Laban Pursues Jacob

A story of deception and God’s intervention.

• “Deception” continues to be a major theme in this narrative.

Genesis 31:22-42 (NLT)
Laban Pursues Jacob
²² Three days later, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. ²³ So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead. ²⁴ But the previous night God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, “I’m warning you—leave Jacob alone!”
²⁵ Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, and he set up his camp not far from Jacob’s. ²⁶ “What do you mean by deceiving me like this?” Laban demanded. “How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? ²⁷ Why did you slip away secretly? Why did you deceive me? And why didn’t you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast, with singing and music, accompanied by tambourines and harps. ²⁸ Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly! ²⁹ I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Leave Jacob alone!’ ³⁰ I can understand your feeling that you must go, and your intense longing for your father’s home. But why have you stolen my gods?”
³¹ “I rushed away because I was afraid,” Jacob answered. “I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. ³² But as for your gods, see if you can find them, and let the person who has taken them die! And if you find anything else that belongs to you, identify it before all these relatives of ours, and I will give it back!” But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household idols.
³³ Laban went first into Jacob’s tent to search there, then into Leah’s, and then the tents of the two servant wives—but he found nothing. Finally, he went into Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ But Rachel had taken the household idols and hidden them in her camel saddle, and now she was sitting on them. When Laban had thoroughly searched her tent without finding them, ³⁵ she said to her father, “Please, sir, forgive me if I don’t get up for you. I’m having my monthly period.” So Laban continued his search, but he could not find the household idols.
³⁶ Then Jacob became very angry, and he challenged Laban. “What’s my crime?” he demanded. “What have I done wrong to make you chase after me as though I were a criminal? ³⁷ You have rummaged through everything I own. Now show me what you found that belongs to you! Set it out here in front of us, before our relatives, for all to see. Let them judge between us! ³⁸ “For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food. ³⁹ If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never showed you the carcass and asked you to reduce the count of your flock. No, I took the loss myself! You made me pay for every stolen animal, whether it was taken in broad daylight or in the dark of night.
⁴⁰ “I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights. ⁴¹ Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times! ⁴² In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side—the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac—you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 31:22-42 (NLT)
Laban Pursues Jacob

²² Three days later, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 

Twenty years earlier Jacob had fled from Esau after deceiving their father Isaac.

• “Deception” is a major theme in this narrative.

²³ So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit.

“Hot pursuit”

He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead. 

Seven days of “hot pursuit”.
Southeast of the Sea of Galilee.  Several hundred miles from Laban’s home.
Jacob and all of his flocks were moving right along. 

²⁴ But the previous night God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, “I’m warning you—leave Jacob alone!” 

(“Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” a proverbial expression)

• God clearly intervened on Jacob’s behalf.

Leave Jacob alone.  Don’t make him come back to your place.  Don’t take his possessions. 

²⁵ Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, and he set up his camp not far from Jacob’s. ²⁶ “What do you mean by deceiving me like this?” Laban demanded.

Feeling deceived.

Laban brings accusations against Jacob.

“How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? 

Jacob did not drag Laban’s daughters away from their home.

(vs. 13-14)
²⁷ Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.’”
Rachel and Leah responded, “That’s fine with us!

Rachel and Leah were in agreement with each other and with Jacob about leaving their father.

 Why did you slip away secretly? Why did you deceive me?

Feeling deceived. 

And why didn’t you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast, with singing and music, accompanied by tambourines and harps. ²⁸ Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye?

Laban describes himself as a hurt and baffled father and Jacob as a thoughtless son in law.

Victim mentality.

Laban’s behavior is also deceptive.

You have acted very foolishly! 

²⁹ I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Leave Jacob alone!’ 

• Laban heeded God’s warning. (More about this in the next lesson.)

 ³⁰ I can understand your feeling that you must go, and your intense longing for your father’s home. But why have you stolen my gods?”

Why would Jacob have stolen Laban’s gods?  Good question.

³¹ “I rushed away because I was afraid,” Jacob answered. “I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 

Jacob had worked hard for twenty years.

The deceptive environment led to feelings of fear.

