Genesis (Written)

Genesis 30:1-13
Two More Wives and Four More Sons

Introduction: Leah, the older and less-loved wife of Jacob had four sons in a row and Rachel had none. When we want and we don’t get, we can often act in a way which is contrary to what the Bible would have for us.

Envy and jealousy are torches which set our lives on fire and which quench any joy we might otherwise have. They are often the source of even greater troubles which lead us down all kinds of wrong avenues.

James 4 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Coveting and envy aren’t exactly the same thing, but they spring from the same place where discontent lies. When we envy what other people have, it becomes coveting. Although it’s the tenth commandment, and so it may seem less important than some of the bigger ones, like murder, coveting actually breaks the greatest commandment.

When we covet, we fail to love God with all of our heart and we fail to trust that what He has given us is proper. When we do this, we place something above Him as our God. Coveting, as James notes, also leads to other sins, such as murder.

Today, we’ll see how envy affects the lives of Jacob’s wives in some of these ways. But we will also see, as we’ve seen so many times in the past, how God is able to take our wrongs and bring good out of them. Through a war of envy between sisters, comes another four of the twelve sons of Israel.

Text Verse: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:25, 26

Living in the Spirit is synonymous with having been saved by the blood of Christ. When you put your faith in Him, you are sealed with the Spirit; you live in the Spirit. But this doesn’t mean you walk in the Spirit. Paul tells us to also walk in the Spirit.

When we do, we will keep our eyes on the right things, have our lives directed toward proper goals, and we will have the Lord placed as the highest prize. Walking in the Spirit isn’t just a thing we do on Sunday morning, but it’s an attitude of our hearts and lives that can be found at any moment and in any situation.

Walking in the Spirit is being attuned to the things of God and trusting in Him each step of the way. Let’s determine to do this. One way is to learn and apply His word to our lives and so…

May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Green Eyed Monster

“How all the other passions fleet to air,
as doubtful thoughts and rash embraced despair
and shuddering fear and green-eyed jealousy!”
The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare

¹ Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”

Rachel, Jacob’s beloved, has seen her older sister bear four children. It’s been at least five and probably more years since they were married and yet she’s still not had a child. In the culture of the Bible, bearing children was the highest honor of a woman and having none is a point of shame.

This sentiment is found in both testaments and numerous times. It’s not something inserted by reading it into the text, but rather it’s open and plainly evident.

Bearing and raising children may not be seen as a great and noble role today, but the Bible teaches us otherwise. After these many years without bearing, it says that she envied her sister.

This didn’t suddenly crop up after the fourth child, but it had festered, probably since the first. Hence, her statement to Jacob “Give me children, or else I die!” She is a lady at her wits end and has fallen to the point of blaming her husband for somehow withholding children from her.

But even she would know the problem lies with her and not with him. Leah has been having one child after another, so there’s nothing wrong with Jacob. And he certainly spent time with her or she would have said what she said differently. In the end, God has withheld her from bearing.

The envy she has is a poison within her which will lead in various directions, but God will use it to establish His people who come from Jacob. As we see time and time again, God brings good out of our evil.

The Bible has a lot to say about envy and jealousy and it’s something that we need to watch in our lives constantly. Proverbs 14:30 says –

A sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the bones. Proverbs 14:30

In the Song of Solomon words are written that might almost seem to point back to the life of Rachel who will eventually die while giving birth –

For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy as cruel as the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire,
A most vehement flame. Song of Solomon 8:6

Three other barren women in the Bible are directly tied to Rachel. The first is Sarah who was related to her through the family of Terah, her great-great grandfather. Sarah didn’t bear a child after probably 70 or so years of marriage. By the time she did, she was a woman of 90 years.

The second is Rebekah who was her aunt. When she couldn’t bear children, Isaac prayed to the Lord for her and she conceived. Although it took 19 years, the waiting ended.

Another barren woman who contrasts Rachel is Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet. Her story is given in 1 Samuel. Rachel is barren and envies; Hannah is barren and quietly weeps. Rachel says that she must have children or she’ll die, and in fact she ends up dying when she has children.

Hannah on the other hand prays to the Lord for a child, receives him, and then has three more boys and two daughters. Rachel is aggressive in her speech and conduct toward Jacob, but Hannah remains devout and submissive to her husband and to the Lord.

And interestingly Hannah is from the tribe of Rachel’s grandson Ephraim who was born to her son Joseph. It is as if the lesson was learned in Rachel, and Hannah wanted to be remembered differently.

² And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

As should be apparent to anyone who has been married awhile, we fall in and out of emotional love all the time. As our mood changes, we can get pretty upset at the very object of our affection. Jacob loved Rachel, but her accusations really upset him and so he cried out hatakhat elohim anokhi – “Do I stand in God’s place?”

Speaking on this verse, the Targum of Jerusalem says that this is one of the four keys that God delivers not to an angel or a seraph -the key of barrenness. The others are the clouds, the heart, and the grave. These four things belong to sovereign hand of God alone.

Children are the gift of God, and His only, and therefore God, not man is to be reached out to for them. But unlike Sarah, Rebekah, and Hannah, Rachel blames Jacob and he in turn elevates the matter to where it belongs, which is in the providence of God.

Having said that, there is no birth which is a surprise to Him and He has, in His wisdom allowed them all – including those for which we try to find reason to abort. But the lesson of the Bible is that both barrenness and conception occur by His hand.

Therefore, we need to address the barrenness to God in petition and the conception to God in thanks, not murder. The Bible never makes a distinction between the validity of the life of a child in the womb and one which is already born. Maybe somebody can tell that to our president and those congressmen on the left.

There are other means of both having children and raising children, even in biblical times. Rachel turns to one of those means now and the Bible makes no comment on the matter in the negative. In other words, what we are now going to see is considered acceptable and normal, just as it was in Abraham’s time…

³ So she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.”

Just as Sarah did for Abraham with Hagar, Rachel now suggests the same to Jacob. This takes us all the way back to a sermon I did long ago. I mentioned that despite most commentaries stating Abraham lacked faith and was wrong for sleeping with Hagar, this is a wrong conclusion.

There was nothing wrong with it then and the verses of Jacob and his concubines verify this. If it were wrong, Jacob would have known this from the lessons of the past and not followed suit, but this is an acceptable and normal custom of the times. There is nothing in this which violates nature or the tenor of Scripture.

Rachel offers her maid, who is her property, to Jacob. Her name is Bilhah and it means either foolish or timid. Rachel says is that “she will bear a child on my knees.” There are two thoughts in this one concept.

The first is that Bilhah would literally sit in Rachel’s lap as the child was being born, thus symbolizing that the baby belonged to Rachel. Secondly, that because the child then belonged to her it would be dandled on her knees as her own. This sentiment is seen concerning Israel in Isaiah 66 –

Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.
Then you shall feed;
On her sides shall you be carried,
And be dandled on her knees. Isaiah 66:12

When Rachel says, “that I may have children by her” she uses the word v’ibaneh which means that she would be “built up by her.” It comes from the word banah which means “to build” and from which comes the word ben, or son. In other words, just as a house is built with wood or stones a family is built through children.

These words, banah and ben are spelled with the letters Beth and Nun. Beth means a house and nun reflects an “heir” or the continuance of a generation. This might seem like an unimportant lesson in Hebrew, but the mind of the people is reflected in the words they use.

Ultimately, these are the details that God has included in His word for us to understand what has happened and why. Although the New Testament is written in Greek, the same Hebrew mind is transferred over through the apostles so we can more readily understand Jesus’ work when looked at from this perspective.

The New Testament building of God’s house is seen more clearly when we understand that we are living stones, as Peter calls us, being built into a spiritual house. It’s not good to separate the Old and New Testaments in such a way that we no longer understand this pictorial mindset.

We are sons (ben) of God being built into His house (beth). And we are heirs (nun) of God’s promises along with Jesus. This is reflected in Rachel’s words to Jacob so that by it we get a much better picture of what Jesus is doing and how it relates to us.

He is building a house, a spiritual house, out of sons not only from the Jewish people, but the Gentile people as well, all pictured by Jacob with four wives.

⁴ Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

The sons of concubines were normally not given an inheritance with the sons of the wives. However, when a son is born under the name of the wife, then it will be a son of that wife.

Ishmael was an exception because God told Abraham to excuse him from the house, but all of Jacob’s sons will participate in his inheritance. The house of Israel includes all 12 sons.

Later in Jacob’s life, Bilhah is going to bring some trouble to the family. Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son, is going to go in and sleep with her. It doesn’t say what, if anything, Jacob did to her, but because of what he did, Reuben will lose his birthright.

⁵ And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

As sure as children are the gift of God, Bilhah has a son. Rachel’s words to Jacob were misplaced and unwarranted. Jacob is capable of having children and both Leah and Bilhah testify to that. Rachel’s barrenness is from the Lord, not from Jacob.

⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

The name Dan means Judge. Later we’ll see a book in the Bible called Daniel – God is my Judge. Rachel names the child based on an appeal to God and indicating that God ruled in her favor. And so she uses His name in the exclamation – danani elohim – God has judged my case.

But unlike Leah who invoked the name of the Lord, Rachel uses the general term of God – elohim. The Lord, Jehovah, directs the plan of salvation and monitors the covenant and so it seems curious that He isn’t mentioned now by Rachel.

But is seems understood that it will be through Leah that the Messiah will come, not through Rachel. At least the Bible record gives us this hint.

⁷ And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

This is the sixth son of Jacob and the second born for Rachel by Bilhah. One half of the sons of Israel are found in the house now.

⁸ Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

This name is a bit more difficult to determine than some of the others. Naphtali mean either “my wrestling” or “my twisting.” If it is wrestling, then it is referring to the struggle she feels she’s in with Leah – a struggle for being the preeminent wife of Jacob.

If so, her exclamation at his birth is, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.” They were in a battle and she is now on top.

But the name Naphtali comes from the word patal which means to “twist.” And so one translator says, “By the twistings of God, I am entwisted with my sister.”

The difference in the translation is important because in the first, it is her struggle against her sister and she has prevailed. But in the second it is God’s designs that have allowed her to participate in building the family which previously was only by her sister.

If it is the first translation, she is showing an arrogance in condemning her sister even after God has been gracious to her through children. If it is the second, then she is showing gratitude to God for allowing her to be included in His plans as He builds up Jacob’s home.

As you can see, differences in translation really do matter.

II. Another Wife, More Children

⁹ When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife.

It matters less what Rachel did, seeing as how she was barren, but what Leah does shows her own streak of jealousy. Leah stopped bearing for a time and Bilhah has had two children for Rachel. And so Leah decides that she can do the same.

I’m sure Jacob didn’t mind any of this a bit, or he would have told Leah “No.” Instead, he becomes the man with four wives. This one is Leah’s maidservant who was given to her on the night of her wedding, Zilpah.

The name Zilpah comes from the Hebrew word zalaph which isn’t found in the Bible, but it means to trickle or to sprinkle. She now takes the stage for a time…

¹⁰ And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

Like I said, Jacob is probably not at all unhappy about the arrangement. If he were, he would have told Leah to be content with her four sons. But he took Zilpah with no record of complaint. He has a fourth wife and now another son is born.

