Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• What was the status of the relationship between Jacob and Laban we saw in Gen 30:25-43? Read Genesis 31. How do the actions of both Jacob and Laban in ch. 30 lead to the interactions of ch. 31?
• What is Laban and his sons’ attitude toward Jacob as seen in vv. 1-2? What does God tell Jacob to do in v. 3? How does this relate to the promises God made to Jacob previously?
• What does Jacob acknowledge in vv. 4-13? What do Rachel and Leah also acknowledge in v. 14-16?
• Describe the actions of Jacob and Rachel in vv. 17-21. What motivated these actions? Do they reflect the same confidence of vv. 4-16? Why do you think this is?
• How does Laban respond in vv. 22-30? What does God do to protect Jacob? What does this tell us about God?
• How does Jacob respond to Laban’s accusations? What does this tell us about what he thought about God?
• Describe Rachel’s actions and heart as displayed in vv. 34-35. What does this lead to between Jacob and Laban?
• What does Jacob’s response to Laban reveal about him? Why do you think Jacob refers to the Lord as “the fear of Isaac” twice in this chapter? (cf. v. 42, 53)
• How is this conflict between these two men resolved in vv. 43-55? What should this teach us?

Prayerfully Meditate

• Consider the results of deception on display in this chapter. Also consider the providence of God at work to accomplish his plans. How should these truths inform our lives?
• How does Jacob view the Lord in this chapter? How does this shape his actions?
• How does Laban view the Lord, and how does this shape his actions?
• What should we learn about human relationships and the plan of God from this chapter? How should this shape our thinking about relationships?