Jacob: Comfort, Selfishness, & Failed Leadership

As crazy as your family reunions are, your family isn’t quite as crazy as Jacob and his kids. His selfish deceitfulness not only impacted his family right away but also continued through several generations.

God had promised that Abraham (Jacob’s father) would be the father of many nations and that his family would bless all nations through the birth of the Messiah into his family. But it didn’t take long for the early family to reject God’s faithfulness and instruction.

Jacob left his daughter (Dinah) unsupervised in a pagan land. She was raped, and then the man demanded to marry her and join the nations. Jacob’s lack of fatherly leadership led to countless pains and difficulties for the family.

Her brothers stepped up in anger toward Shechem and the Caananites. So, the brothers used the sacred covenant of circumcision as a tool to deceive and conquer the Caananites.

Resources

• Genesis 33-34
• Genesis 49

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