1. JACOB AND HIS TRIBES

2. BIRTHRIGHT AND BLESSINGS
The twins – Esau, the first born, and Jacob
(See Gen.25:19-26)
The birthright – the right of the first born to a double portion of his father’s inheritance.
Jacob convinced Esau to give up his right.
With his mother’s help, Jacob fooled father Isaac into giving him the blessing due Esau as well.
When the ruse was discovered, Jacob fled to the land of his Uncle Laban to escape Esau’s wrath.
There he met Rachel and agreed to work seven years in order to marry her.

3. JACOB GOES TO HARAN
Rebekah sent Jacob to Haran to get a wife from her brother Laban’s family.
Has a vision in which the patriarchal promise was given to him. (Gen.28:10-15)
Jacob met Rachel and agrees to work for her father Laban for 7 years
After 7 years, Laban offered Rachael’s older sister Leah instead
Jacob agrees to 7 more years for Rachel, his favored wife
Twelve children born from four mothers – Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, and finally Rachel (Gen.35:23-26)
Jacob prospered in Laban’s service and finally returned home after 20 years

4. JACOB RETURNS HOME
Having fulfilled his “contract”, Jacob left Laban to return home to Canaan.
Fears about his reencounter with Esau were unfounded
Wrestles with God and his name is changed (Gen.32:24-32)
Settled in Shechem and later in Bethel
God reappears to reconfirm the promises (Gen. 35:9-15)
Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin
Esau (also called Edom) settles the land know as Seir
Continuing animosity between his and Jacob’s descendents

6. THE PROMISE
I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. (Gen.22:17,18)
I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. (Gen.28:13,14)

7. TERAH’S DESCENDENTS

8. JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS
The last toledoth – Jacob and his family
Focus is on Joseph and his role in Israel’s history
Key features:
Familial favoritism
Jealousy leading to hatred
The “reversal of fortune” theme
The role of faithfulness and integrity
God’s providence and sovereignty

9. PRINCIPLE ELEMENTS OF THE STORY
Joseph, a favored son, results in jealousy
Jealousy leads to hatred
Sold into slavery in Egypt
Becomes trusted steward in Potipher’s house
Victim of false accusations and imprisoned
Becomes a “trusty” in prison
“Redeemed” from prison to become viceroy
A famine results in the reunion with family
A series of “tests” bring reconciliation
God’s purpose revealed through Joseph

10. JOSEPH’S PLIGRIMAGE : THE “REVERSAL OF FORTUNE”
The “dreamer” The “outcast” The trusted servant The prisoner The “trusty” The viceroy

11. LESSONS FROM JOSEPH The purposes of the Joseph story:
Historical – Explains how the Hebrews came to be in Egypt
Moral and Ethical
The dangers of family rivalries
The consequences of jealousy
The value of integrity and faithfulness
The value of pardon and reconciliation
Theological
Teaches the sovereignty of God in spite of human dealings
God is able to use any circumstance to His “benefit”
God’s purposes are ultimately realized

12. GOD’S PROVIDENCE
But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Genesis 45:7-8 (NIV) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

13. INTERLUDE: JOB

14. THE STRUCTURE OF JOB Prologue: Job’s integrity and suffering (Job 1-3)
Cycles of Dialog (Job 4-37)
1st cycle: Job 4-14
2nd cycle: Job 15-21
3rd cycle: Job 22-31
Elihu’s discourse: Job 32-37
God’s Response: Job 38-41
Epilog: Job’s acquiescence and restoration (Job 42)

15. JOB: A BIBLICAL THEODICY
Theodicy – a defense of God's goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil. The philosophical issue:
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
The Key Issues in Job:
The integrity of Job
The suffering of Job and the role of Satan
The insufficiency of traditional explanations
The intervention of God
Recognition of human insufficiency to fully explain evil

16. WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE?
Our integrity and “goodness” is no guarantee that we will not suffer.
There is a spiritual realm that can be seen as the agent of suffering.
It is dangerous to assume that all suffering is due to personal sin.
The ultimate answer to the question of suffering is in the sovereignty of God which cannot be fully comprehended.