wifee

1a)Our whole life is a journey back to our heaven’ly father’s home.We were created to worship him,our actions send us off course but He enables us to learn from our mistakes in the twists & turns of the journey, but he never stops drawing us to himself by jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. B)When we settle down we depend on God less&more on self&building home which can be barrier to God’s plans for us,if we let it. C)By seeking the Lord in prayer reading the Word each day,keeping tuned in,seeing what He wants us to do to serve Him. Watching out for his answer prayers,trusting Him to guide,and not being self-sufficient but leaning on Jesus in everything.

4a)His fears were quieted by God comforting him in the vision,reminding him of promise that He is same as his father’s God,and he will protect him and will be with him as he steps out in faith and goes to Egypt, like Abraham was called to leave his home and trust him where he was sent. B)Jacob’s faith was knocked by his losses,and he needed to be reminded of God’s promises,be comforted,strengthened by His Word and trust Him. c)Our faith is built as we hear God through his Word to us, step out and trust in his promises to us. Each act of trust,and action to follow his Word,helps build our faith and to step out further with Christ as our guide. I have the faith to believe everything you say you are and do everything for us you have promised in your Word.That He is and everything that he says he is.He is truth

3a)Both Jacob &Joseph suffered great losses,Jacob deaths of Rachel,mother,father&loss of Joseph.Joseph separated from father,Benjamin & injustice of being sold as a slave.For both their faith was important,this prevented Joseph from being bitter.Joseph has seen evidence of his vision being fulfilled, b)Jacob didn’t have same relationship with God,He was pessimistic didn’t trust God would provide for everything. Joseph could trust God even when it wasn’t easy. .c)Joseph wasn’t angry with his brother and was able to forgive them,and help them through the famine.He spoke with God regularily &knew God was in control of all things and everything would work out for God’s glory,This helped him not to be bitter

2a)Jacob is anxious &fearful after knowing that Simeon had been detained in egypt B)Paranoid depressive. c)he is broken by deaths of mother,mother’s nurse,father, wife and loss of Jacob &simeon and also angry that his sons want to also take Benjamin to receive grain from Eygpt.d)However he changed his mind about sons going again to Egypt,to fulfil duty of seeking provisions from elsewhere to provide for family when their food stocks were low.

6a)They were more intent on wanting Jacob to thinkJoseph had died,rather than him thinking he may return one day.They were resentful of Joseph&showed little compassion for their fathers feelings. B)Jacob is distraught,his grief was unconsolable. C)Jacob finds only comfort in life of Benjamin as he is now only connection Rachel,his late wife.

5a)He showed weakness&lack of respect for Jacob in sleeping with Bilnah&jeapodised his claim for inheritance as firstborn& head of family. b)It was a selfish act showing no respect for anyone or good example for his younger brothers. C)Terrible for family dynamics. D)Reuben acted honourably by not wanting Joseph killed but putting him in cistern(ideally to retrieve him later) by offering to sacrifice his 2 sons if Benjamin is not returned safely.

4a)God wanted to reassure Jacob that even after the Shecham massacre happened, it didn’t change the promises God had made to him. b)1/That God is almighty2/that he would be fruitful &have children3/that a nation &nations would comefrom him&his descendants. 4/that he would have land of Canaan given to Abraham.

3a)Shecham slaughter shocked all people.To avoid people turning to other gods for safety,Jacob called household to a fresh start clearing away any false gods,and a call to trust in true God Yahweh .b)Their presence can lead thoughts away from true God. C) The people have become unclean by their sinful actions.”Washing” represents cleansing getting rid of sin its &giving their best,”putting on clean clothes”For us we express repretence &find cleansing in Christ in our baptism & our proclamation of faith, and in how we live for Christ by our words&actions.God sends his forgiveness by his grace D)Letting go of my false pride,timidity,false perceptions of my importance any sinful beh. E)I need to daily submit to my Lord, listen to him,be corrected by him when go astray,&turn again to be more the person he wants me to be, being bold in Christ’s power in how I live for Him.

