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

• How would you describe the dynamics of Jacob’s family life thus far? How do Jacob’s children emulate Jacob’s attitudes in this chapter?
• What possible motives do Simeon and Levi have for their massacre of the Hivites?
• Moses recorded this narrative in order to instruct the Hebrews on their history. What moral lessons does this narrative provide for those who read it?
• Compare and contrast Jacob’s response to this incident, and the response of his sons to this incident. How are they similar and different?

Prayerfully Meditate

• Read Genesis 49:5-7. Why was Jacob so troubled by the actions of Simeon and Levi in this chapter?
• How would the actions of Jacob’s family influence the view of the surrounding peoples toward Jacob? How would it influence their understanding of the God of Jacob?
• In the Old Testament, what is circumcision a sign of? Why is it troubling that this sign of circumcision is abused and manipulated here?