Jacob’s Many Children

A story of sin, conflict, and emotions.

Words included in this passage:

Unloved                                              Absence of:

Misery                                                             Affection

Jealous                                                             Love

Plight

Disgrace

Furious

Struggle

Winning

Stole

Leviticus 18:18 (NLT)
“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.

Note:
Polygyny is found in the Old Testament and over 40 important figures had more than one wife, but it almost always resulted in struggles and jealousies.

Jacob’s Many Children
 Genesis 29:31 – 30:24 (NLT)
³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. ³² So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”
³³ She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”
³⁴ Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”
³⁵ Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.
^30:1 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
² Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”
³ Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” ⁴ So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. ⁵ Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. ⁶ Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” ⁷ Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. ⁸ Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”
⁹ Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. ¹¹ Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!” ¹² Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. ¹³ And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”
¹⁴ One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
¹⁵ But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?”
Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”
¹⁶ So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. ¹⁷ And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. ¹⁸ She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” ¹⁹ Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. ²⁰ She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” ²¹ Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
²² Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. ²³ She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. ²⁴ And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”

Examine the Scriptures

Jacob’s Many Children 

Genesis 29:31 – 30:24 (NLT)

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children,

God intervened.

• God enabled Leah to have children.

Psalm 127:3 (NLT)
Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.

 but Rachel could not conceive. 

Rachel was barren.

Note the pattern:

Abraham and Sarah
Genesis 11:30 (NLT)
But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

Isaac and Rebekah
Genesis 25:21 (NLT)
Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.

•  God opens and closes the womb. 

³² So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

³³ She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

God acted on behalf of Leah.

Leah recognized that God was working in her life.

³⁴ Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

• Leah mistakenly thought Jacob would love her if she gave him sons. 

³⁵ Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.

Judah is an ancestor of Jesus the Messiah

Matthew 1:1-2 & 16 NLT
The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah
¹ This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
² Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. 

¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Luke 3:33-34 (NLT)
³³ Nahshon was the son of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the son of Admin.
Admin was the son of Arni.
Arni was the son of Hezron.
Hezron was the son of Perez.
Perez was the son of Judah.
³⁴ Judah was the son of Jacob.
Jacob was the son of Isaac.
Isaac was the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the son of Terah.
Terah was the son of Nahor. 

• Jacob is listed in the genealogy of Jesus in both Matthew and Luke.

^30:1 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister.

Leviticus 18:18 (NLT)
“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals. 

• Rachel became jealous of Leah.

She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

Women in the Near Eastern culture believed that they were an embarrassment to their husband if they remained childless.

Childless women felt disgraced.
See verse 23:
²³ She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. 

² Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked.

Rachel was devastated and Jacob was deeply frustrated.

• Jacob became furious with Rachel.

“He’s the one who has kept you from having children!” 

³ Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.”

This did not work for Abraham and Sarah.
Genesis 16 Sarai and Hagar

• Rachel came up with a plan similar to a plan that did not work out well for Abraham and Sarah. 

⁴ So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. ⁵ Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. ⁶ Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” 

Rachel claimed this son as her own. 

Rachel named the son.

God has given me a son.

 ⁷ Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. ⁸ Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”

Winning!!!

• When Bilhah gave Jacob sons, Rachel felt vindicated by God and said she was “winning” in her struggle with Leah. 

⁹ Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. ¹¹ Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!”

Leah claimed Gad as her son.

Leah named the son.

 ¹² Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. ¹³ And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”

Now the other women will celebrate with me.

• Leah was ready to celebrate when Zilpah gave Jacob a second son.

¹⁴ One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

• Rachel believed mandrakes would help her become pregnant.
  (Review Genesis 29:31)

¹⁵ But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?”

Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”

Simply put, Leah pays Rachel so that Rachel would let her sleep with Jacob.

¹⁶ So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. ¹⁷ And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. ¹⁸ She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” 

 ¹⁹ Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. ²⁰ She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” 

Now my husband will treat me with respect.

²¹ Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

 ²² Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. ²³ She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. 

God has removed my disgrace.

²⁴ And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”

•  Joseph became a major figure in the book of Genesis.

 Rachel gave birth to Benjamin at a later date, just before her death.
Genesis 35:16-20 (NLT)
¹⁶ Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. ¹⁷ After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” ¹⁸ Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). ¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.

