We shall continue with
the study of the Book of Genesis this week.
(1) Did Laban really intend to honor their local custom? What was his intention?
(2) What does this say about his moral condition?
(3) How did he know that he could continue to take advantage of Jacob?
(4) Does another seven years seem fair to you? Why or why not?
(5) How would the daughters think of their father’s action? (Refer to Gen. 31:15.)
(6) Do you think that as Jacob served further for Rachel, that the seven years were “like only a few days"? (Gen. 29:20)
(7) What kind of spiritual training did God give Jacob through Laban?
(8) Why did the Lord cause Rachel to be barren? It was not Rachel’s fault.
(9) What message was God sending to Leah and to Jacob?
(10) How did the naming of the first three sons reveal the sorrow of Leah?
(11) What does the naming of the fourth son tell us about the spiritual maturity of Leah?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) Rachel must have heard about the giving of Hagar by Sarah to Abraham, and its sad consequence. Why would she follow Sarah’s example?
(2) Did God really vindicate Rachel with the birth of Dan? Why did Rachel think it was God's doing?
(3) What was Leah’s motive in giving her maidservant to Jacob? Was it simply out of a spirit of competition?
(4) With her son’s mandrakes (aphrodisiac fruits of the ancient world), Leah almost treated her husband as a prostitute. Why then did the Bible say, “God listened to Leah” in v. 17? Why did Leah say that the birth of Issachar was God’s reward to her, “for giving my maidservant to my husband”?
(5) Throughout these incidents, what did Leah desire to achieve? Did she really achieve her desire? Why or why not?
(6) Can you count how many sons had been born to Jacob up to v. 20? Why did God wait such a long time, and “then…remembered Rachel”? What if Rachel had waited upon the Lord and the Lord only?
(7) Throughout this family struggle between the two wives, Jacob appeared not to be in control. Was he? Should he be?
(8) What do you think was God’s desire in this respect? (Refer to Mal. 2:15.)
(9) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) Why did Jacob choose to leave after Rachel gave birth to Joseph? Where did he want to go? Why?
(2) Did the wives and children not belong to Jacob? Why did Jacob have to ask for permission to leave with them? (Refer to Gen. 31:43.)
(3) How did Laban understand that his riches were a result of the blessings from the Lord because of Jacob? What kind of a person was Laban spiritually? (If your Bible version does not give you a clue, consult the NIV.)
(4) When Laban said, “Name your wages, and I will pay them”, do you think he could be trusted? What happened to his last promise to Jacob?
(5) Now, Jacob tried to negotiate with Laban so that he would not leave just with his wives and children and nothing else. What did he propose? Why would Laban be so receptive to this suggestion? (Jacob ended up working for him for an extra 6 years. See Gen. 31:38.)
(6) Did Laban honor his end of the bargain?
(7) Why didn’t Jacob get angry? What did he do in response?
(8) Did Jacob cheat with his scheme? (See Gen. 31:10-13.)
(9) What was the result of the extra 6 years of voluntary service?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) It is only natural to assume that while Jacob was tending Laban’s flock, Laban’s sons would also be shepherding their own as well as those of their father, being separated at a distance of a three-day journey from those of Jacob. So, what was their actual complaint?
(2) What might Laban’s former attitude be toward Jacob in spite of having changed his wages ten times? What was the reason for the change of attitude now?
(3) Why did God choose to give His “marching order” to Jacob at this time?
(4) Jacob now detailed how Laban cheated him (or changed his wages) in v. 8. How did he know that it was God’s intervention and not his own wisdom or schemes that had enabled him to prosper?
(5) How significant were the contents of the dream, in vv. 10-13 in which God gave the “marching order”?
(6) Instead of “father knows best”, here is the case of “daughters know best” about their father. What kind of a father was Laban?
(7) Why does the Bible say that Jacob “deceived” Laban by leaving and that he was basically “running away”? Was he obliged to notify him in advance? Would you (if you were Jacob)? (Note: The literal translation of “deceived” is “stole the heart of” according the Wenham, p. 274.)
(8) Why did Rachel steal her father’s household gods? What would she need them for?
(9) What is the main message to you today?
(1) Why did Laban have to pursue Jacob apart from the retrieving of his household gods?
(2) How did God honor His promise that He will be with Jacob (v. 3)?
(3) What did Laban intend to do with Jacob once he caught up with him?
(4) Do you think Laban’s confrontation of Jacob was valid? Why or why not?
(5) Jacob was very honest with his answer which amounted to an accusation, because “to take away by force” can be translated as “to rob” (Wenham 262). But his answer inadvertently put Rachel’s life at risk. Do you think Laban would actually kill his own daughter?
(6) As much as Rachel acted wrongly, how had this incident (somehow protected by providence) given Jacob a chance to vindicate himself?
(7) In the description of his life under Laban, can we see what sort of training God had put Jacob through?
(8) What has Jacob learned about God throughout the last 20 years, especially when he now addresses God as the “Fear (or Dread) of Isaac”, a title only found here and in v. 53?
(9) What then is the essential message of today and how may you apply it in your life?
(1) In Laban’s answer to Jacob in v. 43, can you tell who Jacob was in his eyes?
(2) What kind of a person was Laban?
(3) In letting Jacob leave, why did Laban see the need to make a covenant with Jacob?
(4) Do you think he really cared about his daughters? Who had been mistreating his daughters?
(5) What might be the significance for Jacob re-naming the heap of witness in his own language?
(6) Concerning the making of this covenant,consider these questions:
a. How many gods did Laban invoke?
b. What about Jacob?
c. What does the difference show?
(Note: The verb, judge, in v. 53 used by Laban was in the plural!)
(7) What status is now accorded Jacob because of the covenant?
(8) Now, Jacob’s 20 years of slavery ended. What had Jacob learned from these 20 years?
(9) What might the most important lesson we can learn from the life of Jacob be so far?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) After Jacob had seen how God intervened to save him and his family from the hands of Laban, he now headed south back to his homeland, to face his greatest fear, the brother from whom he fled. Why did God send His angels to meet him at Mahanaim? What might be its significance (instead of God’s personal appearance)? Might it have anything to do with God’s first appearance to him in his dream of the heavenly ladder?
(2) Why did Jacob see the need to send messengers ahead of him? How did he address his brother and why?
(3) If Esau did not mean to seek revenge and harm Jacob, why then would he bring 400 men with him? Did he think Jacob was trustworthy?
(4) How did Jacob interpret his brother’s action and why?
(5) Apart from the natural act of self-preservation, what did Jacob do?
(6) Try to analyze Jacob’s prayer:
a. How did he address God and why, in v. 9?
b. What did he remind God of and why?
c. How will you label what he said in v. 10?
d. How did he address himself in v. 10?
e. What was the main content of his plea in v. 11?
f. How did he end his prayer and why?
(7) Now, after his prayer, what did he do in preparation for meeting his brother?
(8) Do you think his preparation is a sign that he still trusted in himself? Why or why not?
(9) What would you have done if you were Jacob?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?