Jacob’s Family Grows

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Introduction

We have been looking at Isaac and Rebekah’s family, and we will continue that study today. But let’s get our bearings and remember where we are in the storyline. We are tracing the promise from Abraham down through his family. Remember that Rebekah had received a prophecy that Jacob would rule over his older brother, Esau.

• • Write on the board, “What is the connection between Jacob and Jesus?”
  What event did we discuss last week? Jacob stole the blessing from Esau.
• Who were the ones involved in the deception? Rebekah commanded Jacob to deceive his father, Isaac.
• How did Esau react to Jacob’s deception? Esau was seeking a way to kill Jacob.

  We read in the closing verse of chapter 27 that Rebekah did not want Jacob to marry one of the Hittite women as Esau had done. She brought this concern to Isaac, and Isaac’s response is where we pick up the account.

Jacob Flees to Haran

Today we will hear an echo of a previous account. At this point, it has been 97 years since Rebekah left Haran to marry Isaac. Abraham had sent his servant to Haran to get a wife for Isaac so that he did not marry one of the pagan women of Canaan. God blessed the trip, and Rebekah left her brother Laban’s household to marry her cousin Isaac. Now there will be another trip to Haran.

We are going to back up to pick up the few verses at the end of chapter 27. We’ll be reading Genesis 27:46–28:9. Assign a reader.

Isaac has sent Jacob to find a wife from the family of his uncle, Bethuel. As he does, he blesses Jacob and asks God to continue the promise made to Abraham through him. Rebekah has succeeded in getting Jacob away from his brother so that they would not both wind up dead as she feared.

It also seems that Esau has sought to curry his father’s favor by marrying into the family of his uncle Ishmael. He takes his cousin Mahalath as a wife, bringing the count to three.

Let’s read Genesis 28:10–22 together and look at what happens as Jacob departs for Haran. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• Where did Jacob begin his travels? Beersheba.
• What happened as Jacob slept? He received a dream from God.
• What did Jacob see in the dream? He saw a ladder stretching from earth up to heaven with angels moving up and down upon it. It is also possible to translate “ladder” as “stairway.”
• Who stood at the top of the ladder? The Lord.
• What do you notice about the word Lord in your Bible? Most translations will set this in small caps. This indicates this is YHWH (Yahweh).
• How did God introduce himself? The Lord God of Abraham and Isaac.
• What promises did God make to Jacob? He would give Jacob and his descendants the land of Canaan; his descendants would be as numerous as the dust; his descendants would be spread widely; in Jacob and his seed all the nations would be blessed; God would keep him and bless him wherever he went; God would return Jacob to the land of Canaan; God would keep his promise.
• Where have we heard this before? The same promise was given to Abraham and to Isaac.
• What phrase did God use to describe the number of Jacob’s descendants? Here we see the descendants compared to the “dust of the earth” (also in 13:16) where the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore were used previously (15:5, 22:17).
• What did the ladder represent? The ladder represented some type of mediation or interaction between heaven and earth. Angels are messengers, so this indicates that God was interacting with those on earth.
• When Jacob awoke, how did he respond to his dream? He was moved with fear, knowing that God was in that place with him.
• How did Jacob mark the place? He made an altar/pillar of the stone he had slept on and anointed it with oil and then vowed to serve God and to tithe.
• How did Jacob desire to return to his father’s house? In peace.
• What did Jacob call that place? Bethel. This was about 50 miles north of Beersheba along his 500-mile route north to Haran.
• What does Bethel mean (v. 22)? “Beth” means “house,” and “el” means “God”—”House of God.”

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  What connection does John 1:49–51 have with this passage? Have someone read the passage. Jesus said to his newly appointed disciples that they would see heaven open and the angels ascending and descending upon himself. This passage is clearly an allusion to Jacob’s dream and a connection between the Old and New Testaments.
• What replaced the ladder in verse 51? Jesus, the Son of Man, put himself in the place of the ladder as he would be the mediator between God and man.

Discover the Truth

Just as God had promised land, descendants, and blessing to Abraham and Isaac, he now offered that same promise to Jacob, in accord with Isaac’s blessing of Jacob. Jacob was given a vision of angels moving to and from heaven as a sign of reassurance that God was intimately involved with the affairs of the earth. This was a clear sign to Jacob that God was able to accomplish what he had promised—another reminder to us of God’s faithfulness and sovereignty. Bethel is approximately in the middle of the land promised to Abraham, so it is a fitting place for Jacob to have received the continuation of the blessing.

As Jesus referred back to this dream some 1,800 years later, an allusion his new disciples would surely have recognized, he placed himself as the ladder. He was pointing to his role as the mediator, through which God would bless all nations. The promise of the Seed that had been given to Abraham and Isaac was now given to Jacob. While Jacob was looking forward to the promise, Jesus is the one that we now place our trust in to see God’s promise fulfilled. But before that promise could be fulfilled, Jacob needed a wife.

