tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54475552516359544762024-03-28T15:43:33.728-04:00BYM exists to assist the teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comBlogger1424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-86236067230507527972024-03-28T06:00:00.431-04:002024-03-28T06:00:00.144-04:00Genesis 32:6-8<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/3eIbg5XJCkY" target="_blank">For the Genesis 32:6-8 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." 7 So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. 8 And he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape." ~ Genesis 32:6-8</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When Adam and Eve rejected God, they became peculiarly aware of their nakedness, so they hid from God and each other. Humans have been hiding from each other ever since, covering ourselves in various ways. We have learned to present a false version of ourselves to others because we’ve become aware of the true version and we’re not sure it will be accepted. In today's passage, we will learn some valuable lessons from Jacob as he continues to come out of his hiding. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.6 of today's passage we read, "<b>Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, 'We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It had been 20 years since Jacob left Canaan. In that time, Esau had become a prominent chieftain of his people in Edom a neighboring country to Canaan. Esau had married daughters of the Hittites and also of Ishmael and he had consolidated power among them. This is evident by the large number of men he had with him. Jacob had just left one very difficult relationship and now was to meet with his very angry brother. God allowed yet another trial in the life of Jacob as he awaited Esau's arrival. This trial was necessary because in order for Jacob's faith in God to grow stronger, he had to be stretched and convinced that he needed God who by the end of this chapter would purge some things that were trapped within Jacob's soul.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">7 of today's passage we read, <b>"So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies."</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob came into the land of Canaan to meet his brother whom he believed was out to kill him because, after all, twenty years before his brother Esau said, <b>"As soon as the days of mourning for my father are over, I'm gonna kill that brother of mine."</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> And, since Esau was coming with 400 men, Jacob was afraid and distressed. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At this point, Jacob's </span><span style="font-family: arial;">fear and distress was starting to show his lack of trust in the very promises of God which he had been given. His worry was the weakness of his soul as he struggled with what was ahead. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Though he was comforted by the angels, Jacob's flesh called out for his allegiance. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was James F. Bell who once said, <i>"</i></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i>Fear is an insidious virus. Given a breeding place in our minds, it will permeate the whole body of our work; it will eat away our spirit and block the forward path of our endeavors. Fear is the greatest enemy of progress. Progress moves ever on, and does not linger to consider microscopically the implications of each particular action. Only small and over-cautious minds see the shadows of lurking enemies and dangers everywhere, and shrink away from the increased efforts needed to overcome them."</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With Esau advancing, in order to protect at least a portion of his people Jacob divided them into two separate camps. If one camp were to be attacked, maybe the other would be safe. Part of the process of coming out of our hiding and growing in our trust of the Lord is the struggle that we have with our fears and anxieties. As we encounter these struggles, we are afforded the opportunity to turn to God for help. Of course, if we do not turn to Him in the midst of these struggles our growth in His reality will be stunted. But, this doesn't mean that the battle is over, it just means there is a pause in the action.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.8 of today's passage we read, <b>"And he said, 'If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The "if" part of our walk with God is what makes our life of faith in God so difficult. Like Jacob, we do not know what God has in mind. And, there have been times that we have learned that what God had in mind was hard, difficult and painful. It is so easy to lose sight of the fact that with God all things work together for our good. Out of uncertainty and the help of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives comes the assurance that no matter what happens in our lives, it will work together for our good. And, the more we experience this with God, the more we will be adjusted to any scenario that He sends or allows to come our way. God does not tell us that everything that happens to us will be good; He tells us that whether the situation is bad or good, it will work together for our good as we learn to give our hearts to Him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When Jacob divided up his people, he revealed the wisdom learned on many a battlefields. Jacob knew that if the enemy had engaged a portion of his people, the others could either rally to help those under siege, or escape alive. Jacob was so unsure of the outcome that he took this course of action. Of course, in the end his tactics were not needed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We needlessly worry about such things. Our fears make us desperate. A thief may steal from us once, but anxiety can steal from us for decades. And, it may not mean that we ever truly overcome our fears and anxieties. It may mean that it isn't about our fear of man or things but about being overcome by the One who loves us beyond measure. When we truly encounter the lover of our souls, it will be then that we will embrace the only healthy fear, the fear of God. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i>"If we do not fear the God above us, we will fear everything around us. If we do fear the God above us, we will fear nothing around us."</i></span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-30520190455265788932024-03-27T09:51:00.018-04:002024-03-27T10:58:52.066-04:00Genesis 32:1-5<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbfu5aNy9qs&t=1s" target="_blank">To access the Genesis 32:1-5 PODCAST, Click here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1 So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God’s camp." And he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, "Speak thus to my lord Esau, Thus your servant Jacob says: 'I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.'" ~ Genesis 32:1-5</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Today, we transition into Genesis 32 where Jacob's time of exile in Haran has ended and he is back at the edge of the Promised Land. The emphasis in today's passage is most subtle and yet it is as clear as could be</span> but it is only clear to those who are growing in their hearts as servants. Jacob was being freed to rule with the heart of a servant and to serve the heart of a king.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.1 of today's passage we read, <b>"So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While on his way to Canaan, the angels of God met Jacob again. He was met </span><span style="font-family: arial;">by the angels of God before when he left Canaan some 20 years earlier. The last thing recorded was his vision of the latter and the angels ascending and descending on it. As Jacob re-entered the Promised Land he again had another vision of angels who were there with him all along but he simply didn't know it. Of course all things created ladders and angels serve to point us to the One who has served us best by laying down His life so that we could know forgiveness of sin and have a personal relationship with God. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In Hebrews 1:14 we read, <b>"Are they not all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"</b> This passage speaks of angels as ministering spirits sent forth by God. When we hear about some miracle we find ourselves wondering about what really happened in the realm of the unseen to make the miracle happen. It is most plausible that the miracle came about due to the intervention of God's angels. It is clear through the Bible that God's angels do His bidding in this world and it is largely due to those miraculous moments that we truly experience the miraculous involvement of God in our lives.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.2 of today's passage we read, <b>"When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is God’s camp.' And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob saw into the unseen and he saw the angels who </span><span style="font-family: arial;">prompted him to identify <b>Mahanaim</b> as God's camp. Interestingly, before he left Canaan 20 years earlier when he had awakened from his sleep after his dream of the latter, Jacob said, <b>"Surely this is God's house." </b>What began as the house of God was now seen by Jacob as the camp of God. Then he called the place <b>Mahanaim</b> which is mentioned 13 times in the Bible and it literally means "two camps" revealing the convergence of the seen and the unseen worlds. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.3-5 of today's passage we read, <b>"3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, 'Speak thus to my lord Esau, Thus your servant Jacob says: I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The word translated messengers here is the same word translated angels earlier. In other words, in the same way that God had sent His angels to Jacob, Jacob sent his messengers to his brother Esau. Despite the fact that Jacob had stolen Esau's birthright and blessing, he commanded his messengers to address Esau as <b>"Adonai"</b> which means <b>"Lord."</b> He did this in order to communicate to Esau that he was not a threat to him and he wanted to mend their relationship. This is why Jacob subordinated himself to Esau by using of himself the word <b>"servant."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Esau, like Laban, was not in a personal relationship with God, he knew of the Lord but he did not have a personal relationship with Him. Our adventure with God is dependent upon our perceived need of Him and our awareness of His daily involvement in our lives. We often miss the adventure because we have an unhealthy fear of God and we are afraid to go where He leads. Over and over we are reminded by the Old Testament prophets that <b>"the Servant is coming."</b> In fact, Isaiah 53 has long been titled<b> "The Suffering Servant." </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Revelation 7:17 we read, <b>"The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>" </b>And, according to Luke 12, the Lord Jesus will serve believers in heaven for eternity. There is much more to this concept of servanthood that meets the eye. I find it startling that Paul's ultimate goal in the book of Romans was to reveal what a servant looks like in various contexts. This is what the final five chapters in Romans is all about. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">According to v.5 of today's passage, Jacob accentuates the fact that he had obtained great wealth during his time away in Haran. He did this because he wanted his brother Esau to know that he would not be a burden to him. He also wanted Esau to know that he was not a threat to him as his family had grown to such size. Seeing such a large group coming in his direction would have alarmed Esau. So, Jacob served his brother by sending his messengers to him with a message of peace.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Matthew 20:25-26 we read, <b>"25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While in Haran Jacob had learned to lose sight of himself as he served Laban for 20 years. As we move further into our study of Genesis 32 the concept of servanthood will become more and more </span><span style="font-family: arial;">evident. As he arrived at <b>Mahanaim</b>, Jacob was beginning to see that God's ultimate goal in the life of the believer is to help those arrested by this seen to see the unseen. This is the case for all believers in the God of the Bible because the more we get to know the heart of the Lord, the more we will reflect the heart of the servant.</span></span></p><ytd-transcript-segment-renderer class="style-scope ytd-transcript-segment-list-renderer" rounded-container=""><div aria-label="1 minute, 41 seconds servants Jacob was being freed to rule" class="segment style-scope ytd-transcript-segment-renderer" role="button" style="align-items: baseline; background: repeat; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.8rem; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 12px 16px 8px 4px; position: relative;" tabindex="0"><div aria-hidden="true" class="segment-start-offset style-scope ytd-transcript-segment-renderer" style="background: repeat; border: 0px; display: var(--ytd-transcript-segment-time-display); margin: 0px 16px 0px 12px; padding: 0px;" tabindex="-1"></div></div></ytd-transcript-segment-renderer>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-17885471344136363862024-03-26T06:00:00.299-04:002024-03-26T06:00:00.132-04:00Genesis 31:51-55<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/52LYe7f1BtA" target="_blank"><b>For the Genesis 31:51-55 PODCAST, Click Here!</b></a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place. ~ Genesis 31:51-55</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 31 where we have watched God dramatically change Jacob with the truth. In this chapter Jacob has gone from a man afraid of his father-in-law to a man who exuded confidence, primarily because he was now being defined by the truth. When we are being defined by the truth that means that we have come to appreciate what it means to fear the Lord. We are told in the Scriptures, <b>"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"</b> and in this passage we see that Jacob was leaving his foolish ways behind because he was now being defined by the wisdom of God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.51-53 of today's passage we read,<b> "51 Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.' And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.</b><b>" </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban spoke of the heap and the pillar as if he they were his idea. Earlier, we were told that it was Jacob who set these up. As we have considered before, Laban pictures for us what it looks like to be one who is defined by the flesh which always wants notoriety and credit. The heaps and the pillar were erected to show where Jacob's allegiance was and Laban was struggling to get to the point where his fear of God determined everything else about him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The heap and pillar were also placed there to be a witness of the peace that would be shared between Jacob and Laban. This was a picture of the work the Lord Jesus accomplished for us on His cross at Calvary. There would be harmony between Jacob and Laban as long as they didn’t pass beyond the boundaries to harm one another. Should they breech those boundaries, then the account would be judiciously and righteously settled as the violation of their covenant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban spoke of the God of Abraham and Nahor, their common ancestors. Jacob, knowing that idolatry had crept in among Laban's side of the family, swore by the <b>"Fear of his father Isaac."