Isaac Gets a Wife
Read Genesis 24

Print/ Download Questions -- Isaac Gets a Wife

• Retell this wonderful story.
• What is unusual about this story?
• How old is Isaac?
• Why isn’t he getting a wife on his own?
• Why did his dad wait so long to find him a bride?
• How would you feel if you were the servant?
• What do you think of arranged marriages?
• Why was it so important to find Isaac a wife from Abraham's homeland?
• How would you feel if your parents decided who you were going to marry?
• Does that happen anywhere in the world today?
• Okay, you're not ready for marriage? What if they selected your date for the prom?
• What was the servant's prayer? (Gen 24:11-14)
• Are we that specific when we pray?
• What did the servant ask God to do?
• What was the sign that Rebekah was the one?
• Does Isaac like Rebekah?
• What was the servant's prayer? (Gen 24:11-14)
• Are we that specific when we pray?
• One would think it would take a long time for someone not only to offer him water but be willing to serve 10 camels as well. In the book, Running with the Giants, author John C. Maxwell calculates how many jars of water it would take to water 10 camels. "Each camel could drink 20 gallons of water."
  • "10 camels at 20 gallons each = 200 gallons 200 gallons drawn with a 5-gallon jar = 40 trips 40 trips at (a conservative) 3 minutes each = 2 hours" What seemed like a simple act of kindness would require 2 hours of work.
• Maxwell contends extra effort brings extra blessings. Would you be willing to do that much for a stranger? A friend? A member of the family? A boss?
• What extra blessing did Rebekah receive? A husband? Or something even greater? [she was the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother of Jesus.]
• Who is blessed when we give generously?
• What was special about Rebekah besides being beautiful?
• What qualities did she express?
• What qualities are you looking for in someone to date?
• Which is more important? Looks? Traits?
• Why do people get hung up on the outside of the package?
• How do you get around the "looks" issue?

Isaac and the Wells
Read Genesis 26

Print/ Download Questions -- Isaac and the Wells

• Read the Bible assignment in Genesis 26.
• What is famine?
• What did God tell Isaac to do during the famine?
• What do Isaac and Rebekah do with Abimelech that reminds you of Abraham and Sarah? (Gen 26: 7-11)
• Is lying ever justified?
• Why does Abimelech ask Isaac to leave? (Gen 26:16)
• When you think of Isaac, what qualities come to thought?
• How did Isaac deal with the conflict over the wells?
• What does God tell Isaac that changes his life? (Gen 26:24)
• What types of conflict do you deal with daily?
• How do you handle the problems? Do you just go along with the conflict or do you stand your ground?
• How do you handle fear?
• What fears do you deal with?
• Why is this story important to what's happening in the world today? (hint - water)
• What is conflict?
• How do you handle conflict?
• Talk about the digging of the wells. Why is water so important?
• Why did people try to take Isaac's wells away?
• Has anyone ever tried to take something away from you?
• What did you do?
• Discuss the qualities of Isaac.
  • In Genesis we find that Isaac
    • Listened to and obeyed his parents
    • Believed in one God
    • Obeyed God
    • Trusted in one God
• Do you always obey your parents? Why or why not?
• Why is it important to be obedient to your parents? To God? To your Teachers?

Twins 
Read Genesis 25: 20-34; 32-33

Print/ Download Questions -- Twins

• Tell the story of Jacob and Esau.
• What is the significance of Rebekah's prayer and God's response in Genesis 25:21-23?

Gen 25:22-23 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

• How were Esau and Jacob different?
• If you were going to cast a television show or movie of Esau and Jacob's lives, who would play Esau? Jacob? Isaac? Rebekah? Why?
• Explain the differences in the brothers.
• How obedient are Jacob and Esau to their parents?
• What is the significance of the birthright? Do we have anything like that today?
• Was Jacob justified in forcing his brother to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew?
• Why was the birthright more important to Jacob than Esau?
• Would you sell your inheritance?
• Do you have siblings? How well do you get along with them? Would you intentionally do any of them harm? Cheat them? Trick them?
• What did Jacob and Esau do for a living?
• Have you made any decisions about your career path

