1.

Read vs. 10-11. Beersheba was Jacob’s hometown, but Haran was a foreign land. What do you think it might have been like for Jacob to spend the night away like this?    

2.

Read v. 12 and describe the scene. Why do you think the Lord God showed this vision to Jacob at this particular moment (cf. Gen 31:10-13)? What spiritual application(s) is(are) there for us?  

3.

Read v. 13a. The previous passages indicate that Jacob heard about the God of his forefathers a number of times in the past. Yet why did the Lord God introduce Himself at this time in Jacob’s life? 

4.

Read v. 13b. Bible scholars say that this place (the land on which Jacob was lying) was Mount Moriah, the site where Abraham bound Isaac on the altar and where the Temple would later stand (Gen 22:2; 2Ch 3:1).  What does this observation indicate about God’s purpose in promising the land to Jacob and his descendants? (1Jn 5:1-11; Jn 14:20)

5. 

Read v. 14. What does ‘blessed’ mean? Bible scholars observe that ultimately ‘offspring’ (or seed) refers to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (Gen 3:15) who indeed came to this world from the line of the faith of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob. Why then do you think the Lord God revealed this to Jacob at this time in his life? What spiritual lesson(s) is(are) there for us to learn?

6. 

Memorize v. 15.  How many times is the word ‘I’ or ‘you’ repeated?  Compare “wherever you go” with “I will bring you back to this land.” What is the significance of the Lord’s promise to bring Jacob back to the [promised] land? What does this show us about the Lord as a shepherd for Jacob? (Gen 48:15; Psalm 23:1-6)

7.

Read vs. 16-20. How did Jacob respond to the revelation? What can we learn from Jacob?