</b> The expressed difference here was to show that for Laban idolatry had crept into his heart thus negatively affecting his worship of God. In Joshua 24:2 we read, <b>"And Joshua said to all the people, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban was confused about the identity of the one true God and it showed in his choices and words. It is clear from what God had earlier said to Laban on the night before he met up with Jacob that he intended to do harm to Jacob and his family. At a minimum, Laban came with the intent to call down curses on Jacob. And, as always, if we let Him, God will turn our curses into blessings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.54-55 of today's passage we read, <b>"54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">While Laban was a picture of the man of the world, Jacob pictured the Lord Jesus. While Leah pictured the law, Rachel pictured grace. The pillar in this passage was a picture of the cross of the Lord Jesus and the heap pictured the Bible. In this story symmetry is discovered. The usage of two languages, Hebrew and Aramaic, indicates that this witness was meant for all people, Hebrew and Gentile alike. This explains why, for the first time in the Bible, a non-Hebrew word was used. This covenant between Jacob and Laban stands as a reminder to all people that God has offered to sinful man a pact of peace through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The only question remains is: Who is humble enough to believe in God's promise?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This story proves that the Bible is a physical, tangible word. Not just a spiritual concept without form. In John 1:14 we read, <b>"</b><b>And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” </b>The written Word of God, the Bible, points us to the living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Both, the Lord Jesus and the Bible are the standard by which God will judge all people. The peace that we all long for is found in these two where we discover that restoration and harmony between God and man are realized only through the cross of Christ. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is the last time in the Bible that Laban is referred to directly. He will be mentioned only two more times, both in Genesis 46 and only in reference to the children of Israel born to Bilhah and Zilpah, not as an individual. In the end, Laban is a picture of most people who know of God but do not know God personally and for themselves. Laban represents the person searching the world for that which won’t satisfy and who so desperately needs to be defined by the one true God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today's passage took place in a place known as <b>the Perpetual Fountain </b>which is analogous of the eternal life the Lord Jesus offers to anyone humble enough and willing enough to believe in Him. The bread Laban and Jacob ate together that day was a symbol of the Lord Jesus who is the One who delivers to the repentant sinner this perpetual fountain. He said of Himself, <b>"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.</b><b>"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The Fear of Isaac</b> is one of the more obscure names of God in the Bible. This name is only found in this passage. By using this phrase, Jacob was saying that his father, Isaac, feared God and worshiped Him exclusively. Jacob was right to refer to God as <b>the Fear of Isaac</b>, and Isaac was right to have a holy reverence and godly fear. In Luke 12:5, the Lord Jesus said, <b>"But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him."</b> In fearing God, Isaac submitted to Him and regarded Him more highly than anyone else.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-16288790258250859132024-03-25T06:00:00.323-04:002024-03-25T09:44:39.199-04:00Genesis 31:43-50<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/gpQ2GapwlYM" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:43-50 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” </span><span style="font-family: arial;">45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!” ~ Genesis 31:43-50</span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 31 where Jacob and his family have escaped their dad's deceptive ways only to encounter him at Mount Gilead yet again. Since Jacob has been growing in the truth we find him galvanized and substantiated in such a way that he has overcome his fear of his father-in-law Laban. In response to Jacob's confident reply to Laban's false charges, we now see Laban wanting to enter into a covenant with Jacob. Jacob's confidence was yet again soaring because he was learning to be defined by his Savior and not the opposite of truth which is sin.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Without God’s word, there can be no true understanding of anything. This is most true of our relationship with Him. From the very first days of creation, God has directed man's attention to Himself through His creation. In addition to His word, God uses creation and our conscience and His Spirit to lead us to know Him and His ways. God spoke His word to us through His prophets and apostles. In the Bible are promises, blessings, curses, and assurances. If one aspect of His word fails, then all hope would be lost. The sacredness and reliability of God's word is tied directly to His holiness and truthfulness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.43-44 of today's passage we read, <b>"43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, 'These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Laban, without admitting any guilt or any wrongdoing toward Jacob, makes a great and boastful claim that everything in Jacob’s possession was derived from him. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Here, Laban acted in such a way that made him seem generous without not insisting on keeping that which he believed belonged to him. At the end of the day, Laban had no choice but to let Jacob keep them. Laban </span><span style="font-family: arial;">reasoned that he simply couldn’t find it in his heart to deprive his departing family of their well being which was quite insincere of him to do. One of the many products of feeding the flesh is insincerity which derives itself from insecurity because when we are such we know that we are living a lie.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The separation was final and Laban realized it. Jacob wasn’t coming back and his daughters, grandchildren and what he contended was some of his livestock were all going with Jacob. And, just like six years earlier, Laban realized that God was with Jacob. In the past, he asked Jacob to stay and work for him but it had become completely evident that Jacob was finally free from his clutches.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">God had made Jacob fruitful. He had fulfilled His promise to him that He would be with him and protect him. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Before parting, Laban asked to enter into a covenant with Jacob. The covenant would be a witness between the two of them. If Jacob agreed to it, it was implied that all past quarrels will be forgotten and anything which was misplaced between them would be overlooked. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">here would be an agreement of peace and good will between the two which would stand as a testimony between them, especially since the agreement was being made in the presence of the Lord and all those present.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.45-46 of today's passage we read, <b>"45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, 'Gather stones.' And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob had previous to this occasion set up a stone as a pillar. It was on the night after he had his dream concerning the ladder. It was through that dream that God guaranteed Jacob His protection. Today's meeting between Laban and Jacob proved that what </span><span style="font-family: arial;">God had promised to did come to pass, and as a result, Jacob's faith in the Lord grew.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob shared a meal with Laban </span><span style="font-family: arial;">showing their reconciliation one to another. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">By taking the time to sit and eat a meal, they were able to sort out the problems which had arisen from the past and they resolved them that day. I'm reminded of the Lord's Supper where we meet with the Lord and we are reminded of His death until He comes again. It is there where the Holy Spirit directs our thoughts that center on the cross of the Lord Jesus and we are reminded that we have been reconciled to the Lord.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">47 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b></span><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the very first time that a language other than Hebrew is used in the Bible. Laban named the heap <b>Jegar Sahadutha</b> which is Aramaic meaning <b>"witness pile." </b></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob named the mound <b>"Galeed"</b> which means the same in Hebrew. By naming the mound in their own languages, it was a way of confirming that this covenant applied not only to them, but to their posterity after them.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">48-50 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b></span><b><span style="font-family: arial;">48 And Laban said, 'This heap is a witness between you and me this day.' Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, 'May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!'</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"Mizpah"</b> means <b>"watchtower"</b> implying that the Lord was the One watching over the covenant made there on Mount Gilead that day. It</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> would be the Lord who would stand as the judge over any transgressions of the agreement, just as we saw with the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">God continues to monitor what man has long ago forgotten. He stands at the watchtower ensuring the ancient covenants are kept. This book, the Bible, is a testament to His care about such things. History always reveals that God can be trusted to be true to His word.</span></span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-77376548232543804152024-03-22T06:00:00.380-04:002024-03-22T09:14:33.182-04:00Genesis 31:36-42<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/TaNjPOGnLiQ" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:36-42 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37 Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. 41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.” ~ Genesis 31:36-42</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we return to our study of Genesis 31 where we having been observing the process of sanctification that was coming about in the life of Jacob. You will remember that whereas justification is us getting into heaven, our sanctification is heaven getting into us now. Justification is being made right in the eyes of God through believing in the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. Sanctification is growing in the wisdom of God making us able to be effective witnesses before others for God while we remain on this earth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>36-37 of today's passage we read, <b>"36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37 Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both!"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob's confidence grew with the growth of his sanctification. This is the nature of the truth, it bolsters us into the realm of the sure. The Lord Jesus said it well when He said, <b>"</b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The freedom here is quite widespread from being set free from the control of others to being set free from our low sense of value. Knowing the t</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">ruth produces trust in God in us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If Laban had found his idols among the belongings of Jacob, he would have completely had the upper hand on Jacob. In addition, Laban would have had some ground to make the claim that Jacob had stolen some of his flock. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">But, since the idols were not found, Jacob had the upper hand. And, even though Rachel had stolen the idols, Jacob was still found to be without guilt. The accuser could no longer accuse him and he was vindicated before all present. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob’s words in today's passage to Laban are so perfectly reflected in Zechariah that it really is astonishing. In Zechariah 13:1-2 we read, <b>"</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. 2 'It shall be in that day,' says the Lord of hosts, 'that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.'"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So many years after today's events, this prophecy will be fulfilled in the nation of Israel, picturing what God will do for Israel one day in the future, Jacob was cleared of all guilt with reference to the missing idols of Laban. Laban's</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> actions of pursuing Jacob and accusing him were baseless. From his posture of innocence, Jacob explained, in front of everyone, the mistreatment he had received from Laban. This doubled Laban’s guilt and it doubled the vindication of Jacob.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.38-40 of today's passage we read, <b>"38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At this point, Jacob was 97 years of age and for the last twenty years, he worked 7 years for Leah, 7 for Rachel, and then 6 for whatever possessions he had at this point. During all of that time Jacob showed his attentiveness to the flocks. There had not been any miscarriages among the flock. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">This meant the sheep had been all well tended to by Jacob who also said that he didn’t eat the rams of the flock. The female are rarely eaten because they are the ones who birth baby lambs and thus increase wealth, but the rams are sometimes taken for meals. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">However, Jacob never did this. He never dipped into what belonged to Laban. Over those twenty years Jacob had been</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> faithful to Laban and trustworthy and Laban benefitted greatly. