God Enriches and Protects His Servant

Genesis 30:35-43, 31:1-18

35-43 - Laban separates the flocks according to the deal he and Jacob had made. They separate three days’ journey from each other. Jacob trusts God for the cattle increase, even though he places the rods. God blesses Jacob with animals and servants

1-2- Laban’s sons accuse Jacob of stealing animals. Jacob could tell Laban’s feelings for him had changed.

3 - God begins to speak to Jacob with the message to head home.

4-6 - Jacob tells Rachel and Leah the message from God. He acknowledges that God has been with him, providing the blessings and also protection against Laban.

7-8 - Jacob tells Rachel and Leah the contract that he and Laban had made.

9-18 - Rachel and Leah are ready to leave. They say their dad’s money and their inheritance is gone. The girls saw their dad give the separated cattle to their brothers. This would have been part of their inheritance.

Stop Our Sibling Rivalry

Genesis 3):1-13

God can use our bad choices for His will.

Even though Jacob had more than one wife, God used this to fulfill His purposes.
Judah was born from Leah and Jesus was born from Judah’s line. Joseph was born from Rachel and he ended up saving the Israelites from the famine.

Rachel and Leah envied each other. This ultimately affected the twelve sons who never really got along, even today.


One Source of Friction in a Home

Genesis 29: 22-35

The patriarchs have all been sinners that have had faith. God used them to magnify Him.
He chooses the weak to confound the wise.

vs. 22 - Jacob got tricked by Laban, but he is learning what it is like to be tricked.
God still used this and allowed it.
Jesus was born from Leah’s son, Judah.

The Holy Spirit came and went from believers in the Old Testament
The Old Testament people also had encounters with God that we don’t have today.

A self-chosen way has consequences
Here, Lean and Rachel have jealousy
There is contention, confliction and hatred.

This hatred ended up up filtering down through the generations as Joseph’s brothers hated him.

God hates hate. Because of Rachel’s and Leah’s feelings for each other, God shut Rachel’s womb.

31- God controls the birth of children.
Leah acknowledges that God has seen her afflictions and she praises God for her boys.

The boys’ names have meanings.
Reuben - son
Simeon - hearing
Levi - attachment
Judah - praise

Looking for Love in the Right Way, Part 2

Genesis 29: 10-21

10-14 - Laban, in the past, was influenced by money and wealth

15- Laban offers to give Jacob wages for his work

16-17 - In the future, Leah ends up giving birth to Judah. Jesus will eventually be born from the line of Judah.

18 - Jacob promises to work for Rachel for seven years

19-20 - Time flew for Jacob because of his love for Rachel

21 - Jacob desired Rachel so much. These desires are put there by God.

Meeting The Lord God Should Change Everything, Part Seven

Genesis 22: 10-22

The changes in Jacob:
1. Jacob interacts with God now
2. God is personal to Jacob. Not just personal to Abraham and Isaac.
3. Jacob recognizes God as his fathers did.
4. Jacob makes a vow to God, to give a tenth back to Him.
5. Now this place is important to Jacob
6. Jacob now knows that God is with him every day.
7. Jacob is now a different person

James 2:21-24: Our works prove us to others, that we are saved. We know that Abraham was saved by his faith when asked to kill his son, Isaac. Abraham’s works did not save him, but it is proof to us.

Meeting the Lord God Should Change Everything, Part Five

Genesis 28, Hebrews 12:4-17

Were Old Testament saints “born again”?
John 3:9, Ezekiel 36:23-26 OT saints were not born again in the same way as the NT saints.
Jeremiah 32:31-34 - describes the future aspect of the new birth

Malachi 1:1-5 - God loves Israel. Does that mean that all Israelites are saved?

Mark 12:24-27 - Jesus says He is the God of the living, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But they are not living anymore. Is God still their God?

Matthew 8:12 - Jesus says the children of the kingdom are cast out. The children of the kingdom are the Israelites, but they are cast out if they do not believe on Jesus’ death and resurrection to save them.

Acts 7:32-34 - God says, He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God says He is going to “deliver” them. “Deliver” is used to describe deliverance from a present-day difficult situation, as well as for the future deliverance of the church.

Meeting the Lord God Should Change Everything, Part Four

Malachi 1: 1-5

Genesis 28: 14-15

Matthew 8: 10-13

Mark 12: 24-27

Acts 7: 31-33

God repeats his promise to his chosen people. God chose Abraham to be the one, whose seed Jesus would eventually be born from. Just because God chose Abraham’s bloodline, does not mean that everyone in that bloodline is saved. It also does not mean that people outside of Abraham’s bloodline cannot be saved.

Salvation is by faith alone, to anyone that believes in Jesus.

