Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible ReadingGenesis 32:1-21 (ESV) 1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,
4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.
5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.”
7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps,
8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”
9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’
10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children.
12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”
13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau,
14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.”
17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’
18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’”
19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him,
20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”
21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Psalm 27:1 (ESV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Observation Questions- What did Jacob see as he was on his way to meet Esau, and what did he call that place? ([29:29])
- How did Jacob respond when he heard that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men? ([36:23])
- In Jacob’s prayer, what did he confess about himself and what did he remind God of? ([40:10])
- What actions did Jacob take to try to make peace with Esau before they met? ([49:23])
Interpretation Questions- Why do you think God allowed Jacob to encounter the angels before facing Esau? What does this say about God’s grace in our lives? ([32:24])
- Jacob’s fear was very real and overwhelming. What does his honest prayer teach us about how to approach God when we are afraid? ([41:12])
- Jacob tried to make peace with Esau by sending gifts, but he couldn’t control Esau’s response. What does this reveal about our limits in fixing broken relationships? ([52:20])
- After doing all he could, Jacob waited in faith for God to act. What does this kind of waiting look like in our lives, and why is it not just “doing nothing”? ([57:13])
Application Questions- The sermon said, “God’s grace comes first.” Can you think of a time when you were afraid or anxious, but later realized God’s grace was already at work before you even faced the problem? How did that change your perspective? ([32:24])
- Jacob’s prayer was honest—he admitted his fear and unworthiness. Is there something you are afraid of right now that you need to bring honestly to God in prayer? What would it look like to pray about it this week? ([41:12])
- Jacob tried to make peace, but he couldn’t undo the past. Is there a relationship in your life where you’ve tried to fix things, but it still feels unresolved? How can you trust God with the outcome, even if you can’t control it? ([52:20])
- The sermon said, “Prayer is surrender, not control.” Are there ways you have tried to bargain with God or control a situation through your prayers? What would it look like to truly surrender that situation to Him? ([50:45])
- Jacob waited in faith after doing all he could. Is there something in your life right now where you need to “wait on God”? How can you use this waiting time to grow in faith instead of just feeling anxious or restless? ([57:13])
- The story of Jacob and Esau is about family struggles and reconciliation. Is there someone in your family or close circle you need to forgive or seek forgiveness from? What is one step you could take this week toward peace, even if it’s just praying for them? ([54:17])
- The sermon reminded us that “rest comes from trusting God’s promises.” What is one promise of God you need to hold onto this week? How can you remind yourself of it when fear or anxiety comes up? ([57:13])
