Jacob:  Childhood Images (Gen. 25:23f)
                How can God choose one and reject another before they were born?
                Predestination versus free will debate
                If a person is not chosen are they responsible? 
                Is that fair?

Name’s of the two boys
                Birth -- heel grabber (Gen 25:26):  Jacob
                Birth -- Edom (Red) (Gen 25:30):  Esau—hairy
                Esau’s view of birthright bartering (Gen 25:32, 34)
                                Nuzu laws

Deception of Isaac

What are some of the problems with parental favoritism? Gen. 25:28
Jacob’s lie & Isaac’s blessing—Gen. 27
                Power of father’s word
What were the consequences of Jacob’s lie?
                Isaac –27:33 shaken
                Esau—27:41 plots death of brother
                Rebekah—27:46 –daughters’-in-law
                Jacob—20 years flees to Haran

Meeting God at Beth-el (Gen 28)
                What did Bethel mean in Jacob’s spiritual development?—Jacob’s ladder--ziggurat?

On personal encounter 28:10ff Covenant renewal

– Abraham’s God now becomes his

– Cf. College years

Why a Memorial stone (28:18)?  Beth-El

Pre-law tithe (28:22)

Working your way through marriage

Jacob & well--7 yrs for Rachel (Gen 29:17-20) 

– Not odd in Nuzu customs

What separates between love and lust? 29:20

Why is Jacob’s wedding night ironic? 29:25

Jacob is a polygamous?   Is that okay? Separating the Normative/non-normative in historical narratives (descriptive/prescriptive)

Why does God open Leah’s womb?  (Gen 29:31)

What’s with the mandrakes?

Why was Rachel so interested in getting the mandrakes? (Gen. 30:14ff)

Who gives Rachel her son?  (Gen 30:22)

Who is Rachel’s first son? 

Who is her last son?

Where does Rachel die?  NT –Mat. 2:18

Leaving Haran & Laban

How and why did Rachel steal the family gods? (Gen 31:30, 35)

WFW angel wrestling match

Who did Jacob wrestle with?  (Gen 32:24ff)

Should we pray when we’re in trouble?

Why did Jacob name the place Peniel? 32:30

Why did the angel change Jacob’s name to Israel?

Does Gen 32:32 show it is written by a later editor? 

Meeting Esau

On meeting family years later

Jacob’s lie—importance of geography

Esau -- Edomites -- Obadiah -- Herod

Jacob Returns to Bethel (Gen 35)

Gets rid of foreign gods (Gen 35:4)

Reiterates name change (Gen 35:10)

God reiterates covenant (Gen 35:11)

Rachel dies having Benjamin near Bethlehem (Gen 35:19)—Jesus’ birth Mt. 2:18 (Rachel/Jeremiah[31:15; exile]/Jesus)

Jacob and the twelve tribes

Leah:      Reuben, Levi, Simeon, Judah,
                Issachar, Zebulon, Dinah

– Zilpah:    Gad, Asher

Rachel:   Joseph, Benjamin

– Bilhah:    Dan, Naphtali

Dinah /Judah & Tamar

Why is it Christians ignore Gen 34 & 38? 

Raping of Dinah -- story line (Gen. 34)

Story Line—Judah and Tamar (Gen. 38)

Why did God put these two stories in the Bible?

– Elimination of older brothers

– Focus on Joseph by contrast

Joseph narrative

Comparison of Joseph and Jacob stories

Supremacy of younger

Family strife and deception— sibling rivalry, parental favoritism (Gen 37:3)

20 yr separation from family

Prosperity in foreign land

Reunion with estranged brothers

Joseph and wisdom

Story line:  Where have I heard this before?

Resisting wild woman—Gen. 39:7-9

Dreams -- comp. Daniel (cup-bearer, baker; Pharaoh 7 years)

Egyptian Wisdom: silent man—Gen. 42:24 

Fear of God motif:  (Gen 42:18)

Classic Line:   Gen 50:20