March 2-8: Genesis 24-33

Written By Center for Latter-day Saint Arts

"Let God Prevail"

Katrina Berg (American, born 1977)
Jacob’s Ladder (2025)
Oil on wood, 14 x 11 x 2 inches
Collection of the artist
Used with permission of the artist

Genesis 24–33 follows the next generation of Abraham’s family, focusing on Isaac and Jacob and God’s faithfulness to His covenant. Rebekah and Isaac are united in marriage and begin their family. Their son Esau gives up his birthright to his younger brother Jacob in exchange for a meal. Jacob’s deception to obtain the birthright and blessing leads to complications and long-term consequences. Amid family conflict and personal failure, God meets Jacob at Bethel and Peniel, reminding us that He works through our struggles. By wrestling with God, Jacob grows in faith and character, preparing him for his future role in God’s plan.

Covenants and family are integral pieces of God's plan. In a statment about her piece Jacob's Ladder, Katrina Berg writes, "I wanted to depict the Tree of Life as an espalier tree that looks more like a ladder climbing towards our Savior & Parents. Espalier branches also look like they are 'clinging to the rod.' Much like Jacob's ladder in his vision, we can climb closer to Them as we make & keep covenants." Our families are important training grounds for living the gospel, learning of covenants, and becoming more like our Savior.

Gospel Questions
1. Abraham's servant Eliezer prayed for direction to fulfill the covenant he had made with Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. How was his prayer answered (see Genesis 24:15)? Eliezer was hesitant initially to believe that his prayer had been answered so quickly (Genesis 24:21), but then acknowledged the Lord's prompt response (Genesis 24:27). How are answers to prayer sometimes hard to acknowledge?

2. Rebekah is seen as one of the most powerful individuals in the Bible, and we are introduced to her in this week's reading. What do you see as her strengths, and how were those shown during difficult decision points in her life? How did her strength bless Isaac? How did her strength bless Jacob?

3. The Philistines were jealous of Isaac and so they filled his wells with dirt (Genesis 26:13-15). Have you ever done something unkind to someone out of jealousy? Jesus said, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:15). How can looking at people as Jesus did help rid our hearts of jealousy?

For Children and Youth
Hi. The Old Testament is full of stories of children who don't get along. Jacob and Esau, Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers.

If you have brothers or sisters, how does it feel when you argue or fight?

Featured
March 2-8: Genesis 24-33
March 2-8: Genesis 24-33

Genesis 24–33 follows the next generation of Abraham’s family, focusing on Isaac and Jacob and God’s faithfulness to His covenant. Rebekah and Isaac are united in marriage and begin their family. Their son Esau gives up his birthright to his younger brother Jacob in exchange for a meal. Jacob’s deception to obtain the birthright and blessing leads to complications and long-term consequences. Amid family conflict and personal failure, God meets Jacob at Bethel and Peniel, reminding us that He works through our struggles. By wrestling with God, Jacob grows in faith and character, preparing him for his future role in God’s plan

February 23-March 1: Genesis 18-23
February 23-March 1: Genesis 18-23

Genesis 18–23 bring us into some of the most personal and emotionally demanding moments of Abraham’s life. These chapters move between promise and loss, hospitality and judgment, laughter and grief. Abraham receives heavenly visitors, pleads with the Lord for the city of Sodom, and hears a promise that seems impossible: that Sarah, long past childbearing years, will bear a son. When Sarah laughs, the Lord responds with a question that echoes through scripture and into our own lives: “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”

February 16-22: Genesis 12-17; Abraham 1-2
February 16-22: Genesis 12-17; Abraham 1-2

Genesis 18–23 bring us into some of the most personal and emotionally demanding moments of Abraham’s life. These chapters move between promise and loss, hospitality and judgment, laughter and grief. Abraham receives heavenly visitors, pleads with the Lord for the city of Sodom, and hears a promise that seems impossible: that Sarah, long past childbearing years, will bear a son. When Sarah laughs, the Lord responds with a question that echoes through scripture and into our own lives: “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”

February 9-15: Genesis 6-11, Moses 8
February 9-15: Genesis 6-11, Moses 8

We read of Noah and the flood in the book of Genesis, but instead of discussing a global, watery catastrophe, let's look at an emotional parallel: the inundation, the feelings of being overwhelmed, underwater, and without something solid beneath our feet. Everyone can relate to that; moreover, many suffer with their mental health at debilitating levels. Looking at Michelle Nixon's image of a flooded area near her home is a metaphor for those sinking feelings.

February 2-8: Moses 7
February 2-8: Moses 7

In her April 2018 General Conference sermon, Sister Reyna I. Aburto spoke of Zion-like purpose: "Girls and boys, young women and young men, sisters and brothers, we are on this journey together. In order to reach our sublime destiny, we need each other, and we need to be unified. The Lord has commanded us, 'Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.'" She continued, "Every one of our paths is different, yet we walk them together. Our path is not about what we have done or where we have been; it is about where we are going and what we are becoming, in unity."

Center for Latter-day Saint Arts
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February 23-March 1: Genesis 18-23