Topical Bible: Lying: Jacob

◄ Lying: Jacob ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Jacob, a patriarch in the biblical narrative, is a significant figure whose life is marked by instances of deceit and lying, particularly in his early years. His actions are pivotal in the unfolding of God's covenantal promises, yet they also serve as moral lessons on the consequences of deceit.

Birthright and Blessing

Jacob's most notable act of deception occurs in the context of acquiring his brother Esau's birthright and blessing. In Genesis 25:29-34, Jacob takes advantage of Esau's hunger, persuading him to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. This transaction, though legal, is morally questionable, as Jacob exploits his brother's weakness.

The deception reaches its peak in Genesis 27, where Jacob, with the encouragement of his mother Rebekah, deceives his father Isaac to receive the blessing intended for Esau. Disguising himself as Esau, Jacob lies to his father, saying, "I am Esau your firstborn" (Genesis 27:19). This act of deceit secures the blessing but results in familial strife and Jacob's subsequent flight to Haran to escape Esau's wrath.

Consequences and Transformation

Jacob's deceitful actions lead to significant personal consequences. His flight to Haran marks a period of exile from his family and homeland. During this time, Jacob himself becomes a victim of deception at the hands of his uncle Laban, who tricks him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel (Genesis 29:23-25). This experience serves as a turning point, highlighting the principle of reaping what one sows.

Despite his early deceit, Jacob's life is marked by a transformative encounter with God. In Genesis 32:24-30, Jacob wrestles with a divine being, an event that symbolizes his struggle with his own nature and his reliance on God. This encounter results in a change of name from Jacob, meaning "supplanter," to Israel, meaning "he struggles with God" (Genesis 32:28). This transformation signifies a shift from deceit to a life marked by faith and dependence on God.

Legacy and Lessons

Jacob's account is a complex tapestry of human frailty and divine grace. His life illustrates the destructive nature of lying and deceit, yet it also demonstrates God's ability to work through human imperfection to fulfill His purposes. Jacob's journey from deceit to faith serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and the transformative power of God's grace.

In the broader biblical narrative, Jacob's actions have lasting implications for the nation of Israel, as his twelve sons become the progenitors of the twelve tribes. Despite his flaws, Jacob is remembered as a patriarch through whom God's promises to Abraham are continued and fulfilled.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 27:19
And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your first born; I have done according as you bade me: arise, I pray you, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Touching Jacob, However, that which He did at his Mother's Bidding ...
... as lying. But if it be no lie, when things which signify one thing by another are
referred to the understanding of a truth, assuredly not only that which Jacob ...
/.../augustine/against lying/section 24 touching jacob however.htm

Of the Blessing which Jacob Promised in Judah his Son.
... the seed of Isaac, setting aside Esau, who is also Edom, we have Jacob, who also ...
a lion's whelp: from the sprouting, my son, thou art gone up: lying down, thou ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 41 of the blessing which.htm

Hazael
... Impossible, we say, that the cunning, lying Jacob should ever develop into a man
of prayer; and the outcast beggar, Jephthah, ever grow into a hero-patriot and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/hazael.htm

The Testament of Dan Concerning Anger and Lying.
... But the God of Jacob our father gave him not over into my hands that I should ... you
of a truth, that unless ye keep yourselves from the spirit of lying and of ...
/.../the testaments of the twelve patriarchs/vii the testament of dan concerning.htm

The Lord of Hosts, the God of Jacob
... God drew near to Jacob when he was lying on the stony ground, and showed him the
ladder set upon earth, with its top in the heavens, and the bright-winged ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the lord of hosts the.htm

Jacob, a Prince of God.
... When Jacob came to Haran, he saw the well from which his mother used to draw water.
There were three flocks of sheep lying by it, waiting for all the flocks to ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter v jacob a prince.htm

The Cross of Christ is the Jacob's Ladder by which we Ascend into ...
... The Cross of Christ is the Jacob's ladder by which we ascend into the highest ... the
world minister in an invisible manner, even as He was exposed lying and dying ...
/.../traherne/centuries of meditations/60 the cross of christ.htm

But this Time Also had I Rejected the Lying Divinations and ...
... But this time also had I rejected the lying divinations and impious dotages of the ...
same figures, he must have predicted the same of Esau and Jacob, whereas the ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter vi but this time.htm

The Story of Jacob
... And God said to Jacob: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac
your father; and I will be your God, too. The land where you are lying all alone ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of jacob.htm

Jacob and Esau
... care for their own character, and their fear of hell, the sin of lying, for some ...
Unless you wish to say at last with poor old Jacob, 'Few and evil have been ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon vi jacob and esau.htm