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Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

Genesis 29:1-30 (NLT)
Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram
¹ Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east. ² He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.
³ It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well. ⁴ Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?”
“We are from Haran,” they answered.
⁵ “Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked.
“Yes, we do,” they replied.
⁶ “Is he doing well?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”
⁷ Jacob said, “Look, it’s still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don’t you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?”
⁸ “We can’t water the animals until all the flocks have arrived,” they replied. “Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats.”
⁹ Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd. ¹⁰ And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock. ¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud. ¹² He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.
¹³ As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story, ¹⁴ Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!”

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, ¹⁵ Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”
¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. ¹⁷ There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. ¹⁸ Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”
¹⁹ “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.
²¹ Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”
²² So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. ²³ But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. ²⁴ (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
²⁵ But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”
²⁶ “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. ²⁷ “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”
²⁸ So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. ²⁹ (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) ³⁰ So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

 Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 29:1-30 (NLT)
Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram

¹ Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east. 

More than 450 miles (15 days at 30 miles/day)

Fleeing from Esau

Genesis 27:43-45 (NLT)
⁴³ So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. ⁴⁴ Stay there with him until your brother cools off. ⁴⁵ When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

Energized after receiving God’s blessing. (Genesis 28:13-15)

Jacob was also looking for a wife as instructed by his father. (Genesis 28:1-3)

Jacob was 77 years old. (Unger’s Bible Dictionary)

• Jacob hurried on.
  • Fleeing from Esau.
  • Energized after receiving God’s blessing.
  • Was looking for a wife as instructed by his father. 

 ² He saw a well in the distance.

Wells were a sign of life.

Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.

Protecting the valuable water from:

Evaporation
Sand and dust
Other animals falling in

³ It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals.

Wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone.
Suggesting the stone was too heavy for females or young shepherds to move.
Efficient use of time and energy. 

 Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well. 

 ⁴ Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?”

“We are from Haran,” they answered. 

• Jacob arrives at Paddan-Aram 

⁵ “Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked.

“Yes, we do,” they replied.

God’s sovereignty – finding people from Haran who knew Laban.

Genesis 28:15 NLT)
What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

⁶ “Is he doing well?” Jacob asked.

“Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”

Again God’s sovereignty or wow what a coincidence (tongue in cheek). 

⁷ Jacob said, “Look, it’s still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don’t you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?”

Possibly Jacob wanted to be alone with Rachel for the meeting.

⁸ “We can’t water the animals until all the flocks have arrived,” they replied. “Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats.” 

⁹ Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd. ¹⁰ And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock.  

¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel,

Relatives kissed.  Greeting a cousin.  Kissing a relative was a proper greeting.

• Jacob finds a relative.

and he wept aloud. 

• Jacob’s mission was going well.

Jacob may have remembered God’s promise, “I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” 

¹² He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban. 

¹³ As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him

Relatives kissed

and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,  

Genesis 24:50-51 (NLT)
⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. ⁵¹ Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.” 

It was 97 years since Rebekah left home.  (MacArthur) 

Genesis 25:21 (NLT)
²¹ Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. (20 years) The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 

¹⁴ Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!”

• Jacob tells Laban his story.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, 

It was common for strangers to work for their host to pay to stay at their home.

• Jacob moves in with his relatives.

¹⁵ Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.” 

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. ¹⁷ There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. 

Rachel was beautiful.

Genesis 12:11 Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.

Genesis 24:16 Rebekah Isaac’s wife) was very beautiful.

 ¹⁸ Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.” 

• Jacob falls in love with Rachel.

¹⁹ “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. 

• Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel.

 ²¹ Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”

Note: Jacob said, “Give me my wife”, he did not say give me Rachel.

²² So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. ²³ But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. ²⁴ (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

²⁵ But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

Jacob had deceived his father and brother.

Jacob was deceived by his mother’s brother.

20 years of drudgery, affliction, and deception lay ahead.

Genesis 31:38 (NLT)
 “For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. … “

Jacob’s sons deceive Jacob.

Genesis 37:32 (NLT)
They (Jacob’s sons) sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son (Joseph)?”

You reap what you sow.

Galatians 6:7  (NLT)
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 

• Jacob was deceived by his mother’s brother.

 ²⁶ “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. 

It was also the custom for the older brother to receive the birthright.
Jacob took that from his older brother. 