³² But as for your gods, see if you can find them, and let the person who has taken them die! And if you find anything else that belongs to you, identify it before all these relatives of ours, and I will give it back!” But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household idols.

Jacob unknowingly put the death penalty on Rachel.

³³ Laban went first into Jacob’s tent to search there, then into Leah’s, and then the tents of the two servant wives—but he found nothing. Finally, he went into Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ But Rachel had taken the household idols and hidden them in her camel saddle, and now she was sitting on them.

• Rachel deceived her father (and Jacob).

• One dishonest deed led to another.

When Laban had thoroughly searched her tent without finding them, ³⁵ she said to her father, “Please, sir, forgive me if I don’t get up for you. I’m having my monthly period.”

This may, or may not, have been a lie.

If Rachel was having her monthly period (being unclean) and sat on the idol, it results in the idol becoming contaminated and therefore worthless.

Laban would assume that Rachel would not dare contaminate a god.

So Laban continued his search, but he could not find the household idols.

 ³⁶ Then Jacob became very angry, and he challenged Laban.

Jacob brings accusations against Laban.

Reaping what was sown.

 “What’s my crime?” he demanded. “What have I done wrong to make you chase after me as though I were a criminal? ³⁷ You have rummaged through everything I own. Now show me what you found that belongs to you! Set it out here in front of us, before our relatives, for all to see. Let them judge between us!

• Deceptive behaviors escalated the conflict between the father and son-in-law.

³⁸ “For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food. ³⁹ If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never showed you the carcass and asked you to reduce the count of your flock. No, I took the loss myself! You made me pay for every stolen animal, whether it was taken in broad daylight or in the dark of night.

⁴⁰ “I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights. ⁴¹ Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times! 

• Jacob tried to defend his actions. 

⁴² In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side—the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac—you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!”

• Jacob acknowledges God’s intervention on his behalf.

Applications for our lives:

• God intervenes in our lives.

Psalm 55:22 (NLT)
Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

 Psalm 46:1 (NLT)
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.

 Isaiah 43:1-3 (NLT)
¹ But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
² When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
³ For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. 

Psalm 32:8 (NLT)
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over 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.

 John 10:27-29 (NLT)
²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 

What are some things we know about deception?

• The human heart is deceitful.

Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)
⁹ “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?

Deceitful behaviors have serious consequences.

Proverbs 19:9 (NLT)
A false witness will not go unpunished,
and a liar will be destroyed.

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

• Be done with deceit.

1 Peter 2:1 (NLT)
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

Colossians 3:9-10 (NLT)
⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

 Luke 6:45 (NLT)
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. 

Ask God to give you a clean heart.

Psalm 51:10 (NLT)
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Jacob Flees from Laban – Heading back to Canaan

Four mini lessons for us. Learn from the life of Jacob.

Learn from Jacob’s mistakes

Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT)
⁹ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. ¹¹ May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Jacob Flees from Laban
Genesis 31:1-21 (NLT)
¹ But Jacob soon learned that Laban’s sons were grumbling about him. “Jacob has robbed our father of everything!” they said. “He has gained all his wealth at our father’s expense.” ² And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban’s attitude toward him.
³ Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.”
⁴ So Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to the field where he was watching his flock. ⁵ He said to them, “I have noticed that your father’s attitude toward me has changed. But the God of my father has been with me. ⁶ You know how hard I have worked for your father, ⁷ but he has cheated me, changing my wages ten times. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm. ⁸ For if he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,’ the whole flock began to produce speckled young. And when he changed his mind and said, ‘The striped animals will be your wages,’ then the whole flock produced striped young. ⁹ In this way, God has taken your father’s animals and given them to me.
¹⁰ “One time during the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the females were streaked, speckled, and spotted. ¹¹ Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Yes, here I am.’
¹² “The angel said, ‘Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you. ¹³ I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.’”
¹⁴ Rachel and Leah responded, “That’s fine with us! We won’t inherit any of our father’s wealth anyway. ¹⁵ He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us. ¹⁶ All the wealth God has given you from our father legally belongs to us and our children. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you.”
¹⁷ So Jacob put his wives and children on camels, ¹⁸ and he drove all his livestock in front of him. He packed all the belongings he had acquired in Paddan-aram and set out for the land of Canaan, where his father, Isaac, lived. ¹⁹ At the time they left, Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her. ²⁰ Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean, for they set out secretly and never told Laban they were leaving. ²¹ So Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River, heading for the hill country of Gilead.