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob then pointed to the predators in the open fields who from time to time would kill one of the flock. Although it wasn’t any fault of Jacob’s, he bore the loss. Later, under the law, and speaking of exactly such an occurrence in Exodus 22 we read, <b>"</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>If it is torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn."</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The fact that this is in the law as a protection for the people indicates that this is what was right and honest. Jacob and Laban were before the time of the law, but the general principle of honesty would dictate that Jacob shouldn’t have to pay for such a loss, but he did.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And more, any animal that was stolen, Laban required from Jacob. Based on Laban’s dishonesty as presented by Jacob, it was an indication that Laban could have stolen from the flock and then demanded a replacement as well, thus stealing from Jacob twice. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob aired all of this in the presence of the people to show that he had been both mistreated and unfairly acted against.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Then Jacob brought up the issue about drought. In that part of the world, the days were extremely hot and the nights very cold. As the day heats up over the open expanses, the area ached from the lack of moisture. If it weren’t for wells, it would have been intolerable for both man and animal. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At night it got so cold that any humidity in the air settled to ground level and turned into frost. This is the normal weather and it would be multiplied in one direction or another as the seasons changed, but it would have never been comfortable. Due to</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> the cold and the frost, the wild animals, and the thieves, Jacob had many of long nights. Sleep literally escaped him most of the time for 20 years.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.41-42 of today's passage we read, </span><b>"41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In these uncertain conditions, Jacob continued for 20 full years under three promises, twice for wives and then for set wages. However, seven of those years were for a wife he didn’t want. Only during the last six it was for wages. And even then, Laban constantly cheated Jacob by changing the agreed terms. Jacob</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> revealed, in front of everyone hearing his confident speech that his wives and his flocks were rightfully his and he was deserving of far more based on the work he provided. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob was now being defined by God. In John 8:32 the Lord Jesus said, <b>"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." </b>T</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">he truth of God lead to more than just an intellectual understanding. Knowing God’s truth leads us to the place where we begin to understand that the Lord Jesus has performed on our behalf and we need not do anything to add to God's acceptance of us. Ironically, having been set free from sin, we now are becoming slaves to God who defines us best. </span></span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-28696602134586528022024-03-21T06:00:00.415-04:002024-03-21T09:07:14.315-04:00Genesis 31:31-35<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/Ch_XLU1PYVM" target="_blank">For the Genesis 3`:31-35 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols. ~ Genesis 31:31-35</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 31 where Jacob and his family have departed from Haran and now they are camped on Mount Gilead which means the mountain of perpetual spring. After arriving there, Jacob received a visit from Laban his father-in-law who was quite put out with Jacob for taking his daughters and grandchildren from Haran. Laban had just asked Jacob why he left Haran for the Promised Land and Jacob is about to provide him with his answer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.31 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, 'Because I was afraid, for I said, Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force." </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In response to the question from Laban, Jacob sighted fear for his motive. Jacob was afraid of Laban his father-in-law. Jacob, yet again, feared another man. Fear is self-imprisoning. As this type of fear grows in us it yields anxiety which robs us of all types of good things, particularly rest. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">From Genesis 9:2 to Revelation 19:5, the word <b>fear</b> is used more than five hundred times. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In </span><span style="font-family: arial;">2 Timothy 1:7 we read, <b>"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Obviously, the cure for fear is faith in the God of the Bible, but the tricky part about the growth of our faith in the God of the Bible is that we must go to and through our fears in order to grow in our faith in God. Yes, Jacob needed more faith in his soul but in order to grow in his faith he had to confront and quell his fear of Laban.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob was stung by Laban’s accusations and to the first that he was disrespectful for the way he left Haran he admitted that he feared Laban, he was afraid if he told Laban he was leaving and returning home that Laban would take his daughters from him by force. Jacob didn't know that</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> Laban's real motivation was to find his idols which he called his gods.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob's answer attended to the matter of his wives first, rather than any theft Laban suffered. What Jacob noted here wasn’t at all far-fetched. Jacob had worked for and paid off his debt to Laban. Also he took nothing from him when he left. Rachel took his household gods which Jacob knew nothing about. He had every right to leave and his departure was actually the wise thing to do considering the circumstances of the past 20 years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">32 of today's passage we read, <b>"'With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.' For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them."</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After addressing what he felt was the main concern, Jacob brought up another matter in a way which would absolutely confirm his innocence. If the idols were found in his camp, Laban would have the right to execute whomever stole them. As to the accusation that he had stolen Laban’s gods, Jacob denied it because he did not know that Rachel had stolen them. Still a bit fearful of Laban and not knowing what was going to happen, Jacob told Laban to search through their belongings and if he found anything that was his to take it. And, if the gods were found, the person who had them should be put to death. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Subtly, Jacob goes from a fearful man to a man who is courageous. The difference was made by the truth. Jacob was convinced that the idols of Laban were not stolen by anyone in his family and this explains why Jacob suggested that the one be killed who stole them. The salve to our fear is the truth and our trust in the truth. Jacob feared because he lacked the truth. If we want to grow in our faith and if we want to overcome our fears we must be defined by the truth. Jacob had no clue that his wife Rachel had stolen her father's idols and that she had carried them along with her. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.33 of today's passage we read, <b>"And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban didn't know that <b>"Rachel had taken the household idols and had put them in the camel's saddle." </b>A camel's saddle was probably simply a blanket or a cloth folded up and placed on the back of the camel. And that's what she was seated on. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.34 of today's passage we read, <b>"Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Rachel obviously heard Jacob’s words about putting to death whoever had taken the idols and so she packed them away in a camel’s saddle and sat down on them. Then, she devised a plan to keep him from finding them. </span>As her dad poked around in her tent, Rachel informed him of a supposed malady which prevented her from dismounting the camel at that moment.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.35 of today's passage we read, <b>"And she said to her father, 'Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.' And he searched but did not find the household idols."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rachels words to her father revealed she had garnered her deceptive practices well from her dad.<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban’s search turned up nothing and his gods were still missing. It was then that Jacob saw that there was no need for him to fear Laban. Jacob knew then that God was protecting him from Laban. Jacob was growing in his understanding that God had him no matter what.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In Isaiah 49:16 we read, <b>"Behold, I have graven you on the palms of my hands.</b><b>" </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, appeared to his frightened disciples, huddled together in the upper room, and He said to them, <b>"Behold, my hands and my feet and see that it is I."</b> The wounds in the hands of the Lord Jesus were the marks of love and the very names of believers have been engraved there. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In John 10:28 we read, <b>"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.</b><b>"</b></span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-91635329638369405972024-03-20T06:00:00.332-04:002024-03-20T06:00:00.138-04:00Genesis 31:22-30<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/9zp18l0G3dU" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:22-30 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23 Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. 24 But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.” </b><b>25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead. </b><b>26 And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? 28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ 30 And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” ~ Genesis 31:22-30</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we return to our study of Genesis 31 where Jacob and his family have finally departed for the Promised Land which is a term designated for the region of the world that God promised as a heritage to His people, Israel. The Promised Land was an endowment from God initially made to Abraham, the father of the Jews, who had been chosen also to be the father of all who would believe in the God of the Bible. God promised to bless Abraham and lead him into the land from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River that would belong to his offspring as an everlasting heritage. The physical blessings have always been for the advancement of the spiritual blessings. What profit is there if we gain the whole world and yet forfeit our soul?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b><b>22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23 Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Previously, Laban’s flocks were kept three days journey apart from Jacob’s so that they would not get intermingled with Jacob's flock. Because of this, it took three days for Laban to hear the news that Jacob had departed. And since Laban took his brethren with him, it was six days after Jacob left because it would have taken three days for the brethren to get to Laban. This is why it took Laban and his brethren seven days to catch up to Jacob.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With a smaller group, Laban moved much more quickly than Jacob. Still, it took a full week before Laban caught up within sight of Jacob's caravan. It was on <b>Mount Gilead</b> that Laban finally caught up to Jacob and his family. This is the first mention of <b>Gilead</b> in the Bible. The name <b>"Gilead"</b> comes from the contraction of two words, one means <b>"spring,"</b> and the other <b>"perpetual."</b> It was at the <b>perpetual spring</b> that Laban met up with Jacob. I can hear the Lord Jesus' words to the woman at the well, <b>"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.</b><b>"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A careful reading of the Bible reveals there are three scriptures that reference <b>the balm of Gilead</b>. But unless the verses are considered together, it is easy to miss their significance. The first is found in Genesis 37:25-26 which reads, <b>"As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelite traders coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt."</b> These verses record the story of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. The traveling merchants purchased Joseph, then delivered him to Egypt. Although it might seem as though the mention of spices, balm, and myrrh are superfluous details, they are recorded intentionally. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The other two references to <b>balm</b> are found in the book of Jeremiah. They concern the prophet’s lament over God’s impending judgment of Israel in Jeremiah 8 & 46. Based on those passages, we discover that the <b>balm</b> produced in the region of Gilead was both valuable and rare. And, although the balm brought physical healing, it really represents spiritual health. Even though God had delivered Israel from slavery and they had walked through the Red Sea, the people still looked elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment. They even worshipped other gods. Eventually, we discover in the New Testament, all of this points us to the only One who provides real and lasting fulfillment, the Lord Jesus Christ.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, <b>"24 But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.' 25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Similar to the way Laban ran down Jacob, God ran down Laban in a dream. Through this dream God told Laban not to harm Jacob. The wording in v.24 is quite awkward, the meaning is that Laban was not to threaten Jacob. God was not only with Jacob but He also was protecting him. Who knows what Laban would have done to Jacob in those mountains had God not run down Laban. Revealing is the fact that according to Joshua 20:8 <b>Ramoth</b> <b>Gilead</b> which means <b>"Highest Gilead"</b> would later be a city of refuge for those who would have accidentally harmed another. All of the cities of refuge whispered of the Lord Jesus long before He came to be born of the young teen-aged girl in Bethlehem.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.26-30 of today's passage we read, <b>"26 And Laban said to Jacob: 'What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? 28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.' 30 And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?