Jacob (77), after being robbed by Eliphaz the son of Esau in Shechem, turns back towards Haran once he received Yehovah’s promise; but he arrives in Haran as a beggar, instead of a prince.

Here is Yehovah’s promise

Yasher 30:1 … and he came as far as mount Moriah, and he tarried there all night near the city of Luz; and Yehovah appeared there unto Jacob on that night, and he said unto him, I am Yehovah Elohim (lawmaker and judge) of Abraham and the Elohim of Isaac thy father; the land upon which thou liest I will give unto thee and thy seed.
2 And behold I am with thee and will keep thee wherever thou goest, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of Heaven, and I will cause all thine enemies to fall before thee; and when they shall make war with thee they shall not prevail over thee, and I will bring thee again unto this land with joy, with sons, and with great riches.
3 And Jacob awoke from his sleep and he rejoiced greatly at the vision which he had seen; and he called the name of that place Bethel.

The first person of the house of Laban, his mother’s brother, who Jacob finds is his cousin Rachel (22); she and her older sister (Leah) are twins. When Jacob sees Rachel he kisses her and weeps.

Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. (Gen 29:11)

“Why is he weeping?” I always asked myself. Now, because of Yasher, I know the answer.

Yasher 30:8 And when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, he ran and kissed her, and lifted up his voice and wept.
9 And Jacob told Rachel that he was the son of Rebecca, her father’s sister, and Rachel ran and told her father, and Jacob continued to cry because he had nothing with him to bring to the house of Laban.
10 And when Laban heard that his sister’s son Jacob had come, he ran and kissed him and embraced him and brought him into the house and gave him bread, and he ate.
11 And Jacob related to Laban what his brother Esau had done to him, and what his son Eliphaz had done to him in the road.

Jacob lived  with Laban for a full month before they came to an agreement.

 Yasher 30:12 And Jacob resided in Laban’s house for one month, and Jacob ate and drank in the house of Laban, and afterward Laban said unto Jacob, Tell me what shall be thy wages, for how canst thou serve me for nought?
13 And Laban had no sons but only daughters, and his other women and concubines were still barren in those days; and these are the names of Laban’s daughters which his woman Adinah had borne unto him; the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel; and Leah was tender-eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored, and Jacob loved her.
14 And Jacob said unto Laban, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter; and Laban consented to this and Jacob served Laban seven years for his daughter Rachel.

Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. (Gen 29:17)

Genesis says in my NKJV that Leah’s eyes were “delicate”; and some translations say “weak” or “clouded.” This is the same problem that we had when Esau and Jacob were introduced to us. The translators made Esau (a total man of the flesh) look like a man’s man; and they make Jacob sound like a girly boy. Oh Yehovah – please give us eyes that see!

I think a very important distinction is being made between Leah (a woman of worth, who understands her relationship to her man) as being compared Rachel, who is a woman of the flesh. I talk about the Hebrew of this verse at length in my audio below; my paraphrase of this verse goes like this. In Hebrew the eyes are the opening to the soul.

Leah had the inward beauty but Rachel had the outward beauty. (Gen 29:17)

I’ll take a Leah over a Rachel every time. As you read the Torah, and Yasher, watch carefully what Leah and Rachel say and do.

Who can find a woman of value? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband [her ba’-al, her master] safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. (Pro 31:10-12)

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears Yehovah, she shall be praised. (Pro 31:30)

But, Jacob loved Rachel and made a deal with her father for her purchase.

Yasher 30:14 And Jacob said unto Laban, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter; and Laban consented to this and Jacob served Laban seven years for his daughter Rachel.

During the 1st 7 years Jacob put all his efforts into serving only Laban who even had sons and daughters added to him while Jacob served him

Yasher 30:19 And Yehovah gave Laban riches and honor, sons and daughters, and the man increased greatly on account of Jacob.
20 And Jacob in those days served Laban in all manner of work, in the house and in the field, and the blessing of Yehovah was in all that belonged to Laban in the house and in the field.

Well, this is the story of the beginning of Yehovah’s promise to Jacob. Next time we will see how Yehovah multiplied sons, and male and female servants, immense stock of flocks, cattle, camels, asses and silver and gold in abundance. Ha – but that will have to wait until our next class.

2G34 Genesis 28-30.16 and Yasher 29.24-30.4 – Esau Hates Jacob
[Click here to download this audio mp3]

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