Examine the Scriptures

Jacob Flees from Laban

Genesis 31:1-21 (NLT)

¹ But Jacob soon learned that Laban’s sons were grumbling about him. “Jacob has robbed our father of everything!” they said. “He has gained all his wealth at our father’s expense.” 

Jacob lied to his own father. (Chapter 27)
Jacob deceived his own father. (Chapter 27)
Jacob manipulated the breeding of Laban’s flocks.

Laban’s son’s observations were somewhat accurate.

² And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban’s attitude toward him.

Laban deceived Jacob by giving Jacob Leah in place of Rachel. (Chapter 29)

Laban deceived Jacob by removing all the animals, he had promised to give to Jacob, and giving them to his sons. (Chapter 30)

Laban was looking out for his own interests when he convinced Jacob to stay and care for his flocks.  (Chapter 30)

• You are known by the way you act.

Mini-lesson #1

• For you will be treated as you treat others. Matthew 7:2 NLT

Luke 6:31 (NLT)
Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Proverbs 20:11 (NLT)
Even children are known by the way they act,
whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

Challenge:
Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT)
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

 ³ Then the Lord said to Jacob,

 “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.”

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.” 

Jacob had good reasons to move back to Canaan.

God told Jacob to move back to Canaan.

Laban’s attitude and Laban’s son’s grumbling.

A message to God’s chosen people while in exile in Babylon:

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Mini-lesson #2

• God has a plan (for good) for his chosen people.

Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT)
³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else (spend time in the Word getting to know God and His will for your life), and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 

Psalm 86:11 (NLT)
Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.

 ⁴ So Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to the field where he was watching his flock. 

Away from other listening ears.

Let his wives in on his plans.

Jacob shares how God has been working in his life as well as his plans to return to Canaan.

⁵ He said to them, “I have noticed that your father’s attitude toward me has changed.

 But the God of my father has been with me.

At times Isaac rejected Jacob and Laban rejected Rachel and Leah, but Jacob felt God’s presence with him. 

 ⁶ You know how hard I have worked for your father, ⁷ but he has cheated me, changing my wages ten times.

Cheated by his father-in-law.

But God has not allowed him to do me any harm. 

Protected by God.

Mini-lesson #3

• It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.  Psalm 118:8

Psalm 118:7-8 (NLT)
⁷ Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in people. 

⁸ For if he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,’ the whole flock began to produce speckled young. And when he changed his mind and said, ‘The striped animals will be your wages,’ then the whole flock produced striped young. 

 ⁹ In this way, God has taken your father’s animals and given them to me.

Jacob recognized God at work in his life.

¹⁰ “One time during the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the females were streaked, speckled, and spotted. ¹¹ Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Yes, here I am.’
¹² “The angel said, ‘Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you. ¹³ I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.’”

 Jacob’s speech to his wives seemed to get the results he wanted.

¹⁴ Rachel and Leah responded, “That’s fine with us! We won’t inherit any of our father’s wealth anyway. ¹⁵ He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us. 

Rachel and Leah were in agreement with each other and with Jacob.

¹⁶ All the wealth God has given you from our father legally belongs to us and our children. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you.”

Jacob’s wives saw God at work in their lives.

¹⁷ So Jacob put his wives and children on camels, ¹⁸ and he drove all his livestock in front of him. He packed all the belongings he had acquired in Paddan-aram and set out for the land of Canaan, where his father, Isaac, lived. 

 ¹⁹ At the time they left, Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her. 

Rachel was not yet free from her pagan background.

Genesis 35:2  (NLT)
So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing.

                                A Biblical principle God will give to his people at a later date:

Exodus 20:2-6 (NLT)
² “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
³ “You must not have any other god but me.
⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

 Matthew 6:24 (NLT)
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. 

• No one can serve two masters.

