Jacob's Children

Jacob's Children Bible Study

Jacob's Kids Story

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our Jacob's Children Bible Study looks at the interesting Jacob's Kids Story and how it affects your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

Jacob's Children Explained
Jacob's Kids Arrive

A very good day to all of you who are visiting the Daily Bread segment today. We've been learning about the life of Jacob here recently in the book of Genesis and the last thing we found out, was that his Uncle Laban had tricked him into marrying his oldest daughter Leah after working seven years to marry his younger daughter Rachel. His love for Rachel was so deep that he promised to work for another seven years to have Rachel for his wife also. That is 14 years of his life that he worked for the one he loved. Now that ... Is Love.

God saw the animosity Jacob had towards Leah so God allowed Leah to have children and caused Rachel to be barren. Leah gave Jacob four sons and then Leah stopped bearing.

That brings us to where we left off. As we continue, Jacob is working off his second seven years for Rachel, and as you can imagine, Rachel envied Leah because she could have children. She told Jacob, Give me children or I'll die. That made Jacob very angry and he said, Can I act as though I were God who decided to keep you from having children?

Jacob's Children Lesson
Jacob's Kids and Their Moms

Remember what happened when Sarah did this? Well, some things happened a little bit differently this time, but some things were very similar as you'll see.

So Bilhah conceived and had a son with Jacob. Rachel said, God has judged me, and heard my voice, and has given me a son, so she named him Dan, which means Judging. Then Bilhah had a second son for Rachel and Jacob. Rachel said, I have wrestled with my sister greatly and have won, so she named him Naphtali, which means Wrestlings of God.

When Leah saw that she had stopped conceiving, she gave her maid Zilpah to be a surrogate for Jacob. Zilpah had a son and Leah said, A troop is coming, so she named him Gad, which means Fortune. Then Zilpah had a second son for Leah and Jacob. Leah said, I'm happy, women will call me blessed, so she named him Asher, which means Happy.

Jacob had eight sons now. Now when wheat harvest time came around, Reuben found some mandrakes in the field and brought them to Leah. Rachel asked Leah if she could have them.

What in the world is a mandrake? Well, it's an herb, with whitish or purple flowers, and the root of this plant was used to promote conception.

Even though Leah had mothered four sons for Jacob, his heart was with Rachel, and being that Leah had stopped having children, Jacob spent his time with Rachel. Leah answered Rachel, Does it mean so little to you that you've taken my husband, and now you want to take my son's mandrakes too?

Who Are Jacob's Children?
Jacob's Kids Names

Rachel, still in her heart, longed to bear a son for Jacob. She made a deal with Leah. Jacob would stay with Leah for that night if she would give Rachel the mandrakes.

And God heard Leah's prayer and she conceived and gave Jacob another son. And Leah said, God has rewarded me because I've given my maiden to my husband, so she called the baby Issachar, which means Reward.

And Leah conceived yet again and said, God has given me a good gift, now my husband will stay with me, because I've given him six sons, and she called the baby Zebulun, which means Will Honor.

After that, Leah conceived and gave Jacob a daughter, and called her name Dinah, which means Judgment.

Then God remembered Rachel, and he listened to her prayer and allowed her to conceive. And she gave Jacob a son and said, God has taken away my shame. It was an embarrassing thing to be childless in those times. Everyone knew that God had not blessed you with children for a reason. And Rachel called the baby's name Joseph, which means Adding, saying The Lord will add to me another son.

After Joseph was born, Jacob now had eleven sons and one daughter and had served his time to Laban for Rachel. He said to Laban, Let me go back to my home country and make my own place. Give me my wives and my children that I've worked for and let me go.

Laban asked Jacob to stay because he knew that the Lord had blessed him because of Jacob. He said to Jacob, whatever you want to be paid to stay, just name it and I'll pay whatever you ask.

Jacob's Children Summary
Jacob's Kids Conclusion

Will Jacob stay in Haran? It has been fourteen years now since he left home to live with his uncle. Is Esau still angry? Did you know Jacob's children will become the 12 tribes of Israel? Find out the answers to these questions and many more interesting stories ahead in Daily Bread.

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