Jacob and Laban have made an agreement that Jacob will work for Laban in exchange for any animals born spotted, speckled, or streaked. At first glance this agreement seems to prevent any form of cheating by either Jacob or Laban. But these two deceivers manage to find a few ways to get around the rules and work things for their

Jacob has been gone from home for a long time. He now has two wives and a large family, and it might seem as though he is going to spend the rest of his life happily working for his father-in-law. But such is not the case. Jacob is ready to go back home. He considers Canaan to be his home

Leah’s firstborn, Reuben, is out in the fields and finds some mandrakes. It is uncertain what mandrakes are - maybe fruit or flowers. Whatever they are, they aren’t very common, and no sooner does Rachel see them, than she must have them. She can’t stand for her sister to have anything better than her. So, she asks Leah for some

Jacob now finds himself caught up in the rivalry between the two sisters he has married. As Rachel watches God blessing Leah with sons, she becomes increasingly envious. She is upset at her’s sister’s blessings, but she doesn’t stop to think that it is God who is sending and withholding those blessings. Instead she blames her husband, demanding children from

Leah has been deceitfully given by her father to a man who doesn’t love her at all and never has. If that isn’t bad enough, her husband then goes on to marry another woman, the one whom he truly loves. And this woman is none other than her own sister - her sister, who should have been a source of

Jacob doesn’t take advantage of his uncle’s hospitality, but he immediately sets to work to serve and help his uncle anyway that he can. When Laban sees this, he doesn’t want to lose Jacob by being unfair, so he asks Jacob what kind of wage he is looking for. At this point Jacob makes clear to Laban that he is

While Jacob is talking to the shepherds and finding out from them about his mother’s family, Rachel arrives. She is a shepherdess and this tells us something about her humble and hard-working attitude. Laban probably has many servants that could have looked after his sheep, but Rachel sees this as a job she can do, and she is not too

Jacob has been sent out by his parents to find a Godly wife from his mother’s relatives. He is also fleeing from his brother Esau who wants to murder him. As he has travelled to his uncle’s house, the Lord has revealed Himself to Jacob and has given him the covenant promises of a Messiah, a land, a people, and

Jacob sets out on his own, but he is not alone - God is with him. On his first night away from home, God comes to Jacob in a dream in which Jacob sees a stairway reaching from the earth to heaven. Angels are walking up and down the stairway, and there at the top of it is the Lord.

Jacob and Rebekah’s lies have resulted in pain, anger, envy, hatred, and now a heart-breaking separation as Jacob must say goodbye to his family to escape his brother’s murderous intent and find a godly wife. Whenever we take matters into our own hands and don’t wait for God’s time and God’s way, the result will be pain, anxiety, grief, and