BibleNote

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Jacob’s Family

Lesson 7

Genesis 29:1-30:24

Jacob was the also the covenant son. God established the twelve tribes through Jacob’s descendants. Even though Jacob had many good and weak point in his character and marriage life, God used him preciously.

God used Jacob’s selfish ambition and affection for a woman to fulfill his will.

In all things God works for good for his good purpose despite human weaknesses.

1. Read 29:1-14a. How did Jacob meet Rachel? Who was Rachel? (9-10,17) Why did Jacob act like this before Rachel? (11) How did Laban respond to Jacob’s visit?

Jacob obeyed his mother Rebekah’s direction that he left for Paddan Aram, his uncle’s house. On the way at Bethel, he built a pillar, the altar of prayer and made a vow to God.

Jacob met Rachael who was the second daughter of Laban, his uncle, a shepherdess (9), she had a lovely figure and was beautiful. (17)

Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. (11) He was very emotional when he saw Rachel. This was the expression of his thanks to God for answering his prayer, who had led him to his destination safe and sound. Jacob showed his weakness so that he might have gain affection from Rachel.

Laban hurried to meet Jacob and kissed him, welcomed him. “you are my own flesh and blood.” (13,14)

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. ² There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. ³ When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. ⁴ Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Harran,” they replied.⁵ He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered. ⁶ Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?” “Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” ⁷ “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.” ⁸ “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.” ⁹ While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. ¹⁰ When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. ¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. ¹² He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father. ¹³ As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. ¹⁴ Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

1. Read 14b-30. How was Jacob’s marriage initiated? Describe Jacob’s love for Rachel (20) How did Laban trick Jacob in his marriage? (23-25) How long did Jacob work for Rachel in Laban’s house?

Laban initiated Jacob’s marriage for the sake of his business and daughters.

v.18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I will work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”....So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” (20)

V. 23 on the first night of his wedding, Laban gave Leah his first daughter to Jacob instead of Rachel.

V 26, Laban made an excuse for his cheat by saying that it was because of his custom.

Jacob worked for Rachel for 21 years.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

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.

1. Read 31-35. Why did God not open the womb of Rachel, but of Leah? How and why did Leah and Rachel compete in child bearing? Read 30:1-24. Name Jacob’s sons and describe the meaning of each name.

God saw that Leah was not loved by Jacob, but Rachel. So God opened the womb of Leah to conceive babies. Our God is the God of comfort, God of compassion, God of justice. Our God loves all and love fairly.

Leah was not satisfied with four children for her husband's love, so she gave her maidservant Zilpa for more children.

Rachel was so jealous and upset because her sister Leah got four sons, so she gave her maidservant Bilhah for children in her place.

From Leah: Reuben: means: see my misery

Simeon: I am not loved

Levi: Attached to me

Judah: Praise the Lord

Bilha (Rachel’s servant):

Dan: God vindicated me

Napthali: struggle

Zilpa: (Leah’s servant):

Gad: good fortune

Asher: Happy

Leah: Issachar: rewarded me

Zebulun: honor

(Dinah:) daughter

Rachel: Joseph: added

Benjamin: Genesis 35:17-18 Means “the Son of my right hand.”

Jacob’s Children

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,^[b] for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” ³³ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^{[c] 34} Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.^{[d] 35} She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.^[e] Then she stopped having children.

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” ² Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” ³ Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.” ⁴ So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, ⁵ and she became pregnant and bore him a son. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.^{[a] 7} Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.^{[b] 9} When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”^[c] So she named him Gad.^{[d] 12} Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.^{[e] 14} During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁵ But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁶ So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. ¹⁷ God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.^{[f] 19} Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.^{[g] 21} Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. ²² Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. ²³ She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” ²⁴ She named him Joseph,^[h] and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”

1. Describe the atmosphere of Jacob’s family. What can you learn about the God of Jacob? How did God fulfill his will through Jacob’s family? (Ro 8:28)

There was no peace in his family because of struggling among 4 wives and 12 children. They competed each other for Jacob’s love. Dog’s back fighting. How does make people tired if they seek for human love!

God let Jacob achieve his selfish ambition. God didn’t stop him, but blessed him. Still, God made all things for his good purpose. God established 12 tribes through Jacob’s 12 sons.

Later his great wealth and family became a burden for him when he was in danger. We musts seek God more than our own ambition and success.

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