The Fight of His Life

Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17

Genesis 25:24-26

Genesis 25:27-34

Genesis 27:14-24

14 So he went and got the goats and brought them to his mother, and his mother made the delicious food his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were in the house, and had her younger son Jacob wear them. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she handed the delicious food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob. 

18 When he came to his father, he said, "My father."And he answered, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"19 Jacob replied to his father, "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 bless me."20 But Isaac said to his son, "How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?"He replied, "Because the Lord your God made it happen for me."21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau or not?" 

22 So Jacob came closer to his father Isaac. When he touched him, he said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 24 Again he asked, "Are you really my son Esau?"And he replied, "I am."

Genesis 27:36 So he said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”

Genesis 28:10-15

10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching the sky, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. 13 The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. 14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. 

I will give you and your offspring the land…

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. 

I will bring you back to this land, for 

I will not leave you until 

I have done what 

I have promised you.

The Plot:

The promise of many descendants, the creation of a people

Challenge #1: No Descendents

Challenge #2: Two sons who are fighting for the blessing

Challenge #3: A story of stealing and manipulation

Genesis 28:13 The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying.

Genesis 28:16-17 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”  He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”