²⁷ “But wait until the bridal week is over;

A wedding feast usually lasted seven days.

then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

²⁸ So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. 

Two wives in seven days. (along with two servant girls, Zilpah and Bilhah)

²⁹ (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) ³⁰ So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

•  Jacob marries Rachel.

Warning:
Leviticus 18:18 (NLT)
“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.

The story continues.

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Jacob Leaves the Promised Land

Jacob

Leaving the Promised Land.

Forced to leave the security of home.

God’s Promises

To Jacob

To us

Jacob’s responses to God’s promises.

Our responses to God’s promises.

Genesis 28:10-22 (NLT)
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
¹⁰ Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. ¹¹ At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. ¹² As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.
¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. ¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” ¹⁷ But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”
¹⁸ The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. ¹⁹ He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.
²⁰ Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, ²¹ and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. ²² And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”

Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 28:10-22 (NLT)
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 

 Paddan-aram

The city of Haran, where Abraham and his father Terah settled after leaving Ur of the Chaldees, while en route to Canaan, according to the Genesis 11:31, was located in Paddan Aram

Haran, the home of Terah and his descendants.

 Genesis 28:2  (CEB)
Get up and go to Paddan-aram, to the household of Bethuel, your mother’s (Rebekah) father, and once there, marry one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 

Rebekah the wife of Isaac
Genesis 24:24  (NLT)
²⁴ “I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.

Genesis 24:29  (NLT) (Abraham’s brother)
²⁹ Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring.

Review map and genealogy.

¹¹ At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. 

God’s Promises

 ¹² As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

Interaction between heaven and earth.

¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, 

• God made His presence known to Jacob.

• God wants to make His known to us.

“I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.  

• God reiterated to Jacob the covenant made with Abraham and Isaac.

• God gave us the Bible which is full of His promises for us.

Psalm 89:34 (NLT)
No, I will not break my covenant;
I will not take back a single word I said. 

¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. 

• God promised Jacob His protection outside of the Promised Land.

• God promises us His protection wherever we go.

• God is not confined to the Promised Land. 

One day I will bring you back to this land. 

• God promised to bring Jacob back to the Promised Land.

• God promises to bring us to the Promised Land (Heaven).

John 14:1-3 NLT
¹ “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

 Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

• God will finish the work he began in us.

• God promises to be with us wherever we go. 

Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 Matthew 28:20
“Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
^…  For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

Zephaniah 3:17

 Jacob’s (our) responses.

¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” 

 Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.” 

• Learn to recognize the presence of the Lord.

 ¹⁷ But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”

Fear the Lord – reverent awe – ultimate respect.

Isaiah 6:3 (NLT)
They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Proverbs 9:10  (NLT)
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.

Job 28:28  (NLT)
And this is what he says to all humanity:
‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom;

• Develop a healthy fear of the Lord. (reverent awe, ultimate respect)

Psalm 33:8 (NLT)
Let the whole world fear the Lord,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.

Psalm 34:11 (NLT)
Come, my children, and listen to me,
and I will teach you to fear the Lord.

¹⁸ The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. ¹⁹ He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.

 Typical O.T. behavior

²⁰ Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, ²¹ and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. ²² And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God,

Worship

Psalm 100 (NLT)
¹ Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
²     Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
³ Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation. 

• Worship the Lord with gladness

 and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”

Give back

Malachi 3:10 (NLT)
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT)
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

•  Give back to God a portion of everything He gives you.

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Introduction and Review

Proverbs 21:30 (NLT) (repeat from the previous lesson)
³⁰ No human wisdom or understanding or plan
can stand against the Lord.

 Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT)
¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. 

• Following the desires of your sinful nature results in destructive consequences.

 Deuteronomy 5:33 (NLT)
Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

• Following the path that God has set before you results in blessings and prosperity. 

Proverbs 19:21 (NLT) (repeat from the previous lesson)
You can make many plans,
but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

• The Lord’s purpose will prevail. 

Luke 11:28 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

New Lesson

 Isaac Getting Back on Track

Genesis 28:1-9 (NLT)
¹ So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. ² Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. ³ May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! ⁴ May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.”
⁵ So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.
⁶ Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ⁷ He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. ⁸ It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women. ⁹ So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael’s family and married one of Ishmael’s daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife’s name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 28:1-9 (NLT)

¹ So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him,

Isaac called for Jacob.
Isaac initiated this blessing.