</b><b>"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban’s comments to Jacob came from a man who seemed to have come to rescue his stolen daughters. In an attempt to get the upper hand in their negotiations, Laban talked about the things he would have done had he known they had left Haran. Jacob and his wives knew better; Laban was a scam and probably hadn’t kissed his daughters since the night of their wedding, if he even did it then. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The way Laban spoke to Jacob was different because God had told him in the dream to not harm Jacob or else. Laban told Jacob that he was his own source of power and he could have harmed him. But Laban found out that there is a much greater Power. Amazingly, even though God revealed Himself to Laban like He did, Laban was still preoccupied with his idol gods. For some, it doesn't matter how much revelation of Himself that God gives, they are just not going to believe in Him and bow themselves before Him. Aren't you grateful that we came to that place where we entered into a personal relationship with this God who is so good? Having done so, we are now in the family of God.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-22799773354620969152024-03-19T06:00:00.362-04:002024-03-19T06:00:00.139-04:00Genesis 31:19-21<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b> <a href="https://youtu.be/Av6GYFUkqj4" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:19-21 PODCAST, Click Here!</a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21 So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. ~ Genesis 31:19-21</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 31 where we find Jacob preparing his family and his flocks for their long journey to the promised land. As indicated in our passage, Rachel and Leah went back home to gather whatever things they planned on taking with them on this journey. While their father, Laban, was shearing his sheep, we are directed to the theme of today's study which is idolatry. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.19 of today's passage we read, <b>"Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While Jacob's wives were gathering their things and their father Laban was shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.<b> </b>That which is described as <b>"idols"</b> here is </span><span style="font-family: arial;">referred to later in this chapter by Laban as <b>"gods."</b> To Laban they were good luck charms. Also, l</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ater in this chapter, Rachel will show her contempt for the <b>"idols."</b> Her actions will clearly show that she certainly wasn’t expecting to benefit from them. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">What Rachel will do to these <b>"idols"</b> is known as iconoclasm which is what people do when they </span><span style="font-family: arial;">turn away from idolatry by destroying their idols. In reference to idolatry, Charles Spurgeon once said, <i>"Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else."</i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Idolatry is more than thinking our idols bring us good luck though. Idolatry is when we love something or someone more than God. It’s the misdirection of our worship. It’s our hearts clinging and confiding in that which does not or cannot bring us what we long for. It is the elevation and glorification of anything other than God, which eventually leads to personal emptiness and separation from true life. An idol could be a girlfriend, good grades, the approval of other people, success in business, and it could be a hobby. In Romans 1, the Apostle Paul put it like this: <b>Idolatry is when we exchange the truth about God for a lie and worship and serve the created.</b> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">King David wrote in Psalm 115<b> idols are useless. They have mouths but they can't speak. They have eyes but they can't see. They have ears but they can't hear. They have hands but they can't touch. They have feet but they can't walk. They have mouths but they can't speak.</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.20 of today's passage we read, <b>"And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob left Laban in the very same way that he had left Canaan before coming to Haran. He departed during the middle of the night. Here in this verse Moses used a form of the same word which was used to describe Rachel when she stole Laban’s idols. Literally the first four words of this verse reads, <b>"And s</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>tole Jacob Laban’s heart." </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="font-family: arial;">The <b>"heart"</b> in the Bible is the center of everything. Mentioned hundreds of times</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">, our heart is presented as our "control center" from which all of our decisions are made. The heart is the place where our deepest being is found. Our heart is the place where we make all of our decisions. Our heart is that place where we make connection with God who brings life and light into our souls. The heart that opens itself to other, impure influences becomes blind and confused when it comes to discerning between good and evil.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What we give our heart to is what we worship to a certain degree. And, if we are not in the habit of giving our hearts to the Lord, we will be controlled by that which is out to destroy us, including ourselves. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob took </span><span style="font-family: arial;">that which Laban's heart was set upon which was himself. Laban loved himself more than anything, and as is most of the time the case, our idols are clearly a reflection of us.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The problem is that we miss the whole point of our existence, the very purpose for which we were created. God made us for the relationship of His perfect love. He doesn't have the need, we do. But if we’re always chasing after other things, we’ll never experience the fullness of His love. And the fullness of His love is His holiness. There’s a big difference between a half-hearted approach to God and whole-hearted devotion. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">That half-hearted approach is where Jacob had been all of his life, but he is about to be shaken to his core. After the shaking will come a greater degree of love for God in Jacob.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">21 of today's passage we read, <b>"So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead."</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Beginning in this verse we see Jacob leading his family, his servants, and his livestock back to the Promised Land in response to God’s command earlier in this chapter. Jacob had obviously entered into a personal relationship with God. God was now clearly defining Jacob to some degree. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">God’s command to Jacob, and his obedience was no small thing because Jacob still believed his brother intended to kill him. Jacob was literally risking his life to obey God. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The river referenced here is the Euphrates and some argue over how he could have gotten his family, camels, flocks, and goods over that river at that time. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">But getting over the Euphrates river wasn’t a difficult task. There have been rope-pulled ferries for eons and there are rope made bridges spanning rivers around the world. There would have been routes of travel that included these or other ways of crossing and the speculation isn’t difficult to think through.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It is rather instructive that Jacob and his family went in the direction of Gilead </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">which is mentioned 132 times in the Bible. In his book Jeremiah mentioned the balm of Gilead which comes from several herbs that are part of the mint family of plants. This balm is related to the tree the balsam poplar and it is considered a myrrh-like resin/chemical compound found in the Arabian Peninsula, specifically in ancient Israel east of the Jordan River. It was used for medicine. Jacob was being directed by God to go to the place which represents healing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The balm of Gilead is also metaphoric. It, like almost everything in the Bible points us to our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can truly satisfy us on this earth and into eternity. Everything else only promises but never truly delivers. He is the One who came to save us from our disastrous state. JC Philpot once said, <i>"There is more in the balm to heal than there is in guilt to wound; for there is more in grace to save than there is in sin to destroy.</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>" </i>The author of such grace is the Lord Jesus Christ.</span></span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-75528470621158512502024-03-18T06:00:00.285-04:002024-03-19T09:50:08.979-04:00Genesis 31:14-18<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/sFIo-zfabqs" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:14-18 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it." </span><span style="font-family: arial;">17 Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> ~ Genesis 31:14-18</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we return to our study of Genesis 31 where after 20 years of serving Laban and being conned by him for that long, Jacob is leaving town for the promised land. The people of Israel are a people united to each other and to God in a singularly unique way. But Israel is more than a people, Israel is a concept of uniting and restoring God to the people of the world. For 20 years Jacob had been in a form of exile and will now he will follow the leading of God and return home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.14-16 of today's passage we read, <b>"14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, 'Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When Rachel and Leah got married, their dad, Laban, gave each of them one maidservant. He could have given them more and they knew it but he didn't. They felt that they had gotten a raw deal from their dad. They knew that whatever inheritance they otherwise could have gotten would never come. They knew that they were entirely excluded from the inheritance. They didn't need Jacob to convince them that their father was a selfish man, they knew that all of their lives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When Jacob showed up, Rachel and Leah were given a great contrast to their dad. These two girls believed in Jacob so much, they quickly were ready to follow him. When God created this world, He put into place a spiritual law called <b>the law of sowing and reaping</b> which applies to every aspect of our lives. A farmer sows cotton seed in the ground and eventually reaps a harvest of cotton. When we sow our time and energy into reading Scripture, we will reap the fruit of faith, wisdom, and understanding.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The father of Rachel and Leah was a man who fed the flesh regularly. When we feed a stray cat, we know it’s going to come back. The truth is whatever we feed follows us. The same principle applies to feeding fleshly desires. The Bible says that feeding the flesh leads to death and destruction. The fruit of feeding our desires becomes rotten and is out to destroy us. However, when we feed the Spirit, He leads to life, peace, and joy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>As Laban's daughters looked back over the past 20 years they realized that their father actually sold each one of them for Jacob’s labors. They were his hired hands, just like Jacob. As Jacob’s wives, they were in the same position that he was. </span>Just as Jacob was a stranger, they are reckoned in the same way. And Laban didn’t only sell them, he consumed all the profit he made off of them. This is where feeding the flesh gets us with those whom we "love."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob had acquired all of his livestock and wealth from Laban’s flocks. These were his wages and what came about was agreed on in advance, even though Laban changed the terms time and time again. Laban was a manipulative man but the Lord made sure that everything always came out in the favor of Jacob. God was with Jacob and He surely had blessed him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.17-18 of today's passage we read,<b> "17 Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Once the decision was made, the action is taken. It didn’t matter how large Jacob's camp was, they completely emptied it in just a few hours. There was nothing left but holes in the ground where the tent posts had been. At this time, the oldest son, Reuben, was no more than about 12 years old and the youngest, Joseph, was about 6. So all the family mounted camels and started their journey towards Canaan.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It is very clear that Jacob hadn’t swindled Laban to gain his wealth. He had <b>"gained"</b> or <b>"acquired"</b> his family and possessions legitimately. The word <b>"gained"</b> in v.18 which is used five times in the whole Bible is used twice in this verse to indicate that Jacob took only what he had <b>gained</b>. Everything that went with him was acquired by him and nothing stolen. Later, we will see later that Jacob left with enough to give away more than 580 animals as a present. That, along with everything else he had would have made him a very wealthy man.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As we look back on Jacob's twenty years in Haran, we see that he had learned the importance of obeying the Lord. This is why he separated himself from Laban, who was a picture of the world without the Lord. This story demonstrates the foolishness of idolatry and the need for believers to separate ourselves from the world. Oh, we must maintain relationships with the people of the world but we must not be defined by the world. The Lord said it plainly, <b>"Be in the world but not of it."</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob's story while in Haran demonstrates also the protective hand of God in his life. In the same way that God protected Jacob in his departure from Haran to return to Canaan, so He had protected others, like the nation Israel in its departure from Egypt to return to Canaan. All of them were prone to idolatry but the Lord was committed to them. He is no different toward you and me and we are no different than those in the Bible. We will never earn His favor, we don't even maintain His favor. But, if we do not obey Him, we can surely miss out on His blessings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-78168535909942451982024-03-15T06:00:00.025-04:002024-03-15T06:00:00.149-04:00Genesis 31:10-13<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/vP16fNA5RcI" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:10-13 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>10 And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. 