The Sons of Isaac (35 page)

While Esau was still a considerable distance away, Jacob bowed himself to the ground, and as Esau came closer he bowed himself seven times to the ground. As he rose he was surprised to see Esau running toward him with his arms outspread and tears running down his cheeks. They hugged and laughed with the joy of reunion.

Finally Esau stood back and looked around with amazement. “Who are all these people with you?” he asked.

“They are my wives and my children.” At a nod from Jacob the concubines, Zilpah and Bilhah, came forward with their children and bowed before him, then Leah came with her children, and finally Rachel with Joseph. They all bowed and they could see that Esau was impressed.

Jacob took him aside to a large tent where they could sit while Esau’s men were served refreshments. “Tell me,” Esau asked, “where did all these animals come from that met me on the way?”

Jacob laughed. “They are my gift to you. I will admit it was an attempt to gain your favor.”

Esau laughed. “You must keep them,” he said. “I have plenty.”

“No,” Jacob said, “you must keep them. You have no idea what a relief it is to see you smiling and friendly. I was so frightened. Please take my gifts; God has been very generous with me.”

Esau could see that it was important for him to accept Jacob’s gift. “You have been more than generous,” he said.

They sat for a time in silence marveling at the strangeness of it all. “You are my only brother,” Jacob said at last. “No one will ever be closer to me. We are not just brothers, but we are twins.”

“We are closer even than wives,” Esau said. “Never mind that we have never gotten along. We were fighting, our mother says, even before we were born.” They laughed now as they realized how unique their relationship really was.

“How are my mother and my father?” Jacob asked suddenly and rather abruptly.

Esau fidgeted and looked away. “Our mother is not well. She suffered greatly with the cold this year, but our father is much the same as when you left.”

Jacob didn’t ask further as he sensed that Esau was reluctant to tell him anything that would spoil their reunion.

They spent the day getting acquainted. In the early afternoon, Esau said he would have to go but offered to take Jacob and his family with him.

“No, no,” Jacob said. “I have such a large family and so many animals we would slow you down.”

“Then let me leave one of my men with you to guide you to my home in Mount Seir.”

Again Jacob desisted. “We will manage just fine, so you must not be worried about us.”

With that Esau left and Jacob relaxed in his tent and thought of the strangeness of it all. For years he had been alone without his family. He had been at the mercy of his wily uncle and felt so weak he could not confront him openly. Now everything was different; he had wives and sons and a brother who cared about him.

Just as Jacob was feeling that everything was going to be all right and his homecoming would be wonderful, a messenger arrived from Esau’s band. “I have a message for my master’s brother. I am to give it to him in the privacy of his own tent,” the messenger said.

Jacob was puzzled but he led the young man into his tent. For a moment they looked at each other as Jacob tried to read in the young man’s countenance the nature of the message. He could tell it was not good news. The young man looked as though he could hardly bear to say what he had come to tell.

“Come, tell me what is it my brother wants me to know. If it is bad news, it is not the first time I have ever heard bad news,” Jacob said.

“My lord,” the young man said, “my master could not bear to tell you in person, but your mother is dead and has been buried in the cave purchased by your grandfather.” With that the young man turned and left, and Jacob fell back among the cushions almost unconscious with wave after wave of grief and despair.

J
acob lost all interest in returning home. He could not endure the thought of seeing his mother’s tent and his mother’s belongings without her. A great lethargy came over him. He could take no pleasure in anything. Each day seemed like a burden that must be endured. How could it be possible that his vibrant, alive little mother had died just as he was coming home? He had been afraid that his father would die before he got home, but it never occurred to him that his mother might die.

When he had thought about going home, it had always been to fit himself, his wives, and his children back into his own family as he had known it. Now he realized that his mother had been his family. Isaac had been a shadowy figure who had preferred Esau. Esau would be managing the family flocks and herds. Esau would be taking care of his father. And Jacob’s homecoming would be an intrusion.

If he went back, everything would become complicated. The old conflict over the birthright would flare up. Esau would again resent him. The truth was that he had all the sheep and goats and servants he needed, but Esau would not see it that way.

The more he thought about it, the more he determined to take more time and test things out before going back. Temporarily it would be best if they could stay right where they were until things became clear. He crossed back over the Jabbok and went down to the Jordan. It would be difficult to cross the Jordan with his family and his flocks at any time, but at this time of year with the spring flooding, it would be almost impossible.

He tramped around and found a level expanse that would make an acceptable place for them to camp. They would cross the Jordan when they were better prepared. They would have to make temporary shelters for the animals, but his servants and sons could do that easily. Jacob called the place Succoth because of the booths they built, and he stayed there for several years.

Once the family was settled, Jacob hiked in all directions looking for a permanent home for them that would not conflict with Esau. The land was large and the desert of the Negev was not the choicest land for cattle or for raising a family. He crossed the Jordan, and found that by going up the Wadi Fara, he came out onto a fertile valley.

He learned from shepherds that the two mountains facing him across the valley were called Gerizim and Ebal, with a sizable city lying between them called Shechem. He remembered his grandfather telling him that it was from the top of Mount Ebal that Elohim had shown him the land He was to give him and his descendants. He was excited. This large, fertile valley seemed the ideal place to settle.

He went back to the camp across the Jordan and began to seriously consider moving to an area near Shechem. He would have to go about it carefully. He would make friends of the important men in the city and then offer to buy land. Water would be a problem. He would have to set his men to digging a well as he had seen his father do in the Negev.

