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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll see that Jacob was a man of weaknesses who had a great love for God and desired the things that matter most.

Key Verse

Genesis 32:28: Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Introduction

It’s easy to identify with Jacob. He was a man who had many weaknesses and made serious mistakes throughout his life. But Jacob was also a man who loved the Lord and desired the things of God more than anything else in the world.

We know something about Jacob’s character from the very moment of his birth. As he and his twin brother Esau were born, Jacob held tightly onto Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:26). His name literally means “heel-catcher” or “supplanter”—one who takes another’s place by scheming or trickery.

Jacob’s name perfectly captured his character in the early years of his life. He was always reaching out to grasp the things he wanted, often using questionable methods to get them. Yet as we study his story, we’ll discover that Jacob grew tremendously in his spiritual maturity and in the things he most desired.

Jacob had many flaws in his character, including deception, favoritism, and selfishness. But he also demonstrated many remarkable qualities throughout his life: he was affectionate and loving (Genesis 29:18), he was a diligent and faithful worker (Genesis 31:40), he became a man of earnest prayer (Genesis 32:9-12), he was devoted in his worship of God (Genesis 35:1-4), and ultimately he became a man of great faith (Hebrews 11:21).

In this lesson, we’ll focus on three things that Jacob desired most deeply, and we’ll see how God graciously gave him the desires of his heart:

• Jacob desired the birthright and blessing
• Jacob desired Rachel as his wife
• Jacob desired to be blessed by God

Jacob Desired the Birthright and Blessing

Jacob deceived his brother Esau and gained both the birthright and his father’s blessing through trickery (Genesis 25 and 27). While we cannot excuse Jacob’s deceptive methods, this story reveals something much more important about his heart—Jacob desired good things that had eternal value.

In ancient Jewish culture, the birthright was incredibly important. The firstborn son would inherit not only a double portion of his father’s material wealth but also the spiritual privileges and covenant promises that God had made to the family. When Isaac died, his firstborn son would become the head of the covenant family and the channel through which God’s promises to Abraham would continue to the next generation. The blessing of a father was also considered sacred and irrevocable—it carried prophetic weight and determined the future destiny of the sons.

Notebook Moment: What drives your deepest desires? Are you more attracted to things that satisfy temporarily, or to things that have eternal significance? What does this reveal about the condition of your heart?

The contrast between the two brothers is striking. Esau wanted something that would fill his stomach for a few hours—a bowl of stew when he was hungry from hunting (Genesis 25:29-34). Jacob wanted something that would last forever—the covenant promises of God and the spiritual leadership of his family. This is why God preferred Jacob over Esau, as the prophet Malachi later explained:

Malachi 1:2-3: “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.”

Esau despised his birthright and showed himself to be a “godless” person who valued physical pleasures more than spiritual blessings:

Hebrews 12:16-17: See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

Throughout Scripture, we see this same pattern repeated—God often chooses the weak and unlikely candidates to accomplish His purposes, demonstrating that His kingdom operates by different principles than the world’s system:

• Jacob (Genesis 25; 27) – Chosen over his twin brother Esau, the firstborn, to inherit the covenant
• Joseph (Genesis 37; 41) – The youngest son at the time among twelve brothers, sold into slavery by his siblings, later exalted as Egypt’s ruler
• Ephraim (Genesis 48) – Blessed by Jacob as the younger son to be greater than Manasseh, his elder brother
• David (1 Samuel 16) – The youngest and most overlooked son of Jesse, anointed as king over all his older brothers

This principle runs throughout Scripture and finds its ultimate expression in Jesus Christ:

Matthew 19:30: But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

1 Corinthians 1:27: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Jacob Desired Rachel as His Wife

Genuine love requires sacrifice and faithful service over time. We see this beautifully demonstrated in Jacob’s relationship with Rachel. After fleeing to his uncle Laban’s household, Jacob fell deeply in love with Rachel and agreed to work seven years to earn the right to marry her (Genesis 29).

Take a moment to let this sink in—seven years of hard labor for the woman he loved! Yet the Bible tells us something remarkable about Jacob’s attitude during this time:

Genesis 29:20: So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

When someone truly loves, no sacrifice feels too great.

Unfortunately, Jacob’s deceptive uncle tricked him by substituting Rachel’s older sister Leah on the wedding night. When Jacob discovered the deception, he agreed to work another seven years to marry Rachel as well (Genesis 29:21-30). For fourteen years, Jacob faithfully served Laban, demonstrating the depth and sincerity of his love.