• Isaac chose to bless Jacob 

and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. 

Abraham’s instruction for Isaac.
Genesis 24:3 (NLT)
Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.
Now Isaac’s instruction for Jacob.

Later when the Israelites were moving into the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (NLT)
³ You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, ⁴ for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you. 

Isaac understood the consequences of marrying Canaanite women.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NLT)
¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
“I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.
¹⁸ And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.” 

• Come out from among unbelievers,
  and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.

• Isaac was now looking out for Jacob’s welfare.

² Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. 

This is just like Abraham’s instructions for Isaac.
Genesis 24:4 (NLT)
Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.” 

³ May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! ⁴ May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.”

Isaac was passing on the blessing God had given to Abraham and Isaac.

Genesis 22:17 (NLT)
I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. 

Genesis 17:8 (NLT)
And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

• Isaac blessed Jacob with a blessing similar to the blessing he and his father had received from God.

⁵ So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.

• Isaac was getting back on track God had set before him. 

⁶ Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ⁷ He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. ⁸ It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women. ⁹ So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael’s family and married one of Ishmael’s daughters,

Partial obedience.

Esau’s new wife was not a Canaanite.

Esau kept the marriage in the family, just not the right part of the family.
Ishmael was born to Abraham and Sarah’s handmaiden Hagar (Genesis 16:3).

• Partial obedience is disobedience.

 in addition to the wives he already had.

Genesis 26:34-35 (NLT)
³⁴ At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon. ³⁵ But Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.

Who were the Hittites according to the Bible?

The Hittites play a prominent role at key places in the Hebrew Bible:
Ephron the Hittite sells Abraham the family burial ground (Genesis 23);
Esau married Hittite women, and Rebecca despised them (Genesis 26:34);
Frequently they are listed as one of the inhabitants of Canaan (e.g., Exodus 13:5; Numbers 13:29; Joshua 11:3);
King David had Uriah the Hittite killed in order to acquire Uriah’s wife (2 Samuel 11);
King Solomon had Hittites among his many wives (1 Kings 10:29–11:2; 2 Chronicles 1:17)
Descendants of Canaan, (Genesis 10: 1-6)
Adversaries of the Israelites

Joshua 9:1-2 (NLT)
¹ Now all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about what had happened. These were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who lived in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as the Lebanon mountains. ² These kings combined their armies to fight as one against Joshua and the Israelites.

 His new wife’s name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. 

• The Edomites were the descendants of Esau.

• The Israelites and Edomites became enemies.

Numbers 20:18-21 (NLT)
¹⁸ But the king of Edom said, “Stay out of my land, or I will meet you with an army!”
¹⁹ The Israelites answered, “We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.”
²⁰ But the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force. ²¹ Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.

1 Samuel 14:47 (NLT)
Saul’s Military Successes
⁴⁷ Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious.

1 Kings 11:15-16 (NLT)
¹⁵ Years before, David had defeated Edom. Joab, his army commander, had stayed to bury some of the Israelite soldiers who had died in battle. While there, they killed every male in Edom. ¹⁶ Joab and the army of Israel had stayed there for six months, killing them.

 Do you want to do it God’s way, or do you want to do it your way?

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Do you want to do it God’s way or do you want to do it your way?

Reminders:

• God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behaviors. 

• Sin has many consequences and sin is always destructive. 

God communicated His plan for Jacob to Rebekah before Esau and Jacob were born.

Genesis 25:23 (NLT)
And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

Sin is living outside of the will of God.

• Sin has many consequences and sin is always destructive. 

Did you ever hear the expression, “Do you want to do it the easy way or do you want to do it the hard way?”

Remember: You can plan, but what the Lord says is what will happen.

Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)
You can make many plans,
but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

 Proverbs 21:30 (NLT)
³⁰ No human wisdom or understanding or plan
can stand against the Lord.

 Isaiah 14:24 (NLT)
²⁴ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sworn this oath:
“It will all happen as I have planned.
It will be as I have decided.

Job 23:13 (NLT)
¹³ But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
Whatever he wants to do, he does.

 Isaiah 46:9-10 (NLT)
⁹ Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish. 

