A Chiasm: Until the Time of the Gentiles Is Complete

There is a large chiasm that spans the entire length of Torah portion Vayetzei, Genesis 28:10-32:2 (32:3 by rabbinic reckoning) with Jacob's encounters with angels on either end and the birth of Joseph in the center.

For the search engines:

A: 28:10-12 – Jacob encounters angels
---B: 28:13-19 – A covenant and a stone pillar
------C: 28:20-22 – God watches over Jacob
---------D: 29:1-12 – Jacob journeys and meets Laban
------------E: 29:13-14 – Laban lauds family ties with Jacob
---------------F: 29:15-30 – Jacob negotiates wages with Laban
------------------G: 29:31-30:24 – Rachel and Leah compete for children
---------------------H: 30:25-26 – Joseph is born & Jacob is ready to leave Laban
------------------G: 30:27-43 – Jacob and Laban compete for sheep
---------------F: 31:1-13 – Laban renegotiates wages with Jacob
------------E: 31:14-16 – Laban repudiates family ties with Jacob
---------D: 31:17-32a – Jacob journeys and is pursued by Laban
------C: 31:32b-43 – God watches over Jacob
---B: 31:44-55 – A covenant and a stone pillar
A: 32:1-2 – Jacob encounters angels

One possible interpretation for the focus being on the birth of Joseph and the desire for Jacob to return to the Promised Land might be in Jesus' statement concerning "the time of the Gentiles" in Luke 21:24.

Jacob has been exiled from the Promised Land due to a conflict with Esau (associated by the ancient rabbis with Rome) and scattered into the world, which is represented in this story by Laban. While in exile, Jacob has been cheated, shuffled about, and persecuted, yet he has prospered. His material wealth continues to grow against all reason and he survives against all attempts to assimilate or destroy him.

Today, multitudes of gentiles are being grafted into the nation of Israel. Jacob would even stop this if he could, but he has no control. The great expansion of Israel's children by adoption from the nations is an act of God, like the conception of Joseph. These new Israelites are rediscovering the Hebraic roots of their faith, repenting from idolatry, and learning to keep the Laws of God.

Jerusalem is still under the control of gentiles and Israel is still mostly scattered among the nations, but that time may be drawing to a close. (I'm not saying that it is, only that it may be.) If so, then as Ephraim and Menasseh are filled, Joseph is being prophetically born, and Jacob is preparing to return home.

The mass exodus from the nations will not be without tribulation. The people of God will be pursued by the nations they are leaving and, as in the Exodus from Egypt, they will bring the remnants of their inherited idolatry with them.

Nevertheless, God will be with Jacob and will see him back to the Promised Land successfully. As Paul wrote in Romans, individual branches might be pruned, but the whole tree will be saved because God has promised it.

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Check out my growing list of chiasms and parallelisms here.