Ready to continue with your reading and journaling in Genesis? Here are some questions to consider.

Week 27: Read Genesis 27 and answer the questions that speak to you in your journal.

This story is a great example of conniving by humans to influence events in God’s plan.  Was it successful?  What were the outcome(s) of Jacob and Rebekah’s plotting?

In what way did God influence the events in this story? To what end?

How have you seen the plans of manipulating people affect what you perceive to be God’s plan? Can God’s plan be thwarted?

 

Week 28: Read the words of Genesis 28 and then respond to these questions as you feel led.

Why was Esau so set on displeasing his father? When have your (or someone in your life) done something that was probably not the best choice for the sole purpose of getting even with someone else?

What relation did Jacob’s dream at Bethel have to previous events in this family? What similarities do you see? What differences?

When have you made a covenant with God similar to the one that Jacob made after his dream? Have you kept up your end? Has God kept his end? Why or why not?

Week 29: Read Genesis 29 and consider the following questions in light of what you have read.

What happened when Jacob agreed to work 7 years for Laban in exchange for Rachel? Why?

Why do you think that God gave Leah children but not Rachel?  What was the impact of this situation?

What parallels do you see between Rachel and Leah’s story and that of Jacob and Esau?  Why do you think this story became a part of our Scriptures? What are we to learn?

Week 30: Read and think about Genesis chapter 30, then answer some or all of these questions.

This chapter tells the story of the beginnings of Jacob’s family. Why does God allow/cause things to turn out in this way?

Why did Jacob follow a superstition about the coloring of the sheep?  Why did God intervene to allow it to work? Can you think of other stories in Scripture where God has intervened in natural processes to make a point or accomplish a goal?

What would be your prediction about Jacob’s continuing relationship with Laban? Why?

Week 31: Read Genesis 31, and then consider the following questions in your journal:

Why did Rachel steal her father’s household gods in verse 19?  What was God’s instruction on the matter? What was the outcome of this action?

These past few chapters have given us a clear picture of the kind of people that were a part of this family. What do you think? How can God choose and use such flawed individuals?

How has God chosen and used you in these past few months? What was the outcome?