Genesis: a 12-session study

Session 8CLessons from

DeceptionGenesis 27:1 - 31:55

SUMMARYGenesis Structure

Genesis 1: wide angle view of creation Creation is ordered: first formed and then filled. God works 6 days,

then rests the 7th day. Rest is a gift from God. Genesis 2-4: close up view of Adam’s generation

Adam & Eve made in the image of God as rulers and priests. The Fall brings inherited sin. Cain kills Abel. Seth appointed.

Genesis 5-11: wide angle view of the nations Noah & The Flood. Shem, Ham, & Japheth. Tower of Babel.

Languages confused and people diffused across the world. Genesis 11-50: close up view of the nation of Israel

Terah (father of Abram, Nahor, & Haran; grandfather of Lot) Abram/Abraham (Sarah & Hagar) Ishmael & Isaac (Rebekah) Esau & Jacob/Israel (Leah & Zilpah, Rachel & Bilhah) 12 sons = 12

tribes Joseph

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (1)

Terah: Left for Canaan. Settled half-way. His son finished the journey.

Abram/Abraham: Went to Canaan faithfully. Went to Egypt fearfully. (Called Sarah

“sister”.) Came back to Canaan faithfully. Abram tithes to Melchizedek the king-priest of Salem (peace). God appeared and confirmed His covenant. Abram built altars. Abram rescued Lot. Lot escaped Sodom. Remember Lot’s wife. Abraham received covenant name, sign, son, place, and presence. Abimelech acknowledged that God was with Abraham. Treaty in

Gerar. Near sacrifice of Isaac. God’s substituted ram foreshadowed Christ. Return to Beersheba. Hagar & Keturah’s children sent away. Gifts given to Isaac. Sarah & Abraham buried in a cave in Canaan.

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (2)

Ishmael (slave) & Isaac (free): Ishmael born first, but Isaac received the covenant. Hagar cast out, but her son Ishmael still blessed. Before Abraham’s death, his servant finds a godly wife, Rebekah, for

Isaac. Ishmael & Isaac bury Abraham together. God’s blessing passes to Isaac. Isaac settles at Beer-lahai-roi (The Well of the Vision). Ishmael settles in Shur, to the west of Beer-lahai-roi. Isaac goes to Gerar, like Abraham. Isaac calls his wife his “sister”, like

Abraham. God protects Isaac’s wife. King Abimelech protects them, but later asks Isaac to leave because God

has blessed Isaac so much that the Philistines are jealous. Isaac reopens Abraham’s wells. Isaac goes to Beersheba. God appears, confirming His covenant yet again. Isaac builds an altar, pitches a tent, and builds a well. Abimelech makes a peace treaty with Isaac. Isaac imitates the faith and faithfulness of Abraham.

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (3)

Esau & Jacob God revealed to mother Rebekah that the older would serve the younger. Esau born first—didn’t value his birthright, sold it to Jacob for red stew. Esau took unbelieving wife (Judith the Hittite), made parents life bitter. Jacob took a believing wife, followed the faith of his father. Esau failed to understand his parents values. Rebekah helped Jacob deceive Isaac; he blessed Jacob instead of Esau. The deception wasn’t necessary as God had already revealed His will to Rebekah

while she was pregnant that the older Esau would serve the younger Jacob. To project Jacob from angry Esau, Rebekah convinces Isaac to send Jacob to

Paddan-Aram to find a wife. Isaac grants blessing of Abraham to Jacob. Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael (non-Canaanite) to placate his parents. Jacob encounters God in a dream at Bethel. Builds a pillar (not an altar). In Paddan-Aram, God leads Jacob to his wife, Rachel, daughter of Laban. Laban makes Jacob work 7 years for Rachel and gives her Leah. Jacob receives

Rachel, and works for Laban another 7 years. Jacob blessed with many children. Laban cheats Jacob out of a flock of sheep. Jacob works 6 years tending the

flock. God blessed Jacob with large flocks, servants, camels, and donkeys.

CLOSE-UP OF ISRAELPatriarchs, Parents, & Progeny (4)

Joseph“The Patriarchs”

Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. All of their wives were healed of

barrenness. This is the covenant line. The entire nation of Israel, God’s chosen

people, and Jesus’ earthly parents, Mary & her husband Joseph, descend from them.

