Genesis Chapter 28

Rebekah wanted the very best for her son Jacob. She wanted him to marry a girl from her family line rather than the Canaanite women that lived around them. With the blessing of both parents Jacob was sent to find a wife from the family of Laban. From that future union of husband and wife the blessings of Abraham would be passed on to Jacob.

This made his twin brother more than a little jealous and Esau, in his misguided way, decided to also take a wife from those who were not Canaanite to try to please his father. Esau had already taken wives, so this new idea was not going to please his father at all. Both boys had a lot to learn about walking in obedience to God.

Let's Reflect

1. What was the relation of Laban to Rebekah – the relative that Jacob was going to visit in hopes of finding a future wife?

2. Why did Esau hope to please his father by taking a wife from the family of Ishmael, his uncle?

3. As Jacob travelled nighttime arrived and he lay down on the ground to go to sleep. What did he use for a pillow?

4. Jacob had a dream that night where God talked to him directly. What was in the dream showing Jacob that God was willing to have intimate communication with him?

5. God promised to bless the offspring of Jacob and to make his offspring very numerous. His family would be as numerous as the dust of the earth. In what direction did God promise to spread His blessings as a result of the family line that would come through Jacob?

6. The greatest promise that God gave to Jacob is found in verse 15, what was it?

7. Jacob had some maturing to do. He stood the stone up and made a promise to God if God would take care of him. This was exactly the promise God had already made to Jacob. What did Jacob call the place where God talked to him?

“That God should give to Jacob bread to eat and raiment to put on was much, but it is nothing compared with ‘I am with thee.’ That God should send his angel with Jacob to protect him would have been much; but it is nothing compared with, ‘I am with thee.’ This includes countless blessings, but it is in itself a great deal more than all the blessings we can conceive of.” [Spurgeon]