused because they ignore the time-lines, or they simply don't know, or they do know and will do everything in their power to stand against the Word of God.

In the next article we will take a quick peek at the "Descendants of Esau." Yeah I know, but all things must be consumed when you're reading the Word of God. Just like his glorious creation, everything about it is simply - Marvelous.

The Introduction of Abraham

The Birth of Isaac

The Birth of Esau & Jacob

Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty

**YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE**

Joseph the Favorite Son

Joseph the Overseer of Egypt

The Unveiling of Joseph

54) Jacob the Prosperous

55) Jacob departs from Laban

56) Rachel the Thief

57) Jacob's Mistake

58) Laban's Pursuit

59) The Friendship Covenant

60) The Host of Angels

61) Jacob Wrestles with God

62) The Reconciliation of Jacob & Esau

63) Dinah the Daughter of Israel

64) The Plot of Vengeance

65) The Forgotten Vow

66) <-CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE PAGE->

67) The Descendants of Esau

68) Joseph the Favorite Son