We should note that there could have been daughters born during this period. Only one daughter of Jacob is noted in the Bible directly, but on several occasions in Genesis it speaks of his daughters in the plural.

They aren’t mentioned because the family line travels through the father, not the mother. Today in Israel it’s exactly the opposite. A person’s Jewish-ness is determined through the mother, not the father interestingly enough.

¹¹ Then Leah said, “A troop comes!” So she called his name Gad.

The name Gad is another interesting study and is difficult to pin down the exact meaning or what she was thinking. It could be, as some speculate, that Leah stopped bearing because Jacob stopped going in to her. If this is the case, then her giving Zilpah to Jacob was to her as much of a necessity as what Rachel did earlier.

She may have been desperate to find the love that had eluded her. Gad could mean either troop, meaning a large group, or fortune. If it’s a troop, then she is excited about the large family which has come from her – a whole troop. Or if fortune, her exclamation would be that she has had good luck in her struggle.

It seems that either way the name Gad is a reflection of her sad state and unlike her other children, she never invokes the name of the Lord. He is completely left out of this struggle in either thanks or praise.

¹² And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

This is Zilpah’s second and last son, just like Bilhah. Between the two of them are four sons of Israel and any unnamed daughters.

¹³ Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher.

There is no dispute on the meaning of Asher – it means happy. It comes from a verb which means “to go straight.” For most of us, we tend to like the straight and quick path to where we are going, whether literally or in a project.

Leah is happy at the birth of this son and gives the reason by saying, “the daughters will call me blessed.” Again, she doesn’t mention her husband, nor does she include the Lord. This is a lady who has turned to the wrong place for notoriety.

Unlike her, Mary was given the news of a Son and her words were directed to the Lord and to the future hope of blessing. In Luke 1, her words which contrast Leah’s are given –

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

III. A Lesson For Us

If we can simply be content with the life we’ve been given it will save us from all kinds of other troubles. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t look for more of something or have desires for things. It’s natural for humans to want to learn more, make things better, tinker with things, set and achieve new goals, etc.

The world has moved forward in great ways because people have not been content to sit and do the same things day after day, but instead have looked for new and inventive ways of doing stuff. Projects keep us busy and they keep us from being idle.

But these things usually happen in the life of a person who is already content with their life. A person who isn’t content, will take shortcuts to get what they want. A person who is content will work for what they want. And even better than the content person is the content person who adds in prayer for the things he’s lacking.

It’s one thing to work for something you want and not get it and it’s a different thing to work for something after you’ve prayed about it and still not get it. When God is in the equation, we tend to accept not getting it with an understanding that He is still in control.

Leah started out well, but when things turned for her, she began to get envious and took actions which didn’t include God. After Asher was born, she said, “I’m happy” but it doesn’t mean she was. There is no note of gratitude or thanks to the Lord.

Rachel on the other hand let herself get more and more envious of Leah until she made an unjust claim towards Jacob. There is no record that she ever prayed about anything, and there’s no hint of including God in thanks or appreciation when her plan to have children through her maid worked out.

The fact that it’s not mentioned is a good indication that she didn’t. The Bible tends to record those things when they do happen. Eventually she will get what she wanted and have children of her own, but it will cost her life, dying while giving birth.

King Hezekiah was told by Isaiah that he would die from an affliction he had. When he heard this, he cried out to the Lord to live and the Lord gave him another 15 years of life. But during that time, he had a son who would be the downfall of Israel – a guy named Manasseh, a very wicked king.

Also during this 15-year period, he made a mistake by showing the Babylonians the wealth of His house and of the land, something which the Lord disapproved of and which resulted in Babylon coming back for it in war. If he had died as the Lord originally said, neither of these would have happened.

The thing we need to do is to accept what the Lord has for us as His will, whether we like it or not. But the good thing for us is that even when we don’t do this, it may cost us, but in the end He will work it out for good.

We may suffer because of it, others may suffer because of it, but He has already figured it all into His overall plan. In the end, we’re going to look back on our lives and see how masterfully He has woven them together.

He’s going to take everything we’ve done – good and bad, and the things we will do in the future – right and wrong, and they will be so beautifully woven together that we will only see the marvel of the finished tapestry. There will be no sadness or tears. Just everlasting joy.

Life is a learning experience, but it’s also something that we need to handle. There are choices to make, there are paths that we need to decide on. God has included these stories for many reasons. One story can have many applications. But certainly each story gives us insights into right and wrong.

We can take them and use them to make our own choices based on what we’ve learned. This is the beauty and marvel of knowing your Bible. It is a doorway into understanding yourself and what you can do better because it was written by the One who fashioned you in the first place.

If He knows you, then He knows what is best for you. And because He loves You, He will also reveal it to you if you will just take the time to check. As I say again and again, if you want to know God, you must know Jesus; and if you want to know Jesus, you need to know your Bible.

This book, this beautiful book with these fascinating and often intriguing stories is given so that you can know what’s right and then you can act on that knowledge. Keep reading your Bible and keep speaking to the Lord in prayer. Keep envy far from your eyes and be content in the life the Lord has given you.

You are here for a reason and you have a purpose. Walk in the Spirit, hold hands with the Lord, and keep your Bible close at all times.

Finally, in case you have never really understood how Jesus is important to you personally, let me take a minute and explain it to you. It is the most important knowledge you will ever possess…

Next Week: Genesis 30:14-24 (God Has Taken Away My Reproach)

Closing Verse: And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

Two More Wives and Four More Children

Rachel saw that she bore no children though she did try
Rachel envied her sister and to Jacob she said
Words of distress, “Give me children or else I die!”
Would you rather have me living or find me dead?

And Jacob’s anger was aroused and he did fume
And he said, “Am I in the place of God
Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb
Be careful, your words on dangerous paths do trod

So she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her
And she will bear a child on my knees
That I may also have children by her for sure
Do this for me Jacob, won’t you please?

Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife
And we learn that Jacob went in to her
And Bilhah conceived and brought forth new life
A son, and Rachel thought it was a good thing for sure

Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case
And He has also hear my voice and given me a son
Therefore she called his name Dan in that place
And she knew then that Leah’s battle wasn’t won

And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again
And we see that she bore Jacob a second son
Then Rachel said “With great wrestlings then
I have wrestled with my sister and indeed I have won

So she called his name Naphtali
His name means, My Wrestling, you see

When Leah saw that her bearing seemed done
She took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife
And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son
And in her was a newly gained vigor for life

And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son
Then Leah said, “I am happy, the daughters will call me blessed
So she called his name Asher, naming this one
Because of the straightforward accomplishment of her quest

Such is the continuing story of Jacob’s life
And the sons born to him from the wives that he had
He went to Paddan Aram to gain a wife
And ended with four… Hey! That’s not too bad

The sons of Jacob became the tribes of Israel
And in this group of people there is an amazing story
Their struggles with God the Bible does tell
And through them came our King of glory

These people brought in the Messiah for all
And to them He will return some day
Remember to pray for them that on Him they will call
These are His people as the Bible does say

But we too are His people because of His shed blood
And we are grafted into the holy olive tree
We share in the sap and the glorious flood
Of the Holy Spirit – given to us so abundantly

Thank you God, for You love all the people
Jew and Gentile alike, we are the children of God
Help us to shout out the word from every church steeple
Yes, may we do so wherever our feet do trod

Great and glorious God above
Thank You for Your wonderful love
Thank You for our Savior Jesus
Through whom You have given eternal life to us

Hallelujah and Amen…

Genesis 29:31-35
Four Sons for Leah

Introduction: Israel as a people has existed for close to 4000 years. They stem from one man who set out on a journey from his home in order to find a wife. While looking for one, he got two. They are sisters and rivals for his affections. And in the process, he unwittingly gained two concubines as well.

In their struggles to have children and gain his favor, he became the father of 12 sons, but unlike his father and grandfather who were known through one son of promise, these 12 sons of Jacob will become an assembly of people, united in a unique way.

This family journey begins in today’s passages with the birth of four sons to the first wife, Leah. How the children are born and the order in which they come can teach us lessons about our own lives, as well as how God’s plans are being worked out for us.

Text Verse: Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11

Leah was the lesser loved wife of Jacob and her heart probably never stopped feeling the sadness of being rejected for her younger, more attractive sister, but in today’s verses we will see her go from desire of attention to praise of God.

As we grow stronger in our faith and in our understanding of God’s care, we can and should follow the same path. We should learn to leave our desires behind and look to God in praise of what He has done for us and in anticipation of what lies ahead too. And so… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. See, A Son

In Genesis 32:10, it says this – “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.”

Jacob left his home and traveled north with no real possessions except the staff in
his hand. He didn’t travel alone, but he didn’t take along a caravan full of worldly stuff either. Saying he crossed over with his staff is comparable to us saying that we left with the shirt on our back.

In other words, he left with little, but not necessarily alone. It’s been over 7 years since then and he has no more than when he started, with the exception of two wives and their possessions.

As of today’s verses, he will begin to increase his family even if he isn’t increasing his wealth. He still has a 7-year period of working off the debt of Rachel, but as he does, he starts having children. This is where we begin today.

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

Here we have Jacob with his two wives which he earned for 14 years of work. Depending on the translation you use here, it may say that Leah is either “hated” or “unloved.” The translations are technically correct, but our understanding is probably wrong.

The last verse we saw from last week said that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. This is the state of the relationship. The very fact that Jacob is about to have four children in a row from Leah shows us that she is loved, but it is less love than what he has for Rachel.

I get bothered by commentators that find fault in Jacob for this. We love everyone around us differently and in different degrees. We also love the same person more or less depending on the time of day, the color of their hair, or how our mood is at the moment.

Jacob has done nothing wrong by loving Rachel more than Leah. This is the girl he wanted to marry and it’s not his fault that Leah came into the picture. It’s merely a fact of what happened and he is living with it as any of us would.

Despite this, the Lord looks with mercy upon the one who suffers and He is attentive to their hearts. Just because Jacob loves Leah less in no way implies the Lord feels the same. And so it says He, the Lord Jehovah, opened her womb. In the same verse it says that Rachel was barren. This implies that the also Lord directed this.

As the Lord is introduced, it is showing us that the covenant He made with Abraham is being attended to by these actions. Leah’s ability to bear and Rachel’s inability to do so are both designed by the Lord to continue His plan in a direct and purposeful way.

Whether Leah is loved or whether she isn’t, she bears the Lord’s favor in many ways. As the Geneva Bible says – “They who are despised by men are favored by God.”

We can’t assume that when someone is out of favor with somebody – no matter how important they are, that they are likewise out of favor with God. Leah isn’t and so good things are coming her way.

We can go home and think about the people who look down on us. Here we are, seeking out God at church and trying to learn about Him and how our lives are, or should be directed to Him. A lot of people, even the important people of the world, would look at us as wasting our time.

And yet I assure you that the time you spend here, or at another church, or Bible study will never be wasted and the Lord will look upon you in the same way as Leah. You may be unloved by your boss, or the people you work with, or the politicians, but the Lord isn’t going to forget you or your efforts.