11 Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, "Jacob." And I said, "Here I am." 12 And He said, "Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family." ~ Genesis 31:10-13</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we return to our study of Genesis 31 where Jacob is given revelation from God through two different dreams. Unlike all of the gods out there in this world that people worship, the God of the Bible is personal. The personal name of God, as we have seen in the Genesis narrative, is YHWH. The revelation that God grants to us is always couched in a personal encounter that He grants to us. The ultimate desire of God for us is that we know Him in an ever increasing way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Apostle Paul tells us that our faith in God grows as we hear and recognize His voice. The Lord Jesus informed us that His sheep hear His voice and they follow. That is hearing God not with our ears but with our hearts. Of course, when we hear or read the Word of God, the Bible, it will always parallel what God tells us through His spoken Word. God will never tell us to do something that is not consistent with His Word, the Bible. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.10 of today's passage we read, <b>"And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob's first dream took place at the beginning of his last six years of labor unto Laban. God spoke to Jacob here through two dreams. In the book of Joel God tells us that in the last days <b>"Your old men shall dream dreams, y</b><b>our young men shall see visions." </b>And, in Job 33 Job said, <b>"14 </b><b>For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds." </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">God desires the best for all of us. When man does not access God's truth and therefore walks in that which isn't true, he finds himself outside of His love. When we are beyond the grasp of God's love, we will be the recipients of His wrath. Of course, the only thing that moves us into God's love is the performance of the Lord Jesus on our behalf on the cross and our faith in Him as our Savior. When the child of God does not walk in the truth, he will not be the recipient of God's wrath, but he could be the recipient of Satan's wrath.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.11 of today's passage we read,<b> "Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob.' And I said, 'Here I am.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Although revelation given by God is awesome and mind-blowing, growing in intimacy with Him is even greater. Through Jacob’s second dream the Angel of God spoke to him and he responded. This was not only revelation, this was also relationship. The <b>"Angel of God"</b> here was the Lord who spoke to Jacob at Bethel. This was further confirmation from God to Jacob that the first dream was actually from God Himself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since revelation is God’s self-disclosure to us, He reveals Himself to us so we may grow to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. When we respond in the affirmative to the revelation that God gives us, we should expect more revelation to come from Him. This is how any relationship rolls out and this is why Christianity is not a religion. While religion is man trying to earn God's favor, Christianity is a personal relationship with God that was granted through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, <b>"12 And He said, 'Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In this dream that God gave to Jacob, he used a different word to describe Jacob's sheep. <b>"Gray-spotted"</b> speaks for itself. God introduced a new color to reveal that He was the One producing the changes in the sheep all along. God is the arbiter of the truth, what He says is what makes anything true. When we know the definition of anything from God, we then know the truth. It is then that we can walk in the truth and the truth is God's definition of anything. When we respond to the truth, it shows up as obedience from us or that we are walking in that which is right and true.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Like his grandfather, Abraham, it was only when he had responded to the previous revelation that God gave Jacob more revelation. Abraham’s departure from Haran was key to the release of the promises that God had in store for him beyond God's initial revelation to him. With Jacob, God was no different. Like Abraham, Jacob's obedience opened the door for God to deliver to Him further revelation of and from Him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">And sure enough, just as Jacob’s dream showed the mating rams’ colors, the Lord confirmed his dream. The Lord knew that Laban had cheated Jacob and would continue to cheat him, and so He directed the flocks according to His wisdom as the Creator. Everything that happened had been at the Lord’s direction. The dreams were meant to be an encouragement to Jacob so that he would commit himself to what God would have him do next.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">These reassuring words echoed for Jacob back some 20 years when he first left Canaan. He traveled through Bethel and had a vision where the Lord told him, <b>"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." </b>And true to His promise, God had been with Jacob, kept him, and was now directing him back to the land of his birth. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The believer in Christ can expect the same from God. Once entering into a personal relationship with God by inviting Him into our lives, we will then begin to pray to Him and read His word regularly. To the believer in Christ the Holy Spirit has been given. He is the One who lives in the hearts of believers and never leaves. He counsels, teaches, and changes the heart of each believer. Without the Holy Spirit, we would not have the ability to have this personal relationship with God. If you have not entered into a personal relationship with Him, let me encourage you to talk to Him right now. Begin by admitting to Him that you know that you are a sinner and that your sin has separated you from Him. Believe that the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for your sin. And, invite Him into your life.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-69093841054600187162024-03-14T06:00:00.323-04:002024-03-14T06:00:00.143-04:00Genesis 31:4-9<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/hHpaHbRlsZ0" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:4-9 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5 and said to them, "I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7 Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said thus: 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: 'The streaked shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked. 9 So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me." ~ Genesis 31:4-9</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we return to our study of Genesis 31 where Jacob and his family are preparing to travel to the promised land. They were about to do so because they had chosen to be defined by the God of the Bible and He had told Jacob to travel there. It was in this context that Jacob was dealing with tensions in his broader family. His father-in-law and his sons accused Jacob falsely of stealing from his herd. We view others through the lens of the way we see life. Like Laban, Jacob's father-in-law, if we are deceptive we will think of others as deceptive. This is the on-going context of today's passage.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.4-7 of today's passage we read,<b> "4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5 and said to them, 'I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7 Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob called for Rachel and Leah in that order. Even though she was Jacob's second wife, Rachel was the one beloved most by Jacob. Throughout this narrative Jacob favored Rachel more than Leah. Showing favoritism within our families is a dangerous thing because it is the unfair practice of treating one better than another. Jacob did this because his idea of love was less than it should have been. Jacob's idea was tainted with the self because it was conditioned by what he would get out of the relationship. Jacob's idea of love was less than due to the fact that his ability to evaluate was cheapened by his self life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The words translated <b>"favoritism"</b> in the Bible literally means <b>"to receive according to the face."</b> To show favoritism is to make judgments about another on the basis of their outward appearance. Of course, given the circumstances and the fact that Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his first daughter Leah, one can understand the difficulty Jacob was in. Having said that, favoritism eventually bites us in the rear end. We tend to put everyone in some kind of category. Most often, it has to do with appearance and status. According to James 2:9 <b>when we show favoritism, we commit sin. </b>Favoritism is not simply disrespectful of people, it is sin against God. It is sin because it is contrary to the character and command of God. Because favoritism is sin, we are wise to hurl it out of our lives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Over and over Laban deceived Jacob to stay on his homestead for 20 years. Jacob worked so well that Laban received much good work from him. If Jacob had slacked off at any time during those 20 years, Laban never would have kept him around. But he did. When he did, Laban said that the Lord had blessed him because of Jacob’s work. And, the last six years were no different, except that the blessings went to Jacob and not to Laban. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When we live our lives at the level of the world, we will eventually see that this was a very unwise decision. If we waist our time feeding the flesh rather than the Spirit, we will only be miserable at the end of the day. The most exciting way to live is to simply trust and to trust simply. Jacob trusted God and look at what happened, Jacob was blessed abundantly. For the person who truly by faith in the God of the Bible, life is an adventure to be received from the most incredibly creative God. At the end of this life, having trusted the Lord with the outcomes, we will look back with others and marvel. Perhaps with us will be those who came to faith in our God because we trusted Him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The phrase <b>"ten times"</b> is an idiom indicating fullness of time. In the case of Laban, whenever Jacob’s flock began to grow, Laban would change the rules of his wages. The gracious nature of Jacob's response to Laban's mistreatment revealed the fact that God was changing Jacob from the inside out. We call this sanctification which is different than justification. Justification is what gets us into heaven for we are only justified in the eyes of God through believing in the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. Sanctification is getting heaven in us now so that we might grow in the wisdom of God and that we might be able to be effective witnesses for God while we remain on this earth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, <b>"8 If he said thus: 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: 'The streaked shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked. 9 So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.</b><b>"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The original agreement between Laban and Jacob was that all of the abnormally colored flocks would be Jacob’s. However, it quickly became apparent that the majority of the new births were abnormally colored. So Laban changed it to only a portion of them. Then, the next season, only speckled would be born and so Laban would say, "Ok the speckled will be mine and the spotted will be yours." The next season, they would come out all spotted. There was more than just genetic engineering on Jacob’s part involved in this scenario. With the colors always coming out to Jacob’s advantage, it had to be by the providence of God. Laban was fighting a losing battle because he fought it in the flesh, his weapons of complaining and accusing were losing weapons. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">God knows every detail about or us and we can trust Him with every detail of our lives. There are nine planets in our solar system. Each faithfully orbits around the sun every day. The sun is a star in the Milky Way. The Milky Way has 200 billion more stars that are just like the sun. Planets and moons orbit around each of them. God has a name for every one of them. In addition to that, there are 100 trillion galaxies in the universe, each with 200 billion stars. Such vastness! If God can operate such vastness out there then He can navigate the details in our puny lives. Our responsibility is to place our hand in His everyday and resist the urge to pull it out.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-67069227591393081672024-03-13T06:00:00.312-04:002024-03-13T06:00:00.145-04:00Genesis 31:1-3<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/bwwBv-amP7Y" target="_blank">For the Genesis 31:1-3 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>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." 2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you." ~ Genesis 31:1-3</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today, we transition into Genesis 31 where we see Jacob growing in his faith in the God of the Bible. Jacob left Canaan and he actually spent 20 years in Haran. Jacob served seven years for Leah, seven years for Rachel and then it took another six years to build up his flocks. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Before Jacob left Canaan for Haran, the Lord promised to be with him wherever he went. As Jacob's story unfolds we are seeing that God is doing exactly what He promised. God has always kept this promise to the Patriarchs of Israel down through the years and He will on into eternity. God's prophetic word </span><span>affirms the faith and trust of the believer and it is a witness to all who have yet to believer. When I</span> look at the Cross of the Lord Jesus, I see God’s incredible faithfulness. Nothing, not even the instinct to spare His own Son, has caused Him to turn His back from all who believe.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.1 of today's passage we read, <b>"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.'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today's events happened in </span><span style="font-family: arial;">approximately 2265 BC. While the previous chapter began with</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> jealousy from within the family directed toward Leah, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">this chapter begins with jealousy outside Jacob’s immediate family toward him. Interestingly, j</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ealousy was actually used both times to bring about God’s purposes in the life of Jacob and his family. God's design the first time was to grow Jacob’s family while the second time it precipitated their departure from Haran.