雙胞胎以掃和雅各的爭執遠在母腹中就開始了，進入成年期衝突仍然不斷。雅各聽從了利百加的計謀，從以撒那裡騙取了族長的祝福之後，逃往哈蘭。途中，雅各在夢裡得到上帝的保證，告訴他，他的確是約定中合法的繼承人。在哈蘭的二十年間，雅各是吃足了舅舅拉班的苦頭，最後回到迦南，可不是孑然一身，而是衣錦還鄉——帶著牲畜、僕人和妻子兒女──上帝就藉著這些成員奠定了一個新的國家：以色列。

        對一個希伯來的新生兒來說，最重要的事是給他命名，通常名字代表的是父母對孩子的希望，或表明孩子的個性，日後孩子就會按著他名字的意義長大！
        你是上帝的孩子，祂要給你一個新名字，一個可以帶進永恆的名字（啟3：12；22：4）。在此有一個問題：你依照「你的名字」過活嗎？現在就告訴你的天父。如果你願意在今天就成為基督徒，多用這個名字的話，現在就告訴祂！

次序/名字/意義/生母
1//流便/看，一個兒子/利亞(1)
2/西緬/聽見/利亞(2)
3/利未/聯合/利亞(3)
4/猶大/讚美/利亞(4)
5/但/審判/辟拉(1)
6/拿弗他利/我的爭鬥/辟拉(2)
7/迦得/好運道/悉帕(1)
8/亞設/幸福/悉帕(2)
9/以薩迦/雇工/利亞(5)
10/西布崙/居住/利亞(6)
11/約瑟/願耶和華增添/拉結(1)
12/便雅憫/右手之子/拉結(2)

撒但最擅長的伎倆，不是做一個無惡不做的大罪人，而是一個無作無為的聖人。

English

        The conflict that began in their mother's womb carries over into the adult lives of the twins Esau and Jacob. After following Rebekah's plan to trick Isaac into giving him the patriarchal blessing, Jacob flees to Haran for safety. En route, he receives assurance from God in a dream that he is indeed the heir of the covenant promises. After 20 years in Haran learning painful lessons from his uncle Laban, Jacob returns to Canaan with his livestock, servants, and family—the nucleus from which God will fashion a new nation: Israel.

        The first important experience of anew Hebrew baby was receiving a name. Often the name given would describe die parents' hopes for the child, or picture the child's personality. So an infant would tend to live up to his name!
        As a child of God, you bear a new name, a name you will carry throughout eternity (Revelation 3:12; 22:4). And that raises a penetrating question: Are you living up to your name? Talk to your heavenly Father about it right now. If you are willing to be a Christian today in more than name alone, tell Him so!

        You Can't Tell the Patriarchs Without a Program!
Order/Name/Meaning/Mother (Son)
1/Reuben/"behold, a son"/Leah (1)
2/Simeon/ "heard"/Leah (2)
3/Levi/'joined"/Leah (3)
4/Judah/"praised"/ Leah (4)
5/Dan/'judge"/Bilhah (1)
6/Naphtali/"my wresding"/Bilhah (2)
7/Gad/"good fortune"/Zilpah (1)
8/Asher/"happy"/Zilpah (2)
9/Issachar/"man for hire"/Leah (5)
10/Zebulun/"dwelling"/Leah (6)
11/Joseph/"may Jehovah add" /Rachel (1)
12/Benjamin/"son of the right hand"/Rachel (2)

Satan's primary tool is not an active sinner, but an inactive saint.