How do God’s will and our choices fit together? (Gen 35:16-36:43)

If the Lord is sovereign and what He chooses and decides happens, then does it really matter what we do? This question of God’s sovereignty and our responsibility is one of those conundrums that is difficult to resolve. If we overemphasise God’s sovereignty, we become fatalistic or complacent because nothing really matters, God will have His way anyway. If we focus on our responsibility, we may end up paralysed with fear and crushed by the burden that God’s plans depend on us. What if we get it wrong, choose the wrong profession, the wrong spouse and so on? How do these two aspects fit together? Throughout Genesis, God’s will is achieved through and despite human actions, yet we get a glimpse that those human actions matter nevertheless.

The last son and the first

Our reading wraps up Jacob’s (and Esau’s) story and even though much of it involves disparate snippets that round off the grand narrative, they show something of the interaction between human deeds and God’s sovereign will. The birth of Jacob’s last son by his beloved wife, Rachel, is juxtaposed with the actions of Jacob’s firstborn son by the unloved wife, Leah (Gen 35:16-21, 22). Even though dying in childbirth was common, Rachel’s death was a tragedy for Jacob and the last son, Benjamin, was treasured all the more.[1] This is well expressed in the name change from Ben-oni (‘son of my sorrow’) to Ben-yamin (v.18; ‘son of the right hand’; right hand being the place of honour, strength).

Although Reuben was the firstborn, he may have wondered if his position was secure enough given that Jacob clearly favoured Rachel’s sons. Sleeping with Bilhah is a bid to take Jacob’s place by seducing his concubine (who was his favourite wife’s maid; cf. 2 Sam 16:20-22). Reuben rightly feared losing his firstborn status given Jacob’s preference for Joseph later (Gen 37:3-4), but his despicable actions truly lost him his preeminence as Jacob’s later blessing/prophecy indicates (Gen 49:3-4). Yet, Jacob’s silence here in not dealing with his son’s actions (Gen 35:22) will in turn lose him his authority, so that his sons will walk roughshod over his choice of Joseph when they sell him into slavery later.

Two nations

The list of Jacob’s sons grouped according to their mothers (Gen 35:22-26) is once again in tension with Jacob’s preferences and even though God will affirm Joseph as preeminent among his brothers, Jacob’s unhelpful favouritism will cause much suffering and loss. At the same time the list indicates that God’s plan in making Abraham and his descendants into a great nation is slowly unfolding while the burial of Isaac by Esau and Jacob brings together the two strands of the family (Gen 35:28-29). Esau’s very lengthy genealogy highlights that even though he is not in the chosen line, he matters and he, too, will become a nation as prophesied to his mother (Gen 25:23). In fact, Edom (the descendants of Esau) will have a king before Israel does (Gen 36:31). At the same time, Esau’s unconcern for God’s promises confirms God’s choice of Jacob rather than him. His marriages to Canaanite women (Gen 36:2) go against Abraham and Isaac’s insistence to be separate from the local inhabitants and his move outside of Canaan without much heartburning suggests that he has no attachment to the land. Like Lot earlier, he simply walks out of the picture that is framed by God’s promises (Gen 36:6-8; 13:5-6, 11-12).[2]

God’s sovereignty and human responsibility

These small vignettes highlight human choices and point to consequences that resulted from it or will be developed further on in the story, but they also look to the divine level of God’s sovereign will as it is worked out in the details. In fact, it is possible to be right in our intuitions (the choice of Joseph for pre-eminence) and yet cause harm with our attitude (Jacob’s favouritism of Rachel’s sons). Thus, it is important for us to hold on to both these truths (God’s sovereignty and human responsibility) much as they seem mutually exclusive. God can work His will through our good and bad decisions, no matter what, but our choices will affect our lives and so they matter. May we align ourselves with His will.

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[1] It is ironic that Rachel died in childbirth when she earlier said to Jacob, ‘Give me children or else I die’ (Gen 30:1). Yet, her prayer to have another son memorialised in Joseph’s name (which means ‘may he add’, i.e. may God add to me another son; Gen 30:24) was answered. Some speculate that her death was God’s punishment because she stole the household gods from her father, Laban (Gen 31:32), though the text gives no indication in this direction.

[2] In later history, Edom was conquered under David and incorporated into Israel (2 Sam 8:14), so that the prophecy to Rebekah that the older will serve the younger (Gen 25:23) came true. The struggle between the brothers that started in the womb continued when the two became nations. Edom’s animosity to Israel is well-documented (e.g. Obadiah 1:10-14 describes Edom’s violence against Judah when the latter was attacked by Babylon and eventually taken into exile).

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