The Book of Genesis In Review
Genesis: The Book of Beginnings Beginning: Humanity Beginning: Hebrews Four Events: Four People: Creation (1-2) Fall (3-5) Flood (6-9) Babel (10-11) Abraham (12-25) Isaac (25-27) Jacob (28-35, 46-50) Joseph (37-50) c. 2,000 years c. 286 years
Genesis: The Book of Beginnings Beginning: Humanity Beginning: Hebrews Four Events: Four People: Creation (1-2) Fall (3-5) Flood (6-9) Babel (10-11) Abraham: Man of Faith Isaac: Man of Peace Jacob: Man of Trouble Joseph: Man of Character c. 2,000 years c. 286 years
Jacob: Man of Trouble His story is told in Gen. 25-50 His name means “heel grabber”; hence, to overtake or supplant (Gen. 25:26; 27:36; Hos. 12:3)
Jacob: Man of Trouble His life’s summary: trial and trouble, conflict and crisis (Gen. 25:22; 31:42; 32:28; 35:3; 47:9)
Jacob: Man of Trouble First crisis: leaving home (25-28) Second crisis: leaving Haran (29-31) Third crisis: meeting Esau (32-33) Fourth crisis: back home (34-35) Fifth crisis: new home (46-50)
First Crisis: Leaving Home Genesis 25-28 Born the younger of two twins (25:19-26; Mal. 1:2; Rom. 9:10; Mt. 1:2; Lk. 3:3ff)
First Crisis: Leaving Home He bargained for Esau’s birthright (25:27-34) He deceived his father for Esau’s blessing (27:1-40)
First Crisis: Leaving Home His early life was marked by craft and cunning His deceit led to family problems He left home and learned that he must travel with God (28:10-22)
First Crisis: Leaving Home He learned that God would be with him all along the way: “I will be with you” (Gen. 28:15,20; 31:3; 48:21)
Second Crisis: Leaving Haran Genesis 29-31 He fled to Haran in Padan-aram to escape from Esau and to find a wife (29:1-20)
Second Crisis: Leaving Haran He, the deceiver, is deceived by Laban (29:21-35; Hos. 12:12) He became the father of 12 sons and 1 daughter (29:31 – 30:43) He secretly left Laban (31:1-55)
Second Crisis: Leaving Haran His life with Laban was also marked by craft and cunning He left Haran and learned that God was with him in times of affliction and he learned to live by the “Fear of Isaac” (31:3,7,42,53)
Third Crisis: Meeting Esau Genesis 32-33 He left to meet Esau and saw angels (32:1-21) He wrestled with an angel of God (32:22-32)
Third Crisis: Meeting Esau He reconciled with Esau and dwelt in Shechem (33:1-20) He learned to trust in God and pray to him in times of trial and trouble (32:9-12; 33:5, 11, 20)
Fourth Crisis: Back Home Genesis 34-35 He experienced trouble after the defiling and avenging of Dinah (34:1-31; see v. 30)
Fourth Crisis: Back Home He removed all that stood in his way to complete devotion to God (35:1-8) He learned that God does not change and neither must he (35:9-15)
Fourth Crisis: Back Home He buried his wife Rachel and his father Isaac (35:16-29) He lost some important things, but he trusted in God; “Bethel” was at the beginning and end of this part of his life (35:9-15)
Fifth Crisis: New Home Genesis 46-50 He and his family went to Egypt (46:1 – 47:31) He blessed his descendants (48:1 – 49:27; Heb. 11:21)
Fifth Crisis: New Home He died in Egypt and was buried in Canaan (49:28 – 50:14) He continued to believe in God’s presence, plan, and promises during this new time in his life (46:1-3; 48:15, 21; 49:18)
Conflict and Crisis Today God will fulfill his promises, but only after conflict and crisis (Mt. 8:11; Heb. 11:9) Conflict and crisis exist in the kingdom today (Acts 14:22; 2 Tim. 4:7, 18; Rev. 1:9)
Conflict and Crisis The God of Jacob still answers today in the day of crisis (Psa. 20:1; 46:1,7) God still promises: “I will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11; Phil. 4:9; 2 Thess. 3:16)