Print Friendly, PDF & Email
I. Genesis 29
a. Read Verses 1-20 we meet Jacob’s future wives. Rebekah’s brother Laban had two daughters. 
  1. Leah the oldest Rachel the younger.
  2. Rachel was a shepherdess v.9.
  3. Jacob loved Rachel and agreed to work for Laban seven years for his younger daughter Rachel

ii. Laban the deceiver.

  1. Read Genesis 29:21-30.
    a. Laban pulled a Jacob on Jacob and deceived him not wishing to dishonor Leah.
    b. Jacob works for fourteen years to get Rachel his wife. 
  2. Leah bares children.
    a. Read Genesis 29:31-35.
    i. The four children of Leah.
    1.Reuben
    2. Simeon
    3. Levi
    4. Judah

ii. Genesis 30 – Sin Repeat

a. Deuteronomy 5:9 – I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.
i.Genesis 16:1-2 – Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go into my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.”
ii. Read Genesis 30:1-9.
a. More Children from Bilhah.
i. Dan
ii. Naphtali
iii. Read Genesis 30:9-13 – Sin knows no end
a. Leah’s Turn
i. Zilpah
1. Gad
2. Asher
b. Leah has another baby Issachar v. 18 and another in v. 20 Zebulun.

1. Rachel’s prayer is heard v. 22-24
a. Joseph is born.
b. Benjamin is born in Gen 35:19.
12 Sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.

III.  Gods Favor with Jacob
a. Read Genesis 30:25-30.
a. Who was blessing Laban by Jacob?
b. Jacob understands it is time to move on v. 30.
b. Read Genesis 30:31-36.
a. V. 32 Jacob gets the spotted, speckled and black lamb and spotted speckled goats.
i. Verse 33 – Jacob has integrity.
b. Laban pulls another Jacob v. 35 and removes all the speckled and spotted out of the flock.
c. Jacob remains true to his word.
a.Read Genesis 30:37-43.
i. Either Divine revelation or Jacob shepherding for 14 years led Jacob to have the animals breed in front of sticks peeled so they would bring forth animals with spots and stripes. 
ii. We can assume that these were few in the beginning, therefore Laban agreed to it, and he even pulled out the animals and had his sons shepherd them v. 35. 
1. What was left for Jacob was very few.
2. Jacob wanted his wages for the years working for him, Laban stated that it was because of Jacob that the Lord has blessed him v. 27. 

IIII. Read Genesis 31:1-4.

a. God calls Jacob to return to the land of his fathers.
b. Read verses 4-16
i. How did Jacob know what to do v. 10-13?
c. Verses 17-21 – Jacob leaves for the land that has been promised to Abraham, Isaac and himself.

IV. God is building his Kingdom and He chose to do it through sinners.  Recall Romans 9:14-16 -Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”