Jacob’s Children

Genesis 28:6-30:24 (The Message)

Esau is FURIOUS!!! Jacob has to flee and go to Laban, his Uncle to avoid his father’s wrath. On the way there he has a dream of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels going up and down the ladder. Then God gives Jacob a blessing:

Then God was right before him, saying, “I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I’m giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they’ll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.”

It is almost like God was giving Jacob an assurance despite what was to come. Jacob named the place Bethel, which means God’s House.

One day I was in church and I got a vision of me holding a newborn baby boy.  I asked what the baby’s name was, “Caleb Scott” The vision me answered. I asked if he was healthy… “Oh yes, he is perfect” the vision me answered.

When I came back from the vision, everyone singing praises around me, I sat in wonder at my vision. I had two girls and was told by my doctor that I could not have another child. I started counting the days and realized that I was a week late. I whispered to my husband that I needed to stop at the store on the way home from church. A few hours later, the pregnancy test was positive!!! Then that evening, my father, who lived 2000 miles away called me. He asked me if I knew anyone named “Caleb Scott” and proceded to tell me he had a dream where he felt very strongly to call and ask me about it.

My son was born a few months later. He had a lot of problems because he was born early. I kept going back to the vision God gave me, and I realized that God was telling me that yes, I was going to have a son, and that everything would eventually be all right with him. I needed that assurance and I clung to that hope when things looked dreadful with Caleb. It was that vision that got me through the darkest days with my little boy. He is perfect now and you would have no idea that he had any problems with his birth.

I believe this is the same for Jacob, this dream.

Jacob meets Rachel and falls in love with her. He agrees to work seven years for her. He does, and his love is so great for Rachel that it feels like no time at all. Then, just as he decieved his father to get his blessing, Jacob is decieved as well. Leah, Rachel’s older sister is who he married!!! He married the wrong girl!

Laban agrees to give Rachel to Jacob after his honeymoon with Leah, but only if he works for seven more years!

Jacob begins having children. Here is the Record of his children from this scripture reading:

1. Reuben (Look-It’s-a-Boy!)
2. Simeon (God-Heard)
3. Levi (Connect)
4. Judah (Praise-God)
5. Dan (Vindication)
6. Naphtali (Fight)
7. Gad (Lucky)
8. Asher (Happy)
9. Issachar (Bartered)
10. Zebulun (Honor)
11. Dinah (Daughter)
12. Joseph (Add)

Jacob had the children listed in black with Leah. The children in Red were concieved with Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. The children listed in Green were concieved with Zilpah, Leah’s Maid. Finally, the child in blue was concieved with Rachel.

Joseph was a busy man…that is for sure!