Has anyone ever noticed that when Jacob left Israel, after he had been blessed by Isaac, his father, but yet was in exile from his brother, Esau, that the sun was going down (Genesis 28:11 - 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)? Even more intriguing, after he had worked for Laban for 20 years he was heading back to Israel, when he met and wrestled with the Lord, the Bible tells us that the sun was rising (Genesis 32:31- And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh).
So when he left Israel, the Bible is very clear to tell is that the sun set on him, and when he was re-entering Israel 20 years later, it rose upon him. Why is the Bible so specific to do that? It is because it signifies him leaving to go into the darkness and back into the light. Israel is more than a place. It is God's actual church - it is the olive tree, which believers are grafted into and unbelieving Israel was plucked from, but will be grafted in later when their veil is removed. This is understood in Galatians 6:16 - And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Strong's concordance for Israel here, in the Greek, is number 2474 and describes it as "Christians, the Israel of God, for not all those who draw their bodily descent from Israel are true Israelites, i.e. are those whom God pronounces to be Israelites and has chosen to salvation."
By this we can know that this is a picture of going into darkness and back into the light. Even though Jacob had come out of Israel he had always been in darkness, because he had not followed God's will until he repented, much later after God sent him out of Israel for training. Jacob had a hard time in God's training, laboring those 20 years for Laban, but it was necessary because it is written in Revelation 3:19 - "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Jacob had to be rebuked and chastened in his life mistakes before he would repent.
It seems the moral of the account is that when we are in church, often times we think we are saved, but many times God must deal with our heart, rebuking, correcting and disciplining us until we can finally see the true light and what it really means to repent and live for Him.
©2010 Kimberly Padilla, A.A. Religion
Sunday, July 25, 2010
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Jacob coming out of Israel? What Israel? When he left his father Isaac there was no Israel or a land of Israel. Jacob was named Israel after he wrestled with an angel (as you mention). Israel means "contender with God". The place where Isaac lived was still the land that God had promised Abraham's offspring. This offspring, the Israelites, took possession of that land, which was still in spiritual darkness, after they left Egypt under God's direction, 400 years after Abraham.
ReplyDeleteOne more point: Jacob had not followed God's will until he repented? Where does the Bible say that? No. Unlike his brother Esau, who married pagan women, Jacob went to relatives and took wives from among God's worshippers. And he left his father because Esau had vowed to kill him for "stealing" his first-born rights. No, Jacob was not a sinner in need of repentance. Your article is incorrect. Also, your assumption that the Bible mentions a sunset and a sunrise to signify exiting the light and going into darkness is a bridge too far. Please, don't take words from here and there combining them into meanings the writers never intended to convey.
Lots of love
Akis