Meeting the Lord God Should Change Everything, Part Three

Genesis 28:16-22

Jacob was afraid and called the place dreadful.
Afraid and Dreadful are the same word in Hebrew, meaning Deserves Reverence.

Jacob calls the place Bethel, which means the Place of God, but the House of God is in us as Believers.

This episode was Jacob’s first encounter with God.

Jacob built a pillar of remembrance and poured oil on it.

Jacob may have been bargaining with God, but he is repeating the promises that God already promised him.
He may also have been asking God to prove Himself by fulfilling the promises He made.

Jacob makes a promise to God to give back a tenth of God’s blessings on him.


Meeting the Lord God Should Change Everything, Part Two

Genesis 28:10-22

The ladder Jacob saw in his vision was the gateway to heaven. Jesus Christ was at the top controlling the gateway. The angels are ministers going back and forth to the earth and back to Jesus.

Jacob says that the location of his vision was where God is., but God tells Jacob that He is going to be with him everywhere and provide everything for him.

In the future, this location Bethel ended up being taken over by heathens and idolatry was taking place. God had to destroy that place.

Jacob met the living God here at this location.

God introduces Himself to Jacob as the Father of Abraham and Isaac. God wants to be known by Jacob.
God repeats the Abrahamic Covenant to him: land, seed, and blessings.
God promises to be with Jacob wherever he goes, and that he will be back in his homeland again.

Meeting the Lord God Should Change Everything

Genesis 28: 10-15

10- Jacob begins a 500 mile trip north, to Haran. At this point he has gone 60 miles to the city of Luz.

11- Jacob rests/sleeps at night. He uses rocks for pillows. Why rocks? Possibly because they hold the heat and also for spinal support.

12- Jacob dreams of a long ladder, reaching to heaven, with angels going up and down it.

13- God is above the ladder. God comes to speak with Jacob while he is alone.

14, 15 - God repeats the Abrahamic Covenant and also promises to never leave him.

The Most Important Decisions to Make in Life

Genesis 28:1-9

Esau hates jacob for getting the blessing
Evil begins in the heart, but we blame the Devil.
Esau’s plan began in his heart and thoughts.

Rebekah continues to try to manipulate Jacob’s life and make his decisions for him; now concerning a wife.

Isaac calls Jacob and tells him to go to Padan-Aram for a wife.
Isaac does not deal with life the same as Abraham.

Esau goes to the Ishmaelites for a wife, he already had a Canaanite wife
Ishmaelites symbolize our flesh in the Bible.
Esau is making his decisions in anger.

For Power, Prestige, and Provision, Part Three

Genesis 27: 33-43

33-34: Esau is upset because he didn’t get the birthright and blessing

35-36: Esau says Jacob is a deceiver

37: Isaac accepts the switch quickly, and tells Esau what the blessing was, that he told Jacob

38: Esau asks for a little bit of blessing

39-40: Esau’s blessing = provision supplied

41: Esau wants to Jacob
Matthew 5:23 Reconcile yourself to each other before you can fellowship with God

42: Rebekah sends Jacob away, never to see him again

For Power, Prestige, and Provision, Part One

Genesis 27: 1-10

1: Isaac calls for his son, Esau, his oldest son and favorite

2: Isaac is thinking of his age, 137

3 and 4: Isaac tells Esau to prepare a meal for him so that he can bless him

5: Rebekah heard the request and Esau went to prepare a meal. he was submissive because he was getting Isaac’s blessing.

6-9: Rebekah calls for Jacob and tells him of Isaac’s conversation and her plan.

10: Rebekah wants Jacob to get the blessing. Rebekah was asking Jacob to sin. He should’ve said no, respectfully.

No matter who Isaac blessed, God would have made His plan go the way He wanted it to.

Like Father Like Son, Part Two

Genesis 26:12-35

12-13: God blessed Isaac
Isaac’s occupation -crop grower and herdsman

14-15: The Philistines filled all of Abraham’s wells that he had dug, years before, with dirt because they didn’t like Isaac

16-17: Isaac moves to the Valley of Gerar

18: Isaac digs wells here after moving. Isaac is very much like his father, Abraham, in trying to keep peace with other herdsmen. (Lot)

19: Isaac found water and named the wells. The Philistines kept claiming the wells as their own.

23: Isaac went to Beer-sheba. This is the same place that God came to Abraham and told him of the covenant. Abraham built an altar and worshiped the Lord here.

25: Isaac built an altar here too, to worship the Lord.

26-29: Abimalech didn’t want Isaac there. He sees how God is blessing him and is afraid of him. Abimalech wants to make a covenant with him to keep peace.

30-33: The covenant was made for peace, Isaac leaves the area

34-35: Easu, Isaac’s son, takes a Canaanite to be his wife which makes Isaac and Rebekah sad. Esau is going against what his parents have taught him.