Whom do we truly Love, and how do we show it
DBF 12/30/01
A. Jacob’s love for Rachael
First Meeting with Rachael
First meeting with Laban
B. Jacob’s Labor for Rachael
Diligence of Jacob
Deception of Laban
Genesis 29:1-30
Remember your first love, Oh the beauty and wonder of it. Oh that he or she might love you as much as you loved them. So many songs “Young Love, ABC, And they called it Puppy Love, and the list goes on. Do you remember what it was that attracted you: eyes, hair, voice, smile…
Chances are those of us who have matured past this first love stage have been married for some time—not normally with our first love.
Most of us are taken by a physical characteristic of our first love. This would be called a physical attraction, what the word “Eros” would describe. To many in the world this is the only love that they know or have experienced. This love is one of selfishness, one that is very controlling in nature, and one that is seldom reciprocal.
Jacob’s love for Rachael
We will see Jacob brought to tears by Rachael, have you ever experienced something this overwhelming.
This is what we might have experience the first time you realized the magnificence of the grace that was bestowed upon you when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that given by our Heavenly Father.
Genesis 29
First Meeting with Rachael
1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. 2And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth. 3And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place. 4And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. 5And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. 6And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. 7And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. 8And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
9And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. 10And 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. 11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
Jacob travels here to the ancestral homeland of his mother Haran, north of
Canaan, to see his uncle Laban and to find a wife at the request of his mother. At the time of Jacob’s appearance Laban had no sons, and this is a problem in continuing your family line and protection of your assets.
When he arrives in the area of Haran, he runs across a group of Shepherds who were waiting to water their flocks. He asked where they were from and they said, "From Haran." Jacob says, "Do you know Laban? They said "Why, Yes we do. In fact, here comes his daughter Rachel now." Rachel, a Shepherdess, was coming out to water her flocks. Jacob was smitten by the girl’s beauty and it was love at first sight. Shepherds didn’t water the flocks until everyone was there. One of the reasons for this was because there was a big stone that covered the well. Presumably they waited until they had help to move it and help to move it back. When Rachel arrives in a typical male macho move, Jacob moves the rock on his own to impress his cousin. He helps her water the flock and then they head home.
We also see a change in Jacob as a result of the promise of God. Jacob is not now quarreling with his brother Esau for one-upmanship, we will see Jacob give himself totally in service soon, to gain the hand of his beloved. A worldly version of what we see in Jesus Christ’s giving his life to secure our eternal salvation.
First meeting with Laban
13And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 14And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
15And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? 16And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured
When Jacob arrives on the scene Laban has no sons and is looking for a strong heir. Laban is delighted to have his nephew come and visit. They caught up on the family news and then Laban invited Jacob to stay with them for a while. Jacob (after he recovers from his hernia from moving the rock) helps out with the flocks and the chores. Uncle Laban notices that the boy is a great help. Another man around the house is really making a difference. So Laban approaches Jacob with a proposition: Stay on and you can name your price.
This was the opening Jacob was looking for. He was willing to work as his dowry to gain the hand of Rachel. Laban had two daughters; Leah, the oldest who we are told had "weak eyes" and Rachel who was beautiful. Anyway, Laban finds the proposal agreeable . . . he basically is getting Jacob without having to pay him. They shake on it. Jacob will work the next seven years and in return Laban will allow him to marry his daughter Rachel.
Jacob’s Labor for Rachael
Diligence of Jacob
18And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 21And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
Our text tells us that those years seemed like nothing because of his love for Rachel. It’s a great love story. Day after day Jacob works and works hard but lies down at night with a smile on his face because he is one day closer to the day when he will have his beloved Rachel as his wife. It’s a great picture for us that the chores of life are much easier to endure if we can see the big picture.
