Jacob in Haran

Bethel Mennonite Church – Gladys VA

What kind of person was Jacob? In comparing him with Job, they were both very wealthy. Job was also very invested in his family and in his relationship with God. In comparison, Jacob seems more invested in material gain. He doesn’t seem to be around much with his family. The story as told in Genesis 29-32 tells us more about his wives and their feelings than Jacob.

The story of Leah is one of the saddest in the Bible. She felt very unloved but seemed to have a relationship with God. The names of her sons portray that relationship. Some examples: Reuben – “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction, now therefore, my husband will love me.” Simeon – “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved.” Levi – “Now this time my husband will become attached to me.”

There was tension between Leah, Rachel, and Jacob. There was also tension between Jacob and Laban. Jacob felt he had been cheated by Laban, Leah felt unloved, and Rachel was devastated because she had no children. Jacob worked so hard to get things he wanted, but God was going to bless him anyway.

What can we learn from this? Passive men are problems. Jacob was passive; he was not present in rearing the children. There is a window of time where we have an opportunity to speak into our children’s lives. The opposite of passive men are men who invest themselves in the lives of their families. They are present for all the stages of their children’s lives.

The pursuit of money does not satisfy. It gives no long-term satisfaction. If we treasure the things around us, it will be devastating to us when we lose them. Jacob gained what he did through God’s blessing and not through his personal efforts.

Haggai 1:6: “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

The post Jacob in Haran appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.