Early Life of Isaac’s Son Jacob
In bible history one name is very famous who led the foundation of the Israel nation. He is named Jacob. Jacob who was the son of Isaac in the bible was a very wise and chosen man of God. He was the grandson of Abraham and Sarah.
He had a twin brother named Esau. Esau was older than Jacob but God told Rebekah that younger will rule over older. According to God both of them led a nation. This promise was not a lie because God is not a liar.
Isaac and Rebekah were old when God granted them these two twin children. They were born in the land of Canaan but have a very different personality. Esau was very beloved to Isaac but Jacob was dear to his mother.
(Genesis 25:24-26)
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
(Genesis 27:6-10)
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”
(Genesis 27:22-23)
Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him.
Quarrel Between Esau And Jacob
As according to God’s word Jacob will rule instead of Esau. Thus Rebekah wanted Jacob to get the blessing and birthright. At that time the blessing and birthright were of Esau. Jacob was in a thought to get these at any cost.
Esau was fond of hunting. He used to hunt and come home with meals. Isaac loved him due to his bravery. On the other hand Jacob loved to take care sheep and cattle.
Once Esau was on hunting but not caught any meal. He turned home empty handed. Esau saw Jacob making cereals. He demanded some. Jacob thought of a plan and told him that he will do so but for a meal he had to give him his birthright.
Esau was very hungry and due to it he accepted his demand. Esau’s step was so irresponsible that he sold his birthright for a cup of meal. This shows why God chose Jacob instead of Esau.
After that it’s time to steal blessings. Isaac was almost blind he can’t see things clearly. Taking advantage of it Rebekah thought of a plan and advised Jacob to act like Esau and get the blessing from father.
Jacob did so and on his act Esau was very angry. In anger he thought to kill him. Esau was brave, that’s why Rebekah advised Jacob to move from this land to another for his survival.
(Genesis 25:29-34)
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.So Esau despised his birthright.
(Genesis 27:30-36)
After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”
His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.” Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!”
When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”
(Genesis 32:6-7)
When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well.
Dream of Isaac’s Son Jacob
Jacob’s life’s turning point was when he saw a dream. He moved from Canaan to Harran. In Harran his uncle Laban had a house. He was on the way and got tired. Due to the night he thought to stay at that place. He was sleeping when he had a dream.
He saw a scene in a dream which was amazing. A beautiful ladder joining the earth to sky. This ladder was not empty but also many angels are ascending and descending from it. With this scene he also heard a voice. It was of God. In his dream God promised him that he will give land to his descendent. According to God His sons will spread all over the world and will rule.
(Genesis 28:10-12)
Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
(Genesis 28:13-15)
There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
(Genesis 28:16-17)
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
Jacob Marriages
Jacob went to his uncle’s house because he never wanted to be killed by Esau. Here he saw two young daughters of his uncle named Leah and Rachel. Leah was not beautiful and had weak eyes but Rachel was very attractive and Beautiful. Her beauty was enough to catch him in her love.
Jacob fell for her badly and wanted to marry her. Her father Laban told him that he can get her only by a way. And that way was to serve him. Jacob served him for years to get Rachel. After that he demanded to get married to Her. Laban accepted him as his son-in-law.
But He tricked him by sending Leah instead of Rachel. After the night Jacob came to know about his uncle’s cleverness. But what can he do now? He served for more years just to get Rachel because he loved her so much. After a few years he finally got her as his wife.
(Genesis 29:16-20)
Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
(Genesis 29:21-25)
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.” So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant. When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
(Genesis 29:30-31)
Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.
12 Tribes of Jacob’s Sons
Jacob married many women and from them he got 13 children. Among them 12 were boys and one was a girl. On the basis of 12 sons God made 12 tribes. And due to which he is known as the founder of 12 nations. His 12 children rule all over the world. One of his sons’ names was Judah which was the ancestry of David and Jesus. The names of His twelve sons and one daughter is given Below:
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah
- Asher
- Zebulun
- Joseph
- Benjamin
- Dinah
- Reuben
- Dan
- Naphtali
- Gad
- Issachar
Jacob loved Joseph much because he was the son of Rachel. Rachel had two sons named Joseph and Benjamin.