There is a story told of a group of men at a construction site. One man was carefully laying bricks. When asked what he was doing the response was, "I’m building a wall . . . just like I do everyday". Another man was working on some of the walls inside the structure. When asked what he was doing he said he was "just doing his job". When asked what his job was he responded, "to follow the blueprints." The third guy was involved in the exhausting work of mixing the mortar for the bricklayers. But as he worked, he whistled. When asked what he was doing he responded, "I’m building a great cathedral!" Seeing the big picture makes all the difference.
Do you see that you are building the Kingdom of God? Do you see that you are working now to lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven? Do you see that you are living now to live eternally?
Deception of Laban
22And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 26And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
Jacob’s joyful prospect of marrying Rachel turned, by Laban’s deception, into a nightmare. In Laban… Jacob met his match and also his means of discipline.
Jacob had deceived his own brother and father, and now was deceived by his mother’s brother! Twenty years (31:38) of drudgery, affliction, and deception lay ahead.
Through Laban he received his own medicine of duplicity. But Jacob’s tenacity shows that he counted these as minor setbacks.
God took him in what some would term an eternity and used this to develop his character, turning the fruits of his deception into blessings, and built the promised seed, the nation of Israel.
Jacob’s plan was to work… seven years to have Rachel as his wife. Those seven years of work passed quickly for Jacob because of his love for her (29:20). Interestingly the wives of each of the first three patriarchs were beautiful: Sarah (12:11), Rebekah (24:15-16), and Rachel (29:17).
When the time came for the wedding feast (vv. 21-22), hearts were merry and spirits high. But in the night Leah, Rachel’s older sister, was substituted. This was a masterpiece of shameless treachery—unloved Leah given to a man in love with Rachel.
Jacob’s anger was to no avail. Now, as the object of trickery, he would understand how Esau felt.
Laban offered a technicality of local custom: it is not right to marry the younger… before the older. Those words must have pierced Jacob! In his earlier days he, the younger, had deceptively pretended before his father to be the older brother (chap. 27).
If social convention were to be set aside, it should be by God, not by deception. Laban’s stinging words were left without any comment; the event was simply God’s decree against Jacob.
The Bible demonstrates over and over the principle that what a man sows he reaps (Gal. 6:7). Some have called this irony or poetic justice, but it is more than that. It is divine retribution in which there is often a measure-for-measure turn of affairs. God orders the affairs of people to set things right.
With Jacob this deception was perfectly fitted; it was divine punishment to bring his own craftiness before his eyes. He had deceptively presented himself to his father under the guise of Esau the firstborn; now Leah the firstborn was deceptively introduced to him under the guise of Rachel the younger! After his initial reaction Jacob recognized the deception for what it was and accepted it. He finished out the bridal week (Gen. 29:27; cf. week in v. 28) at the end of which he was given Rachel (two wives in seven days). (Each daughter was given a servant girl as a wedding gift, a custom common in that society. Leah was given Zilpah, v. 24, and Rachel received Bilhah, v. 29; cf. 30:4-13.)
Then Jacob worked… another seven years, which he owed Laban in return for Rachel.
The thing that concerns me about the passage is what this deception does. Can you imagine what it was like to be Rachel and Leah? What we can gather is that Leah was a woman with a broken heart. We don’t know what would possess Leah to go along with the scheme. Maybe she had a secret love for Jacob too. We don’t know. What we do know is that Jacob’s rejection had to hurt. No one likes rejection . . . no matter what culture you are living in. How would you feel if after your weeklong honeymoon your husband married someone else . . . your sister?
And what about Rachel? She had looked forward to her marriage to Jacob. Certainly they had been building a relationship during those seven years. How would you feel if on your wedding day someone else took your place?
This act of deception pits sister against sister. Why would any father do such a thing? The only conclusion is that Laban was motivated by his desire to keep Jacob working for him for nothing. He was profiting nicely because of Jacob and he was willing to do what he had to do to keep him "under contract".
We all have failed and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all as filthy rags before our God and creator. We all have sinned and we are all in need of discipline to come righteously before our heavenly father. What should we learn from this text today?
God is Holy but His followers are not. We have read this morning of people who made mistakes . . . some of them whoppers. Yet, these are people God chose and used to bring about our salvation.
