Jacob 5-7: “The Lord Labors with Us” (March 16-22)

God labors patiently on our behalf. Even though we may appear at first to be unresponsive to His invitations, He doesn’t give up on us. That’s Jacob’s message in chapters 5-7 of his book.

The Allegory of the Olive Tree (Jacob 5-6)

In response to the question, “How can people who have rejected the truth ever build on a firm foundation?” Jacob quotes and comments on a lengthy allegory by the prophet Zenos. Here is my summary of that allegory:

The Allegory of the Olive Tree – Jacob 5

Here is an overview of Jacob’s message to us in these chapters:

Jacob’s Sermon on the Allegory of the Olive Trees – Jacob 4-6

Here are some other blog posts about the allegory and Jacob’s commentary:

• Leadership Principles from Jacob 5
• Counsel Me Not – Jacob 5:21-22
• He Pruned It, and Digged About It, and Nourished It – Jacob 5:4-5
• O Be Wise, What Can I Say More? – Jacob 6:12
• What Is Wisdom?

Sherem (Chapter 7)

After sharing the allegory, Jacob turns to a specific case study: a man named Sherem who rejected the gospel and attacked him as the leader of the church. Could Sherem ever be redeemed?

Blog posts about Sherem:

• I Could Not Be Shaken – Jacob 7:5
• He Was Learned – Jacob 7:4-5
• What Is the Ministering of Angels?
• It Has Been Made Manifest Unto Me – Jacob 7:10-12
• What’s Wrong with Seeking Signs?
• They Searched the Scriptures – Jacob 7:23
• What Does It Mean to Search the Scriptures?