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>The accusation of Laban’s sons was inaccurate because Laban still had his sheep. Jacob had more than what Laban had because Jacob worked at multiplying his flock. Laban's sons were</span><span> jealous and envious of Jacob, falsely accusing him of stealing from Laban. </span><span>We know Laban still had flocks because the original flock was divided 6 years earlier. </span><span>Laban’s sons used the word </span><b><span>"wealth"</span></b><span> which means </span><span><b>heavy</b><span>. </span></span><span>Jacob had become heavy with wealth due to God's blessing upon him. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.2 of today's passage we read, <b>"And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Laban was jealous along with his sons. Six years earlier, it was he who had accepted the terms of the agreement which Jacob proposed. And he didn’t only accept them, he jumped at them. They were the delight of his heart when he heard them. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">They were an offer too good to be true, but now that Jacob had more flocks, Laban and his sons were jealous. Jacob was industrious, crafty, and blessed by God in his work and it had paid off for him. The jealousy of Laban and his sons resulted in increasing</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> Jacob's ability to hear God's voice better.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>3 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then the Lord said to Jacob, 'Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Yesterday, I quoted</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> Psalm 37 which reminds us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. That means when we delight ourselves in the Lord, the desires that we have will have been desires that God had put within our heart as we were delighting in Him. God should receive all the credit for any good that comes out of us. A sign that we are growing in grace is that we are quick to bring Him glory.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The desire within Jacob to go back to Canaan was born out of this tension in the family. Due to Laban's son's jealousy which was followed by accusations, the nest was getting stirred up for Jacob and his family to fly away. God used this trial to convince Jacob that he really needed to leave. What Jacob felt in his heart was now being confirmed by the circumstances around him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When life takes a turn for the worst, we are always tempted to feed the flesh and complain. This is not to be found on the road to God's blessing. We often question God by asking Him why He would He allow these things to happen to us. In these moments we forget that all things are useful to God to bring about His will for us. There are times that the Lord stirs things up by circumstances and most of the time fear creeps in but we must remember that the Lord will always be true to His word and we can trust Him with the outcome.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The key when we find ourselves at this point is to turn to God and expect Him to direct us through His word. The first four words in v.3 are: <b>"Then the Lord said." </b>The Word of God will always confirm to us the call of God on our lives. That which Jacob felt in his heart went along with the circumstances that were going on around him. This is when God told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers. So when life turns sour, God may have some sweet blessings right around the corner. Don't complain. Don't moan. Consider that these unwanted circumstances will render opportunities to realize the will of God for you.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-14731684255056712002024-03-12T06:00:00.244-04:002024-03-12T06:00:00.138-04:00Genesis 30:40-43<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/XgJNgSHFRVY" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:40-43 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock. 41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. ~ Genesis 30:40-43</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 30 where Jacob after fourteen years of serving Laban is now about to head back to Canaan with his wives, children and livestock. Underneath all that has taken place has been the deepening of Jacob's trust in the God of the Bible. The once disinterested Jacob had been awakened to the wisdom of God. And, like Jacob, as we see the Father heart of God with more clarity, the more we will trust Him. And, the more we trust Him the more we will be defined by Him. This is the real story of Jacob's fourteen years in Haran.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>40 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The previous verses described Jacob's strategy for getting his black goats to produce striped, speckled, and spotted offspring. This verse describes his method for getting the white sheep to produce black lambs. Jacob caused the white sheep to mate while facing the black and striped animals in the flock, causing them to produce black offspring. As a result of drawing nearer to the Lord and being defined by Him, Jacob was growing in the wisdom of the Lord. The Lord honored Jacob's unusual method for identifying which of those animals he wanted to produce off-colored offspring and He caused it to happen. As we will see in Genesis 31:7-12, Jacob had been given this understanding from the Lord that resulted in his flock yielding more offspring. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.41 of today's passage we read, <b>"And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Here, </span>Jacob used another tactic to increase his wealth. Sheep give birth twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. But there is also a divide in those born in the first part of the birth cycle, closer to the winter, and those later as the spring has progressed. Those born earlier would be the stronger and heartier of the flock. Those born later in the season would be the weaker ones. The stronger and more healthier ones ended up in Jacob's herd while the others were left in Laban’s. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">In v.42-43 of today's passage we read, <b>"42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 </b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys."</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>God providentially prospered Jacob in answer to prayer and in accordance with His promise. In fact, against all odds, Jacob ended up prospering to a phenomenal degree. Jacob’s prosperity was undoubtedly beyond anything he or his father-in-law Laban could have ever thought possible. I find it quite instructive that Jacob left Canaan and became poor, not accepting anything as wages except His brides and the fruit of his flock. </span>When it came for the time for him to travel back home to Canaan, he traveled back as a wealthier man. All of this was the result of a man learning to walk with God. The real reason for the massive increase in Jacob’s net worth was the fact that God was blessing him. God was the One who caused those flocks to have so many spotted and speckled offspring. He was the One who intervened in order to make Jacob so wealthy. And Jacob, in the very next chapter, will credit God for the increase in his flocks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In 2 Corinthians 8:9 we read, <b>"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There are so many who want to say that God wants us to be wealthy and they evaluate such wealth by what this world has to offer. I'd say this is short sided for when we truly are walking with God, His value system will govern our view of true wealth. In Proverbs 3:13-14 we are told that God's wisdom and understanding according to His economy is of far more profit than silver and gold, and that nothing we desire can compare with it. Jacob's story points us to the Lord Jesus Christ who gave up His incredible place in heaven to come and dwell among sinful man. Through the fulfillment of His law and paying our debt on the cross, He made it possible for you and me to become a part of His family. Like Jacob, the Lord Jesus is obtaining the fruit of His flock. Through His poverty all who place their trust in Him become wealthy beyond this world's ability to measure. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In Psalm 37:4-6 we read, <b>"Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday."</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This passage describes the principle illustrated in today's passage. God loved Jacob and was determined to bless him but Jacob had to position himself to receive the blessings that He had in store for him. As we learn to give our hearts to God, He gives His to us. It is then that we gain heaven's wisdom to navigate life on earth as we ought and in the right way. Through the story that God gives us with Him others will be blessed as well. This is the point of our lives: To know Him and to make Him known.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-23933780685026223802024-03-11T06:00:00.291-04:002024-03-11T06:00:00.130-04:00Genesis 30:34-39<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/jn55cDH7d0w" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:34-39 PODCAST, Click Here</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>34 And Laban said, "Oh, that it were according to your word!" 35 So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks. 37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods. 38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted. ~ Genesis 30:34-39</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 30 where Jacob has just asked his father-in-law to allow him to return to Canaan with his wives and their children. Jacob offered Laban such a great deal that Laban incorporated humor in his response. In the background to all of this is Jacob's growing trust of God, as we will see. Our trust in God only grows as we interact with Him through His abiding Spirit as well as by abiding ourselves in His word. When we abide in the Lord's word, we will be better tuned to recognize His voice when He speaks to our hearts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.34-36 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>34 And Laban said, 'Oh, that it were according to your word!' 35 So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>The deal that Jacob offered Laban was so good that Laban himself</span> removed the less-desired sheep and goats from the herd. Then, Laban gave the sheep and goats to his sons, not to Jacob. It was an act of trust in God when Jacob deferred the separation of the animals to Laban. Not only was he fair in his offer, Jacob was making sure that Laban alone was in charge of the selection of the offer, even though Laban was a deceptive man. After separating Jacob's less-desired animals, Laban gave them to his own sons to tend and to keep. Laban had a hard time trusting others because he himself was so deceitful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After taking the animals from his flocks which would otherwise benefit Jacob, Laban then puts a 3-day journey between them and Jacob’s flocks. By putting such a distance between the two of them, there would be no chance of them meeting up and mixing. And, if they did, then the offspring of Jacob’s flocks would more likely bear odd-colored ones. Laban made sure this would not happen. There was a clear separation between them and Laban's herd. So Jacob was now at the mercy of God and his own resourcefulness to provide for his family.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.37-39 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b><b>37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods. 38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob walked among His flock and tended to them. He was a shepherd and a caretaker of them. The branches mentioned here, the poplar, the almond, and the chestnut all paint a picture for us. These branches had to be stripped, they had to be made bare, to be useful to Jacob. After peeling the rods, Jacob placed the branches in watering troughs where the water washed them clean. These particular pieces of wood were known for their aphrodisiacal qualities, and thus their use would have stimulated mating among Jacob's herd. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In this otherwise unusual practice, we have a picture of Jacob's story with God. You see, back in Canaan Jacob struggled to trust God, but for the past fourteen years God had been slowly changing Jacob while he was at Laban's house. This long arduous period that yielded some transformation in Jacob's life, impacted the lives of Jacob's herds resulting in blessing to Jacob and his growing family.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Throughout the Bible water is analogous of the word of God. It was through God's word spoken to Jacob that Jacob was being changed and now Jacob was in the position to impact others with the culture of God. Billy Graham said it so many years ago and to this moment God uses Graham's words to motivate me into what I do daily. Those words were: <i>"There are only two things in this world that will last into eternity, the word of God and the souls of people. Our job is to bring the two together." </i>We dare not export the truth to others until it has been imported into our souls and it has found safe haven there.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob was becoming a changed man as seen in the fact that he took the less-desired sheep and goats from the herds, trusting God with the outcome. Jacob did this because he had two dreams. The first was in Genesis 28 where God had promised him blessings, and no doubt the covenantal faithfulness of God motivated Jacob to wait until the Lord would do what He had promised. The other dream, recorded in Genesis 31 could have been given to him before he bargained with Laban. Being defined by God's word obviously turned Jacob's life around and this is God's goal in our lives as well. We must be diligent to read the word of God in order to encounter God, the One who desires to change us from the inside out for His glory and our good.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-12954220352409154462024-03-08T06:00:00.487-05:002024-03-08T06:00:00.137-05:00Genesis 30:25-33<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/9v8mSYSKnA4" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:25-33 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you." 27 And Laban said to him, "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake." 28 Then he said, "Name me your wages, and I will give it." 29 So Jacob said to him, "You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?" 31 So he said, "What shall I give you?"And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me." ~ Genesis 30:25-33</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 30 where Jacob has in a period of fourteen years gone from a man with no wife to a man with four wives and twelve children. But the wages of his fourteen years of work came at quite a cost. While back in Canaan Jacob was quite the scoundrel, in today's passage we discover him to be quite a different man.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, <b>"25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, 'Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was 2259 BC and in today's passage we see Jacob as a 91 year old man. In just seven years, Jacob had at least 12 children born to him. Due to the fact that he had worked the first seven years before getting married to his first wife Leah, all of his children had been born in the second 7-year period that he was in Laban's home.