Jacob

Genesis 35:10-12 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.  And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

Jacob is one of Isaac’s twin sons—a swindler and con-artist in his early age.  He cheated his brother out of his legal birthright.  God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, then Israel had twelve sons that became the founders of the original twelve tribes of Israel.  I say original twelve because some half tribes come in through Joseph later, and are occasionally named in the twelve.  However, regardless of which names are named, the number is always twelve, and the phrase "twelve tribes of Israel" always means ALL of Jacob's--Israel’s--physical descendants. 

God reaffirmed the covenant he swore to Abraham and Isaac—he extended those benefits to Jacob and his physical descendants.  He specifically mentioned the land promise, and he adds that kings would be born from Israel—narrowing down the previous promise and probably referencing, ultimately, to Messiah ruling over the nation of Israel.

Originally written November 29, 2001 by George Lazzell III

Revised January 16, 2002

Revised November 9, 2003