I absolutely assure you of this. Leah was unloved, but God tended to her in an exceptional way. You may feel unloved, but you aren’t. You are truly the pride and joy of God’s heart. Your time spent for Him is time well spent and what you may lose now will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams in the days ahead.

³² So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.”

Jacob’s first child is born to Leah. As with all of the 12 sons and 1 daughter who are mentioned, their names reflect what is happening in the story. Leah names the child and the name she gives reflects the condition of her heart. His name is Reuben, a name which comes from two words ra’ah meaning to see and ben meaning son.

Reuben then means, See a son. And she explains the name’s choice – ki ra-ah Yehovah beyani. “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction.” In other words, my sad state didn’t go unnoticed by Jehovah and because of it, He has granted me a child.

Something to note though, which we’ve seen several times in the past, is that Leah may be thinking of the coming Messiah in this name. Jacob is the son of promise from Abraham and Isaac, and Leah probably knows this.

She may be thinking that because this is the firstborn, he may be the next son of promise. If so, “See a son” may be her way of saying to Jacob, her friends, and her family “Come and see the son. Behold, God’s plan is being worked out in this child.”

In what is a sad follow up, she says in either victory or desperation – we know not which, “Now therefore, my husband will love me.” She is probably thinking “I am the mother of the firstborn and this will certainly change his heart toward me.”

And quite often we will have the same attitude. When we accomplish something, it is often less for one reason than another. Maybe we have a hidden, alternative reason. Leah is looking for love in her husband and hoping it will come because of her son.

We may be doing something to draw others’ attention as well. We go to parties and get drunk in order to be accepted. We may sleep with someone in hopes of them loving us. Maybe we wear clothes a certain way to draw attention to ourselves.

I look back on my old photos and I see that I’ve worn headbands all my life. They used to be rolled up and worn like an Indian, but then I got bald and so I wear them open like a pirate. But I’ve always worn them and have them in every color you can imagine.

I must have been looking for attention and to stand out, but now I feel dorky without one. These things might be necessary to us in hopes of pleasing others, but they’re not necessary in order to please God. He looks internally not externally, when evaluating us.

One of the most important things He looks for is a reverence of His word. In Isaiah, we read this amazing thought –

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? ² For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66;1, 2 EXPLAIN

II. He Who Hears

³³ Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

Leah is again the one to bear a son for Jacob, but by this time she sees that being granted the honor of bearing the firstborn didn’t change Jacob’s heart toward her. Again she chooses a name showing the condition of her heart – Simeon.

The name comes from the Hebrew shama which means “to hear.” Again she explains the choice, ki shama Yehovah ki senuah.  “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved.” What was missing in the birth of Reuben will be partially fulfilled in another way in the birth of a second son.

What she craves is love of husband, but in her craving, the Lord grants her a child to love. Again, we have a divine lesson from the Creator of our hearts and the One who understands our desires. We may not always get what we want, but we will always be given what we need.

There is no thing lacking in the life of God’s people, even if it means starving in a foreign land as a missionary. What we lack in a friendly location and food is temporary, but what we gain in glory for our patience is an eternal home and everlasting abundance.

If you want promises of health, wealth, and earthly prosperity, I can direct you to a lot of churches right here in Sarasota or to some flashy TV evangelists – maybe they can help you.

But if you want true contentment in a world which isn’t always fair or kind, stick it out with God’s word and He will reveal to you blessings that you could never have imagined. I know the struggles and trials of many of you, but I also know that what you face now is temporary and already defeated because of the Lord.

He  knows that you might be unloved, poor, facing trials of whatever kind, but He does hear, just as Leah knew and showed us by naming her son Simeon. Yes God does hear, so let your voice be made known to Him. He who hears is faithful and will respond in due time.

III. Attached to Each Other

³⁴ She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.

Now, for the third time in a row, Leah conceives a child. Even if she isn’t emotionally loved, she is receiving physical love. Jacob is being a good and faithful husband to her, regardless of his greater love for Rachel.

In another heartfelt and open plea to her sad state, she names this third child Levi and states, ha’paam yelahve ishi eley. “Now this time my husband will become attached to me.” Levi means “attached.”

With three sons comes hope for a stronger bond than before. Three in the Bible stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon uses the number three to show us its strength –

“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (4:12)

Leah sees this one as the son who will bring her what she has desired – a strong bond with Jacob. Interestingly though, in the five verses we’re looking at today, this is the only one in which the name of the Lord isn’t mentioned.

She never invokes His name. Her expected attachment to Jacob has caused her to leave the Lord out of the picture. If I can find an equivalent in us, it would be “getting what we want and forgetting who gave it.”

This is the unappreciative side of us. Always, always when I type a new sermon, I first pray and ask the Lord for His guidance. The day before I started this one, I thanked the Lord for getting me through another sermon and I asked Him to be with me the next day as I started this one.

On that Monday, I got up and started typing and was going along until noon when I got hungry. I got some food, sat down, and started eating and typing when I realized that I’d never prayed about the sermon that morning, nor thanked the Lord for the food.

I was so busy with my personal efforts that I forgot to include Him. We ask for health, we get it, and then we forget to thank Him. We pray for a promotion, it comes, and we don’t bother to return to Him any gratitude. Leah has been given a third son while Rachel has none and yet she takes the blessing without giving the thanks.

Maybe in the future when we hear the name Levi we’ll remember to give the Lord thanks for all the things He’s given us each and every day. There may be bad, there may be trials and frustrations, but certainly the blessings are there and are deserving of thanks.

IV. Now I Will Praise the Lord

³⁵ And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah.

For a fourth time Leah receives the Lord’s favor and conceives. This time, in a truly resounding note of victory, she calls out ha’paam odeh eth Yehovah. “Now I will praise the Lord.” And therefore his name is Judah, meaning “praised,” or even “Let Him be praised” which would then be referring to The Lord.

It is from the tribe of this fourth son of Jacob and Leah that the Messiah, Jesus, will come. Interestingly, and as an ancient clue to this, the divine name Jehovah is spelled Yud Hey Vav He. The name of this fourth son Judah is adds in one letter, Dalet. YHVDH

This fourth letter, Dalet, means “door.” And so the name Leah gives her son is a veiled reference to where the Messiah would come from. Judah being the “door to Jehovah,” the physical manifestation of God on earth.

This is seen in Jesus’ words in John 10 –

“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who ever came before Meare thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

He is the Door by which we are saved and which restores us to our covenant keeping Lord. This is symbolized by the name Judah, where the Door to Jehovah is revealed.

It may be, and we can only speculate on this, that she somehow realized that this son would be the one leading to the Messiah. At first she thinks it is Reuben, but somewhere along the line she realizes it isn’t so.

With each new child she looks in hope of this promise that Jacob has spoken about. Instead of looking to her husband as in the last three boys, she goes to the Lord in praise for this one.

Just as Rebekah the mother of Jacob and Esau, knew the outcome of their lives before they were born, it seems that somehow Leah knows the outcome of Judah – that this one would lead to the Messiah.

Later in the history of Israel, after receiving the law at Mount Sinai, the 12 tribes will encamp around the tabernacle and move when directed by God. Whenever the camp sets out, the first to do so will be Judah. And there is a reason for this.

In the same way, when the armies of Israel had gathered together to go to battle in Judges chapter 20, they inquired of the Lord which tribe should go first. The divine response came back in verse 18 which reads –

“Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of Godto inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!”

In these instances, the tribe of Judah set out first as a lesson to Israel and a lesson to us – when we proceed, let praise go first. God is giving us real life instructions in real life examples. It doesn’t matter what the issue, what the challenge, or what the prayer, in all things let the praise of the Lord go first.

The term “Jew” as we use it today comes from this son as well. Israel, after the time of Solomon, divides into two separate nations – the northern tribes become known as Israel and those in the south will be called Judah. After the Babylonian exile, the returnees were often collectively known as Israel and individually as Jews.

But being a Jew isn’t based as much on a physical trait as it is on a spiritual one. Paul explains this in Romans 2 –

“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

Paul’s use of a pun in these verses is meant to highlight the nature of the Jew. The same is found in the book of John. In the sad commentary of chapter 12, we read these words –

³⁷ But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:
⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”
⁴¹ These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
⁴² Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

The name Judah has a special significance and it asks us to think on what is praiseworthy. Leah, after three previous attempts to get her thoughts straight, finally comes to the realization that it is the Lord and not men to whom praise is due.

She was looking for praise from her husband but it is only to be found in the Lord. The failure of Israel as well as the church is that time and again, we love the praise of men more than the praise of God. When we give, we hope the one we give to will notice. When we help, we hope for a note of thanks.

When we put forth effort and nobody notices, we let our feelings get hurt. But there is a better reward when we do things in secret that we will never receive when we do them in the open – for the praise of men. Jesus said in Matthew 6 –

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ³ But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly

Another thing we do too often is to make showy prayers in front of others. Some people love to have everyone around them hear their prayers and they make a point of making them long and complicated.

But God would rather hear the short and simple prayer of a person from a valley than a loud and showy one from the mountaintops. Jesus continues in Matthew 6 –

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Leah was rewarded with a fourth child and you too will receive your reward for the things you do in Jesus’ name. Don’t worry if no one else notices. Someone far greater and with a much better reward does.

This reminds me of a guy I’ve hear of who was a rabbi in Israel. He knows 17 languages and is obviously a very intelligent man. Eventually he came to know Jesus. He is now a Greek Orthodox pastor in Jerusalem. My friend Sergio told me about him.

He has a teeny church and he goes and does his services faithfully even if nobody comes. His heart is set on the Lord and although it probably breaks to walk into an empty church, he continues on with his chants and devotions because the ears that do hear are pleased with his service.

^{35 (con’t)} Then she stopped bearing.

The term here is taamod milledeth and means that she stood still from bearing. This doesn’t mean that she has now become barren or unable to have children, but rather that for a time she stopped. No explanation is given, but it could be because of Rachel’s jealousy and what comes about in the next chapter.

What is more probable is that, even if it was directly because of Rachel, it was indirectly because God had other plans for the coming sons of Jacob. He will become an assembly of people as Isaac prophesied, but it will come about from several mothers.

Leah has now stopped bearing in order to grow Jacob’s name in a new way. For whatever reason, Leah will now have a period of rest from her labors (pun intended). Of these four children who have been born, the first will eventually lose his birthright due to what we would consider as an inexcusable action.

The second two will lose their chance at the birthright because of their fierce and uncontrolled anger – together they will kill an entire town of people because of the action of only one person in the town.

The preeminence will move to Judah, and so the line of the Messiah will continue through him. Despite this, there will be some notoriety in both Simeon and Levi. Simeon will disperse into the tribe of Judah and will become absorbed by them. And from Levi will come the priestly class of people, known as the Levites.

They will continue to minister to the people of Israel throughout the time of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew comes from the hand of a Levite – his full name being Matthew Levi. Today in Israel it is claimed that the gene identifying them has been isolated and in particular the gene of the Kohanim, or the high priestly class.

If you’ve ever known a Jewish person with the name Cohen, this is the group who can most readily trace their DNA all the way back to the line of Aaron, the son of Levi.

It seems God has ensured that this tribe of people will be ready for the final portion of a prophecy given by Daniel about 2700 hundred years ago and which encompasses the 7 years of tribulation. It is a time when a temple will again stand in Israel and the Levites will minister there.