Jacob and Laban

Let’s look next at Genesis 29:1–30. As we begin, Jacob has traveled the 500 miles from Beersheba north to Haran. In modern terms, he went from southern Israel to southern Turkey. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• How was this encounter similar to the time Eliezer came to Haran seeking a wife? There was an immediate encounter at the well with a woman who would become the wife. Both men were gladly received into the home by the patriarch.
• What was different? Jacob did not come with servants and gifts as Eliezer had. Rebekah watered Eliezer’s camels, but Jacob watered all of Rachel’s flock.
• Did anyone accompany Jacob? There is no indication that anyone was with him.
• Whom did Jacob encounter at the well? Shepherds from Haran.
• What did they inform him of? They told him they knew Laban and that his daughter Rachel was approaching the well.
• How did Jacob respond to Rachel? He rolled the stone away from the well to water her flock and greeted her with kisses and wept aloud, presumably for joy.
• How did Rachel respond when she learned who Jacob was? She ran to tell her father.
• How were Jacob and Laban related? Since Rebekah and Laban were brother and sister, Laban was Jacob’s uncle.
• How were Rachel and Jacob related? They were cousins.
• How was Jacob received by Laban? He was received with joyful kisses and invited into Laban’s home
• What figure of speech did Laban use to describe their connection? He called Jacob his bone and flesh to indicate their close relationship.
• What was Jacob doing for the first month? He was serving in Laban’s household, apparently as any other servant.
• What did Laban ask Jacob, based on their relationship? He asked him what wages he desired for the work he was doing in his household.
• What did Jacob ask for? He was willing to serve Laban seven years to be given Rachel as a wife.
• Did Laban accept? He agreed, even noting that it was good for her to marry in the family.
• How does this relate to the difference we noted in Eliezer’s trip? Jacob had no gifts to offer to the father as a dowry, so he had to work for the dowry.
• What does the narrator introduce in verse 16? Before we hear Jacob’s answer, the narrator tells us that Rachel had an older sister, Leah.
• What do we learn about Leah? She was the older daughter and had “weak eyes.” This figure of speech seems to indicate some type of blemish since it is contrasted with Rachel’s beauty. It is not exactly clear what this idiom means.
• What do we learn about Rachel? She was the younger and was beautiful in form and appearance.
• Why did Jacob ask for Rachel rather than Leah? He loved Rachel.
• How did Jacob respond to the seven years of waiting? They seemed like a few days to him because of his love for Rachel.
• After the seven years, how did Laban respond to Jacob’s request for his wife? Laban prepared a feast and invited many people.
• What deception did Laban perpetrate? He gave Leah to Jacob rather than Rachel.
• What is significant about the timing mentioned in verse 23? Laban waited until evening when it would have been dark and easier to deceive Jacob. It is also probable that the bride would be wearing a veil until the consummation of the marriage, so the identity could be concealed.
• Was Leah aware of the plan? While the text doesn’t explicitly say, she must have been approached by Laban and given instructions.
• What does the figure of speech “he went into her” in verse 23 mean? This is a euphemism for consummating the marriage with a sexual relationship. This is similar to “he knew his wife” as we have seen previously.
• How did Jacob learn of the deception? It seems that in the light of morning he could see it was Leah he had slept with, not Rachel.
• What reason did Laban give when Jacob confronted him about the deception? Laban said it was the custom for the oldest daughter to be married first.
• Did Laban deceive Jacob? Yes.
• What consolation did Laban offer Jacob? After one week, Laban would also give Rachel to Jacob. The one week is likely part of a wedding custom similar to our idea of a honeymoon, so Jacob was expected to attend to Leah for that period.
• What additional requirement did Laban add? He required seven more years of service for Rachel.
• Did Jacob have to wait seven more years to marry Rachel? No, he was married to her and then worked for seven more years as verse 30 makes clear.
• What gift did Laban give his daughters? He gave a servant to each—Zilpah to Leah and Bilhah to Rachel.
• What do we learn about Jacob’s relationship to his wives? He loved Rachel more than Leah.

Discover the Truth

Well, I think we can see that quite a complex web of interactions and deceptions has brought us to this point. After arriving in Haran, Jacob was warmly received into his uncle Laban’s household. Even though he immediately knew that he wished to have Rachel as a wife, he would have to work seven years to earn that privilege. But then came the twist!

• What is notable about Jacob being deceived by Laban? It seems that Jacob had received in return what he had done to others in the past. The deceiver became the deceived.
• How do you think Rachel, Leah, and Jacob would get along? Allow discussion. There would prove to be great friction among them.

  We will see how Laban’s deception brought negative consequences to Leah and her relationship with Jacob and Rachel.

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  In all of this, we can see the consequences of sin and how those consequences are carried far into the future. Jacob’s sins forced him to flee for his life, abandoning his family. Laban’s sins brought great conflict into his family, and we will see that play out as we move forward. Compounding this is the fact that Leah immediately had children and Rachel was barren. If time allows, read Genesis 29:31–30:8.