By the time he was ready to leave the safe environment of Succoth, his sons had become handsome young men and his daughter Dinah was as beautiful and charming as Rachel. People often thought she must be Rachel’s daughter, as she looked nothing like her own mother, Leah. Jacob had no way of knowing that her beauty would upset all of his plans of a happy new home.

He did everything properly. With several of his sons, he went to visit Hamor, the king of Shechem, and bought land from him for one hundred pieces of silver. He explained to the king that they had extensive herds and would not choose to live in the city but would dig a well in the valley so they would not be a burden to anyone.

“We will be so happy to have you settle here,” the king said. “We are a hospitable people, and your sons will be welcome to come and visit my son Shechem, and your wives, the women of my family.”

Jacob was elated with the arrangement. He walked over his land and noticed every detail. There was a huge old tree that Hamor had explained was considered sacred by the shepherds and villagers. He had asked that they let them continue to celebrate some of their festivals in its shade. This did not seem to be a problem to Jacob. He was more interested in digging a well that would supply them with water.

When the well was finally dug, Jacob went back over the Jordan to Succoth and brought his whole family to settle in the valley. They were all surprised at its wide green pastureland, and the well, so convenient for everyone.
Surely this is the blessing the God of my father, Isaac, meant me to have. The difficult times are past and we will be happy here
.

The first thing he did was to erect an altar and gather his family to worship and thank their God for bringing them to this fruitful valley. “We will call this altar El-Elohe-Israel, the altar to the God of Israel,” he said.

Some noticed that he did not say, as in the past, “the God of Abraham and Isaac,” but he now said “the God of Israel.” They had heard of his struggle in the night and the new name, but they had not realized how profound the change had been. He was actually claiming a new name, Israel. They pondered the meaning of it all.

*  *  *

When the invitation came for the women of Jacob’s family to visit the wives of the king of Shechem, their excitement knew no bounds. They had been traveling and camping out for such a long time that they had not had a chance to wear their festive clothes. Now they spent hours assembling the makeup they would wear, the headpieces that would look the best, and the gowns and jewelry that gave the right impression.

When the day came, they rode to the city on donkeys decked out in fancy trappings with tasseled headpieces and decorated saddles. “You do honor to our family,” Jacob said as he stood with his sons and watched them go. There was no warning, no sense of foreboding that this innocent trip to the city of Shechem would turn out disastrously.

The party that had been planned for them was a great success. They liked the women of Shechem and were impressed with their easy elegance. They had large, fringed hangings on the wall, fancy brass braziers giving off not only heat but also a subtle fragrance from the incense that was periodically sprinkled on the coals. They served wine from decorated clay jars, and the nuts, dried fruit, and small honey cakes were served on woven mats painted with intricate designs.

One of the women sang a poem composed in their honor, then village dancers came and danced their traditional dance. Small children entered into the excitement. They shyly hid behind their mothers’ skirts and peeped out from time to time with soft brown eyes filled with curiosity. The happy, joking women had few worries. They asked questions and looked at Leah with admiration when they heard how many sons she had given her husband.

Rachel dreaded it when they turned to her and asked how many sons she had. When she told them only one, their faces fell in immediate sympathy. One of them jumped up and gave her more sweet cakes and an extra portion of wine. “Poor one,” she said, “and so beautiful.”

They all admired Dinah. One of the women seemed to be especially attracted to her. “I have a son,” she whispered, “a handsome young man who’ll be king when his father dies. He would like you. Come, it won’t take but a moment. I want him to see you.”

Leah realized that it was the queen of Shechem who was so interested in her daughter and she was flattered. She had heard the conversation and was immediately excited.
How wonderful if my daughter should find favor in the eyes of this young man and his mother. Where would we ever find anyone more appropriate for Dinah?

She nodded her permission for Dinah to go with the queen and then settled back to enjoy the attention of the women, who were all wanting to hear more about Dinah.

Within a short time the queen returned, smiling, without Dinah. She told the women, “My son is charmed with this delightful girl.” Then whispering to Leah, she asked, “Would you mind if she stays here with me for the rest of the day? I will see that she gets home safely.”

Leah was flattered and could see no harm in leaving Dinah. She hoped that this elegant woman and her son would like Dinah and would ask for her in marriage.

When Leah arrived home and told Jacob what had happened, he also thought it would be a wonderful bit of good fortune if Dinah could marry the prince. It was not their custom to leave a young girl in someone else’s house, but Leah assured him the queen was going to look after Dinah and see that she was brought home safely.

It was evening, just as Jacob’s sons were bringing their flocks home to water, that Hamor the Hivite, king of Shechem, rode up with his son Shechem. They asked to see Jacob. When they were comfortably seated, the king broached the subject he had come to discuss. “My son Shechem has fallen madly in love with your daughter and wants to marry her. She has been with him this afternoon and he does not want to part with her.”

Jacob was astounded at the turn of events. He saw no problem in Dinah’s marrying the young prince, though it disturbed him that she had not come home as had been promised. Hamor saw his hesitation and so he hastened to add, “Please let him marry her. He is a wonderful son and is truly in love with her. Furthermore this would make a bond between us. Your young men can marry our daughters and your daughters marry our sons. We will let you live wherever you like, and you can grow rich with our blessing.”