Questions:
5.
a.
Your servant Jacob,… In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups – If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape
b.
He expected Esau to fulfill his promise to kill him for stealing his blessing and conning him into selling his birthright.
6.
He knew he would survive. Instead of prepare defenses or plans of retreat, he sent ahead gifts
7.
200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.
8.
a.
Attributes: Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD,
God’s Word: you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’
Confession: 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant.
Remembering: I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
Petition: 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau,
Acknowledge Weakness: for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.
God’s Promises: 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”
b.
We need to start prayer with acknowledgement of who we are praying to and the word and promises that He has given to us
My Daily Journal:
Here are the approximate market price calculations for those who are interested:
200 female goats @ $163 = $32,600
20 male goats @ $177 = $3,540
200 ewes @ $340 = $68,000
20 rams @ $541 = $10,820
30 female camels with their young @ $10,000 = $450,000
40 cows @ $700 = $28,000
10 bulls @ $1700 = $17,000
20 female donkeys @ $1500 = $30,000
10 male donkeys @ $1500 = $15,000
Total: $654,960
While the cost was interesting, what I found even more interesting was that this is the first mention we have of Jacob being generous. Abraham was generous with Lot and with the King of Salem. Isaac was generous with his own life in obedience to his father and his God, but there has been no mention of any generous act by Jacob until this one.
This is not a bribe, Jacob knows he will survive the meeting with his brother. Nor is it purely restitution, for no agreement of the cost of the damages has been reached. This is a gift, an offering, something done with hope of reconciliation but not expectation of payment. This is a demonstration of a generous heart, something valued by God in all his children.
The Notes are Good 