GENESIS
Chapter 31
Verses 1-3 Jacob notices that things are not going well with Laban and his sons.
Verses 4-13 Jacob tells Rachel and Leah all that has been going on.
Verses 14-16 Rachel and Leah agree with Jacob.
Verses 17-18 Jacob packs up all that he has.
Verse 19 Rachel steals her father’s idols.
Verses 20-21 Jacob and his family secretly leave Laban.
Verses 22-25 Laban pursues Jacob and finds him. But Laban had a dream where God spoke to him.
Verses 26-30 Laban wants answers – why did they leave and why did they steal his idols?
Verses 31-32 Jacob explains why they left secretly and tells Laban he can search for his idols amongst their belongings.
Verses 33-35 Laban searches everywhere and can’t find the idols. Rachel sits on the idols and makes an excuse for not getting up to be searched.
Verses 36-42 Jacob is very angry and gives Laban a tongue lashing.
Verses 43-55 Jacob and Laban make a peace agreement.
Discussion:
Jacob could tell that things had changed – Laban was jealous. Has anyone been jealous of you? How did it make you feel?
Have you been jealous of someone? Why?
God told Jacob to leave but He didn’t tell him to do it secretly. Did Jacob think that God would not protect him from Laban?
Have you had to do something in secret? Why?
Rachel stole idols from her father – if an idol can be stolen, does it really have any power?
Rachel also lies about it. Does it seem like Jacob had any kind of godly influence in his family?
Laban believed in idols and yet he made an agreement with Jacob with God as the witness. Was God just another “idol” to Laban?
Child Activities:
Collect some items (rock, toy, etc.)
Hold each one up – is it silly to pray to a rock (or toy, etc.) for help?
(gives a visual for children to see that man made idols are nothing)
