Day 2 A People for God Genesis 28:10–15; 32:22–28
B1 Passage: Genesis 28:10-15 GNB and Genesis 32:22-28 GNB
C1 Genesis 28:10-15
D1 Beer-Sheba is in southern Israel. Haran (Harran) is in southern Turkey near Syria.
D2 Ladder (stairway) (verse 12) = personally I understand Jacob had a dream and in the dream was a ladder. People say this can’t be, because there are no ladders this big, but strange things appear in dreams. Compare John 1:51.
D3 At the top standing (verse 13) = God is a delegator and sends His angels on missions.
D4 Give...land (verse 13) = An important promise. God is king, and kings are allowed to bequeath land. God’s promises are good. This promise is still true.
D5 Bring back (verse 15) = This was fulfilled. See Genesis 35:6-7.
C2 Genesis 32:22-28
D1 Stayed behind alone (verse 24) = Jacob was returning to the Promised Land then heard that his brother Easu was coming to meet him. Fearing that Easu was coming to kill him, Jacob sent everything ahead while he stayed to pray.
D2 A man...wrestled (verse 24) = most believe that this was Jesus preincarnately appearing (a theophany). He came to test Jacob’s resolve to return, to encourage him, and to show God’s superiority that Jacob needs to submit to. Hard times are sometimes the method God uses to teach us that He will not leave us. See Hebrews 13:5 and 1 John 5:9-10 (assurance). Jesus did not have a body but a form of solid like angels. Compare Hosea 12:2-6.
D3 Bless me (verse 26) = Jacob knew this was God. Note that this is a prayer for Jacob is talking with God. We learn a principle about prayer.
D4 Not Jacob but Israel (verse 28) = Adam Clarke comments: We may learn from this that the redemption of the soul will be the blessed consequence of wrestling by prayer and supplication with God: "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." From this time Jacob became a new man; but it was not till after a severe struggle that he got his name, his heart, and his character changed. After this he was no more Jacob the supplanter, but Israel—the man who prevails with God, and sees him face to face.
B2 Questions:
C1 What was Jacob afraid of?
C2 Why did God wrestle with Jacob?
C3 Name a time that hardships help increase your faith in God.
C4 How does the new birth change us?
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