 | Themes of wandering, sibling rivalry, barren wife, wives
in conflict, renaming, God perceived in dream and vision |
Two Levels of Reality: Human and Divine
 | Human events viewed in context of God’s will |
 | Tensions of fate/free will, destiny/choice |
Jacob’s Journey
 | Resembles that of grandfather Abraham (visionary) |
 | Resembles that of son (Joseph, dreamer) |
 | At portals of manhood, journeys into foreign land |
 | 28--Conversion |
 | Wives: love, jealousy, and children |
 | 32--meeting with God |
 | Wrestles with God, reunited with Esau |
 | Jacob=Israel=God-fighter |
 | Conflict between Jacob and Esau=threat to covenant: could
lead to extinction of Abram's family; Jacob's leaving land for 20 years
also threatens covenant--family could simply return to Mesopotamia. |
 | Ethnic distinctiveness and the land (like 14, appear
as interlude) |
Joseph (37-50)
 | Relationship formed between Abram's family and land |
 | Emerging profile of Judah (significance for later history);
role is parallel to that of Jacob (deceived, asks for evidence concerning
identity) |
 | 37--Judah's younger son: forces his way out when all
seems lost; makes breach (Judah-Tamar, twins Perez, Zerah) |
 | Joseph (39), same kind of forcing out |
 | Providential care of Joseph=sovereign control of history |