 Mini-lesson #4 

• Wholly trust in God.

 Psalm 62:5-8 (NLT)
⁵ Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
⁷ My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
⁸ O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge. 

 ²⁰ Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean,

 for they set out secretly and never told Laban they were leaving. 

Outwitted, set out secretly,

Genesis 31:26 (NLT)
“What do you mean by deceiving me like this?” Laban demanded.

 Jacob continues to deceive others.

²¹ So Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River, heading for the hill country of Gilead.

Jacob’s Wealth Increases

Jacob is experiencing some of God’s blessings.

Genesis 28:14-15 (NLT)
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.”

             Note: God’s blessings were not a promise of an easy, carefree life.

Genesis 30:25-43 (NLT)
²⁵ Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. ²⁶ Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”
²⁷ “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. ²⁸ Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”
²⁹ Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. ³⁰ You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you through everything I’ve done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”
³¹ “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.
Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. ³² Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. ³³ In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
³⁴ “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” ³⁵ But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, ³⁶ who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.
³⁷ Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. ³⁸ Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. ³⁹ And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. ⁴⁰ Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.
⁴¹ Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. ⁴² But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. ⁴³ As a result, Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, female and male servants, and many camels and donkeys.

Examine the Scriptures

Jacob’s Wealth Increases

Genesis 30:25-43 (NLT)
²⁵ Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph,

• Jacob’s 14 year commitment to Laban had been fulfilled.

(Genesis 29-30 covers a time period of 20 years.)

Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. 

Remember the reasons Jacob had traveled to Paddan-Aram.

Fleeing from Esau.

Looking for a wife as instructed by his father.

God had said to Jacob, “One day I will bring you back to this land. (Canaan).

 Jacob appears to have a general understanding of God’s plan for his life.

• Jacob was ready to move back “home” to Canaan, the Promised Land.

²⁶ Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”

Jacob is making an appropriate, respectful appeal.

 ²⁷ “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. ²⁸ Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”

• Laban understood that he was becoming wealthy because the Lord was blessing Jacob.

Genesis 30:27 English Standard Version (ESV)
But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.

 Genesis 30:27 New International Version (NIV)
But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”

 The use of divination is sinful even though the information obtained is accurate.

Discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means.

Laban knows that it is to his advantage for Jacob to continue working for him.

 ²⁹ Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. ³⁰ You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you through everything I’ve done.

• Jacob also knew that Laban’s increased wealth was a direct result of the Lord’s blessing.

Note: God’s blessings were not a promise of an easy, carefree life.

Jacob worked hard for Laban.

• God’s blessings are not a promise of an easy, carefree life.

 But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”

 ³¹ “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.

Laban did not want Jacob to leave.

• Laban wanted Jacob to stay, so that he, Laban, would continue to benefit from God’s blessings to Jacob.

Jacob’s Proposal

 Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. ³² Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep.

  Give these to me as my wages. ³³ In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. 

• Jacob professes to be honest with Laban. 

If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”

It would be obvious which animals were Jacob’s and which were Laban’s.

³⁴ “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” 

• Laban verbally agreed to follow Jacob’s proposal.

• Jacob agreed to stay and work for Laban a little longer. (6 years)

Genesis 31:41 (NLT)
Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock.

³⁵ But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, ³⁶ who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was.

• Laban cheated Jacob from day one of this new arrangement.

Also, by removing the existing streaked and spotted male goats and the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep from his flock Laban believed that he greatly reduced the probability of more of this type being reproduced.

Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.

 ³⁷ Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. ³⁸ Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. ³⁹ And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. ⁴⁰ Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock.

Scholars differ as to how Jacob is using sticks with peeled white streaks in them to do this.

The NIV concordance explained this outcome “because of Jacob’s superstition”.

And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.

 ⁴¹ Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. ⁴² But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. 

Jacob practiced selective breeding.

• Jacob’s actions are somewhat questionable.

• God uses flawed people.

• God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behavior.

⁴³ As a result,

Genesis 31:9 (NLT)
In this way, God has taken your father’s animals and given them to me. 

• Jacob knew his prosperity came from God. 

Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, female and male servants, and many camels and donkeys.

