7/29/2019 Ancients Family Discussion Guide Sample

1/1

DISCUSSIONGUIDEFORANCIENTS,WEEK6:

TheAssyrians,GilgameshandJacob

DiscusstheuniquedetailsaboutIsaacslifefromtheIsaacTriviasectionoftheCompanion. MakesureyourstudentsunderstandthatJacobsnamemeans,figuratively,deceiver.PointoutthatJacob

willdomorethanhisshareofdeceivingandbeingdeceived.

Holdaninfamilydiscussiononthepitfallsofparentschoosingfavorites. Ifyouwanttolookahead,pointoutthatJacobwasnottheonlyyoungerbrotherwhosurpassedhisolder

brothers:Joseph,sonofJacobalsosurpassedallofhisolderbrothers,asdidKingDavidandhisson

Solomon.

Discussthegreatimportanceofbirthrightsandblessings.Explainthatthesonwiththefirstbornsblessingreceivedadoubleshareofhisfathersinheritancetwiceasmuchlandandwealthastheothersons

received.

PointoutthatJacobsblessinghadaunique,almostsacredqualityoncegiven,itcouldnotberepeated,eventhoughJacobandRebekahhaddeceivedIsaacinordertogetit.

AssignrolesandactoutthesevenpartsofIsaacsblessingtoJacob. DiscusswhatJacobsvisionoftheangelfilledheavenlystairwayGodmeansthatJacobistheinheritorof

thepromisesthatGodmadetoAbraham.

DiscussthesimilaritiesbetweenJacobandAbrahamsservantlistedintheCompanion. RetellthetaleoftrickerybetweenJacobandhiscousin/fatherinlawLaban. RetellthetaleoftherivalrythatarisesbetweenRachel,Leahandtheirmaids.DiscussJacobsroleinwhat

happenedbetweenthewives.

MakesurethatyourstudentsknowhowmanychildrenJacobhadtwelveandthatthelasttwo,JosephandBenjamin,wereJacobsfavoritesbecausetheycamefromhisfavoritewife,Rachel.Notethatthough

RachelwasthefavoritewifeofJacob,JesuswasdescendedfromJudahwhowasLeahsson.

ExaminethestrangetaleofJacobwrestlingwiththemysteriousstrangerfromGenesis32:2232thetaleinwhichJacobreceiveshisnewname,Israel.Ask:Doesthisstoryseemlikesomethingthatreallyhappened,

ordoesitseemmorelikeadream?Whetheritisrealoradream,howwouldyouinterpretit?Some

interpretittomeanthatitwastheHebrewpeoplesdestinynevertostopstrivingagainstGod,andneverto

beabandonedbyHim.

DiscussJacobssheepbreedingabilities! ReviewanddiscusstheeventsintheEpicofGilgamesh.CompareUtnapishtim,thelonesurvivorofthe

Gilgamesh

flood

story,

with

Noah.