Bible character overview - Jacob

Written by: My Store Admin

June 3, 2024

Time to read 7 min

Introduction:

Welcome to an insightful character overview of Jacob. Here you'll learn about who Jacob was, what he did, and his strengths and weaknesses. Also, we have provided questions related to the story of Jacob to provoke thought. They can also be used for personal/small-group studies.

Who was Jacob from the Bible?

Key facts

When: roughly around 1800 –1505 B.C
Where: Beersheba
Name meaning: "to follow, to be behind’’

Glimpse: Jacob was the twin brother of Esau and the son of Isaac the patriarch. Jacob received many blessings in his life, but he stole a few blessings too. Jacob faced many hardships but persisted through it all. Family was a big factor in his life but produced the most pain. But ultimately, God restored all back to Jacob and gave him more descendants than he could count.

Two nations tussle

There was a woman named Rebekah who was childless and longed for a child. Her husband, Isaac, prayed to God that she might bear children, and his prayers were answered. Rebekah soon became pregnant with twins, but the babies “jostled” within her, and she questioned, “Why is this happening to me?” She went to God about this situation, and the Lord spoke, saying, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23).

The two boys were born, with Esau coming out first with Jacob grasping his heel as he followed. They grew up, and Esau became a skilled hunter, while Jacob preferred to stay at home. Isaac loved Esau, and Rebekah loved Jacob.

Questions

→ Have you ever asked 'why is this happening to me?'?

→ What does this section tell you about God?

" Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant."

Genesis 25:21

Stolen birthright

One day, Esau came back from a hunt, completely starving, and saw that Jacob was cooking some stew. He asked Jacob to give him some, as he felt he was about to die. Jacob made him a deal, saying, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau agreed and sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.

Later on, as Isaac was old and had dim eyesight, he called Esau and asked him to go and hunt some game and bring him a dish so that he might bless him before he died. However, Rebekah overheard this conversation and, because she loved Jacob, devised a plan for Jacob to steal the blessing. She killed a fattened calf and made Isaac's favorite dish, while also putting Jacob in Esau's clothing and putting goat fur on his soft neck and hands because Esau was a hairy man. Jacob went to Isaac and said, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”.

Isaac was a little suspicious and asked Jacob to come closer. After touching the goat fur and smelling Esau's clothes, Isaac was convinced that it was Esau and blessed him. Just after Jacob had left his father, Esau came in from hunting, prepared for the blessing. On hearing his son's voice, Isaac trembled, realizing that he had just blessed someone other than his firstborn. Esau let out a great cry. From that day, Esau despised his brother Jacob and planned to kill him. Jacob was advised by his mother to flee to Haran while his brother calmed down and forgot what had happened.

Questions

→ Do you believe there is great power in blessings and curses? What does the Bible say about the power of our tongue/words?

→ How can deception affect relationships?

"Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”''

Genesis 27:41

Jacob's ladder

So Jacob set out for Haran and reached a place named Bethel, where he stopped to rest. As he slept, he had a dream of a ladder stretching from the earth to the heavens, with angels ascending and descending on it. Above the ladder stood the Lord, who said, “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. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:14-15).

On his journey, Jacob meets a man named Laban, his uncle. Jacob begins working for Laban, who asks him what he would like his wages to be. Jacob agrees to work seven years for Laban's daughter Rachel. Laban had two daughters, Rachel and Leah, but he loved Rachel the most. After Jacob served seven years, they had a huge feast to celebrate, and Laban gave Jacob his daughter. However, when Jacob woke up, he found himself next to Leah. Jacob then had to work another week for Rachel.

Leah began having many children, while Rachel remained childless. Rachel became jealous and gave Jacob her servant Bilhah to bear children on her behalf. Jacob had multiple children with Bilhah. When Leah stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob to have more children. Many children were born, and eventually, Rachel bore a child and named him Joseph. At this point, Jacob had eleven sons.

The Jacob card from the bible bumps game

Questions

→ Are you impressed by the patience of Jacob? Why is it so hard to be patient?

→ How would you describe Jacob's character?

“ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.””

Genesis 28:16

Israel

Later on, Jacob prepared to meet his brother again for the first time since the blessing incident. He sent many servants ahead of him to Esau, carrying gifts to appease him. On his way to Esau, Jacob and his camp had to cross a stream. Jacob sent everyone and everything over, leaving only himself on the other side. Jacob ended up wrestling with a man until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he touched the socket of his hip, and it was dislocated. But Jacob did not stop and said to the man, “I will not let you go unless you bless me,” because this man was actually God. God then changed his name from Jacob to Israel.

So Jacob continued to travel, and as he looked up, he saw Esau coming with 400 of his men. As he approached Esau, he bowed seven times before him, but Esau ran to him and embraced him. The two brothers reconciled and parted ways. Jacob had one more child named Benjamin, and these were the sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob ultimately went to Egypt with his family, blessed his sons there, and was layed to rest in the same cave as Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah.

Questions

→ Have you ever had to be perseverant like Jacob? Do you think Jacob would have been blessed if he had given up the fight?

→ Why is it so important to reconcile/make up with family or close ones like Jacob and Esau?

“So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.””

Genesis 32:30

Strengths:

Shrewd: Jacob was a very smart man who was quick to think, bringing him much wealth and blessing
Persistent: Jacob persisted through all things, even wrestling with God until He had to say, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.'
Blessed: Although it was gained deceptively, Jacob was a blessed man whose sons became the nation of Israel

Weaknesses:

Deception: Although Jacob was shrewd, he used his quick thinking to deceive which led to relationships breaking down

Conclusion

Jacob's future was revealed even when he was in the womb. He lived a blessed life and saw the hand of God in all that he did. We can learn from Jacob's story that God's promises never fail and his blessings are abundant. His blessings for us are many and he favours his children highly. When we are in God, we are never in lack no matter the situation or circumstance.

''For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life''

John 3:16

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The Author: OluKoye Williams

Koye Williams is the creator of the international game biblebumps. His mission is to see the people of the Bible brought to life in a new and exciting way whilst also providing opportunities to spend quality time with the family.

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