Twelve Tribes Activity

Despite all these sinful acts, God was still accomplishing the plans he had established. God had promised to give Jacob many descendants and had promised that the Seed would come through his line. The unfolding of that plan is found here in Genesis 29 and 30. I would like you to take a few minutes to read through Genesis 29:31 to 30:24 and identify the sons that were born to Jacob and his wives. Have the students complete the activity in their Student Guides. If you are not using the Student Guides, print the activity and pass it out.

Connect to the Truth

One thing we can be certain of is that God intends to produce many descendants through Jacob and his 12 sons. Discuss the answers with the students.

Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun

Zilpah: Gad and Asher

Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin

Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali

• Who named the sons born to the maidservants? Leah named those born to Zilpah (e.g., 30:11), and Rachel named those born to Bilhah (e.g., 30:6). Each name’s meaning is described.
• Who was the eldest son? Reuben, born to Leah.
• Who is the only daughter mentioned? Dinah, born to Leah.
• What more do you learn about the relationship between Jacob and his wives? More detail is given about the strife in the relationships. It is clear that Rachel was loved more than Leah. Leah mentions several times that she thinks having the newest son will make Jacob love her.

  These 12 sons are the ones who will be known as the 12 Tribes of Israel. As we move forward in the text, these tribes will be important in the founding of national Israel. Also, we find the tribes mentioned in the book of Revelation. So, from Genesis to Revelation, these tribes are important for us to recognize as we seek to understand God’s plan to bring the Messiah into the world.

Application

The promise given to Abraham was passed on to his son Isaac and now to Isaac’s son Jacob. We can see God’s faithfulness as we trace the history of the promises being passed from generation to generation. Even in the messy, sinful situations that have been recorded for us, God is sovereign. Through Rebekah’s deception and manipulation and Laban’s deception and manipulation, God brought about the descendants he had promised to Jacob. There was still a lot of turmoil, but God’s character was consistent. He had proclaimed his promise and would bring it to pass.

As we consider these things, we can probably all recognize the consequences of sin in our relationships. We can see instances where we have sought to manipulate others to get our own way or to bring about things in our own timing.

The good news is that we can see the turmoil brought about by these sinful actions and learn from them. But greater still is knowing that even when we do fail, we know that the Star that came out of Jacob (Numbers 24:17; Revelation 22:16) has died for our sins and offers us his righteousness.

Let us make sure that we think of how we can apply these ideas as we leave and go out into the world we live in. We want to make sure that we are not merely hearing the Word, but seeking to be doers of what we read in it.

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  What did you learn (or were reminded of) today that reminded you of the character of God? Discuss various answers, including God’s faithfulness even when we fail to obey him and God’s sovereignty as he carefully directs all the events.
• Have you ever experienced turmoil in your family like we see recorded here in the life of Jacob? How does this passage bring you hope? Discuss various answers.
• Was it wrong for Jacob to take his cousins or two women as his wives and also their servants to father more children? At this point, there was no prohibition of close marriages. There had been no clear prohibition of plural marriage, but it was not God’s intent from creation. Later, prohibitions were given to the Israelites and the marrying of one’s sister was prohibited (Leviticus 18:18), and kings were not to “multiply wives” (Deuteronomy 17:17). We can see the clear consequences of violating God’s intent for marriage in the turmoil created by the competition and favoritism.
• How would you respond to someone who used Jacob as an example of marriage having multiple expressions in the Bible in order to claim that marriage doesn’t have to be between one man and one woman? Discuss various answers, noting especially that just because the Bible records something does not mean that it condones it. God’s clear intent for marriage from the beginning was one man and one woman for life.
• How does the Eastern concept of karma compare to what we read about in Scripture, especially in light of Jacob, the deceiver, being deceived by Laban? Most people think of karma as getting what is coming to you. If you lie, others will lie to you. “What goes around comes around” is a common way to express this idea. In Eastern thought, karma is a rule of the universe that is irreversible and impersonal—evil people will always receive evil. This does not align with biblical teaching. In the case of Jacob, he sinned against God and should have received death as a result. But God chose to use Jacob to bring the Savior into the world. Jacob surely reaped the consequences of his sin in a temporal sense. This “reaping and sowing principle” is found in several places in Scripture as a proverbial teaching (Job 4:8; Proverbs 11:18–21; Galatians 6:7), but God exercises mercy in many cases. We who are in Christ will not get the punishment we deserve because Christ has received that in our place. We may experience temporal consequences for our sin (or even the sin of others), but we can trust that a loving God is always involved (Romans 8:28–30).

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your class before you dismiss them.

• Praise God for his faithfulness in keeping his promises.
• Ask God for restoration in broken relationships.
• Thank God for revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly to us in Scripture.