The 12 “Tribes of Israel” (Jacob’s sons) SUMMARY from Genesis 29-30, 35

Leah Reuben ("see, a

son") Simeon ("heard")

Levi ("attached")

Judah ("praise")

Issachar ("wages")

Zebulun ("honor")

Bilhah, Rachel's Servant Dan ("judged")

Naphtali ("wrestling") Zilpah, Leah's Servant

Gad ("good fortune")

Asher ("happy") Rachel

Joseph ("He may add”)

Benjamin (“son of the right hand”) (Genesis 35)

Notice how Leah, who was “unloved” and even “hated” by her husband, was the one who received the most children from God.God honors His promise to multiply Abraham’s offspring!

THE BIG PICTUREGenesis 27-31

SIN BRINGS CONSEQUENCESJacob deceived and manipulated.Jacob’s sins wound his relationships.Jacob retreats in to personal exile.Jacob gets deceived and manipulated.CONSEQUENCES BRING MATURITYJacob’s consequences from sin

prepared him for his encounter with God at Bethel and beyond.

ISAAC/JACOB

ISHMAEL

HARAN/NAHOR (in Paddan-Aram)

about 550 milesABRAHAM/ BETHEL

Laban’s Family Jealous of JacobGenesis 31:1-3

God had blessed Jacob with the blessings of Abraham: large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Laban’s sons accused Jacob of stealing their father’s wealth. Laban’s sons forgot that their father had stolen all of Jacob’s

wages from the flock 6 years earlier and gave it to them. Laban’s sons failed to acknowledge God had blessed Jacob. Laban’s own attitude changed. He used to believe God blessed

him because of Jacob. He no longer regards Jacob favorably. God calls Jacob to go back. After 20 years, God chooses the timing. How long are we willing to wait for God’s timing? The LORD tells Jacob to return to the land of his father and his

kindred, and “I will be with you.” The irony of this is that Paddan-Aram is also the home of his

kindred. His own people that he had come to no longer welcomed him. This foreshadows Christ who came to his own people who did not

receive him. (John 1:11)

Jacob Explains to Rachel and LeahGenesis 31:4-16

Jacob calls Rachel & Leah to the field where the flock is. Your father doesn’t regard me as before, but God has been with me. Your father changed my wages 10 times, but God didn’t permit harm. If Laban said the “spotted” ones were the wages, the flock bore spotted. If Laban said the “striped” ones were the wages, the flock bore striped. God has given your father’s livestock to me this way. Jacob had another dream. The angel of God called, “Jacob”. Jacob said, “Here I am!” The goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled, for “I have

seen all that Laban is doing to you.” “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to

me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.” (v. 13)

Here is another instance of “the angel of God” being identified also as God himself. How can that be?

Is this another pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ? Rachel and Leah say they have been effectively disinherited by their father. Laban no longer regards his own daughters either. They acknowledge that although their father “devoured” their money, God has

provided for them and their children. “Whatever God has said to you, do.” (v. 16)

Jacob’s Family Flees Laban’s FamilyGenesis 31:17-30

Jacob put his sons and wives on camels and drove the livestock on ahead.

Rachel stole her father’s household gods while Laban was shearing his sheep.

Jacob tricked Laban by fleeing secretly. He crossed the river (Euphrates) and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

Laban found out on the 3rd day. Remember that all deception is temporary! He his relatives pursued Jacob for 7 days. God appeared in a dream to Laban, telling him not to say anything to

Jacob, good or bad. Laban caught up to Jacob in Gilead and confronted him. Laban falsely accuses Jacob of taking Laban’s daughters “captive.” But

they are Jacob’s wives and did go willingly. Laban claimed, had he known, he would have given a great sendoff (joy,

songs, tambourine, lyre). Laban wished to harm Jacob, but God told him not to in a dream. Laban understands that Jacob desired to go home. Laban accuses Jacob of stealing his household gods. Jacob doesn’t know that Rachel stole them!

Laban Searches For His “gods”Genesis 31:31-35

Jacob tells Laban he was afraid Laban would take back his daughters by force.

But Jacob told Rachel & Leah he was leaving due to losing favor with Laban, Laban changing his wages, and the dream about the angel of God.

