Genesis 35:1-5 Back to Bethel
God told Jacob to go back to Bethel and build an altar to the Lord. Before the journey, Jacob made his household fix up some things to prepare them for Bethel, “the house of God.” He told them to: Put Away the Strange Gods (v.2) Comparing this passage with Gen. 31:30, it looks […]
Genesis 34:14-31 Unholy Alliances
In this text we find the major components of most political alliances. Even though they sound good on the surface, they all fail just like this one did. Political alliances are often made possible by: The Promise of National Unity – v.16 Jacob’s sons promised Hamor and Shechem that “we will become […]
Genesis 34:1-13 Shechem defiles Dinah
Dinah “went out to see the daughters of the land,” and wound up in trouble with a young man named Shechem. He lay with her and then decided that he wanted to marry her. Of course, this infuriated her brothers and defiled her body. The Bible shows us in this passage several things about […]
Genesis 33:1-20 Jacob meets Esau
After such a great prayer meeting with God in Genesis 32, Jacob should have been ready to meet Esau without any fear or reservation. He should not have worried about dividing up his family or sending out the droves. He should have been ready to go all the way to Bethel and worship God […]
Genesis 32 Jacob Prepares to meet Esau
A Portrayal of Protection, v. 1-2 Jacob met the angels that he had seen on the ladder in Gen. 28:12-15. He called the place where he met them, “Mahanaim,” which means “two hosts.” A Portrayal of Precaution, v. 3-6 Jacob sent out messengers to tell Esau that he had great possessions (Lk. 12:15), […]
Genesis 31 Jacob heads Home
Genesis 31 Jacob heads Home CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO Jacob Decides to Leave (1-3) Jacob decided to leave for three reasons. First, his brothers-in-law were mad because he had ripped off their father. Second, Laban was mad because Jacob had outsmarted him. Third, the Lord told him it was time to go. Jacob […]
Genesis 30 Jacob’s Family Troubles
Rachel’s Envy (1-2) Envy is a feeling of discontent and resentment over another’s desirable possessions (Gen. 26:14; 37:11; Matt. 27:18). Rachel envied Leah because Leah could have children and she couldn’t. She was so mad that she threatened Jacob with suicide. She could have prayed, instead, like Hannah did (1 Sam. 1:10-11). Rachel’s […]
Genesis 29 Jacob runs to Laban
Jacob Journeys to Haran (1-6) Haran is located in the southern region of Turkey, just above the northern border of Syria. It is the place where Abraham’s father, Terah, took his family when they left Ur of the Chaldees. Evidently, the city was named for Abraham’s brother, Haran, Lot’s father, who died before they […]
Genesis 28 Jacob’s Ladder
Genesis 28 Jacob’s Ladder CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO Jacob ran away from Esau and obeyed his parents command to not marry a Canaanite woman. On Jacob’s way to Padanaram, the home of Laban, Rebekah’s brother, the Lord spoke with him in a dream about a ladder. In the meantime, Esau, in order to appease his […]
Genesis 27:30-46 Esau’s Blessing
When Esau returned from hunting and cooking, he was shocked to find out that Jacob had stolen his blessing. Esau wept, begged for a blessing and received it, and decided to kill his brother. So, Rebekah sent Jacob away to her brother Laban until Esau could cool off. There are two benefits to […]