Genesis 31: Father-in-Law Issuers

Journey through the Book of Genesis with me.  The plan is simple. Read ONE chapter a day. Blog or journal 5* things you learned that you previously didn't know and ask 5* questions about the chapter that you'll ponder all week. Let's go!

** You'll probably learn way more than 5 things and have more than 5 questions about each chapter. That's totally fine. The more the merrier! 

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Genesis 31:1-55

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: Jacob is still referring to God as “The God of my Father” v.5. Does this imply he still hasn’t embraced God personally as his God? Or is Jacob’s intimate way of referring to God’s faithfulness to his family?

QUESTION 2: What was Rachel’s true motive in stealing her father’s household gods? Was this her way of punishing him/stripping him of his  sense of security?

QUESTION 3:  Had Laban really cheated Jacob “ten times” (v.7) or is this just a figure of speech to show how deceptive Laban really was?

QUESTION 4: If God spoke clearly to Laban in v.24 “not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”, then Laban clearly demonstrates that he has no regard for God because in verse 26-30, 43-44, and 48-53 he does exactly that. Are we to read into this anything about Laban’s heart condition?

QUESTION 5: Does Jacob set up the pillars in v.45 unwillingly? Perhaps he just wants to be done with Laban?

WHAT I LEARNED

INSIGHT 1: Though Laban cheated Jacob on several occasions, God continually worked on Jacob’s behalf to outsmart Laban. This account brings to mind Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.”

INSIGHT 2: God was the one who revealed to Jacob in a dream (v.10) how to manipulate the breeding process of sheep so that it became financially profitable. One may seek the Lord for insight about life issues and receive a response via dreams (Genesis 37:1-11, 1 Kings 3:5, Matthew 2:13, Matthew 2:19-20).

INSIGHT 3: The girls (Leah and Rachel) weren’t big fans of their father either, and may even have despised him; v.14-16, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.”

INSIGHT 4: Rachel’s actions of stealing her father’s household god in v.19 (and then concealing it when he catches up with her in v.34-35) is her way of punishing him for what she and Leah accused him of in verse 14-16.

INSIGHT 5: Laban’s household gods could not reveal themselves because Rachel sat on them, thereby proving that they were powerless. (v.34-35)

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