• God blessed Jacob with large flocks of sheep and goats, female and male servants, and many camels and donkeys.

 

Summary/Review:

• God’s blessings are not a promise of an easy, carefree life.
• God uses flawed people.
• God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behavior.
• God always does what He says He will do.

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.”

Genesis 28:14 (NLT)
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.

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

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

 Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)
⁷ “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
⁸ They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.

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.

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

 

 

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?”

Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing

There are multiple places in the Bible where God is referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Exodus 3:15 (NLT)
God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.

Matthew 22:32 (NLT)
 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”

Acts 7:32 (NLT)
‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’

This name of God is special because it emphasizes God’s covenant with Israel and showcases the special role Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the Israelites fill as God’s chosen people.

Being chosen by God does not guarantee protection from Satan’s temptations.

Being chosen by God does not guarantee making right choices.

Being chosen by God does not eliminate sin from a person’s life.

Today’s lesson includes:

Theft
Haughty eyes
Deception
Trickery
Scheming
Plotting evil
Lying
Wrongdoing
Sowing family discord

God hates the behaviors taking place in this lesson.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT)
¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
¹⁷ haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
¹⁸ a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.

 Genesis 25:28 (NLT)
Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (discord in the family)

 Reminders:

• God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behaviors.
•  Sin has many consequences and sin is always destructive.

Genesis 27:1-29 (NLT)
Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing
27 One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.”
“Yes, Father?” Esau replied.
² “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. ³ Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”
⁵ But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, ⁶ she said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ ⁸ Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. ⁹ Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. ¹⁰ Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.”
¹¹ “But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. ¹² What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”
¹³ But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!”
¹⁴ So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. ¹⁵ Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. ¹⁶ She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. ¹⁷ Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.
¹⁸ So Jacob took the food to his father. “My father?” he said.
“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who are you—Esau or Jacob?”
¹⁹ Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”
²⁰ Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied.
²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” ²² So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. ²³ But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. ²⁴ “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied.
²⁵ Then Isaac said, “Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.” So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. ²⁶ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.”
²⁷ So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed!
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.
²⁹ May many nations become your servants,
and may they bow down to you.
May you be the master over your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
All who curse you will be cursed,
and all who bless you will be blessed.”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 27:1-29 (NLT)
Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing
27 One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.”
“Yes, Father?” Esau replied.
² “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. 

 At this time Isaac was between the ages of 130-137.  He died at the age of 180.

Genesis 35:28-29 (NLT)
²⁸ Isaac lived for 180 years. ²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

³ Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat.
Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”

The blessing that belongs to the firstborn son.

Isaac intended to bless Esau even though this was contrary to God’s plan.

• Isaac was willing to bless Esau, even though this blessing was not a part of God’s plan for Esau.

Genesis 25:23 (NLT)
And the Lord told her (Rebekah), “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.”

 Isaac’s blessing for Esau in verse 29 clearly contradicted God’s plan.

• Esau knew that he had given up all of his rights as the firstborn.

Genesis 25:31-33 (NLT)
³¹ “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”
³² “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”
³³ But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

 All his rights would include the birthright as well as the blessing.

⁵ But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, ⁶ she said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ ⁸ Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. 

 Listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you.

Rebekah is responsible for her behaviors.

Jacob is responsible for his behaviors.

• Rebekah was willing to resort to deception and trickery to secure the patriarchal blessing for Jacob.

Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?

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

 1 Peter 2:1 (NLT)
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

 This behavior is never acceptable.

⁹ Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. ¹⁰ Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.”

¹¹ “But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. ¹² What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, 

• Jacob knew that he was trying to deceive his father.

 Jacob is responsible for his behaviors.

 and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”

¹³ But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you.

 Let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you.

Go out and get the goats for me!” 

• Rebekah intentionally schemed against her husband. 

¹⁴ So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. ¹⁵ Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. ¹⁶ She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. ¹⁷ Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.
¹⁸ So Jacob took the food to his father. “My father?” he said.
“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who are you—Esau or Jacob?”
¹⁹ Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son.

 Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. (lying)

 I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”
²⁰ Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied.

 “The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied. (lying)

 ²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” ²² So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. ²³ But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. ²⁴ “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied.

“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied. 