1a)He didn’t want to act hastily in anger, not sure what he thought,but have thought wise to wait, or maybe fearful of Hamor&his sons. b)He should have first sought to comfort&seek help for his daughterDinah,from the elders of the town with a legal accusation of rape on Shechem,though as outsiders he may not have received justice. c)The son’s were right in coming to comort griefstrikken Dina & but went too far attempting to restore justice by their actions. D)They were wrong to kill all the men,deviouisly requesting men of Shechem be circumcised before “marriage” to weaken them before they were attacked,as had no intention of Dinah marrying any of the men.. E)Because of the sons actions,the whole family are under threat for their life.

4a)Esau has softened in his heart &actions, he offers jacob sign of peace & forgiveness,wept with him. B)He has shown humility,submitting to Esau, bestowing gifts on him,seeking favour. C)Jacob was persistent Esau should accept them,needed Esau’s forgiveness,now see’s him as his servant. Put groups first to soften Esau. D)It showed faith as not sure of Esau’s reaction. E) humility &a degree ofcraftiness shows wisdom.

3a)God in the form of a man during his sleep(both an angel &God Hosea 12:3-4) b)It represents Jacob wrestling with God,challenging him about his past,his conscience,prompting him to change his view of others inc Esau,his pride& fears causing him to be more humble,faith filled&trusting in God. c)It was spiritual and physical,(I’ve felt exhausted by times like this Jacob was persistent) D)Permanent wound &Name change symbolic &significant of fact he has overcome.He in is new place with God, a new phase of faith.New name Israel reminds him of all he has overcome as Jacob with God in him calling him to persevere. e)Limp is permanent reminder of this &call to trust God for his ongoing help.

2a)Jacob is fearful that Esau may still be angry with him&take this out on his family. b)He has enough faith to obediently return to Haron. He wants to believe in God’s promises,but is still yet to trust God fully &believe without fear in God’s promises c) His pride has turned to humility,sending gifts to Esau,he is thankful,want’s God’s blessing to continue,knows he needs God help with his brother. d)Jacob has matured in his faith, he depends on God more, is aware of &trust in Gods promises more,rather than controlling events himself like he did in Canaan.

1a)God is giving him an affirmation that even though Esau is coming with 400 men,God is still with him,reassuring him that God’s army is mighty enough to watch,help &protect him,his camp of family,servants&livestock in all they face ahead. .b)The army is a sign not only of protection but also that God would fulfil promise that no harm will come to Jacob c)Jacob names it Mahanaim to signify “2 camps” the place where he set up his camp,God’s army of angel’s camped nearby.

5a)We allow the conflicts/devils ways. to overshadow the many blessings we receive of family, home, warmth, food, God’s love & care. b)God wants us to be totally reliant on him, as he knows we think less of him when things go wll for us. c) God is our refuge & help in trouble Psalm 46:1. he will never leave us nor forsake. In Christ we have his power to overcome all things.

4a)Terms i/A stone pillar called Mitzpah(watchtower) and Gilead(witness heap) ii/calling on the Lord as witness &garentor of the covenant.iii/A promise from Jacob not to mistreat his wives,nor allow subsequent wives to displace them from their status iv/ a pact not harm each other v/a vow in the name of God vi/a sacrifice and a fellowship/covenant meal together B)The M monument reminds L & J that God is watching over their actions, & urges them not to break the terms of agreement.

4a)Terms i/A stone pillar called Mitzpah(watchtower) and Gilead(witness heap) ii/calling on the Lord as witness &garentor of the covenant.iii/A promise from Jacob not to mistreat his wives,nor allow subsequent wives to displace them from their status iv/ a pact not harm each other v/a vow in the name of God vi/a sacrifice and a fellowship/covenant meal together B)The M monument reminds L & J that God is watching over their actions, & urges them not to break the terms of agreement.