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob had served his full term for the price of a bride and his 14 years of labor was complete. At this point in the narrative Jacob wanted to return home and start his life in the land of promise. He had every right to leave without permission, but as a courtesy he went to Laban and asked for his blessing. This was the first hint that Jacob was somewhat of a changed man.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.27-28 of today's passage we read,<b> "27 And Laban said to him, 'Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.' 28 Then he said, 'Name me your wages, and I will give it.'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Laban begged Jacob to stay in Haran because he had</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> observed the Lord's blessing upon Jacob’s hard work and he had benefitted greatly. W</span><span style="font-family: arial;">orldly men, like Laban, are often the recipients of blessings because of the hard working people around them. One thing they often lack though, but which Laban figured out, is actually discerning where the blessings come from and admitting it. We live in a land that has</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> been abundantly blessed by the influence of the teachings of Christianity. But as the years have gone by, these great characteristics of hard work and honesty have increasingly been forsaken. In fact, we now live among a people who are increasingly being defined by a culture of selfishness and greed.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Another sign that Jacob was a somewhat of a changed man is seen in his response to Laban when Laban asked Jacob to name his price that would keep him in town. Laban certainly knew Jacob's value and when he asked Jacob to name his price, Laban knew in advance that Jacob's price would be less than Jacob was worth. And, sure enough that was what came to fruition.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, <b>"29 So Jacob said to him, 'You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob responded out of his integrity. In fact, he used his integrity as the benchmark of his offer and his request from Laban. This was quite a difference from the Jacob that lived in Canaan. Here, Jacob asked Laban to reflect on the state of his wealth from the time he arrived until that point which was a result of his work. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">He basically said that the amount he could set as his wages could be huge and it wouldn’t harm Laban at all. Jacob was clearly showing to Laban that he had the upper hand.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob’s words stood as a testimony to the truth they conveyed. If what he had said wasn’t true, he wouldn’t have made the claim. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">When Jacob met Rachel at the well 14 years before, she tended a single flock. This was probably all the flocks Laban owned and Rachel being a young girl, it probably wasn’t a very big flock. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob used his words prior to making his offer to show that his offer was both fair and trustworthy. It was a claim of the future results that Laban could expect based on his past performance.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.31-33 of today's passage we read, <b>"31 So he said, 'What shall I give you?' And Jacob said, 'You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban's response proved Jacob's appeal. There was no note of denial. What Jacob had stated was true and accurate. Laban’s wealth had increased because of Jacob. And, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob’s answer was confident and definite. Jacob didn’t demand anything new from Laban, instead what he proposed was exceptionally fair. So, </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob proposed an incredible offer, he proposed that all of the lesser desired sheep and goats be taken out for him. And all of the more desired sheep and goats would remain as Laban's possession. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">By taking out the less desired animals and giving to Laban the best was to be a testimony to Jacob's righteousness. In time, Jacob would learn that it was the righteousness of the God who had all along pursued a personal relationship with him.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What a transformation that had taken place in the deceiver's life over the last fourteen years. Jacob had come to Laban's home just on the heels of deceiving away his brother's blessing from his dad and now he spoke of his righteousness. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the Bible "transformation" means the change in a life that no longer conforms to the ways of the world but to the one that is defined by God. Jacob was once blind to his sin, but now he spoke as a man who had met God. The proof of Jacob's deepening trust in the Lord is seen in how he left the choice of the sheep and the goats to his deceitful father-in-law, Laban. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We easily can fall into the trap of thinking that our ultimate goal is becoming better people. However, no amount of determined obedience on our behalf will ever change us into what God created us to be. God does not want to make us into a better version of our old self, He desires to transform us into a new creation. This means a change at the heart of who we really are. This was part of the reason God allowed Jacob to go to Laban's house in the first place because in Laban Jacob saw himself and through seeing himself, Jacob was positioned to see God. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Biblical transformation is built on the introduction of the very life of God into our lives. At the heart of this transformation is the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ facilitating a life-giving relationship into the broken sinner's life. It is only in this way that we can reach the potential that God had in mind when He created us. While at Laban's house God obviously brought some brokenness into the life of Jacob and it shows as he reveled to Laban a man who was being embraced by his Maker.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Spiritual transformation must always begin with brokenness. It begins with a deepening understanding of our own spiritual poverty and desire for intimacy with God. Those who encounter the Lord Jesus are those who are desperate enough to be honest with Him and themselves. This, as a result, opens the floodgates to His transformative power to be released in our lives as we learn from Him how to die to ourselves. And, as Jacob's life will reveal in time, an ever increasing understanding of our wickedness serves us to yield to God as His transforming life overcomes ours.</span></p><p><br /></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-39955811866259368592024-03-07T06:00:00.376-05:002024-03-07T06:00:00.138-05:00Genesis 30:19-24<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/K2VV_HSTWRM" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:19-24 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach." 24 So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The Lord shall add to me another son." ~ Genesis 30:19-24</span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 30 where we have been observing the growth of Jacob's family through his two wives and their two concubines. Even though they all fed the flesh quite a bit, in the end the will of God came to fruition. In our last study we learned that Rueben had found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah who in turn used them to manipulate both Rachel and Jacob. Even though Rachel had been given these superstitious mandrakes, they still did not work because it was a year later and she still had not had any more children.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, <b>"19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Leah named her next son <b>Zebulun</b> which means <b>"to honor."</b> This sixth and final son of Leah is mentioned only five times in the Bible. With the birth of <b>Zebulun</b>, Leah exclaimed, <b>"God has endowed me with a good endowment."</b> Leah named her sixth son such hoping that with his birth, she would receive from Jacob the honor she so long had desired. No matter what we do, we may never receive the honor from people that we desire. Despite Leah having given Jacob six sons, we see no hint that Jacob ever honored her as he did Rachel.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Since she had born six sons, Leah was certain that Jacob would love her in the way that she desired to be loved. </span><span>We all have two love languages, a dominant one and a recessive one. If we are not being loved according to our love language, we will not feel loved. So, it behooves us to know our partners love languages and to love them accordingly. W</span>hile it’s impossible for us to be perfect at anything, we can learn to fluently speak our partner’s love languages. If he or she needs lots of physical touch or gifts to feel loved, then we need to share lots of hugs or to give gifts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With that said, only God can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. The deepest longings of our hearts will not be satisfied by anything that can ultimately be taken away from us. There is nothing that this world can offer us that has the capacity to bring us ultimate satisfaction. Many believe they will find satisfaction and rest through the love of others like our spouse but even they fall short from time to time. In the end, the longings of our hearts can only be satisfied by our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we're convinced that He is enough, we will finally experience the contentment we have all sought for so long. It is out of this posture that we recognize that even every trial, loss, or disappointment, can be turned into blessing, only if we allow the One whom we are depending upon to define us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>21 of today's passage we read, <b>"Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Then, Leah gave birth to a daughter. In those days, when a woman had a son a great party was thrown. But when a daughter was born, there was no party. And, since they had no ultrasounds, they didn't know the gender of the baby beforehand. This was not a custom the Jews garnered from God. God values both boys and girls. The Jews had gotten to this place of only valuing boys because God had long promised a Messiah who would come as a male and every Jewish woman dreamed that she would give birth to the Messiah. This is why they were so focused on having a son because they were secretly serving the self life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Of the daughters born of Jacob, only <b>Dinah</b> whose name means <b>"vindicated"</b> is mentioned. <b>Dinah</b> was mentioned by Moses because she will become a key character in the story of Jacob's family later on in Genesis 34. With <b>Dinah's</b> birth Leah felt vindicated by God. The name <b>Dinah</b> can also mean <b>"judged" </b>which is what the Lord Jesus was when He hung on the cross. He was judged and we were vindicated. God vindicated everyone who has been so desperate to be loved by someone who wouldn't love us the way we wanted to be loved, only to realize it wasn't that person's love we really needed. The Lord Jesus was judged so that we could see and experience the Father heart of God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.22-24 of today's passage we read, <b>"22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. </b><b>23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, 'God has taken away my reproach.' 24 So she called his name Joseph, and said, 'The Lord shall add to me another son.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Rachel understood that in order for us to access God's blessing there had to be judgement of our sin. So, God gave Rachel <b>Joseph</b> which means <b>"add" </b>a subtle message that underscores that subtraction can sometimes be addition. </span>In taking away her reproach, God showered Rachel with His grace. And, now, for the first time in the biblical narrative, Rachel invoked the covenant name of the Lord, YHWH. Rachel had come to the point that she chose to forsake feeding the flesh or the world of fighting, manipulation, superstition, and envy, and she entered into a covenant relationship with the Lord whereby she would be defined by the Lord. </span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-126892775903151132024-03-06T06:00:00.445-05:002024-03-06T13:36:01.836-05:00Genesis 30:14-18<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/3-JGFsAqCLQ" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:14-18 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>14 Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes." </b><b>15 But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?" </b><b>And Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes." </b><b>16 When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes." And he lay with her that night. </b><b>17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. ~ Genesis 30:14-18</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 30 where we are told of the ever increasing members of the family of Jacob through his four wives. It is clear that God identifies one man for one woman and that the Canaanite practice of polygamy is not a good idea. The sexual revolution of our day has challenged all traditional societal structures, none more aggressively than the institution of marriage. And yes, polygamy was something the Old Testament patriarchs practiced but never as something God prescribed. Polygamy undermines the components of a solid family where trust is found to be the glue to any lasting relationship between one man and one wife.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.14 of today's passage we read, <b>"Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, 'Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>The firstborn son of Jacob and Leah was <b>Reuben</b> who was around five or six years old in today's passage. We are told that <b>"in the days of the wheat harvest"</b> Rueben went out into the field</span>. While out in the fields, Reuben found some mandrakes and brought them to his mother Leah. The word <b>"mandrakes"</b> here is only used in two other passages of the Bible. These passages describe them as a small orange-yellow colored fruit that were superstitiously believed to induce fertility. When Rachel found out about Reuben's discovery she bartered for them so that she would be able to use them later to sleep with her husband, and their "magic" would help her to actually bear another child of her own. So, for the mandrakes, Rachel sold her husband’s sexual services for the night. Instead, her plan backfired and Leah got pregnant while she was left with the mandrakes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">15 of today's passage we read, <b>"But she said to her, 'Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?' And Rachel said, 'Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Polygamy undermines relationships because it pits one spouse against the other, one family member against another. As we were told earlier in this study, </span>Leah had gotten to the point that she stopped conceiving children. It was in that context that Rachel asked Leah for some of the rare mandrakes to which Leah responded with a swift response that only broadened the divide between them. Leah had forgotten the Lord who had so abundantly blessed her in the past and she was discontent with her life as it was. Once Rachel saw how unhappy Leah was about her own situation, she came up with a plan to make them both happy. Leah got a night with Jacob without any interference and Rachel got some mandrakes that she thought would help her get pregnant. It was Martin Luther who once said, <i>"</i><i>Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God, your functional savior. "</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>16 of today's passage we read,<b> "When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.' And he lay with her that night."