JACOB THE DRAMA QUEEN

If one ever needed proof that those who love to over-dramatize their plight in life are not at all limited to the female sex, just consider the Old Testament patriarch Jacob (also known as Israel). He is well known as a deceiver, but this is another one of his unfortunate traits. Such negative talk regarding a biblical “hero” may sound heretical, but we all need to be reminded periodically that there is only one true hero in the Bible and that is the triune Deity. So here are some of the places in Genesis where Jacob exhibits such behavior as well as possible sources behind his actions.

Genesis 27:46

Right off the bat we get a glimpse into which parent he may have picked up his trait from, namely his doting mother Rebekeh who tells her husband Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women such as these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

Genesis 29:25

And speaking of Jacob's marriage, we all remember that Laban pulls a fast one on Jacob by marrying him off to Leah instead of his real love Rachel. When Jacob finds out he has been tricked, he replies to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?” In this particular case, we should not be too judgmental toward Jacob, because his reaction is totally justified. I know that I would definitely have done the same thing if it had happened to me.

Genesis 30:1

Of course, Jacob does get to marry Rachel at the same time, but that only brings him into contact with another drama queen – Rachel herself, who complains to him, “Give me children, or I shall die!”

Genesis 34:30

We skip forward in time a bit and see that Jacob and his growing family are now living in Hivite territory when his daughter Dinah strays a little too far from home and is raped by one of their prominent young men. Her brothers take revenge by wiping out many of them, only to have their father Jacob complain bitterly to them: “You have brought trouble on me!” Note that he seems not to be in the least interested in his daughter's situation, but only on the possible negative effect his sons' actions may have on himself.

Genesis 37:35

Then we come to the familiar story of Joseph's treatment at the hands of his brothers. When they break the news to him of the supposed death of Joseph, he refuses to be comforted by his family, saying “No, I shall to down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” In other words, he will never get over his loss as long as he lives.

Genesis 42:36

To briefly rehearse the events surrounding this next event, there is a famine in the land of Israel and Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph by this time is in charge of such matters and has changed enough in appearance that his brothers do not recognize him at all. He tests their character by demanding that they bring to him their youngest brother Benjamin, keeping Simeon as hostage until they return. When they inform Jacob of these unfortunate events, he immediately thinks the worst and replies dramatically, “I am the one you have bereaved of children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has happened to me!” That it is own fate rather than that of his family which is paramount in his mind is quite clear from the words in bold.

Genesis 42:38

Jacob relents and agrees to send Benjamin back with them. After all, he doesn't want to starve to death. But he warns the sons, “If harm should come to him.., you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol,” and repeats these words in 44:29, 31.

Genesis 43:6

Note also Jacob's accusation toward his sons in this verse: “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” Every action is interpreted by Jacob by how it affects him personally.

Genesis 45:28

Jacob continues to talk about his imminent death when told that Joseph is still alive even though his death would not happen for many more years.

Genesis 46:30

He repeats this idea after he has seen Joseph a short time later “I can die now, having seen for myself that you are still alive.”

Genesis 47:9

Finally, Jacob reviews all the woes in his “short” life for the benefit of Pharaoh: “The years of my earthly sojourn are one hundred thirty; few and hard have been the years of my life. They do not compare with the years of the life of my ancestors during their long sojourn.”

It is not hard to find parallels to people like Jacob who exhibit one or more of his traits. Here are a few random examples I have observed during my own “few and hard” years:

Starting out with a fictional example, but one no doubt taken from real life observations, there is the unforgettable character of Sanford (played by the comedian Redd Foxx) in the TV series Sanford and Son. Whenever the slightest thing happens in his life to upset him, he acts like he is having a heart attack and cries out to his long-departed wife in heaven, “I am coming, dear!”

And there was a friend of our family who, starting in her 50's, began moaning and groaning to all who would listen, “I don't understand why the Lord doesn't take me now. How much longer am I going to have to live?” But as far as any of us could see, she had nothing in her life about which to complain.

Similarly, a woman in our family would complain to total strangers how hard her life was and how she was forced to keep working even at her age (in her late 50's). The fact was that (1) she could have retired at any time to a pleasant group setting nearby but she didn't trust the owners to keep her there once she had paid the small opening fee, and (2) she had no one but herself to blame for her situation because her three failed marriages were all her own fault.

Finally, there is the example of past president Richard Nixon. When he lost his bid for California governor he blamed it all on the hostile press with the words: “You won't have me to kick around anymore.” Then years later after he had talked for a few minutes with the first astronauts to land on the moon, he bragged about what an historic occasion is was when the president of the United States could talk to someone on the moon. Thus, in effect he placed himself at the center of the event rather than all those who had made the voyage possible.