(Genesis 29:32-35)
Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.
Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
(Genesis 30:22-24)
Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”
(Genesis 35:22-26)
While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons: The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
Battle of Jacob
Jacob left his uncle because he was unfair to him. He took his family and wealth and went away. While living with his uncle he became very wealthy because of his struggle to get Rachel.
He sent his brother gifts because he loved him and wanted the relationship back. But he was very afraid of him. He was on the way when he came to know that Esau was coming with four hundred people towards him. He became afraid due to which he isolated him from his family.
When he was alone he saw a strange man. That man started to fight with him. He didn’t lose his courage and remained fighting him. The strange man was very powerful but he remained firm in front of him.
Jacob comes to know that he is not an ordinary man but a very special one. He asked him who is he and He told him that he is God and named him ”Israel”. He was named this due to his courage to fight with God.
(Genesis 32:24-26)
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
(Genesis 32:27-28)
The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
(Genesis 32:29-30)
Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Peace Agreement Between Esau And Jacob
When Esau and Jacob came face to face. Jacob was very afraid. He was thinking that his brother would kill him because he had stolen his blessing and birthright. Esau rushed towards him but instead of fighting he greeted him with love and tears.
Both of them wept loudly because they loved each other. Jacob gifted him wealth but Esau refused because he was also wealthy at that time. After this he started to live in Canaan.
(Genesis 33:1-4)
Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
(Genesis 33:8-11)
Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?” “To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said. But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
“No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.
(Genesis 33:15-16)
Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.” “But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.
Jacob’s Later Life
Jacob became older and his children were also growing. He loved his son Joseph very much but his other brothers were very jealous of him. Due to their jealousy he sold him. He was in Egypt.
There came a severe famine so Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt for food. They went to the king and at that time Joseph was minister. After a long time Jacob met Joseph and started weeping.
(Genesis 37:3-4)
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
(Genesis 42:1-2)
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
(Genesis 46:29-30)
Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”
Death of Jacob
Jacob’s life was full of fears and sadness. He got happiness in some phases of life. One when he married his favorite wife, secondly when he met his brother. Thirdly when he met his lost son Joseph. Remaining life was full of hardships, struggles and sadness. At the age of 147 he died and on his wish he was sent to Canaan for his funeral. He was buried with his forefathers.
(Genesis 48:1-4)
Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’
(Genesis 49:1-2)
Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
(Genesis 49:33)
When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
FAQs
Was Jacob the son of Isaac?
Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah. He had a twin brother named Esau. Jacob was a chosen person of God.
Who is Jacob in the Bible and why is he important?
Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham and Sarah. He was clever but courageous and hardworking. He was the founder of twelve tribes and known as Israel.
Who is Jacob in the Quran?
Jacob is named as “Yaqub” in Quran and is known as Israel. He had very importance in the Quran and was especially famous due to the father of Joseph.
What are three interesting facts about Jacob?
Jacob had a twin brother named Esau.
He stole the blessing and birthright of his brother.
He worked hard just to get Rachel.
What is the difference between Jacob and Isaac?
Jacob was the son and Isaac was the father. Isaac was the son of Abraham and Jacob was the grandson of Abraham.
Who was the favorite son of Jacob?
Jacob’s favorite son was Joseph because he was the son of his favorite wife Rachel.
Conclusion
Jacob who was the son of Isaac in the bible was clever, weak but a firm and dedicated person. According to God’s wish he dominated his brother and got the blessing. He was so firm in it that he fought with god but never let the blessing go.
Isaac’s son worked hard to get his wife and prayed a lot to meet his son Joseph. He was weak but not a loser. He was the one who got the name of Israel. And his twelve sons became the founders of twelve nations.