• Jacob lied repeatedly to his father.

 ²⁵ Then Isaac said, “Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.” So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. ²⁶ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.”
²⁷ So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed! 

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.
²⁹ May many nations become your servants,
and may they bow down to you.
May you be the master over your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
All who curse you will be cursed,
and all who bless you will be blessed.”

 Consequences Jacob suffered:

Jacob never saw his mother again after this event

Esau wanted him dead

Laban his uncle deceived him.

His family life was full of conflict

He was exiled for years from his family.

• Sin has many consequences and sin is always destructive.

Reflect on the following verses.

 Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

 Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)
There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

 Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death, (separation from God)

Psalm 19:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
¹⁴ May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

 

Learning Life Lessons From Someone Who Never Stopped Digging Wells.

God has a plan.

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 Digging wells. A part of God’s plan for Isaac.

Genesis 26:17-35(NLT)
¹⁷ So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. ¹⁸ He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.
¹⁹ Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. ²⁰ But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”). ²¹ Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”).²² Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”
²³ From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, ²⁴ where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” ²⁵ Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.
Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech
²⁶ One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. ²⁷ “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.”
²⁸ They replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant.²⁹ Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the Lord has blessed you!”
³⁰ So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together. ³¹ Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace.
³² That very day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. “We’ve found water!” they exclaimed. ³³ So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means “oath”). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”).
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.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 26:17-35(NLT)
¹⁷ So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley,

Different than the town of Gerar

where he set up their tents and settled down. ¹⁸ He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death.

Isaac needed life-giving water to survive in the land. But the Philistines had stopped the flow of water from the wells by filling them in. To get to the vitally needed water supply, Isaac had to work hard to re-dig the wells and overcome what the Philistines had done.

Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.

Wells:

Ancient wells were dug by hand, a laborious and dangerous task.

From the Well, the community drew water, the basic sustenance for life.

Wells were a sign of independence.

Those who owned wells could maintain larger flocks of sheep.

Wells are a sign of life.

A human can go without food for about three weeks but would typically only last three to four days without water.

At least 60% of the adult body is made of it and every living cell in the body needs it to keep functioning.

¹⁹ Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. 

 ²⁰ But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”). Contention or dispute

 ²¹ Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”). Hatred or opposition

 ²² Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space” or “room enough”),

Isaac refused to fight back.

Romans 12:18 (NLT)
Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 

• Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

 for he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”

The Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.

Luke 12:22-26 (NLT)
²² Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. ²⁴ Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! ²⁵ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁶ And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

 Philippians 4:19 (NLT)
And this same God who takes care of me (Paul) will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

• Don’t worry about everyday life, God will supply all your needs. (Luke 12:22-26 & Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

It may still require a lot of hard work on your part.

 ²³ From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, ²⁴ where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” 

I (God) will do this.

A reminder:

God’s promise to his people.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) to Joshua
⁶ So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
⁵ Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

Isaiah 41:10-13 (NLT)
¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
¹¹ “See, all your angry enemies lie there,
confused and humiliated.
Anyone who opposes you will die
and come to nothing.
¹² You will look in vain
for those who tried to conquer you.
Those who attack you
will come to nothing.
¹³ For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

• Don’t be afraid or discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5, Isaiah 41:10-13)

 ²⁵ Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord.

 Worshiped

Luke 4:8 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”

• Worship the Lord.

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.

 He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.

 Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT)
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. 

• Don’t get tired of doing good.

Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech

²⁶ One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. ²⁷ “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.”

 ²⁸ They replied, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you.

We can plainly see that the Lord is with you.

Look for God working in your life.

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

Ephesians 1:18-20 (NLT)
¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
¹⁹ I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 

• Understand the incredible greatness of God’s power.

 So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant.²⁹ Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you.

• Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18 repeated)

We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the Lord has blessed you!”

God’s plans work out for the best.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

• Know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

³⁰ So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together. ³¹ Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left him in peace.

 ³² That very day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. “We’ve found water!” they exclaimed. ³³ So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means “oath”). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”). 

• Don’t stop digging wells.

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.

Digging wells – hard work

Family life – a hard life

How foolish was it for Isaac to want to bless Esau?