Jacob allows Laban to search for his “household gods,” saying whoever has them “shall not live” and that Laban can take them back.

These “gods” (Hebrew: “terapim”) may have been small figurines. Jacob still doesn’t know that Rachel took them. Laban searches the tents of Jacob, Leah, the two female servants

(Zilpah & Bilhah), and then Rachel. Rachel hid the “gods” under the camel’s saddle and sat on it,

deceiving her father by claiming she couldn’t stand up while he searched because she was having her menstrual cycle. To stay “clean”, he can’t touch her.

Rachel imitated her father as a master deceiver. Children watch their parents’ behavior, good and bad. Scripture doesn’t condone Rachel's actions, but it simply reveals an

honest history of the family.

Jacob Confronts LabanGenesis 31:36-42

When Laban fails to find his “gods”, Jacob becomes “angry and berated”. He’s really mad!

Jacob asks what he has done wrong that Laban pursued him? Did he find the “gods”? No!

Jacob says he served faithfully 20 years! Jacob cared for the flock carefully, so there were no miscarriages while

giving birth. Jacob didn’t eat the rams. (This indicates taking care without taking

advantage of what he had access to.) Jacob bore the loss of attacks by wild animals and the loss of stolen

animals. Jacob says he was hot by day, cold by night, and often sleepless also. Jacob points out that he served 14 years for 2 daughters, 6 years for

the flock, and Laban changed his wages 10 times. Jacob is convinced that without God’s help, Laban would have sent Jacob

away empty-handed. But God rebuked Laban in a dream. Jacob refers to God as “the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and

the Fear of Isaac”. “Fear of Isaac” means the one Isaac feared and respected: namely Yahweh, the God of Abraham.

Laban Makes a Covenant with JacobGenesis 31:42-50

Laban still claims the daughters, children, and flocks are all his. Laban proposes a covenant with Jacob. Jacob set up a stone as a pillar. Although the pillar is designed to commemorate God as a witness to this

covenant of non-violence, Jacob is still building pillars instead of altars. Jacob tells his relatives to gather stones. They create a heap of stones

and ate there. (Covenant meal.) Laban called it “Jegar-sahadutha” or “the heap of witness” in Aramaic. Jacob called it “Galeed” or “the heap of witness” in Hebrew. Eventually the area around “Galeed” would become known as “Gilead.”

Gilead would become known for healing medicines. Jacob also called it by a second name: Mizpah (Hebrew: “watchpost”). The “watchpost” may refer to the pillar stone that Jacob setup. “The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s

sight.” (Gen. 31:49) Notice there are two witnesses: the pillar and the heap. The one pillar, set up by Jacob, reflects his belief in the one true God. The heap of stones, by the relatives, reflects their belief in many “gods”. The pillar (and stones) represent that God (and their “gods”) witnessed it.

Covenant Completed. Laban Leaves.

Genesis 31:51-55 Laban confirms the covenant. The heap & pillar are witnesses between them. Laban won’t pass over the heap & pillar to Jacob. Jacob won’t pass over the heap & pillar to Laban. Laban refers to God as, “the God of Abraham and the God

of Nahor, the God of their father,” but not as the God of Laban. Jacob swore an oath by “the Fear of his father Isaac,” meaning

his God: Yahweh. Jacob offers a sacrifice. They ate bread and spent the night. Early in the morning Laban kissed and blessed his daughters

and grandchildren. Laban leaves. The two witnesses and the sacrifice indicate the Jacob isn’t

willing to leave his faith for the sake of this treaty. The faith of Abraham and Isaac has become the faith of Jacob.

DISCUSSIONGenesis 31

1. Why was Laban’s family jealous of Jacob?2. How did Jacob know it was time to go home?3. How are Jacob’s old ways still evident, fleeing from Uncle Laban?4. How do Laban’s accusations reveal his attitude toward Jacob?5. How do Rachel’s actions reveal what she learned from her

father?6. How is Christ foreshadowed in this chapter?7. What does “The Fear of Isaac” mean?8. Do we still “fear” and “respect” God? Why or why not?9. How do we know that Jacob is developing his own faith?10. What do the pillar & heap represent?11. Does our “altar” serve as a “witness”?12. What “covenant meal” do we have? 13. How do we resist the forces of culture and pass true faith along?