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.

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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.

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Jacob’s Many Children

A story of sin, conflict, and emotions.

Words included in this passage:

Unloved                                              Absence of:

Misery                                                             Affection

Jealous                                                             Love

Plight

Disgrace

Furious

Struggle

Winning

Stole

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

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

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

Examine the Scriptures

Jacob’s Many Children 

Genesis 29:31 – 30:24 (NLT)

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

God intervened.

• God enabled Leah to have children.

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

 but Rachel could not conceive. 

Rachel was barren.

Note the pattern:

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

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

•  God opens and closes the womb. 

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

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

God acted on behalf of Leah.

Leah recognized that God was working in her life.

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

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

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

Judah is an ancestor of Jesus the Messiah

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Rachel became jealous of Leah.

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

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

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

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

Rachel was devastated and Jacob was deeply frustrated.

• Jacob became furious with Rachel.

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

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

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

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

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

Rachel claimed this son as her own. 

Rachel named the son.

God has given me a son.

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

Winning!!!

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

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

Leah claimed Gad as her son.

Leah named the son.

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

Now the other women will celebrate with me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now my husband will treat me with respect.

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

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

God has removed my disgrace.

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

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

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

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Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

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

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

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

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

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

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

Fleeing from Esau

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

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

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

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

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

 ² He saw a well in the distance.

Wells were a sign of life.

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

Protecting the valuable water from:

Evaporation
Sand and dust
Other animals falling in

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

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

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

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

“We are from Haran,” they answered. 

• Jacob arrives at Paddan-Aram 

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

“Yes, we do,” they replied.

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

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

⁶ “Is he doing well?” Jacob asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel,

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

• Jacob finds a relative.

and he wept aloud. 

• Jacob’s mission was going well.

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

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

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

Relatives kissed

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

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

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

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

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

• Jacob tells Laban his story.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, 

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

• Jacob moves in with his relatives.

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

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

Rachel was beautiful.

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

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

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

• Jacob falls in love with Rachel.

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

• Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel.

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

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

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

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

Jacob had deceived his father and brother.

Jacob was deceived by his mother’s brother.

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

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

Jacob’s sons deceive Jacob.

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

You reap what you sow.

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

• Jacob was deceived by his mother’s brother.

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

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

²⁷ “But wait until the bridal week is over;

A wedding feast usually lasted seven days.

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

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

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

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

•  Jacob marries Rachel.

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

The story continues.

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Jacob Leaves the Promised Land

Jacob

Leaving the Promised Land.

Forced to leave the security of home.

God’s Promises

To Jacob

To us

Jacob’s responses to God’s promises.

Our responses to God’s promises.

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

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

¹⁰ Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 

 Paddan-aram

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

Haran, the home of Terah and his descendants.

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

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

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

Review map and genealogy.

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

God’s Promises

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

Interaction between heaven and earth.

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

• God made His presence known to Jacob.

• God wants to make His known to us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• God promises us His protection wherever we go.

• God is not confined to the Promised Land. 

One day I will bring you back to this land. 

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

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

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

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

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

• God will finish the work he began in us.

• God promises to be with us wherever we go. 

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

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

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

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

Deuteronomy 31:6

Zephaniah 3:17

 Jacob’s (our) responses.

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

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

• Learn to recognize the presence of the Lord.

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

Fear the Lord – reverent awe – ultimate respect.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Typical O.T. behavior

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

Worship

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

• Worship the Lord with gladness

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

Give back

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

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

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

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