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  • JACOB

    MODULE 4: SESSION 20: Jacob and Laban Make Covenant

    Yaaqov and Lavan are on a path of mutual destruction, but, instead of another round of wronging each other, they choose to make peace through a covenant. A covenant is not the Eden ideal; it’s how two parties fortify a relationship in a world where at least one party can’t be fully…

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    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JACOB

    MODULE 4: SESSION 19: Laban Pursues Jacob

    Both Yaaqov and Lavan deceive each other and then proclaim their innocence. Each feels justified in his anger because of the wrongs of the other. The household gods (Heb. teraphim) were commonly used in divination to consult the will of the gods. Rakhel’s theft of the household gods parallels…

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    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JOSEPH

    MODULE 7: SESSION 27: Jacob’s Burial

    Yoseph goes up to Canaan, which contrasts with his going down to Egypt, highlighting the hope of a return to Eden threaded throughout the story of Genesis. The Egyptians embalm and mourn for Yaaqov, united with Yoseph’s family in grief, showing how the blessed family of Abraham is sown among the…

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    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JOSEPH

    MODULE 7: Going Up to Canaan

    SESSION 26: Jacob’s Last Request

    The biblical authors highlight Yaaqov’s request to be buried in the cave in the field of Makpelah where his parents and grandparents are buried. The Hebrew words for “cave” (me‘arah) and “Makpelah,” roughly translating to “naked” and “pair,” link this burial site to the garden of Eden.

    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JOSEPH

    MODULE 6: SESSION 25: Jacob’s Poem of Blessing Concludes

    Yaaqov’s words for his sons often carry deep connections to the fate of their descendants in Joshua, Judges, and beyond. Dan’s blessing could mean he will be a judge over the snake or a snake himself. Yoseph is set on analogy with Ishmael, recasting the division of Ishmael and Isaac…

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  • JACOB

    MODULE 4: SESSION 18: Jacob Versus the Narrator

    Yaaqov sees how Lavan’s “face” has changed toward him, beginning a pattern of reckoning, where Yaaqov will have to “face” those he has deceived. Yaaqov ascribes his prosperity to God, but his account contradicts the narrator’s presentation. The virgin birth of Jesus brings new creation…

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    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JACOB

    MODULE 3: SESSION 16: Rival Wives and Many Sons

    Rakhel’s words echo Sarah’s as she takes matters into her own hands in an attempt to secure Eden blessing for herself. The origin of the family of Israel is mired in animosity, trickery, and abuse, yet God continues to pour out Eden blessing on the family he chose to be a blessing to all nations.

    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JACOB

    MODULE 4: Jacob’s Flight From Laban

    SESSION 17: Jacob Deceives His Deceiver

    Yaaqov and Lavan each try to gain the upper hand over the other. As their wealth increases, so does the tension between them. A likely explanation for Yaaqov’s use of the rods with the sheep is that they act as artificial mating partners to control which rams are…

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    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JOSEPH

    MODULE 6: SESSION 24: The Lion of Judah

    The New Testament authors reveal that the royal lion of Yehudah is also the sacrificial lamb that was slain, portraying Jesus’ death and resurrection as the fulfillment of Yehudah’s royal exaltation. The royal rod (or scepter) of Yehudah can represent either punishment or rule. Later biblical…

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    Nfor John Njilah
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  • JOSEPH

    MODULE 6: SESSION 23: Judah and Joseph

    Yaaqov’s curse on Shimon and Levi foreshadows the scattering of these two tribes. Yaaqov’s blessing for Yehudah casts Yehudah as a new Yoseph. The story of David is patterned after the story of Yoseph.

    Nfor John Njilah
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