Four sons for the unloved wife and the honor of one of them leading to the Messiah of the world. It is a high honor for a woman who was overlooked as a suitable wife. I have to tell you that Leah is simply a picture of a lot of us. We get passed by in life for whatever reason, but there with us is the Lord.

He open her womb and showed her favor while the younger, prettier wife remained barren. Don’t waste your time trying to compete with beauty or money or status. All of these may be nice, but they can flee away in a moment.

However, the favor of the Lord lasts forever. There will never be a time that Leah isn’t the ancestor of the Lord, but it wasn’t long before Rachel’s beauty disappeared. Keep your eyes on the Lord and fix your thoughts on that which is noble and good.

Don’t worry about the things you can’t control. The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and where He can best use you. Nothing is left to chance with this wonderful Creator.

Let me please take just another moment and tell you how you can have a close and personal relationship with Him if you have never been told the way before…

Closing Verse: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9, 10

Next Week: Genesis 30:1-13 (Two More Wives and Four More Sons) (70th Genesis Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

Four Sons for Jacob

When the Lord saw that Leah was the unloved one
He opened her womb but Rachel was barren
So Leah conceived and bore a son
And she called his name, this firstborn, Reuben

For she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction
Now therefore, my husband will love me like and addiction

Then she conceived again and bore a son and said
Because the Lord has heard that I am the unloved one
He therefore has given me this son for which I pled
And she called his name Simeon

She conceived again and bore a son
And said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me
Because I have born three sons, not just one
Therefore His name was called Levi, you see

And she conceived again and bore a son
And said “Now I will praise the Lord
Therefore Judah is what she called this one
Then she stopped bearing, so says the word

Four sons for Jacob from his lesser-loved wife
And from her will come the Giver of life

It is from her fourth son Judah that the King would come
The one to rule over all of the nations
It is from the tribe of praise that Jesus would become
The Savior of the world, the hope of all generations

O God your plan is perfect and your word is sure
Your splendor is marvelous and your holiness pure

And so to You we will shout out our resounding praise
Giving You alone glory and honor for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

Genesis 29:15-30
Seven Years and Seven Days
From the Law to Grace

 Introduction: We’re in our 68th Genesis sermon and each one has reminded us that every single word in the Bible finds its fulfillment in Jesus. We could ask ourselves today, why is this story included. In all honesty, unless it’s showing us a picture of something else, it doesn’t really give us anything for guidance in our own life.

Jacob married two wives. That’s all that we need to know. Esau married two wives too and it didn’t include all the details. But here we’re told about Leah and it focuses on one of her defects, her eyes; they’re weak. Then it stresses the beauty of Rachel. Why?

Of what importance is it that Jacob spent seven years working for one wife only to find that he was given the other? It’s a fun read, but why do we need to know? And then Rachel is given right afterwards and the work for her follows the marriage instead of preceding it. Why?

I assure you, the pictures these things make show us of God’s great love for us by sending Jesus to do what we could not have done. And then just before finishing His work, He went though seven days of trial and sadness before the morning of joy came. Let’s look together at what God wants us to learn…

Text Verse: Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered. ² Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1, 2

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus… it’s all about Jesus. When we strut around, glorying in our selection of getting to go to heaven and enjoy eternal splendor, we often forget that this blessing involved someone else’s work, trial, and death. May we never forget this and so… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Seven Years for a Beauty

The last verse we saw in our last Genesis sermon said, “‘And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.’ And he stayed with him for a month.” Laban, knowing that Jacob is his kin acknowledged that he was his bone and his flesh.

Because they are of the same stock and group of people; they are family and so he allowed Jacob to stay as a guest for an entire month. Jesus came to His own stock and people as well.

In John 1 we read this –

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus dwelt among us for a time just as Jacob dwelt with the house of Laban. This is where we start up today…

¹⁵ Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?”

We can’t make the error here that most commentators do which is that Jacob showed up at Laban’s door with nothing to pay for his time or nothing with which to obtain a bride. There is no doubt that he went along with others on his journey.

He also would have brought enough to pay a bride price, just as Abraham’s servant did. Isaac and Rebekah went through this same thing about 100 years earlier and they knew what was required in order to make this type of agreement.

However, Laban in an attempt to look like a helpful chap offers him a job, but may have hoped for Jacob to decline and offer a bride price to obtain the wife. Even if not, Jacob has now spent a month with Laban and it’s probably apparent that he is a hard working person or he wouldn’t have said anything to him.

But at the same time, we see the same Laban that we saw many years earlier when Abraham’s servant came to get Isaac’s bride. He is a man of the world and he has his eyes set on profit, not the well being of Jacob. His selfish attitude is seen in this verse.

It is disguised behind a veil of acting kindly toward Jacob, but what he is doing is turning any possible gratitude that Jacob would feel for being taken in and instead making the proposition that he be hired like any other servant.

Whatever Laban is thinking, we have to consider Esau’s threats to kill Jacob. Jacob is probably just taking everything one day at a time and is in no hurry to do anything that would necessitate him going back to Canaan. Now Laban forces his hand.

Jacob, becoming a servant of Laban is picturing Jesus coming as a servant. Jacob will suffer through hardships, Jesus suffered through hardship. Jacob worked for a wife whom he received after his work and then received a wife for whom he would later work. This looks to Jesus’ work fulfilling the law and then bestowing grace.

All that we see is given to show us these things. The next words start us on the path…

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters:

Once again we see the number two being important in the account. The Bible time and time again uses the number two to signify a difference – usually of things at enmity or contrasting with each other. This time it’s no different.

At the same time that two shows a contrast, it will normally also show that the two contrasting things confirm each other. The two testaments of the Bible contrast – the Law verses Grace, but they confirm the word of God. Daytime contrasts with nighttime and yet they confirm the duration of a day, and so on.

Laban has two daughters who will contrast, and yet they will confirm each other as we will see.

^{16 (con’t)} the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

Leah means “wearied” or “labored” and Rachel means “ewe lamb.” Laban may have had other daughters, but these are of marrying age and are as yet unmarried. The others, if any, would be either married or too young to marry. The two that the Bible focuses on are these – Leah and Rachel.

Their names and how they become Jacob’s wives are important to help us understand the work Jesus did for each of us.

¹⁷ Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.

Here we see the contrast between the two and yet here we will see the confirmation which results. It’s an astonishing thing to think of what Jesus did for us, but it’s pictured in these two girls. Leah pictures the law. Her name means “wearied” and it is the rote following of the law which actually wearies the Lord.

Isaiah tells us this and uses the root of Leah’s name to show us –

“Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.” Isaiah 1:14

The word for weary here in Isaiah is the word nileti which is derived from laah – it is tied to the name Leah.

Secondly, the word for her eyes which is translated “delicate” here is rakhot. It literally means ” weak.” The NKJV is being polite.

In the book of Hebrews chapter 7, the law, like Leah’s eyes, is described as weak –

¹⁸ “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless ¹⁹ (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” (NIV)

Rachel on the other hand is called yephat toar v’phat mareh – “was beautiful of form and was beautiful of face.”

Rachel then pictures the gospel, the New Covenant of Christ. Paul describes it to us in Romans 10 –

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (v15)

If the feet are beautiful, then how much more the gospel. None of this is stretching what we are to learn. We are shown the contrast and yet the confirmation of the work of Jesus in these two women as it will become apparent in the verses ahead.

¹⁸ Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

The question that could arise is, if Rachel is a picture of the gospel, then why would works be included. It’s a good, but misdirected question. The gospel is good news which tells us we’re saved by grace through faith and that works are not involved in that process.

But it is also the case that the gospel resulted from work, just not ours. Jacob here pictures Jesus. The gospel is our faith in His work. Jacob is willing to work for Rachel, Jesus was willing to work for the gospel. Jacob’s love for Rachel is realized in Jesus’ love for us –

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5

While we’re looking at this verse, I want to read you one of the many commentaries which incorrectly interprets what is going on here. This is from the great Bible scholar Albert Barnes –

“…in his destitute state he could produce no dowry, and it was the custom of those times for the father to receive a portion for his daughter, and not to give one with her.”

Jacob is not in any way in a “destitute state.” He is 77 years old, the son of promise, the inheritor of Isaac’s estate, and he traveled with others to Padan Aram. The seven years of work which he agrees to as a dowry is not meant to show that he is destitute.

It is meant to keep him away from Esau. It is Esau’s threats which precipitated his move in the first place. Jacob is looking for a wife and obtaining her in a way which will keep him safe, employed, and on Laban’s good side during the process. When the 7 years are over, he will be 84 years old.

As incredible as it may seem, this verse then is a picture of a woman who is found in Luke chapter 2 –

³⁶ Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷ and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Anna, means “Grace” is the daughter of Phanuel, meaning “Face of God”. She was 84 years old after having been married for 7 years. She was from the tribe of Asher, which means “Happy.” The work of Jesus Christ is available to us by grace. It restores to us the face of God and which brings us our blessed state, our happiness; the veil is lifted.

All of these names, ages, places, and families are given to show us what God is doing and what the result of His Son’s work is.

¹⁹ And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”

Laban is probably very happy about the arrangement. He’s getting seven years of work out of Jacob and his daughter will marry someone trustworthy and of close kinship. He is probably thinking he may benefit from this in other ways as well.

Jacob never asks for anything else, such as lodging or food and so this tells us that he didn’t come in a destitute state. Rather, the only thing he is receiving for his work is Laban’s daughter. In an attempt to seem gracious, Laban agrees and says “Stay with me.”

Knowing the type of person Laban is, as we saw in earlier chapters, it’s probable that he already has in mind what he is going to do, but he keeps his intent secret for now.

²⁰ So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

Seven is the number of spiritual perfection. If you ever want to see an astonishing breakdown of it or any other number in the Bible, you can read Numbers in Scripture by EW Bullinger. There he details so much information, it’s almost impossible to grasp.

Jacob’s seven years of working for Rachel picture Jesus’ spiritually perfect work on our behalf. Just as Jacob’s time was served for a wife he loved, Jesus served for the wife He loved too.

II. Deceiving the Deceiver

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”

Jacob’s time, when it was past, seemed like a few days, but his time is past and now the agreement must be settled. The time of servitude is accomplished and now the reward and payment is to be made.

²² And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.

This is the fourth feast or mishteh noted in the Bible. As at other times, it is looking forward to something else. This one is being given as a picture of Palm Sunday, AD32 when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was hailed as the Messiah.

This will become clearer in a few verses. The men of the place have gathered for the wedding ceremony and a feast, just as those in Israel gathered together at Palm Sunday. At that time, the people called out, “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” John 12:13

²³ Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.

Here we see Jacob the deceiver of His father being deceived by Laban. Instead of receiving Rachel, Leah is brought to him. These accounts are not a 1 for 1 comparison. No shadow or picture ever is, but they are given to show us what will happen and why.

This time is no different. Jesus wasn’t a deceiver, but the pattern of what happened when Jacob deceived Isaac was to show us Jesus, pictured by Jacob replacing Adam, pictured by Esau.

