Lesson 10: Jacob, His Family (Genesis 29-35)

Introduction:  The family of Jacob would become the nation of Israel and 
inherit the land of Canaan.  They were the family through which Jesus 
Christ would come into the world.  In this lesson, we will study the 
beginning of this family.  In spite of all the deceit, trickery, and 
mistakes of this family, God's plan would proceed.  We can see divine 
control in these events, and we can see the sovereignty of God.  The 
twenty years that Jacob spent in Padan Aram taught him to trust in God 
instead of his own cunning.  Jacob, who had himself been deceitful, 
was deceived by Laban when given Leah as a wife. Laban would continue 
in his treachery. But in every case, God caused Jacob to prosper.  
Jacob would later return to Canaan with his family at the command 
of God.


I. The Children Of Jacob (Gen. 29:31-30:24)

	A. When God saw that Leah was not loved, He gave her children 
	   and left Rachel barren.
	B. The strife between these two women led them to persuade Jacob 
	   to have children by their handmaids.  The names of these sons 
	   had important meanings in relation to the circumstances 
	   surrounding their births.
	C. Polygamy is not spoken of as wrong in these passages, but 
	   it was not God's original intent. We see problems associated 
	   with this practice: hatred, envy, and favoritism. 


II. The Flocks Of Jacob And Laban (Gen.30:25-43)

	A. Shortly after Joseph was born, Jacob asked for permission to 
	   leave.  Laban had prospered by the presence of Jacob, so he 
	   persuaded him to stay.
	B. Jacob refused any pay except the ownership of all the dis-
	   colored sheep.
		1. Since these were relatively rare, Laban agreed.
		2. Jacob showed his faith in this request and put his 
		   future in God's hands.
		3. God caused all of the newborn sheep to be speckled or 
		   discolored.
		4. Laban tried to change the agreement, but every time 
		   he did so, God caused Jacob to prosper anyway.

	Principles:
		1. Children are a gift of God.
		2. God is able to provide for all of our needs 
		   (Ps. 37:25).


III. Jacob Returned Home (Gen. 31)

	A. God commanded Jacob to return to his home.
	B. Rachel and Leah agreed, since their inheritance had been 
	   spent.
	C. Rachel stole her father's terephim.
	D. Three days later, Laban found out that they had left and he 
	   pursued them.  He was  not to speak good or evil to Jacob.
	E. Whoever possessed the household idols was to be put to death, 
	   but Rachel deceived her father.
	F. Jacob then seemed to vent 20 years of frustration with the 
	   treachery of Laban.


IV. Jacob Prepared To Meet Esau (Gen. 32)

	A. Jacob met angels of God.
	B. Jacob prayed to God for deliverance from Esau.  He reminded 
	   God of the promises He had made.
	C. He sent gifts ahead to Esau, and divided the camp into two 
	   parts in case of attack.
	D. The night before they met, Jacob wrestled all night with 
	   "a Man" (See also Hosea 12:3-5.).  He refused to end the 
	   fight until he received a blessing from his opponent. His 
	   name was changed to Israel.  

	Principles:
		1. God will take care of those who obey His commands.  
		   He has promised to help us.
		2. Prayer is a great help and should start with thoughts 
		   of the promises that God has made and fulfilled.
		3. We should be just as determined as Jacob to ob-
		   tain the blessings of God.


V. Jacob And Esau Met (Gen. 33)

	A. God had prepared the heart of Esau, and the reunion was a 
	   happy one.
	B. Jacob was more humble than before.


VI. Jacob Returned To Bethel (Gen. 35)

	A. Jacob remembered the events of 20 years before when God 
	   promised that all these things would come to pass (vss. 2,
	   3).  He acknowledged that God was true to His word.  All 
	   had turned out in Jacob's favor, even though he had to deal 
	   with men like Laban.
	B. Jacob removed all the idols from his household (vs. 4).  
	   They had been living among idolatrous people.  Before 
	   renewing his promises with God, he removed all false gods 
	   from his house.  Remember the vow he made in Gen. 28:20-22?
	C. The surrounding nations feared Jacob (vs. 5).
	D. God spoke to Jacob and reaffirmed His promises (vss. 9-15).

	Principles:
		1. God keeps His promises.
		2. We must remove all false gods from our lives before 
		   we can enjoy the promises of God.

Questions:

 1. How has God blessed you?
 2. How has prayer helped you?
 3. What do we have to fear if we disobey the commands of God?
 4. Some blessings of God are distributed to all men equally.  Are 
    there some blessings that we must strive to obtain?
 5. Are zeal and determination necessary to achieve the blessings of 
    God?  Explain.
 6. What kind of idols do we have today?  
 7. Is polygamy condemned in the Bible?  What can be seen in Jacob's 
    life that would suggest problems in polygamous marriages?
 8. What promises of God have not yet been fulfilled?  What assurance 
    do we have that they will be fulfilled?
 9. Does God use trickery to accomplish His plans?  Was the trickery of 
    Jacob, Rebekah, and Rachel a necessary part of God's plans being 
    accomplished?