The Bible teaches us that a godly spouse is a precious gift from God:

Proverbs 18:22: He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 12:4: A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

Proverbs 19:14: Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

And the wife described in Proverbs 31:10-12 is worth “far more than rubies” because “she brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”

The Bible also teaches that we should love our spouses with faithfulness and devoted commitment, just as Jacob loved Rachel:

Proverbs 5:15, 18: Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well… May you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Jacob had learned this principle of faithful love from observing his father Isaac:

Genesis 24:67: Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. Notebook Moment: How do the marriages you’ve observed—both positive and negative examples—influence your understanding of what real love looks like? What kind of example are you setting for others who are watching your relationships?

Jacob Desired to Be Blessed by God

Years earlier, as Jacob fled from his brother’s anger, God had already begun preparing Jacob’s heart for this new relationship. At a place called Bethel, Jacob experienced a remarkable vision that revealed God’s heart toward him. After his famous dream of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending (Genesis 28:10-22), Jacob awoke with a sense of awe:

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

Jacob set up a stone pillar, poured oil on it as an offering, and made a vow to serve the Lord faithfully. This encounter planted something deep in Jacob’s heart—a hunger for God’s presence and blessing that would grow stronger over the years. Centuries later, Jesus would refer to this very moment when He told Nathanael:

John 1:51: He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Christ was revealing that He Himself is the true “ladder” connecting heaven and earth—the way by which we can approach God.

After many years in exile, Jacob finally returned toward his homeland, but he was terrified that his brother Esau would seek revenge for the deception of decades earlier. When Jacob learned that Esau was approaching with four hundred men, he was overwhelmed with fear (Genesis 32:6-8).

This crisis revealed how much Jacob had grown spiritually. Rather than relying on his own scheming and manipulation as he had done in his youth, Jacob turned to God in earnest prayer. He humbly acknowledged his unworthiness before God and pleaded for divine protection (Genesis 32:9-12). Jacob’s prayer shows us how he had matured in his understanding of God—he was now humbled and broken, and he recognized that deliverance could come from God alone.

It’s important to remember that Jacob had already received his father’s blessing years earlier, though he had obtained it through deception. Now, however, his heart revealed something much deeper—he genuinely desired God’s blessing and approval, not just human recognition or material benefit.

The pivotal moment in Jacob’s spiritual journey came when he wrestled with a mysterious visitor through the night until dawn. During this supernatural encounter, Jacob’s hip was injured, leaving him permanently lame (Genesis 32:24-25). Yet Jacob refused to let his opponent go until he received a blessing:

Genesis 32:26: But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

The identity of this wrestler remains mysterious, but many Bible teachers believe this was Christ appearing in bodily form before His incarnation—what theologians call a “theophany.” Jacob himself seemed to understand that he had encountered God directly, for he named the place Peniel:

Genesis 32:30: So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

Notebook Moment: Jacob was still “grasping” in this encounter, but now he was holding onto God Himself rather than earthly things. What does this teach us about the difference between selfish ambition and holy desire for God’s blessing?

Most significantly, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means “he who struggles with God” or “prince with God”:

Genesis 32:27-28: Then the man said, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

This name change marked Jacob’s spiritual transformation. He had finally come to the place of brokenness and humility before God. Only when we are humble can we be exalted like princes in God’s kingdom:

Luke 14:11: For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

James 4:10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1 Peter 5:6: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Conclusion

What are three spiritual truths we can take away from the life of Jacob?

First, we learn that God can use people despite their flaws and failures. Jacob was far from perfect, yet God chose him and worked through him to accomplish great purposes. This gives us tremendous hope when we consider our own weaknesses and mistakes. As Paul reminds us:

2 Corinthians 4:7: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

God receives glory when He works through imperfect people like Jacob—and like us.

Second, we discover that spiritual growth is a lifelong process that requires humility and surrender. Jacob became a completely different man as he grew older and learned to depend on God rather than his own cleverness. In his final years, he recognized God’s sovereignty over every aspect of his life:

Genesis 48:3, 15-16: Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me… Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my grandfathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm—may he bless these boys.”

Like Jacob, we must continually grow in our understanding of who God is and who we are in relation to Him.

Third, we learn the wonderful truth that God will give us the desires of our heart when those desires align with His will and honor Him:

Psalm 37:4: Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Jacob desired spiritual things—the covenant promises, faithful love, and God’s blessing—and God graciously granted these desires. When our hearts are fixed on eternal rather than temporary things, we can trust that God will satisfy our deepest longings in His perfect timing and in His perfect way.

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