Israel had already called Jesus their King and yet there was still more needed before we could go from the law to grace. He had to fulfill the law in its entirety first. This included being betrayed, just as Jacob was betrayed by Laban.

²⁴ And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.

The usual custom was to give handmaids to a daughter at her marriage. Rebekah, Laban’s sister, was given many, but Laban being a cheap guy only gave one to Leah.

The name Zilpah comes from the Hebrew word zalaph which isn’t found in the Bible, but it means to trickle or to sprinkle. And this looks to what Jesus did as Peter tells us in his first letter –

To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 1:1, 2

Zilpah, the Sprinkling, came along with Leah, the law. And for Jesus, along with fulfilling the law came dying on the cross and the sprinkling of His blood…. beautiful pictures here!

²⁵ So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”

It was the custom of the people at the time, as it still is in many places, for the bride to be veiled. Jacob never saw the face of the wife he worked for and was instead deceived by Laban. Although this is a sad thing, it is recorded for us to see the work of Jesus.

There were still seven days from Palm Sunday until His work was finished. Jacob served seven years for Rachel and Jesus served His time in fulfillment of the Law, pictured by Leah.

²⁶ And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

Laban makes up a horribly lame excuse. If this was the custom of the people, then he would have told it to Jacob seven years earlier. The fact is that he was blessed because of Jacob. We’ll see this in a few sermons. Laban wanted it to continue.

However, the picture is again fulfilled in Christ. We cannot receive the grace of God in Christ without there first being met the demands of His perfect law. Apart from that, we stand condemned. This is why we’re being shown this.

There is an order to everything, including how we relate to God. We must first meet the demands of the law and then receive the grace of God.

²⁷ Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”

Laban will profit from Jacob’s love for Rachel. He knows 100% that he will be willing to work another seven years without payment to have her hand. And to ensure that he accepts, he asks for him to only finish the bridal week of Leah. In seven more days, he may have his prize.

Jesus has seven more days left too. From Palm Sunday through Saturday will be His passion week, crucifixion, burial, and time in the tomb. When the week is over, he will have prevailed over the law. This is the picture we have in front of us.

Jesus said in Matthew 5, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

He fulfilled the law for us, just as Jacob fulfilled the seven years of work and the seven days of the bridal week for Leah who pictures the law. And as Leah’s weak eyes weren’t sufficient to draw Jacob’s love, the law was weak as well.

The torturous week of waiting for Rachel is mirrored by the torturous week of Jesus’ Passion. But both were fulfilled and the time of trouble passed. Sadness is for a moment, but joy lasts forever. Imagine it… the granting of the new bride; the resurrection of the Lord!

A thought we need to look at though and which will come up again is that Jesus comes through Leah, not through Rachel. It is through Leah’s fourth son Judah. Like I said earlier, God’s righteousness demands that the law must be fulfilled.

And so Jesus came through the law and fulfilled it on our behalf. Rachel will be the mother of Joseph and Benjamin both of whom will also picture Jesus in Genesis. Also, the blessing will go through Joseph and on to his son Ephraim.

Later in the Bible, Ephraim becomes synonymous with the northern tribes of Israel who are dispersed and become a multitude of nations – the fullness of the gentiles, according to Genesis 48. So even in the sons of these two women, the picture remains clear.

It all points to Jesus who was born under the law, fulfilled the law, and is therefore qualified to bestow grace on all people.

III. Seven More Years

²⁸ Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.

Jacob, instead of fighting at the prospects of having two wives, agrees to the terms. As unfair as it was for him, he was willing to complete the bridal week of Leah. And as unfair as it was for Jesus to complete the Passion week and die for sins He didn’t commit, He was willing to do so. As John says,

“Andof His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

In fulfillment of the bridal week, Rachel is given to Jacob. And in fulfillment of the law the Lord’s grace is bestowed upon us.

²⁹ And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.

Again, only one maid is given away by Laban. He receives 14 years of work, marries off two daughters, and only provides two maids for his two daughters.

Bilhah means either foolish or timid. The only New Testament connection with Bilhah is in 2 Corinthians 6, where it says –

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

The name Belial is connected to the name Bilhah. It means “beyond purpose;” something that is useless. Bilhah bore two sons to Jacob, one being Dan who followed a path of idolatry and is overlooked in the sealing of the tribes in Revelation 7.

She also slept with Jacob’s oldest son who was born of Leah which caused him to lose the birthright. Her being introduced here is probably then a picture of what not to do as a Christian. Don’t be sexually immoral or be unequally yoked with non-believers.

And don’t mix in the law, pictured by Leah, with grace, pictured by Rachel. In other words, for the good thing which came in Rachel came something bad. Just as in the church there are those that rely on grace and those who are foolish and abuse it.

³⁰ Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

Jacob finally receives his reward and he went into his little ewe lamb. Likewise, Jesus has received His flock whom He loves. The seven years of serving for Rachel are certainly symbolic of the spiritual completion of the time between the foundation of the church and the rapture of the church.

At some point, the work will be finished and the saints of the ages will be brought out of this land and into the promised inheritance. The time is coming and here we are patiently waiting. It is certain that Jacob lifted the veil of Rachel before he went into her.

And it has been the custom of Jewish people ever since to lift the veil of the woman they are to marry. This is called the bedekin or “veiling of the bride” and it is done in remembrance of this account. However, what it actually pictures in the Bible is recorded in 2 Corinthians 3 –

¹² Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— ¹³ unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. ¹⁵ But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶ Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Moses went in to the presence of God and God’s glory shone so brightly on him that when he came out, he had to veil his face. Natural man cannot look at the purity of God’s holiness which is reflected in His law. We can never meet its requirements.

But Jesus did this for us. Now, the veil is lifted in Christ and we can look directly at His work which was done for us. As Paul says, “when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” Phanuel – the Face of God…

Leah was veiled just as the law carries a veil. Rachel was unveiled and likewise, we receive the fullness of the splendor of Christ through the grace He alone bestows on us.

About this account today, Adam Clarke says this, “What a man soweth, that shall he reap. Jacob had before practiced deceit, and is now deceived…”

We have seeds of our own to sow. We can sow the seeds of the law and be overcome by the law, or we can put our trust in Jesus who fulfilled the law and thus we can overcome the law through Him.

We’ve seen this today in this interesting story of one man who goes from being unmarried to having two wives in only eight days. If you will give me just a couple more minutes, I want to clearly explain to you the way to be a part of what Christ has done. Because He did the work, the rest is easy…

Closing Verse: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” Romans 9:25

Next Week: Genesis 29:31-35 (Four Sons for Leah) (69th Genesis Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

From the Law to Grace

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative
Should you therefore serve me for nothing? I think not
Tell me, what should your wages be, just a hint please give
Pick your wages,,, go ahead and give it a shot

Now Laban had two daughters, Leah was the elder’s name
The younger was Rachel and the two girls didn’t look the same

Leah’s eyes were delicate, some would say quite weak
But Rachel was a beauty in appearance, as the Bible does speak

Now Jacob loved Rachel and so he gave a clue
“I will serve you seven years for Rachel your youngest you see
And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you
Than that I should give her to another. Stay here with me

So for Rachel Jacob seven years did he serve
And they seemed to him only a few days
Because of the great love that he had for her
Yes Jacob was smitten by Rachel in all ways

Then Jacob said to Laban, “To me my wife give
For my days are fulfilled that I may go in to her
And Laban gathered together all the men where they did live
And he made a feast, it was a big one for sure

Now it came to pass in the evening time
That he took Leah his daughter instead
And brought her near to Jacob, such a crime
And he went into her and her wedding bed

And Laban gave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid
But this didn’t resolve the problem of how Jacob was betrayed
So it came to pass in the morning, that behold
It was Leah in his bed, not Rachel like he was told

And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?
Was it not for Rachel that I served you?
This isn’t Rachel, as anyone can clearly see
Why then have you deceived like this and been untrue?

And Laban said, “It must not be done so
In our country to give the younger before the firstborn
Fulfill her week and we will give you the other also
You will serve another seven years like the first that you had sworn

Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week as was bade
So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also
And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to Rachel as a maid
Then Jacob went into Rachel so happily you know

And he loved Rachel more than Leah as the time he did fill
And he served with Laban faithfully another seven years still

This story of great love is realized in Christ Jesus
Who came as a Man and fulfilled the law for us

Then He received His bride, the fulfillment of the law
And then another to Him did come
His grace descends upon us as we look back in awe
All because of Jesus and the work that He has done

What a marvelous story of the love of God
May we carefully read it and cherish it all of our days
And may we proclaim the gospel while on this earth we trod
Until we meet in heaven for the resounding choir of praise

There we shall sing eternally “Glory to our King”
And there with the angels shall to Him we sing

Hallelujah and Amen…

Genesis 29:1-14
Exile from the Land

Introduction: The stories about Jacob contain pictures within pictures. As always, Bible stories are meant to show us what really happened, but also what will happen. Eventually, everything points to Jesus and our relationship with Him.

The life and record of Jacob and those he interacts with is no different. Let us keep our minds alert and our eyes open to the wonders ahead. Today we leave the Land of Promise and head to the land of the people of the east.

Text Verse: “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
²⁰ I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord. Hosea 2:19, 20

God promised to betroth a people to Himself forever. As believers in Jesus Christ, we become a part of that relationship. It is a relationship pictured in a meeting at a well in an open field many thousands of years ago, and so… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Flocks By a Well

So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.

In this first verse of Chapter 29, there is a happiness in the Hebrew which is seen in almost none of our translations. The verse literally says, “Lifted Jacob his feet and came to the sons of the East.”

It is as if he were skipping in joy at the prospects of his journey after receiving the assurances of God at Bethel. Within this one verse, is a journey of 400 miles of which nothing is mentioned. However, beginning with this verse is also a picture of the people of Israel during their exile from the land.

In the story of his time away, there will be other pictures too, but Jacob’s entire time out of Canaan paints a broad tapestry of Israel’s times of exile – once to Babylon for 70 years, and once in the Diaspora for 2000 years. Here is the picture for us to see –

First, he is outside of the land of blessing. In Genesis 26, God told Isaac to dwell in the land and He would bless him. In Deuteronomy 28:64, God promised disobedient Israel that they would be scattered among the nations – away from their homeland.

Next, he is without an altar. At no time during his exile is there recorded that he built an altar. This is true with Israel during her dispersion. Hosea 3:4, 5 tells us this –

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. ⁵ Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.

During the entire time of their exile, there have been no proper sacrifices to God. Despite being protected and kept as a people, the spiritual connection of temple worship has been lacking, just as no altar is recorded as being built by Jacob during his time away.

Not only would he be out of the promised land and with no altar, but he would dwell in a land of foreign gods. This will be seen when he resides with Laban who is a man with homemade gods in his house. This is Israel to a T as they have dwelt in pagan lands.

Along with that, he will gain an evil reputation during his time away. We’ll see this in Genesis 31:1 –

“Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, ‘Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.'”

Likewise, Israel during both of her dispersions received evil reputations such as in the book of Esther during the first exile, and in the nation of Germany leading to the holocaust in the second exile. We even see this continuing in America today.

However, despite the evil name, Jacob has been promised to be kept under covenant care by God. Likewise, Israel has been saved and protected by God just as He promised in both dispersions. Jacob was finally brought back to the land, and unfaithful Israel has also been brought back home after both dispersions.