• You can plan, but what the Lord says is what will happen.

• Living outside of the will of God is sin.

“Do you want to do it God’s way or do you want to do it your way?”

Genesis 27:30-46 (NLT)
³⁰ As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt. ³¹ Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father. Then he said, “Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing.”
³² But Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”
Esau replied, “It’s your son, your firstborn son, Esau.”
³³ Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, “Then who just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came. And yes, that blessing must stand!”
³⁴ When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged.
³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing.”
³⁶ Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved even one blessing for me?”
³⁷ Isaac said to Esau, “I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine—what is left for me to give you, my son?”
³⁸ Esau pleaded, “But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!” Then Esau broke down and wept.
³⁹ Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him,
“You will live away from the richness of the earth,
and away from the dew of the heaven above.
⁴⁰ You will live by your sword,
and you will serve your brother.
But when you decide to break free,
you will shake his yoke from your neck.”

Jacob Flees to Paddan-Aram

⁴¹ From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”
⁴² But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. ⁴³ So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. ⁴⁴ Stay there with him until your brother cools off. ⁴⁵ When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 27:30-46 (NLT)

³⁰ As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt. ³¹ Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father. Then he said, “Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing.”

This was not God’s will for Esau.

³² But Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”
Esau replied, “It’s your son, your firstborn son, Esau.”
³³ Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably

Isaac was sensing the reality of his actions.  Isaac was remembering what God had said.

A phrase I like to say is “busted’.

and said, “Then who just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came.

 And yes, that blessing must stand!”

That blessing must stand.

• Isaac’s blessing to Jacob must stand.

Isaac knew what had happened.

Isaac had to know that he had been tampering with God’s plan.

Isaac knew that he was wrong in wanting Esau to receive the blessing.
Isaac knew that the blessing was really from God and not from him.

• It was God’s will for Jacob to receive the blessing.

God’s blessing to Jacob.

• Jacob’s blessing came from God. (not from Isaac)

Genesis 28:13-15 (NLT)
At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you (Jacob) are lying on belongs to you. I (God) am giving it to you and your descendants.
¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. ¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” 

• Our blessings come from God

Ephesians 1:3 (NLT)
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

James 1:17 (NLT)
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

2 Corinthians 9:8-10 (NLT)
⁸ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. ⁹ As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
¹⁰ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

 Psalm 23:1-4 (NLT)
¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
² He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
³     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
⁴ Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.

 John 15:5 (NLT)
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

 ³⁴ When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged.
³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing.”

Jacob did not take away Esau’s blessing.  God took it away.

³⁶ Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his name is Jacob,
for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved even one blessing for me?”

 Sounding selfish

 ³⁷ Isaac said to Esau, “I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine—what is left for me to give you, my son?”

Note:

• • Jacob’s blessing came from God.
  • Isaac’s blessings came from God.

Genesis 25:11  (NLT)
After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.

 Genesis 26:2-4 (NLT)
² The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. ³ Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. ⁴ I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

 ³⁸ Esau pleaded, “But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!” Then Esau broke down and wept.

 ³⁹ Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him,

Words he did not want to hear.  Words that sound more like a curse than a blessing.

“You will live away from the richness of the earth,
and away from the dew of the heaven above.

Esau would not enjoy the earth’s riches or heaven’s dew.

You will not live on good land.
You will not have much rain.

Jacob’s blessing
²⁸ “From the dew of heaven
and the richness of the earth,
may God always give you abundant harvests of grain
and bountiful new wine.

⁴⁰ You will live by your sword,

You will have to fight to survive.
The Edomites fought time and again with Israel.

Jacob’s blessing
²⁹ May many nations become your servants,
and may they bow down to you.

    and you will serve your brother.

Jacob’s blessing
May you be the master over your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

But when you decide to break free,
you will shake his yoke from your neck.”

 But when you fight to be free,
you will break away from his control.

Unclear when or if this has happened.

Jacob Flees to Paddan-Aram

⁴¹ From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing.

Esau hated Jacob.

And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”

Esau plans to kill Jacob.

⁴² But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. ⁴³ So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. ⁴⁴ Stay there with him until your brother cools off. ⁴⁵ When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”

“Do you want to do it God’s way or do you want to do it your way?”

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