The story of Jacob is well-known to students of the Bible. What may not be as well known is why God would bless a man whose character, at first, was so clearly out of sorts with godliness. Today we'll learn about the path the Lord used to bring Jacob to a place of faith, trust and obedience. Join us in this face-paced look at Genesis 28, which also will skim Genesis 25, 26, & 27! DISCUSSION AND THOUGHT QUESTIONS: The following discussion questions can stand alone or be used in conjunction with the Key Chapters podcast. They can be used in a Small Group, family discussion, or for personal reflection. The idea is that the person/group/family will have read the Key Chapter and then answer the questions. Perhaps there would be time to listen to the podcast as well. 1. In Genesis 25:23, what was the Lord's promise to Rebekka about the twins she was bearing? 2. In Genesis 25:27-34, why did Esau sell his birthright? How does this set the tone for the unraveling of Esau's role as firstborn? 3. In Genesis 26:34-45, Esau marries two Hittite women. The podcast explains that these women were descendants of Canaan, who was a descendant of Ham; and Ham was not of the covenant promises of God. Remember Esau was the firstborn which means he was next in line to Isaac. What significance did his marriage have on the direction of his leadership over the descendants of Abraham? 4. How did Jacob deceive Isaac? What does this represent about the dynamics of Isaac's family? 5. In Genesis 27, Jacob deceives Isaac and steals Esau's birthright. However, remember that in Genesis 25:23, God had already told Rebekka that He would bless Jacob over Esau. What does the fact that Isaac was going to bless Esau show about Isaac's obedience to the Lord? 6. In Genesis 28, Jacob goes to Paddan-aram to find a wife among the daughters of Laban. What does this show us about Jacob's heart to obey God's promises and lead God's covenant people? 7. What blessings does Isaac intentionally give to Jacob in Genesis 28:3-4? What does this show us about the change in Isaac's understanding of the situation? 8. Genesis 28:13-15 sounds very familiar because God makes the same kinds of promises to Jacob that He also made to Abraham and Isaac. This is the true birthright that matters. What does this tell us about God's affirmation of Jacob as the one through whom God's promises would come? 9. How does Jacob respond to God's promises? How does this continue to show us the kind of faith that God calls His people to walk in? Is there any situation you are facing in your life today that requires you to walk in faith? What would walking in faith look like in that situation? The Key Chapters Bible Podcast is a daily, 15ish minute podcast that goes over the key chapters of the Bible, one per day, explaining how it fits into the overall message of God and how it relates to our lives now. Jump in today or start back in Genesis 1! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Available on all major podcast platforms, and now on YouTube. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 40 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.