Supporting Cast (The Bible is the story of God. It was written by God through the inspiration of His Holy Spirit. It reveals who God is so that people might repent and put their faith in the One true God. There are many other characters in Scripture that God uses in amazing ways but their role in God s story is to bring glory to God by trusting in Him, walking with Him and obeying His commands.) Jacob Looking for Laban Genesis 29:1-14 (shows up at well with 3 flocks and shepherds there. Asks about Laban & they confirm that they know him and that he s doing well. here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep Jacob waters her sheep, kisses her, weeps and tells of his relation. Rachel runs to tell her father Laban. He hurries out to meet Jacob, embraced him, kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told him all things.) Will Work for Wife Genesis 29:14b-30 Genesis 29:14b-30 After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be. 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak [a] eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, I ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel. 19 Laban said, It s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me. 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her. 22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant. 25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn t I? Why have you deceived me? 26 Laban replied, It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work. 28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
#Squad Genesis 29:31-30:24 Leah o Reuben o Simeon o Levi o Judah Bilhah Rachel s Servant o Dan o Naphtali Zilpah Leah s Servant o Gad o Asher Leah o Issachar o Zebulun Rachel o Joseph o (later Rachel has Benjamin) Spotted, Streaked and Strong Genesis 30:25-43 (After Joseph s birth, send me on my way. Please stay, the Lord has blessed me because of you. Name your wage. I ve worked hard, you ve increased greatly, the Lord has blessed you wherever I ve been. When can I do something for my own household? What shall I give you? Don t give me anything. ) The Agreement o Genesis 30:31-34 31 What shall I give you? he asked. Don t give me anything, Jacob replied. But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen. 34 Agreed, said Laban. Let it be as you have said. (Laban removes streaked and spotted that day and gives to his sons. Jacob Plan & God s Provision o The Strong get the sticks and the weak don t. Jacob Prospers o Genesis 30:43 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Flee from Father-in-Law Genesis 31:1-21 Time to Go o Genesis 31:1-16 Jacob heard that Laban s sons were saying, Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father. 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban s attitude toward him was not what it had been. 3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you. 4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, I see that your father s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, The speckled ones will be your wages, then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, The streaked ones will be your wages, then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father s livestock and has given them to me. 10 In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob. I answered, Here I am. 12 And he said, Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land. 14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father s estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you. (Headed home to father Isaac in Canaan. Loads up wives, children, livestock and possessions Rachel steals Laban s household gods Run away without telling Laban) Not So Easy Genesis 31:22-55 (Laban finds out on the third day and catches up to them by day 10. Why didn t you tell me? Why steal my gods? I was afraid that you wouldn t let me. If someone has your gods they shall not live. Laban searches tents but Rachel is sitting on them. Jacob is angry and took Laban to task. A covenant is made between Jacob and Laban / Pillar and heap as witnesses Laban kisses daughters & grandkids, blesses them and leaves.)
Coming Back Afraid Genesis 32:1-21 (Angels of God / The Camp of God! Sends messengers to Esau to find favor. Messengers return: Esau is coming and he s not alone. / 400 men Jacob separates into 2 camps.) Jacob s Prayer o Genesis 32:9-12 9 Then Jacob prayed, O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD, you who said to me, Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper, 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted. (Jacob s plan to pacify / many herds as gifts sent with servants. Gifts sent ahead of him but he stays at camp.) Time to Wrestle Genesis 32:22-32 Genesis 32:22-32 22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, Let me go, for it is daybreak. But Jacob replied, I will not let you go unless you bless me. 27 The man asked him, What is your name? Jacob, he answered. 28 Then the man said, Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, [f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome. 29 Jacob said, Please tell me your name. But he replied, Why do you ask my name? Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, [g] saying, It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared. 31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, [h] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob s hip was touched near the tendon.
Keep Holding On James 1:12 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.