God is ever-faithful to his unfaithful people. They reap the shame and the punishment from the seeds of disobedience that they sow, but God never has nor will He ever forsake them. These are just some of the patterns between Jacob and Israel when they are outside of the covenant land given to them by God.

² And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth.

This is not the same well where Abraham’s servant met Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, many years before. That well was close enough to the house to carry a jar for use by the family and the description of the two is different in how the water is obtained from them.

This is a well in the open fields which is used by the shepherds specifically for their flocks. When he came to it, there are three flocks already at the well, but there was a large stone covering it and so they’re just sitting there with their own flocks waiting.

This then is a spring well which flows underground and bubbles up to the surface. Because of shifting sands or evaporation, the well would have been covered with a giant flat stone that had a hole cut in the middle. This would form the cistern’s mouth.

On top of that hole would be a big heavy stone. By placing a stone over the mouth, the pressure of the stone would keep the water from coming up and evaporating on the open land.  The water then is precious and the well is considered common property for all of the shepherds as we’ll see next –

³ Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.

The term that was used in the previous verse indicates a very large stone, but there is no definite article in front of the word. This means that it wouldn’t take every shepherd to move it, but rather that not all shepherds who used it could move it.

This shows that there was probably some type of agreement between all of the people that no one would water their flock until everyone came together. Until then, everyone else would sit around and wait for the others.

Once everyone showed up, the top would be popped and the water would bubble out so the flocks would come and lap it up. Is anyone seeing a picture of anything yet?

⁴ And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?”

And they said, “We are from Haran.”

Here we have a friendly greeting from Jacob. He’s in a foreign land and certainly doesn’t want to appear like a stranger and so he calls the shepherds his brothers and asks where they’re from.

Their language would be different than what the people of Canaan spoke, but because his mother is from here, he would certainly understand them, having learned it from her. Any difficulty between the two would be no problem, because Deborah came along with him from Canaan too and she was from there.

Their answer to him must have been a welcome one. “We are from Haran.” It is the land he was sent to and the land that they were from. He still could be a long distance from Haran because the shepherds would travel these long distances with their flocks, but he was now among people who probably knew his family.

⁵ Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?”
And they said, “We know him.”

Laban is actually the grandson of Nahor. Laban’s father is Bethuel, but Nahor was certainly well known and Bethuel may not have been or he might have died. For whatever reason, he asks about Laban in connection with Nahor. And they answer knowingly.

II. Introducing Rachel

⁶ So he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”

Jacob’s question about Laban is an eastern way of inquiry – ha’shalom lo? “Is there peace to him?” The word peace, or shalom, is more than just a state of calm, but an entire concept of the wellness and prosperity of the person. It is contentment and blessing. Their answer confirms he has this – “shalom“… he is well.

And as what seems to happen time and time again, God intervenes immediately with something new and which proves that things occur by more than happenstance. No sooner did Jacob ask about Laban than the people say they know him and “Yes, he’s doing fine. And by the way, here comes his daughter Rachel.”

Were we to not have ever read the rest of the story before, we could safely guess that this will be Jacob’s wife someday. He was sent out of the land to find a wife from the family of his mother, he arrives at a well with people that know the family he’s looking for, and then a daughter of that family comes up at that moment.

God’s hand and His timing are all over the story and it shows He is in complete control over what’s happening. Rachel, the daughter of Laban, comes with her sheep. As we will see, this shepherdess will become one of the four mothers of the children of Israel.

Eventually she will bear two children to Jacob – Benjamin and Joseph. Both of them will come to prefigure Jesus. Joseph will receive the birthright of his father and one of his sons, Ephraim will inherit the preeminent blessing.

From her son Benjamin will come Saul the first king of Israel and also Paul, the author of much of the New Testament. Her name means “Ewe” as in a female lamb. This young shepherdess is obviously a most important figure in the pages of the Bible.

⁷ Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

Jacob is a shepherd himself and so he knows what is right and normal for tending the sheep, but he doesn’t know the customs of the well and so he gives them this friendly advice without understanding why they’re hanging around doing nothing.

Normally in the middle of the day when it’s the hottest, the shepherds would take a break and relax in the shade and let the animals gather by the waters. The picture of the 23rd Psalm comes to mind here – “He leads me by still waters.”

But, once the hottest part of the day was behind, the animals would be taken back out into the fields to eat more. This is now that time of day and he’s not understanding why they’re just sitting around. And so he tells them that the sun is still high in the sky and they should water them and get them back out in the fields.

They’re not going to get big and fat and yummy standing around looking at each other. But without taking any offense at his sheep tending instructions, they explain why they’re sitting around…

⁸ But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”

The local agreement is that only when all the flocks are gathered together will they roll the stone from the mouth of the well. If they had already watered their sheep and left, then whenever Rachel or some other young, small, or weak shepherd came, they wouldn’t be able to uncover the well. Only when they were all there would they water the sheep. In other words – Today we’re waiting on Rachel…

⁹ Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

There is all kinds of speculation as to why Rachel is the shepherdess of the family. Laban has sons as well, and so it’s possible that they were too young at this time to tend the sheep.

His oldest daughter, Leah, isn’t taking care of them. The Bible says though that she had weak eyes and so the speculation is that either the sun is too strong for her eyes or that she couldn’t see well enough to keep track of them. Whatever the reason, God ensured that Rachel, the Ewe lamb, would come first to meet Jacob.

¹⁰ And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

There was probably a lot of emotion in Jacob at this moment. He had left his home and land at a great age – 77, probably never having been away from them for more than a short time when he was out shepherding his own flocks. Then he arrives at a well where his cousin is coming in to water the sheep.

And she is, as we will learn, very beautiful. All of this and more surely had him overwhelmed and so in a display of his care for the family and in order to impress Rachel, he moves this great stone off the well by himself and waters the flock for her. He is a man looking for a wife and she is a beauty that will suit his needs.

¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.

This is the second time a person is kissed in the Bible. The first is when Jacob kissed Isaac before being blessed and now Jacob, the one who is blessed, kisses his cousin and future wife. Then he lifted up his voice – maybe in praise of God, maybe in a triumph over the long journey, or maybe in elation over meeting Rachel.

For whatever reason, the emotions that went along with the voice resulted in weeping.

¹² And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.

Depending on what translation you use, it will say Jacob told her that he was her father’s relative, kinsman, brother, etc. The Hebrew says that he was her father’s brother. This might seem confusing, but it’s not meant in a literal sense.

Brother, in this sense is extended to remote degrees of family relationships such as a nephew, a cousin, an uncle, etc. I bring this up as I do from time to time, to show you that different translations will attempt to explain things differently and can lead to wrong interpretations about things.

This is why it’s best to read different translations in order to get a fuller understanding of what is being said and why. Anyway, as soon as she hears who he is, she took off to tell dad, certainly leaving the flocks in his care while she was gone.

III. Welcome in a Foreign Land

¹³ Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things.

Laban certainly remembers the 10 camels full of goods bearing the servant of Abraham who came to find a wife for his son. He probably knows through communicating with Rebekah that Isaac has prospered greatly and has become great and that this blessing will flow down to his own son as well.

Laban is a worldly guy as we saw before and yet he is a family man. He will attempt to get the two concepts merged so that he will be blessed as well as take care of his sister’s son. And so, just as he did almost 100 years earlier, he runs out to meet the visitor.

Genesis 24:29 says, “Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well.”

Once again, Laban runs out to a man by a well to become a part of God’s word and the story of mankind moving from the fall to his restoration in Christ. There at the well, Laban embraces Jacob, and for the third time in the Bible it notes a kiss.

He kisses him and then brings him to his house where Jacob tells him all about his journey and maybe why he left in the first place.

¹⁴ And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.

While in the house, Laban has had a chance to discern the truth of what Jacob was saying. In finding this out, he acknowledges that Jacob is his bone and his flesh. This means that they are of the same stock and group of people; they are family.

Because of this, Jacob is now allowed to stay and participate in the family life. The ending verse today tells us that He stayed there for a month which is literally a month of days or the time from one moon cycle to another. This is where we’ll end today in order to pick up with a new portion of Jacob’s adventure next week.

However, I said earlier that Jacob’s time out of the land of Canaan is a picture of Israel’s time out of their land during times of exile. While they were out, and for those who are still out, they are often greeted as family and are welcome in the lands they stay.

But, through diligence, God’s blessing, and being a tight knit family of people, they eventually become alienated from the people they live with and this has caused them to be moved out time and again – a people ever in search of their own place.

This will happen to Jacob, and it has happened to Israel, but God has kept them as a family throughout the ages and He always keeps their land open and waiting for them. Jacob will spend many long years away from home, but he will return as God promised.

And though Israel was dispersed for 2000 years, God has favored them once again with their own land. The book of Amos tells us that they will never be uprooted from their home again.

The times are coming to their fulfillment and God’s blessing is upon His people. It is the wise and prudent soul who prays for these people and whose heart blesses them. God has His eyes and His heart upon them and we should as well.

Now that we’ve looked at the historical and cultural details of today’s story, what we need to do is attempt to figure out why these verses are here. Why are the details included at all? Does anybody here have a clue? I had none until I did this sermon and God opened it up to me.

Jacob is a picture of Christ. In verse 1 he travels out of the Promised Land to the land of the people of the east. This is a picture of Jesus leaving heaven (the last place Jacob was noted at was Bethel, the House of God, a picture of heaven.) He travels to the east – a picture of the world of fallen man in the Bible.

In verse 2, he comes to a field, a picture of the world from which man derives his sustenance. This is seen in Genesis 3:17 – “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.” There in the field are three flocks waiting to be watered, a picture of the three groups of people mentioned in the book of Acts.

The Jews in chapter 2, the Samaritans, or the mixed Jew/Gentile people in chapter 8, and the gentiles in chapter 10. All are needing the water of life, just as the flocks need the water from the well.

The number three in the Bible stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. Things that are especially complete are stamped with the number three. *God’s attributes are three: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. His essence is revealed in three – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

*There are three great divisions completing time–past, present, and future. *Three persons in grammar express and include all the relationships of mankind – me, you, and us. *Thought, word, and deed complete the sum of human capability.

We could go on and on with examples from the Bible and from creation, but the three flocks are the complete sum of humanity – Jew, Jew/Gentile mix, and Gentile.

In verse 3 we see that the water can’t be accessed until all the shepherds and their flocks are at the field together. The water is a picture of the Holy Spirit and the stone needs to be rolled out of the way before it can be received. Do you see where this is going?

In verse 4, Jacob asks the shepherds where they are from. Their answer is that they’re from Haran, which means “mountainous.” Shepherd’s are those who lead flocks, and the message of Jesus is one which according to Isaiah is proclaimed from the mountains.

The mountains are the place where people often seek God either rightly or wrongly. So here we have a picture of the people of the world, seeking after religion and being led by shepherds.

In verse 5, Jacob asks for Laban the son of Nahor and wants to know his condition, and if he is well. Laban, as explained eons ago, means brick or white. Bricks when fired will turn white, so there is that connection. Jacob is asking about Laban. As a brick he is hardened clay – picturing fallen man.