3a)God commands Jacob to go back to his native land of fathers. Laban’s sons were angry at Laban’s wealth going to Jacob. Jacob deceived Laban by not telling Laban he was leaving because he didn’t trust him after 14yrs of dealings with him &knew he would prevent Jacob from leaving with his family &wealth which God had provided for him.His wives also feel Laban is resentful of Jacob and agree to leave with Jacob when he is busy searing the sheep. B)The wives feel used sold effectively by Laban for7years labour as bride money,some of which should have reverted back to daughters in time, but instead he,spent it,making wives resentful.The Lord is implying by his command, that it is the right time for J to leave. c)Rachel stealing household god mistakenly thought would to protect her on her journey- an unjust act,,but Jacob is un aware of this.Leaving abruptly amost unjust act.

1a)God is developing in Jacob patience,integrity, steadfastness and trust in God, as he experiences for himself what it is like to be deceived by someone with whom you have made a promise.Teaching him the error of his ways first hand. b)In building up his family,God will teaches him about leadership, building up of resources ,cattles,managing wealth to feed his family as he toiled, and the cost of sacrifice that true love requiresGod is maturing Jacob in spiritually to be ready to be father of 12 tribes of Israel. He committed himself to serving God and placing his life in God’s hands totally.

2a)Each time Laban changes the terms of the deal, the colouring patterns of the kids &lambs being born seem to change.He then realises it must be God’s work,as his breeding pattern benefits Jacob not laban. He believes it is God who provides him with the skill,health,body strength patience required in breeding time. B)When we increase in wealth we are in danger of not depending on God so much and leaning on our assets instead,forgetting God’s role in providing our resources.Everything we have is hHis, for us to be stewards of for his plans.

3a)It was an act of honour,marking the place where God had shown himself to Jacob. B)anointing stone with oil, was to dedicate himself in worship,anointing place &himself apart for God. c)He wants to make the formal vow to seal the covenant,his response to God’s promises,d))He vows that i)That Yayweh will be Jacob’s God and ii)Jacob will give a tenth of all God gives him back to God. What was a family tradition became personal for Jacob .

4a)Tithing was family tradition,but now he is fully committed himself personally now to give 10th of all he has received. B)Jacob is offering tithe as an act of stating the faith he now has in God that he will supply his every need, that he is totally submitting to the Lord as his king & GoD., c)Tithing demonstrates our allegiance, our love and our discipleship to serve God rather than money. It is a response to God & in recognition that God will meet all his needs. Conversion is giving up all ones life,in submissionto follow Christ, knowing that as we trust him, he will guide us,look after us, never leave us as we put our trust in His hands to live our lives for him. Tithing is a natural act that follows.,

2a) The dream signified God’s presence with him,his blessing &prophecy on his life uninitiated &direct from God,unlike his birthright &blessing from Isaac Promises of lan,descendents. It also promises him that God will be with him wherever he goes. B)It meant to Jacob that he would never be the same.He was changed. C)From this point on God is the One he lives for,he was converted, given a glimpse of the awesome nature of God,being everywhere,at gate of heaven &God’s infinite greatness. He knew the Lord was there in that humble place.He knew the role God had for him.

a)Maybe a bit of each. I need reminding that God will enable his plans to be fulfilled in his timing,when I am impatient like Rebekah for answers. Also if gulable at times, like Isaac, and probably have done some things more guided by self or parents like Jacob, rather than being told by God. B)I seek stay tuned into God His Word and being more open to the Spirit’s prompting, confessing mistakes,learning from them,and going forward with Jesus.

5a)It causes friction,feelings of rejection &jealousy,i.e. it promotes sins I felt much loved fortunatelyMy brother went to boarding school &felt rejected as sent away. C)Found this hard. d) Love them each affirming their unique qualities and gifts&giving then equal parent contact.

4a)It was a blessing & prophecy from God,spoken through mouthpiece of Isaac.God’s blessing is a promise of fulfilment & cannot be reversed or changed b)Isaac challenged Jacob twice whether he was Esau,he was distressed when realised he’d been deceived. Esau’s cries moved him to bless him as a father with descendents of nation-status,this was in line with God’s blessing on Jacob, where Jacob would rule Esau’s clan all his life. c)God role as creator of heaven & earth,enables his will to happen,even when we make mistakes,he overcomes.