The Blessing
Read Genesis 27

Print/ Download Questions -- The Blessing

• What did God promise Rebekah about Jacob? (Gen 25:23)
• What did Rebekah hear Isaac tell Esau? (Gen 27:1-5)
• What did she ask Jacob to do? (Gen 27:6-10)
• Why didn't Jacob think her plan would work? (Gen 27:11-12)
• Were Rebekah and Jacob wrong for deceiving Isaac?
• What is the importance of the blessing?
• How do you think Esau felt when he didn't get the blessing? (Gen 27:38,41)
• What did Esau promise to do to Jacob? (Gen 27:41)
• Has anyone ever taken away something very important to you? What did you do?
• What did Jacob have to do?
• Who was hurt by this deception?
• Do we ever benefit from deceiving someone?

Jacob Leaves His Home
Read Genesis 28

Print/ Download Questions -- Jacob Leaves His Home

• Where did Jacob go to sleep?
• Have you ever used a rock for a pillow?
• Have you found it tough to go to sleep if you've done something wrong?
• What is a "guilty conscience?"
• What happened when Jacob fell asleep?
• What did he see?
• Have you ever talked with an angel?
• What did these angels ascending and descending a ladder represent? [God's messages flowing to Jacob's consciousness.]
• Does Jacob say anything about a dream when he awakes? [No.]
• What does he talk about?
• Why does he appear surprised that God was there? [Remember the guilty conscience?]
• What does God's presence tell Jacob?
• Does God only love us when we are good?
• What does this experience do for Jacob?
• What does Jacob promise God before leaving Bethel?[Gen. 28:20-22]

Life with Uncle Laban 
Read Genesis 29:1-15

Print/ Download Questions -- Life with Uncle Laban 

• When Jacob arrives in Haran, who does he see?
• Do you believe in love at first sight?
• Why do you think Jacob cried after kissing Rachel? [No, she didn't have onions for lunch!]
• What was Jacob willing to do to marry her?
• Would you be willing to work for someone for seven years before marrying the person you love?

Marriage to Leah and Rachel 
Genesis 29:16-30

Print/ Download Questions -- Marriage to Leah and Rachel 

• What happened on Jacob's wedding night?
• Why did Laban do that to Leah, Rachel, and Jacob?
• How do you think Rachel felt? Leah? Laban? Jacob?
• Why do you think deception keeps surfacing in Jacob's life?
• What agreement did Laban and Jacob make after the wedding night? [Jacob had to wait seven days before marrying Rachel and then he had to work seven more years.]
• Discuss the emotions now. How would Leah, Rachel, Laban, and Jacob feel?
• Have the emotions changed any for Leah, Rachel, Laban, or Jacob?
• What did this injustice do to the family?
• What lessons do we learn from these stories?

Jacob Wrestles with the Angel
Read Genesis 32:21-32

Print/ Download Questions -- Jacob Wrestles with the Angel

• If someone had threatened your life, how would you feel about seeing that person?
• Do you think Jacob was worried about seeing Esau again?
• What happened after Jacob sent his family over the brook? (Gen. 32:21-32)
• Who is Jacob wrestling with?
• What physically happens to Jacob? [thigh out of joint]
• How much of this wrestling is a fight with his fears?
• Does he prevail against the angel?
• What does the wrestler give Jacob?
• What is the significance of the name change? [change in nature]

Jacob and Esau Meet Again
Read Genesis 33

Print/ Download Questions -- Jacob and Esau Meet Again

• Discuss how Esau must have felt about all the herds coming toward him.
• If this were a military operation, what do you notice that Jacob did?
  • How many different groups did he send? (five distinct groups of animals arriving in succession)
  • Was this done to wear down Esau's surprise attack? There's no hope of an ambush with droves of animals moving noisily with them.
  • Having to deal with five groups would wear down Esau's army.
• Was Jacob trying to outwit Esau or appease him?
  • With Jacob's servants joining Esau's band of 400 men, they wouldn't know who is who in the group.
• Why do you think Esau had 400 men with him?
• Was he coming to confront or forgive Jacob?
• How did Esau greet Jacob?
• What did Esau ask Jacob?
• Did Esau need all those gifts?
• When Esau says he has enough, he means enough material things.
• When Jacob says he has enough, he means everything – spiritually as well.
• If Jacob hadn't seen God face to face would he have been able to truly see Esau face to face?