Lesson 76: Genesis Chapter 35:21- 35 Jacob and the Kids

It’s not pretty 35:21, 22

English Standard Version (Chapter 35)

21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Family troubles re-emerge among Leah’s kids. Reuben sleeps with a step-mother, Bilhah. It seems that he pitched his tent with too many doors in and out. Just remember that Judah and Levi killed all of the men of Shechem because of their sister Dinah being violated. That ended with Jacob being very embarrassed among his neighbors. Now, his oldest son get’s into one of Jacob’s bedrooms.

The boys of Jacob and Leah were very passionate about family issues and now once again their passions have ruled over them.

Let us take a few minutes to learn of a descendant of Levi, a son of Jacob and Leah, directed his passion towards God and saved the nation of Israel from destruction. His name is Phineas, a descendant of Levi.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Phinehas (Person))

Phineas means“The southerner”, and was a term which referred to those people from south of ancient Egypt, such as the Nubians, and hence it implied those of “dark skin.” The association of Phinehas #2 with Hophni, another name of Egyptian origin, supports the contention of the Egyptian origin of Phinehas. 1. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar and Putiel, the grandson of Aaron and a descendant of Levi (Exod 6:25; Num 25:5-9

King James Version (Chapter 25)

5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor. 6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

From the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, we find that Phineas was a priest (Num 25:7) and, as demonstrated by several passages, he was known for his strong and sometimes violent defense of the Israelite worship of Yahweh.When the Israelites began to worship Baal-peor instead of Yahweh, Phinehas stood against them. In particular, when an Israelite brought a Midianite woman into his family, Phinehas slew the man and woman with a spear (Num 25:6–8).

Phinehas’ action brought forth four reactions by Yahweh: (1) Yahweh’s anger toward the people was tempered and, as a result, only 24,000 people died by a plague (Num 25:8–9); (2) Yahweh praised Phinehas for his action in abating the wrath of God against the people (Num 25:11); (3) Yahweh rewarded Phinehas with a “covenant of peace” (Num 25:12); and (4) Yahweh conferred on Phinehas and his descendants the “covenant of priesthood forever” (Num 25:13; 1 Macc 2:54). This last point refers to the fact that this passage is one in which the Israelite priesthood is established. Another such text is Exod 32:25–29, where the Levites “ordain” themselves to the service Yahweh as a result of their violent killing of the unfaithful; it is another account where militaristic actions lead to priesthood.

Passion can be a strong ally or a quick road to ruin. Know how to curb your passions that lead to ruin. Reuben’s actions removed him from a place of leadership in the family.

The sons of Jacob and the mother who bore the sons are listed in verses 23-26, chapter 35:

King James Version (Chapter 35)

23 The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: 24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: 25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: 26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padan-aram.

These are not just Jacob’s sons, these are the 12 tribes of Israel. It’s an important fact even through the entire Bible, all the way to Revelation. There are false Bible teachers who talk about “the lost tribes of Israel.” There is no such thing. Most Jews have an inkling of what tribe they belong.

Once again, we refer to the Expositor’s Bible Commentary for these words about the sons:

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (U. The Sons of Jacob (35:21–26))

21–26 The narrative is concerned to show that the oldest sons of Jacob fell from favor because of their horrendous conduct. The writer has already recounted the violence of Simeon and Levi (ch. 34), and now he briefly notes the misconduct of Reuben (v.22). As the list that follows shows (v.23–26), the next brother in line was Judah, the son of Leah. With the older sons out of the way, the stage is then set for the development of the line of Judah and the line of Joseph.

Their misdeeds are not over, they have yet to sell their brother Joseph into slavery.

Stay tuned. Details coming yet this summer!

English Standard Version (Chapter 35)

27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Mamre, or Hebron, or Kiriath-arba is mentioned many times in the Old Testament:

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Hebron (Place))

Abraham lived in the vicinity for some time and eventually purchased a cave at Machpelah in the valley below in order to bury Sarah (Genesis 23). Later Abraham himself was buried there in the cave (Gen 25:9–10), as was Isaac (Gen 35:27–29).Hebron was one of the cities which the twelve Israelites spies reconnoitered in Num 13:22. The biblical narrative indicates that the area just to the N of Hebron, the valley of Eshcol, was extraordinarily lush and fertile.

Can anybody say, “180 Years old?” At this point in time, it is not mentioned here how long Isaac lived in this area or if he traveled around. At least we know we was buried in the cave also with Abraham, his mother Rebecca. 180 is not bad in anybody’s book. Nobody comes close today. Yes, these people were probably larger than life. They were well known and prosperous. They were a blessed family, but prone to trickery, passions, and exploits. Esau and Jacob both showed up the the funeral and there is no trouble mentioned in this last verse. It was a solemn moment and the boys handled it well together.

The family has not been perfect but they press on together, and that means a lot in today’s economy of fractured and broken families. Praise God for a steady place or family where we can live out our days!