Children of God are more likely to reach out to God in times of distress or sorrow than in times of blessing. Important lessons from the life of Jacob. Free PowerPoint Download at www.BibleGuy.org

1. Faith In The Midst of Sorrow
Genesis 35:16-29

3. If God cares for his children, why does
he allow suffering and sorrow?

4. Children of God are more likely to
reach out to God in times of distress or
sorrow than in times of blessing.

5. During Blessings we don’t need God, or forget
the blessings are from Him.
– Adam
– Jacob
– After all the blessings in Joshua the Israelites
forgot their God (Judges).
– Saul
– David
– Solomon

6. People call on God during times of sorrow,
distress or danger.
–Jacob
–Joseph
–Job
–Hanah
–David
–Jeremiah

7. Jacob’s Life of Blessing
• Jacob’s name – Heal holder
• Bought his first born rights of blessing.
• Deceived his brother and father for father’s blessing.
• When in distress at Bethel he made a vow to God that
he would serve God if God blessed him.
• God Blessed Him in the household of Laban.
• He was deceived by Laban and then deceived Laban for
the sake of blessings.
• He wrestled with Angle of the Lord for a blessing.
• God told him to return home, but he remained in
Shechem where he continued to prosper.

8. With all his prosperity and
blessings, Jacob (Israel)
was not right with God.
Sorrow, danger and
distress would bring
Jacob closer to God.

9. When People Suffer they look up
• Dinah was raped
• Son’s committed murder men and
Pillaged their village.
– Jacob cleans house and turns to God and
acknowledges God: “who answers me in the
day of my distress and has been with me
wherever I have gone.”
– He completes his vow builds an alter at
Bethel
• He sorrowed over the death of Deborah
– God comes to Him and confirms his
relationship and blessing

10. Genesis 35:16–29 (ESV)
Where there is blessing….
16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were
still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into
labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor
was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not
fear, for you have another son.”
The most important thing in Rachel’s life was having
children.
She told Jacob, “Give me children or I will die.”
At Joseph’s birth she said, … "May the LORD add to
me another son!" Gen 30:24

11. … There is often sorrow
18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she
called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him
Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the
way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a
pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb,
which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and
pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
Ben-oni – Son of my sorrow.
Benjamin – Son of my right hand.
She Was buried near Bethlehem.
Leah’s death won’t be recorded, but her place of burial will be with
Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, and later beside Jacob.

12. Can things get worse?
22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and
lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel
heard of it.
• May not have been an act
of lust, but a power move.
• Examples: Absalom (II Sam.
16), Adonijah asks for
Abishag (I Kings 2).
• Result: Forfeits first born
rights.

13. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The
sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn),
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and
Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant:
Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob
who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

14. Sorrow over the death of
Isaac (a fading rose).
27 And Jacob came to his father
Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba
(that is, Hebron), where
Abraham and Isaac had
sojourned. 28 Now the days of
Isaac were 180 years. 29 And
Isaac breathed his last, and he
died and was gathered to his
people, old and full of days. And
his sons Esau and Jacob buried
him.

15. Isaac is a faded Rose.
Jacob is also beginning to
fade.
The beauty of the rose hides
the pain of the thorns.

16. The Fading Rose
becomes twelve.
One Rose will
stand above
the rest.

17. There has never been a Rose like
Jesus