When Bad Things Happen

Part 1 – Flexibility Training – Reading This is one of the saddest times in the life of Jacob.  He goes from one tragedy to another in very short succession.  We could talk about how Jacob was a weak father and husband and brought much of this on himself.  It’s true.  He did.  The Bible … More When Bad Things Happen

Leaving Out the Back Gate

Part 1 – Flexibility Training – Reading After 20 years of working with Laban, Jacob was ready to pack up and leave.  God gave him several confirmations that it was time to go.  His brothers-in-law started eyeing him with suspicion.  His wives were fed up with their father and his failure to keep his promises.  … More Leaving Out the Back Gate

Crowded

Part 1 – Flexibility Training – Reading Leviticus is a book of the Law of God.  You can find some very detailed laws about how to dress, how to eat, how to treat your neighbor, how to wash.  There is one law that would have been useful for Jacob:  Leviticus 18:18.  “While your wife is … More Crowded

The Trickster is Tricked

Part 1 – Flexibility Training – Reading It shouldn’t surprise us that Jacob’s uncle is even more cunning and calculating than his mother.  It may even seem right that Jacob got some back of what he’d been giving.  But more important is that God used all of this to make Jacob into a man who … More The Trickster is Tricked

The Blessing Stolen

Part 1 – Flexibility Training – Reading A number of family dynamics play into the next event in the life of Isaac’s family. 1.  Isaac was a passive father.  He did nothing that we know of to respond to Esau giving up the birthright. 2.  Rebekah was an eaves-dropping schemer who was willing to lie … More The Blessing Stolen

The Twins

Part 1 – Flexibility Training – Reading We don’t get to spend much time with Isaac and Rebekah, as we did with Abraham and Sarah.  But we do get to know them at least a little.  At first, Isaac is a man of great faith.  We’ve already seen how he was willing to give his … More The Twins

The Death of Sarah

Part 1 – Flexibility Training – Reading As we begin the third week of our study, we say goodbye to Sarah as well as Abraham.  In this story, one of the last that focus on him, Abraham buys the burial plot that will be visited several more times in the book of Genesis. ESV – … More The Death of Sarah