The story of Jacob

In our lack of biblical knowledge, many Old Testament figures tend to be one-dimensional. They were stereotypes of heroes or villains. Like Isaac, many of these prototypes are not fully appreciated. On the contrary, Jacob was a more colourful figure.
Our first impression of Jacob was that he was a quiet boy. Sorry, it should be "a quiet man".
When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents (Genesis 25:27).

In his leisure time, Jacob boiled pottage (Genesis 25:29a)! Were these not girlie jobs? How could you expect such a man to shoulder the responsibility of a family? Would you expect the women to go out to earn a living for the household?
Immediately, Genesis proves our prejudice wrong. Jacob was able to persuade his elder brother Esau to exchange his birthright for the red-bean soup he was boiling (Genesis 25:29-34). Jacob saw the value of this birthright while Esau despised it.
Esau annoyed his parents for marrying two Hittite wives (Genesis 26:34-35). Therefore, Rebekah the mother helped Jacob cheat the blessing of the firstborn from Isaac, his father. Esau was enraged and swore to kill Jacob after the death of Isaac (Genesis 27:41). The situation was desperate. Isaac did not retract his blessing from Jacob. He sent Jacob away to his uncle, Laban the brother of Rebekah in Paddanaram. He still blessed Jacob.
God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your descendants with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings which God gave to Abraham (Genesis 28:3-4).

Jacob started his journey from Beersheba. He reached Bethel and dreamed of a ladder reaching heaven.
And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! (Genesis 28:12).
This is the famous Jacob's ladder. You will be disappointed to find that this ladder, and the word ladder, appears only once in the whole Bible. But this is a famous symbol for Jesus.
After calling Nathanael, Jesus alluded to this ladder.
And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (John 1:51)
Truly, Jesus is the way through which we may reach God (John 14:6). He is the channel through which God's grace come to us.
Back to Jacob, this is only an etymology story. It explains the meaning of Bethel בֵּית-אֵל, the house of God.
And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." (Genesis 28:17)

וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה-נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם-בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם

Jacob met Rachel beside a well (Genesis 29:10). The Bible has recorded a number of such encounters, usually ended up with marriage arrangements. The last one was between Jesus and a Samaritan woman mentioned in John 4. No marriage arrangement resulted. Why did Jesus enable such an encounter? He could have met this Samaritan woman under other circumstances. Why did Jesus choose such a situation pregnant with marital connotations?
Laban cheated Jacob to marry the ugly elder sister Leah first. In the end, Jacob married 4 women: Leah and her maid Zilpah; Rachel and her maid Bilhah. They gave birth to the 12 sons and one daughter to Jacob (Genesis 35:23-26). Dinah the daughter was born of Leah (Genesis 34:1). Jacob paid a rather heavy price for these women because he had spent 14 years working for Laban in exchange for the two cousins. Again, there were wife-rivalries between the two sisters. Later, Jacob had to work for another six years in order to earn enough riches to reconcile with Esau, his brother. Jacob had cheated his brother. If he ever wanted his brother to forgive him, Jacob had to build up enough wealth to negotiate, to repay his debts and to redeem his own life. He was so successful within the last six years that the sons of Laban wanted to chase him away.
Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's; and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth."
And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.
Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you." (Genesis 31:1-3)
Jacob set about returning to his brother. Laban chased after him but God warned Laban not to harm Jacob. So, Laban made a covenant with Jacob by building a heap of stones. The place was therefore called Galeed.
Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." Therefore he named it Galeed (Genesis 31:48).

וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן הַגַּל הַזֶּה עֵד בֵּינִי וּבֵינְךָ הַיּוֹם עַל-כֵּן קָרָא-שְׁמוֹ, גַּלְעֵד

This is yet another etymology story.
Jacob continued his way and met the angels of God.
and when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's army!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. (Genesis 32:2, MT 32:3).

וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם, מַחֲנֵה אֱלֹהִים זֶה; וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, מַחֲנָיִם

But Jacob's wrestling with an angel should be counted the most famous part of the story.
Jacob was in a dilemma. He wanted to seek reconciliation but at the same time, he was afraid for his own life. Esau had brought along 400 men. What if Esau was as hostile as before? Therefore, Jacob sent his riches in front of him, acting as a buffer between Esau and himself. The following formed one present and Jacob had prepared several such droves.
two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
thirty milch camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten he-asses (Genesis 32:14-15).
His last line of defence was his family members.
And he put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all (Genesis 33:2).
Benjamin was not yet born to Rachel. The "presents", wives and children were dispensable. Jacob had prepared well for twenty years. That night before meeting Esau, Jacob could not sleep and wrestled with a stranger who was believed to be an angel. The struggle lasted the whole night. At last, the angel renamed Jacob Israel. In short, this is yet another etymology story explaining where Israel came from.
Then he said, "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32: 28, MT 32:29)

וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ--כִּי אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּי-שָׂרִיתָ עִם-אֱלֹהִים וְעִם-אֲנָשִׁים, וַתּוּכָל

Thus Israel was explained.
The same renaming event appears in Genesis again, but this time without explanation.
God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddanaram, and blessed him.
And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So his name was called Israel (Genesis 35:9-10).
The two brothers reconciled in a very touching scene (Genesis 33:4). Still, Jacob remained highly cautious until he safely reached Succoth (Genesis 33:8-18).
But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth (Genesis 33:17).

וְיַעֲקֹב נָסַע סֻכֹּתָה, וַיִּבֶן לוֹ בָּיִת; וּלְמִקְנֵהוּ עָשָׂה סֻכֹּת, עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם סֻכּוֹת

There are many more etymology stories that I have not put down here. Otherwise, it would be too overwhelming.

Dear Lord, it is edifying to observe the evolution of Jacob/Israel. You have set up these models for us to imitate. May we learn from their journeys of faith and encounter You on the way home. Amen.