32 Psalm                                           Jacob & Esau    [1838 BC birth]

             

      Before his death Abraham sent a steward back to the homeland of his youth, Haran, to find a wife among his tribe for his son Isaac.  The faithful steward brings back Rebekah, the daughter of Abraham's brother Nahor.  Isaac loved Rebekah and married her.  He was forty then, and after twenty years no children resulted from the marriage.  Isaac prayed hard for Rebekah to become pregnant, and God answered and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.  God spoke these words to Rebekah.  Genesis 25:23 "... Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
   The first born was Esau. His reddish body was covered with hair. Born second grasping Esau's heel was Jacob.  Esau grew up loving the outdoors and became a skillful hunter and his father Isaac's favorite.  Jacob was less adventurous but favored by his mother, Rebekah.  Esau, being the first born, was in line to inherit all that Isaac owned, including his blessing.  But once arriving home famished, he traded his birthright to Jacob for a meal of bread and stew.  Then later, when Isaac was very old, blind, and feeble, Rebekah plotted with Jacob to deceive Isaac.

  Esau, rightfully, was very angry that Jacob received the blessing he thought was to be his.    So angry that Rebekah was afraid that Esau would kill her beloved Jacob in a fit of rage, so she sent Jacob to Haran to live with her brother Laban until such time that she felt it safe for Jacob to return.   Genesis 28:19-22. And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the  top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 
    And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
    And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.  And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.  And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
     And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will 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:  And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
   
   The stone Jacob had used for a pillow and set for a pillar to God is allegedly the 'Stone of Destiny' that has been used in coronation ceremonies in the British Isles since as long ago as 400 AD.  Now in a closely guarded museum In Edinburgh Castle, according to legend, fleeing the destruction of Judah by Babylonia in 586 BC, the prophet Jeremiah accompanied by two daughters of the defeated king Zedekiah smuggled the stone amongst other religious relics away frojm the grasp of Nebuchadnezzar's marauders - possibly first to Egypt, then eventually to Ireland.  There Saint Patrick gave a special blessing for the rock's use in installing monarchs.  Since, the stone has been moved from isle to isle as kingdoms came and went.  For many years it resided in Scone Scotland and thus became popularly known as the 'Stone of Sconce'.    In 1296 AD Edward I of England invaded Scotland and captured the stone.  In England the stone was incorporated into a special throne used for coronation.    Although King Edward III promised to return the stone in the 1328 Treaty of Northampton, the return wasn't actually made until the year 1996.   Some say the stone's travels fulfilled a prophesy made in Ezekiel 21:27, " I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him."
     Jacob Arriving near Haran Jacob met and fell in love with Laban's youngest daughter Rachel.  Jacob agreed to work 7 years for Laban to gain Rachel's hand in marriage, but Laban tricked his nephew Jacob into marrying his older daughter Leah, and insisting Jacob work yet another 7 as the price for Rachel.  During this time Jacob greatly enriched Laban by building up his herds.    In return for his hard work, Laban agreed to give Jacob any of his livestock that were dark-colored, streaked, spotted, or speckled.  Laban would keep all solid light-colored animals.  Having been tricked into an extra 7 years of laboring for Laban, now it was Jacob's turn to trick Laban.  During mating season Jacob made sure that the best animals faced striped poles he had made from tree branches while the weaker animals were separated.  Thus, Jacob became exceedingly wealthy while his Uncle's fortunes waned. 
   Upon leaving and heading back to the Promised Land, Jacob was concerned that his brother Esau would still harbor resentment, so ahead of their meeting he sent servants with several hundred livestock as a peace offering.  

   Genesis 32.20-32  For he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me."  So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
Wrestling with God
 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok.  He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.  Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.   Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.   And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks."
But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"
  So He said to him, "What is your name?"
He said, "Jacob."
  And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
 Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray."
And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there.
  So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."  Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.  Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrank.
  Jacob did not need to worry about meeting Esau for his brother had long ago forgiven him and greeted him gladly.