Do you see why this is significant?
· Some of you may have been putting off following Jesus because of the hypocrisy of some who claim his name?
· If so you have misunderstood the gospel It’s God who is holy . . .not his followers. Yes, there are many who claim to love Christ who show no resemblance to the Savior at all. Friend, there will always be counterfeits in the crowd. Don’t look at the crowd . . .look to Jesus!
· You may have written others off because they do not "measure up". Friend, be careful. Jesus tells us that the measure we use in judging others will be the measure that is applied to you. Can you live up to the standards that you hold others to?
· Some of you are desperately discouraged because your life does not measure up to what you wish it would be. You need to remember that being holy is something we grow TOWARD in our lifetime. Be confident of God . . . be patient with yourself. The process of growth should be steady . . but it does take time. Don’t get discouraged and give up. When you stumble, get up, confess your sin and begin again.
The wonder of this story is that it points us to Jesus. The whole purpose of our Savior’s coming and His substitutionary death was to pay for our treasonous rebellion. We are all in desperate need of a Savior simply because God is holy and we are not. He requires perfection . . . we don’t come close to meeting his standard. We need someone to rescue us. That someone is Jesus. His death on the cross was to pay the price of our sin.
The wonder of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is this: God knows what we are like. He knows the duplicity in our hearts and the rebellion that often governs our lives. And knowing this . . . knowing what we were really like . . . He still sent Christ for us. We deserve to be cast from God’s presence. We deserve to spend eternity facing the horror of Hell. That’s what we deserve! But Christ came to offer us a way out of the sewer that we have made of our lives. He offered to take our place; to suffer our penalty; to make us new. He comes to us in our foolishness and rebellion and offers us a chance to start again. You see, If God loved Jacob, Rachel, and Leah . . .God can and will love you. The question is: will you receive that love?
We often reap what we sow.
Paul wrote,
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7,8)
The Bible affirms this principle. However, we must be very careful in applying this to other people’s lives. There will be people who are quick to see every difficulty in another’s life as payment for something they have done wrong in the past. It is not for you to judge! Job’s friends took this approach and God rebuked them! We don’t know why some things happen the way and in the timing they do. However, generally people reap a measure of what they sow.
· those who develop their relationship with God in the good times will find Him ever willing to help in the difficult times.
· those who treat others without compassion will find little compassion from others.
· those who resort to intimidation and schemes will often find themselves victims of similar tactics
· those who spend their lives seeking to humbly serve others, will find that others will be there when they need help.
· those who are only concerned about themselves will find that they are left by themselves.
· those who live for the moment will find themselves paying the price for that moment for years to come.
The choices you make in life are like seeds planted in the ground. It may seem like the choices have no consequence now . . . but wait! When those seeds begin to grow you may very well find yourself on the receiving end of what you have been giving out.
Third, God Can Use Bad Circumstances for Good Ends.
· There were a series of bad circumstances throughout the life of Jacob, but God used them to build character in this man God intended to use.
· Leah, the woman that was "loved less" was the mother of Levi and her descendants became the priests of Israel. Another of her sons was Judah who was the forerunner of David and then of our Savior Himself. God took a bad situation and used it for His glory.
· Rachel only had two children, but one of them was Joseph who saved his family during the time of famine. God took these bizarre circumstances and used them to build a nation. These twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel.
It could be that you are in the midst of trials. And maybe you feel like a helpless pawn in a situation that is beyond your control. God is not idle. Every child of God has the promise that God is guiding and using us in ways we cannot comprehend. God is in the habit of taking hopeless situations and bringing unimagined glory from them. He used these bad choices and painful times to accomplish His will. Jacob, Leah and Rachel may never have understood what God was doing in and through them . . . and you may never understand either. But, He is always about accomplishing HIS good and perfect will.
I pray today that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord. If not we ask you to come forward and do so today. If you have a prayer need please let me or anyone in our fellowship know, we would love to pray for you.
Closing Prayer.
