Study Desk

to kill a wild animal and cook some tasty food for your father before he dies. Your father said this because he wants to bless your brother with the Lord as his witness.

Esau replied, "My brother deserves the name Jacob, because he has already cheated me twice. The first time he cheated me out of my rights as the first-born son, and now he has cheated me out of my blessing." Then Esau asked his father, "Don't you still have any blessing left for me?"

"My son," Isaac answered, "I have made Jacob the ruler over you and your brothers, and all of you will be his servants. I have also promised him all the grain and grapes that he needs. There's nothing left that I can do for you."

When Rebekah found out what Esau planned to do, she sent for Jacob and told him, "Son, your brother Esau is just waiting for the time when he can kill you.

and stay with him for a while. When Esau stops being angry

and forgets what you have done to him, I'll send for you to come home. Why should I lose both of my sons on the same day?"

Jacob left the town of Beersheba and started out for Haran.

At sunset he stopped for the night and went to sleep, resting his head on a large rock.

When Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the rock that he had used for a pillow and stood it up for a place of worship. Then he poured olive oil on the rock to dedicate it to God,

he looked out in a field and saw a well where shepherds took their sheep for water. Three flocks of sheep were lying around the well, which was covered with a large rock.

Laban said, "You are my nephew, and you are like one of my own family." After Jacob had been there for a month,

Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he answered, "If you will let me marry Rachel, I'll work seven years for you."

Laban replied, "It's better for me to let you marry Rachel than for someone else to have her. So stay and work for me."

Jacob worked seven years for Laban, but the time seemed like only a few days, because he loved Rachel so much.

After you spend this week with Leah, you may also marry Rachel. But you will have to work for me another seven years."

At the end of the week of celebration, Laban let Jacob marry Rachel, and he gave her his servant woman Bilhah. Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, but he had to work another seven years for Laban.

Rachel was very jealous of Leah for having children, and she said to Jacob, "I'll die if you don't give me some children!"

During the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben found some love flowers and took them to his mother Leah. Rachel asked Leah for some of them,

Leah shouted, "God has rewarded me for letting Jacob marry my servant," and she named the boy Issachar.

she exclaimed, "God has given me a wonderful gift, and my husband will praise me for giving him six sons." So she named the boy Zebulun.