Nahor is a picture of man thirsting for the water of life. A root of his name is used in Psalm 69:3 in this way –

I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

The word “dry” or “parched” is the same basic word as his name. Laban the dried brick and the son of the parched man is someone who needs the Water of Life to be quenched – he is fallen man.

In verse 6, Rachel, meaning Ewe shows up. Rachel is the same word used to describe Jesus in Isaiah 53:7 –

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

And Rachel is leading her flocks to the water. Are you seeing it? This makes a fourth flock at the well. The number four is the number of things that have a beginning, of things that are made, of material things, and matter itself.

It is the number of material completeness. *The fourth day saw the material creation finished and so it represents the earth. *Four is the number of the great elements – earth, air, fire, and water.

There are four directions earth north, south, east, and west. *There are four divisions of the day – morning, noon, evening, and midnight. *There are four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. We could go on, but you get the picture.

Here is the Lamb leading the flocks to the water. These are those who already know the Lord, but there are those from the other three flocks – Jew, Jew/Gentile mix, and Gentiles that are waiting to receive Him too. They are all at the well to receive the water.

In verse 7, Jacob tells the other shepherds that they need to get busy, water their flocks and get back in the fields, it’s still high day. The work ends at nighttime, not in the day. This is seen in John 9, where Jesus says, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

But there’s a problem. They tell Jacob, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.” Are you seeing it? In verse 9, Rachel, brings her father’s sheep – the believing Jews who have waited on their Messiah.

In verse 10, Jacob sees her – and then it specifically mentions twice “the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother” and then it mentions “the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother.” They are fallen sons of Adam, but they are His kin – the leaders and the people who have waited so long for Jesus.

When Jacob sees them, he rolled the great stone from the well’s mouth to water the flock. This is a picture of the great stone which Jesus rolled away from the mouth of the tomb, thus allowing for the Holy Spirit, the Water of Life to come. It is the restoration of the life lost back at the fall of man. As Jesus said in John 7 –

“‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the HolySpirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

You can see the symbolism going right through the story, right up until verse 14 where Laban says, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” This takes us right back to the idea that Jesus came from man, but didn’t inherit man’s sin. He was born of a woman, but not of a man. In Genesis 2:23, we read this –

And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”

Adam received a wife, taken from man – just as Christ’s bride will receive a husband born of a woman. Jesus Christ really came in the form of a man to redeem fallen man. For those who call on Jesus, from any group of people on earth, they will receive the promised Holy Spirit and they will be led to the living waters.

The stone is Christ; the water is Holy Spirit which issues from Christ, the well is where the Spirit of Christ dwells; Jacob pictures Christ; the Rachel – the Lamb pictures Christ. Everything here points to fallen man and his encounter with Christ. And you too can encounter Him. Let me take a moment and explain to you how…

Closing Verse: They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:16, 17

Next Week: Revelation 1:17, 18 (The Keys of Hades and Death)

Water from the Well

So Jacob went on his journey away from his home
And came to the people of the East and to their land
And he looked and saw a well in a field where he did roam
And behold, three flocks of sheep guarded by the shepherds’ hand

A large stone was on the mouth of the well
Now all the flocks would be gathered there
And they would roll the stone away after a spell
And water the sheep and put the stone back with care

And Jacob said to them, My brethren where are you from?
And in response they said, from Haran we do come

Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban son of Nahor?”
And they said we know him, “Indeed we do.”
So he said to them, “Is he well can you tell me more?”
And they said “He is well, yes it is true.”

“And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”
Then he said, “Look, it’s still high day
It’s not time for the cattle to be gathered for them to sleep
Water the sheep and go feed them, okay?”

But they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together
And they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth
Then we water the sheep, not just whenever
You must not be from around here. Are you from the south?

Now while he was still speaking with them in his address
Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess

And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel
The daughter of his mother’s brother
And the sheep of Laban his uncle as well
That he rolled the stone from the well without another

And he watered Laban’s flock which Rachel kept
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept

And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kin
And that he was Rebekah’s son
So she ran and told her father about him
Certainly all the things he’d done

Then it came to pass, when Laban heard
The report about Jacob his sister’s son
That he ran to meet him his curiosity stirred
And embraced him and kissed him there under the sun

And he brought him to his house, yes into his home
So he told Laban all these things which did arise
And Laban said to him “Surely you are my flesh and my bone
And he stayed with him for a month under the Eastern skies

As with Jacob, so did Israel leave the land
Twice in their history this came to pass for them
Having been under the Judge’s divine hand
But in faithfulness He returned them home again

Yes, God is faithful to His covenant and to His word
And in faithfulness He keeps His people near
In truth and surety He deals, He is the faithful Lord
And so be not downcast; instead be of good cheer

He will guide His people home, none will He lose
In His mighty grasp are we, when His Son Jesus we choose

Stand on His promises and given him glory and praise
And rest in His goodness for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Genesis 28:1-9
May God Almighty Bless You

Introduction: Today is the last part of Genesis where Isaac takes a leading role. Once we’re through verse 9, it will be Jacob who takes center stage in the biblical narrative. Abraham mostly pictured God the Father throughout his time, although he did take on other roles.

Isaac predominantly was a picture of God the Son. These two great men of faith did their time and they now stand in the background. Rebekah too is done. Last week, her final words were spoken and now she’ll only be mentioned in relation to something else.

As always, the Bible directs our attention toward specific key figures only for the purposes of showing us God’s plan of redemption and conveying His thoughts and heart to us. However, when they no longer play any pertinent role, they are given the quiet respect of the privacy of life we all desire.

These people lived full lives and many stories could be told of the things they did, but God has just chosen specific details for His purposes alone. Let’s pay attention to every word which God has given because those words truly encompass the heart and mind of God for His beloved children.

Text Verse: Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ¹⁴ as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 1 Peter 1:13-15

Peter tells us to be “as obedient children” and to live our lives in holiness, rejecting that which is profane. Today we’ll see how obedience ultimately has to be aligned with God’s plan or it ends in futility. One son’s obedience follows what God intended while the other son, attempting to be obedient, actually misses the mark.

If we don’t know God’s intent for us, then we’re bound to make the same types of error and so I will admonish you, as I do so often – read your Bible, study your Bible, and know your Bible and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. To Find a Wife

Although many Genesis stories can be looked at without much reference to surrounding events, it wouldn’t make nearly as much sense to start chapter 28 without remembering what happened just prior to the today’s verses. After Jacob deceivingly obtained the blessing from Isaac, we came to these verses last week –

⁴¹ So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” ⁴² And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. ⁴³ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. ⁴⁴ And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, ⁴⁵ until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?” ⁴⁶ And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

This sets up the thoughts of what is ahead of us.

¹ Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.

Based on what Rebekah said before and probably after thinking about it a bit, our first verse today says that Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him. John Wesely had a good thought concerning this –

“Those that have the blessing must keep the charge annexed to it, and not think to separate what God has joined.”

In other words, and this is an immediate life application for all of us, we cannot expect the blessings of the Bible without adhering to the things we have been charged to do. I’ve been on Jewish blogs that faithfully quote these verses from Jeremiah 31 –

Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): ³⁶ “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.”

The idea they get from this is that God loves them no matter what they do and that they are special and set apart by Him. It’s true, they are His special people and they are set apart by Him, but that’s only half of the equation. They fail to take into account about 4 jillion verses of judgment on Israel for disobedience.

We can sum up the blessings and curses of Israel by reading Deuteronomy 28. The Lord gives Israel the charge – obedience. He then tells the blessings they can expect for obedience and then he tells the curses they can expect for disobedience. I’ve been to the holocaust memorial in Israel with my mother.

It’s a very moving place to visit and it stresses the tragedy that Israel has suffered in history, but it fails to note any personal responsibility. I told my mom when we left, that the only thing I thought was missing was a copy of Deuteronomy 28 placed on the wall in every language where they have been dispersed.

In the end, their dispersion and sufferings would not have happened if they were obedient to the Lord. We get the same thing in churches all the time – I’m not just picking on the Jews here.

People claim blessings and prosperity, but they fail to walk in the counsel of the Lord and they don’t recognize the sin in their life for what it is. When tragedy comes, they project outward, not inward when in fact whether in Israel, the church, or our nation – we need to look at our own choices which result in judgment.

Here at the beginning of the chapter, Isaac both blesses and charges his son. Let each of us remember the charge when looking for the blessing. In the case of Jacob, the charge is, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.” We’ve been given a similar charge in the New Testament –

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14

The idea behind Paul’s words is that we’re to keep our alliances faithful to our faith. We are to marry only believers and we’re to engage in business partnerships with Christians. It’s hard enough to make a marriage work with a Christian, but when our goals and priorities don’t sync, how much more difficult will it be?

So here we are with Jacob who is now 77 years old. Because of the birthright and now the blessing which he has received, Isaac sees that it is time for him to marry and start a family which will keep the Messianic line going.

Pondering Rebekah’s words about the daughters of Heth, he realizes that it is best for Jacob to go to Padan Aram where Rebekah was from in order to find a wife from there. Esau’s wives, because they had different values were a source of grief to the family. Isaac wants Jacob to not find himself in the same mess.

² Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.

Isaac is taking the same care of Jacob that Abraham did for him so many years earlier. However, unlike Isaac, who stayed in the land of Canaan while a wife was chosen for him by Abraham’s servant, Jacob is going off to Mesopotamia.

The reason for the difference is that God wants to show us different things about His work for us. The story of Abraham’s servant finding a bride for Isaac pointed to the Holy Spirit getting a bride for Jesus while He waits in heaven, pictured by the land of Canaan, the Promised Land.

Jacob will leave the Promised Land to find a wife because he is picturing Jesus in a different way. We’ll see this as the story continues to unfold in the chapters ahead with amazing and beautiful pictures.

Padan Aram is actually two words forming one name. Aram comes from a word that means to be high or to rise up.

Padan isn’t a noun found in Hebrew but the word padah means to rescue or ransom. Adding the n at the end of the word is often used to produce a noun for a person or place. So Padan Aram may mean “Elevated Ransom.”

This makes the procuring of Rebekah at Isaac’s time much easier to understand and it also will shed light on how Jacob obtains his wives as well. There is a price which is paid, a bride price, and thus the name points to the work of Jesus as He obtained His bride.

A ransom is the release of property or a person in return for payment of a demanded price. In biblical lingo it is redemption from sin and its consequences.

**Explain S&H green stamps.
**Explain Jacob’s ransoming of Rachel and Leah.

The price for our sins was a high price indeed. It was truly an elevated ransom, just at the name Padan Aram implies. For Jesus to procure His bride, it involved leaving heaven (Jacob leaves the Promised Land) and coming to be among us, just as Jacob was told to take a wife from the house of Bethuel.

Bethuel means “daughter of God” and pictures the Jewish people as we noted in a previous sermon. From the house of these people, Jacob is told to take a wife from the daughters of Laban. His name means “white” or “brick.” In the Bible, white is a symbol of purity.

Therefore, procuring a bride from this family is a picture of those who are purified and who will become a part of God’s people. Jesus speaks of this in John 4:35

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

There is a harvest being conducted in the people of the world. Those who call on Jesus are purified and made spotless and white. They are a part of the harvest of good grain which Jesus is speaking about.

