Torn: Jacob's Story

"Torn" is an interesting, enthralling read on the life of Jacob, based in the book of Genesis, painting a picture of the culture, times & the world in which Jacob lived-- wherein so many other gods were worshiped by other people. But Jacob held on to and worshipped his father's God, the Creator of the universe, El Shaddai (God All-Powerful).
The book goes from the time he and his twin Esau were conceived up to the time of Jacob giving his final words of blessings for his 12 sons before he died.
As the author puts it, Jacob was a "man deeply flawed, torn by envy, resorting to deception, betrayal, and treachery; a man chosen by God for great things, but who struggles- and often fails- to understand God and live within the divine will. He is someone like ourselves."
I like how each chapter is titled with a Hebrew word that is translated in English, and as you read each chapter, you'll get to understand 1) why the title is named as such and 2) see a perspective on how Jacob and the other characters (Isaac, Rebekah, Laban, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, Joseph & his brothers, etc). must have felt on the different events and challenges that happened in their lives.
This book helped me understand and imagine:
> how Jacob's father Isaac must have felt after Jacob's deception on getting the blessing for the firstborn
> how Rebekah, Jacob's mother, suffered all those years after sending Jacob away to find a wife in Haran, she never did see him again since until she died.
> That love at first sight Jacob had upon seeing Rachel and that love which moved him to be motivated to work for 7 years for her hand in marriage & to be able to pay the bride price to Laban.
> The deception Laban planned to have Leah his firstborn to act as Rachel on the wedding day and to make Jacob to work another 7 years for Rachel, plus the other schemes he planned to get Jacob to work for his profit.
> How Leah must have felt all those years of being the "unloved" first wife of Jacob, even after having 7 children with him. How she fought for his love and affection.
> The pain of barreness Rachel experienced that moved her to offer her handmaiden to Jacob to reproduce children for her.
> The picture of the competing/rival sisters (Leah and Rachel) to have children
> How it must have felt like for the Bilhah and Zilpah, handmaidens of Rachel and Leah, to be pregnant & nurse children for their masters.
> How Jacob's sons felt and struggled as they see the rivalry of their mothers, and to see how Joseph, son of Rachel and Jacob seemed to be the favorite son.
> how and why each name of the 12 sons of Jacob were named at their birth and how their ensuing characters behaved as they grew up. The blessing the patriarch Jacob gave to each son was also a prophecy to their descendants too.
Jacob's life has been full of drama and crises yet his was a life full of God's grace and divine intervention despite the trials he and his family had experienced.
This is a book worth reading, especially after reading the book of Genesis on the life of Jacob. It made me even cry as I put myself on Jacob's shoes when, guilt-stricken, he ran away from home, afraid of his twin brother Esau's wrath and threat to kill him and when Jacob had that dream of a ladder reaching up to heaven with heavenly angels going up and down.
I get to see and understand God's lovingkindness and grace towards Jacob. The chapter on the book that talked about his night of prayer and then wrestling with a Stranger after many years in Haran and his anguish described there - and how God answered his prayer and gave him peace as he met Esau and reconciled with his brother- this made me weep with tears too as I remember how God's lovingkindness and grace have been towards me in the past and even until today. Our God is a loving and forgiving God indeed!
Some of my favorite statements from this book:
the part where Jacob speaking to Rachel:
"My God, the God of my father Isaac, and his father Abraham, is a strange God. Even though I still try sometimes, I have come to realize that I cannot buy His favor....some things cannot be bought.... I thought I could buy the birthright from my brother, I thought I could steal my father's blessing. So I tried. And when I came here (Haran), I bargained my labor for your bride-price. And when Laban and Leah tricked me into marrying her first, I learned that whatever could be bought could also be stolen....And now we both have learned that the most important things cannot be purchased, but neither can they be taken from us. At Beth-El, I discovered that El Shaddai has given me His favor.... that I could not purchase His favor, but neither can anyone take it from me....El Shaddai has made it plain that He knows me."