II. The Blessing Follows the Charge

The charge was given, to take a wife from the house of Bethuel and not from the daughters of Canaan. Now Isaac bestows his blessing upon Jacob.

The important thing to Jacob is that by receiving this blessing from his father, he knows that he has been forgiven for what he did by obtaining the blessing of the firstborn through deceit. He may have been worried about this, but he can now feel that all is forgiven.

³ “May God Almighty bless you,

In Genesis 17:1, these words were spoken to Abraham –

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.”

Isaac invokes the same name, God Almighty or El Shaddai in order to bless Jacob. This revelation of God, El Shaddai, is of existence and performance. It is to Him that Isaac calls for the blessing. He is the eternally lasting, absolute, all powerful God. His nature is unchangeable and yet He causes change in His creation.

^{3 (con’t)} And make you fruitful and multiply you,

A few verses later in Genesis 17, El Shaddai said this to Abraham – “I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.”

Isaac calls for this same blessing on Jacob now.

^{3 (con’t)} That you may be an assembly of peoples;

Here is a remarkable phrase, liq-hal ammim. The Hebrew word qahal will later be applied to the people of God as an assembly. It is where the Greek word ecclesia comes from and from which we derive the modern notion of the called out church.

This blessing then is looking forward to all of the assembled people of God throughout the ages and off into eternity.

⁴ And give you the blessing of Abraham,

The blessing of Abraham is one which comprises the land, the multitude of descendants, the line of the Messiah, and thus the filling of the world with the knowledge of the gospel. Paul says in Galatians 3 that this promise includes us in the church –

“…just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” (6-9)

This promise then encompasses the major doctrine of justification by faith. This includes redemption, forgiveness, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, and so on. All of this is tied up in what we would consider “the blessing of Abraham.”

It is an exclusive blessing. It was given to Isaac, but not to Ishmael. It is given now to Jacob, but not to Esau. It is a central point of the biblical narrative and it all surrounds around the Person of Jesus.

^{4 (con’t)} To you and your descendants with you,

Unlike his father and his grandfather who are noted for one son in particular, Jacob, or Israel, will be noted for 12 sons. One will lead to the Messiah, but all 12 of his sons will participate in the blessings of the assembled people of God.

From the time of Jacob on, the Bible will speak of Israel as a collective unit of people. Some will fall out of favor, but God will always keep a remnant of each of each tribe as a special people

^{4 (con’t)} That you may inherit the land In which you are a stranger,

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to a large degree dwelt as pilgrims in the land. The same terminology will be used of others later, but the people of Israel will inherit the land as their own. They will live in it, build in it, and strive with God in it. The land is given to them.

In a fuller sense though, the Land of Canaan is a picture of heaven for the believer. It is the place we will eventually inherit and there we will dwell in the presence of God, just as God dwelt among the Israelites. Our inheritance is an eternal one and our guarantee of entry is the realization of the Messianic blessings found in Jesus.

^{4 (con’t)} Which God gave to Abraham.”

Jacob is being sent away from his home, off to another country where he will work and be cheated. He won’t return again for many years and he will have to look back on Isaac’s words now and forward in faith to the realization of those promises.

The promises of Abraham are, to him, promises which can only be seen through eyes of faith. The times ahead for Jacob will be difficult and the future will be unsure except as he relies on the surety of God and his word.

The blessing to Jacob is no less sure and truthful to us. Let’s read the blessing again as a whole and then determine to hold fast to it, just as God expects us to –

³ “May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples; ⁴ And give you the blessing of Abraham, To you and your descendants with you, That you may inherit the land In which you are a stranger, Which God gave to Abraham.”

We are this assembly and we await the land to which our eyes are lifted, the heavenly Mount Zion which is coming soon to His faithful people.

III. Esau… Tries Again

⁵ So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Rebekah is called “the mother of Jacob and Esau.” The Bible now firmly establishes Jacob first and places him above Esau. The prophecy given to her when the children were still in her womb is fully realized right here. The older shall serve the younger.

From the narrative which is coming, it will seem as if Jacob took a few provisions and left all by himself and this is what the account seems to imply and which most people who have read the Bible have in their mind. But this isn’t the case as I showed last week.

We don’t know how many people Jacob will travel with, but we do know that Deborah, Rebekah’s wet nurse and life long companion, went with him. She was probably the one who delivered Rebekah’s children, including Jacob, and now she will be the one who will probably oversee the birth of Jacob’s children.

For a woman who is mentioned by name only once in the Bible, she has played an immensely important role in the history leading to Jesus. We know she goes along now because Genesis 35:8 says that she was with Jacob on his return from his journey.

But no mention is made of him ever coming back to see his family during those years and what it later states implies he never did. Therefore, at least one person, Deborah, whose name means “Bee” and is a picture of the word of God, went with him. Even though she is never mentioned, we do know this is so.

⁶ Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take himself a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,”

Unlike Jacob who is setting out in faith and taking with him the word of God, Esau looks in the wrong direction for restoration. He sees that Jacob was blessed by his father even though he acted deceitfully. Then he sees that he’s been sent away to get a wife that isn’t from the daughters of Canaan.

The way Esau perceives the world is sad because he only looks at the surface of things and attempts to have things rectified in ways that only makes everything worse. In him and the things he does, we see a type of person who stumbles over the stumbling block.

What is so simple and which requires no real effort can be the most difficult thing of all. God wants faith, not deeds. Once we exercise faith, He looks to our deeds done in faith, not those with external pretence. Esau keeps missing this as do so many in the world.

They stand at the door of Christianity, but they never enter into it. Instead, they use a hammer and nails to shut it even tighter than it was at the beginning. This is works-based religion, not a faith based relationship. This is Esau.

⁷ and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan Aram.

God instructs us to obey our parents for a reason. He wants to be our Father, but it can only happen through obedience. Jesus demonstrated this as is noted in Hebrews –

“…though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,…” (5:8, 9)

Philippians tells us that because of His obedience God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name.

Esau sees this trait in his brother as well. Jacob went to Paddan Aram as instructed and from there he will obtain a wife. The distance is about 480 miles from where they are in Beersheba.

For Esau to go there would be a long journey. It would mean a long time away from his family and he’d be unable to try to regain Isaac’s favor during the time he was gone. He is unwilling to pay the elevated ransom – just as Adam failed. But Esau has a problem that needs to be fixed as we see in the next verse…

⁸ Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac.

Esau put two and two together, finally, and came to the realization that his dad wasn’t happy with his wives. It took a while for him to clue in. He got married at 40 and he’s 77 now, so after a mere 37 years, he figures it out. The local women make Isaac unhappy. As the verse literally says, they were “evil in his eyes.”

If you notice, it doesn’t mention Rebekah in this verse. This is a clear indication that Esau doesn’t care what his mother thinks at all. Instead, he is thinking about his father and how he can regain the favor and the blessing, rather than actually pleasing his parents.

⁹ So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.

As I said, it’s a long way to Padan Aram and so instead of doing what might have been pleasing to his parents, he goes to marry a daughter of Ishmael. The reason he did this is because Ishmael is a son of Abraham and he is thinking that this will make Isaac happy.

There is a problem with this though. Ishmael was removed from the house and it is Isaac who became the son of promise. Ishmael, as was noted in previous sermons, is a son of Hagar who is a picture of the law. Paul very clearly explains this in Galatians 4.

No descendant of Ishmael is found in Jesus’ genealogy because the law is of works. It is faith, not works, which please God. If you see, Esau is a picture of fallen man. Instead of exercising faith and traveling to Padan Aram to obtain a wife to make his father happy, he goes to Ishmael, a picture of works, to do so.

This girl he marries is named Mahalath and the name very well describes the situation. Her name basically means “sad song.” It would be in Hebrew what we would call “the blues.” And Esau’s attempt at finding favor will result in exactly that – the blues.

He is doing what religions all around the world do every day, working to please God instead of exercising faith to please Him. This is the stumbling block that Esau trips over once again. He is trusting in his deeds to please his father instead of doing what his father would have him do.

The life and lesson of Esau continues just as it has all along. He keeps looking in the wrong place and expecting the right result.

A good parallel of this attitude is found in the Judges chapter 17. Let me read it to you so that you can see someone who follows the same pattern as Esau. He goes from one bad decision to another and expects a different outcome –

Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. ² And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.”

And his mother said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!” ³ So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.” ⁴ Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah.

⁵ The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. ⁶ In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

⁷ Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there. ⁸ The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. ⁹ And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?”

So he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to find a place to stay.”

¹⁰ Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in. ¹¹ Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him. ¹² So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. ¹³ Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!”

Explain what happens to the priest and the idols…

Here we are, all of us are fallen sons of Adam just like Esau. What we need to do is to move from the curse to the promise. We need to transfer our citizenship from the devil to the Lord. We need to move from wrong thinking to right thinking.

We can spend our whole life making the wrong choices and continuing on down the wrong path, or we can determine to do it the Lord’s way.

If you’re trusting in some thing that you do in order to make God happy, then what you’re doing is actually trusting in yourself. This is self-idolatry. What we need to do is to put ourselves aside and trust in what God has already done, just as Jacob did.

He was trusting in the promise and he received the blessing. Only after that did he accomplish his deeds. Esau is doing exactly the opposite, trusting in his deeds to secure and obtain the promise and receive a blessing.

Please let me explain to you about how you can receive the blessing without any works, but by simple faith in Jesus…

Closing Verse: I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; Isaiah 65:2

Next Week – Genesis 28:10-21 (A Ladder to Heaven)

Two Sons, Different Paths

Then Isaac called Jacob and gave him a blessing and a charge
He said, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan
Arise, go to Padan Aram, the house of Bethuel, my word discharge
Take a wife from the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban

And this is the blessing that he spoke over Jacob his son
He pronounced it fully until he was done

“May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you,
That you may be an assembly of peoples;
And give you the blessing of Abraham,
To you and your descendants with you,
That you may inherit the land
In which you are a stranger,
Which God gave to Abraham.”

So Isaac sent Jacob away, off to Padam Aram he went
To Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian he did go
To the brother of Rebekah he was sent
She, the mother of Jacob and Esau as you know

Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away
To Padan Aram to take himself a wife from there
And that as he blessed him he did say
You shall not take a wife from Canaan’s daughters, not from there

And Esau saw that Jacob had obeyed his father
And also his mother and gone to Padan Aram
Also he saw that for the daughters of Canaan Isaac had a bother
They did not please him like those of the family of Abraham

So to Ishmael to take from him a daughter, Esau went
Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son
She, the sister of Nebajoth came to Esau’s tent
Along with his other wives, she was an addition

What can we learn from these two men?
What lessons do the stories of their lives tell?
God is showing us once again
The proper path to heaven or the one that leads to hell

God loves His creatures and desires all to come willingly
But He leaves the choices up to each of us
We can by faith live out lives which pleasingly
Are directed to His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus

Our we can turn from Him and follow our own will
But in the end that is a sorrowful, bitter pill

Let each of us come with grateful hearts to our Lord and King
And shower him with songs of thankful praise
With our tongues let us always and forever sing
Of the greatness of our God for blessed eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…