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>With the bargain settled, Leah let Jacob know her plans for the night and that there would be no argument from Rachel about the agreement. When manipulation is found to be a useful tool to get one's way, it is rarely found to be a one-time event. And for Rachel, a</span> night off from trying to have children was worth it if she could minimize things so that through her mandrakes she could conceive another child. For both Rachel and Leah sex was a means to an end. We can only imagine what it was like for Jacob who was married to two women who loved having children more than they loved him. These are not the building blocks for a solid family.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b><b>17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, 'God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.' So she called his name Issachar."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Leah gave away her mandrakes which were supposed to help women get pregnant and yet she ended up having another child. God was clearly in control of the details. </span>Children are a blessing which He directs and apart from Him they don’t come. And so now, after some time, Leah had a fifth son, Jacob’s ninth child. Leah obviously prayed for this to happen because it says that God <b>"listened to Leah." </b>And, the nice thing about answered prayers is that when they come, we can see how God truly is. Any earlier and maybe we wouldn’t have been really ready. And any later and the purpose of the prayer might have passed away. God's timing is always perfect and each time we think the delay is unwarranted, we can see that in fact it made us more ready to handle the blessing when it did arrive.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob's fifth son by Leah was named <b>Issachar</b> which means <b>"Wages."</b> For Leah, God had given to her the wages that she had earned. This meant that the idea that the mandrakes would produce another child for Rachel didn't work because Leah, the one who gave them up, had two more sons and a daughter, while Rachel, who had the mandrakes remained childless. In both cases though, the satisfaction that Rachel and Leah had experienced with having children was short lived. This is the case with everything in this life. As C.S. Lewis once said <i>"Most people if they really learned how to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something this world can never give them." </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Bible tells us that the wages of our imperfection is death. The only One who makes life right is the Lord Jesus. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The ongoing war between Rachel and Leah was the result of them wanting to have children because in their culture their value was measured by such. We are no different than Rachel and Leah. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We tend to find our worth and identity by the wrong things. While some measure their value by their possessions, others by their abilities and then others by the way they look. All of these are in some form imperfect. In one second it could all change and what made us feel good about ourselves, at that point, only makes us miserable now. This is the point of our sanctification or the ongoing adoption of life lived God's way. The sooner we are defined by Him in all areas the more content we will be. Being content is one of those most important dispositions of life and it is only accessed as we bow our will to our Maker.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-90686726251846030952024-03-05T06:00:00.348-05:002024-03-05T09:45:28.650-05:00Genesis 30:9-13<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/S6LDXoeiYa8" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:9-13 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. 10 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, "A troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. 12 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher. ~ Genesis 30:9-13</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 30 which early on is about the sibling rivalry between Rachel and Leah. This true story pictures for us the civil war that resides in all believers in the God of the Bible. This civil war pits the Spirit against the sinful desires that are yet in us even though we have been forgiven and we have been born again. This civil war is between the believer and the unbeliever in our soul.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.9-11 of today's passage we read, <b>"9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. 10 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, 'A troop comes!' So she called his name Gad."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It matters less what Rachel did, seeing as how she was barren, but what Leah did here reveals the civil war which was taking place in her. Sadly, Leah gave in to her own streak of jealousy. Leah stopped bearing for a time and Bilhah, Rachel's maid, bore two children for Rachel. And so Leah decided that she could do as Rachel</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, so she sent her maid, <b>Zilpah,</b> to lie with Jacob. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">As a result, Jacob now had a fourth wife and another son. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">here could have been daughters born during this period, we are not told. We are told of the birth of one daughter of Jacob, and on several occasions in Genesis we are told of his daughters in the plural. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">These daughters are not mentioned by name because in that day the family line traveled through the father, not the mother. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob and Zilpah conceived a son named <b>Gad</b> which </span><span style="font-family: arial;">means <b>"troop."</b> Sadly, Leah named him this because she was putting her hope in numbers. Leah didn't know of the great lesson that God would later teach Gideon that </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>God demonstrates His strength in our weakness</b>. We always want to be as strong as possible in facing any challenge; we prefer to have as many resources as possible at our disposal. We have no problem if the odds are on our side; in fact we prefer that to be the case. But God does not always see it this way for He has been known to cull an army down to 300 from 30,000 and in that context win.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Desperation in weakness is not a comfortable place for us, but it is not intended to be comfortable. Our personal salvation from the bondage of sin must involve the diminishment of self. Our deliverance from the domain of darkness always comes from the Lord. But, the flesh is always out to steal the show away from the Lord. When we get sucked in by the flesh, we lose sight of the power that the Holy Spirit desires to impart into our lives. The problem with this is that God's power shows up in our lives in ways we do not desire. This is so because only God can wage these types of battles. Our battles have been too tainted by the flesh which always leads us to be overly concerned with self. The Lord will always lead us to the place of death to the self life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, <b>"12 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, 'I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.' So she called his name Asher.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Zilpah gave birth to her second and last son, just like Bilhah. Between the two of them are four sons of Israel and some unnamed daughters. Leah's last son was named </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Asher</b> which means <b>"happy." </b></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Leah found herself happy at the birth of this son, saying, <b>"the daughters will call me blessed."</b> One way that we know that we are walking in the flesh is that we are overly concerned about the opinions of others.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Leah neither mentioned her husband nor the Lord. She was a lady who had turned to the wrong place for definition. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Leah started out well, but when things turned wrong for her, she began to get envious and took actions into her own hands, not including the Lord. And, even though he was her last son born, with the birth of <b>Asher</b>, there was no note of gratitude or thanks to the Lord.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When we zoom out from this chapter, we see that Jacob and his girls are all walking by sight and not by faith. They each resorted to the self rather than prayer. This chapter is full of scheming, manipulation, envy, and surrogate competition. Sin continued to disrupt the harmony God intended for Jacob’s family. We are all like Rachel, Leah and Jacob. One part of us wants to serve God and love people and the other yet loves sin. The comparison describes the civil war taking place within all believers in the God of the Bible. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In Romans 7 the Apostle informs us that the truth was not given to the believer in order to solve our problem with sin. In fact, we are unable to solve our problem with sin. This is why the Lord sent us His Son, so that we could be delivered from the penalty, the power and the presence of sin. At the cross the Lord Jesus rendered the penalty of our sin null and void. It is through our sanctification that God is training us to be delivered by the power of our sin. One day, we will be delivered from the presence of sin when we are translated into heaven for eternity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As believers in Christ, we struggle with the fact that there are certain reoccurring sins in our lives that we have never been able to overcome. This is caused by the civil war that is waging within us. In Romans 7 the Apostle Paul said he desired to do good but the good that he wanted to do, he could not do. All believers in Christ struggle with this. This is a normal part of the process of our sanctification whereby God is changing our hearts and our minds one day at a time. The answer to all of this is the life of the Lord Jesus being lived in us, to us, and through us. As we grow in our personal relationship with Him, we will realize that if anything good comes out of us, it is Him. This is the life He has called us to, a life whereby we are learning to resist the flesh and to follow the leading of His Spirit.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-86732397022837017452024-03-04T06:00:00.413-05:002024-03-04T09:13:14.116-05:00Genesis 30:5-8<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/D39druqazXc" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:5-8 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 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. 7 And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called his name Naphtali. ~ Genesis 30:5-8</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 30 where we have been introduced to a sibling rivalry between the two wives of Jacob. What we have in this chapter is an all out war between two women who were largely doing what they were doing by feeding the evil desires that were within them. Amazingly, even though they were quite myopic to the reality of the life that God desired for them, God brought a lot of good out of their efforts. Their story mirrors the believer's civil war within between the Spirit and the Flesh.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In Galatians 6:7-8 we read, <b>"7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The word "<b>mocked"</b> in this verse means <b>"to turn one's nose up at God."</b> Rachel revealed through her decision to feed her flesh that she thought the laws that God had created for all mankind did not apply to her. She arrogantly thought she was above God's law, but she was mistaken. Throughout the Bible we learn that <b>what</b> <b>we sow we will also reap</b>. Rachel fed her flesh by fueling envy and jealousy and she thought those works of the flesh would not turn on her. Again, she was gravely mistaken even though God used her bad decisions to bring about a lot of good for the people of Israel.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.5 of today's passage we read, <b>"And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Even though it is not the focus here but when Bilhah conceived a son, Rachel’s barrenness was highlighted and her barrenness was actually a gift from the Lord. In Deuteronomy 23:5 we read, <b>"T</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>he Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b> Anything that drives us to the Lord is a blessing. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he word "<b>curse</b>" occurs nearly 160 times in the Bible and in the New Testament we are told the Lord Jesus became cursed so that we might know the blessing of a personal relationship with Him. If we allow Him God will use the darkness that we encounter in this world to bring about a deeper intimacy with Him. Our responsibility is to draw near to Him through our trials. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.6 of today's passage we read, <b>"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."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The name "<b>Dan"</b> means <b>"Judge."</b> Rachel named him accordingly indicating that she believed that God judged in her favor</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Sadly, t</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">he tribe of <b>Dan</b> is known for its tendency to follow man-made religion over biblical faith in God. In fact, the tribe of <b>Dan</b> was the first of the twelve tribes to engage in idolatry. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Much later in this narrative God assigned certain areas of territory to each of the twelve tribes. The tribe of Dan was the last tribe to receive its land. It was given a tract of land that was smaller than the other land grants but was fertile and also had a boundary along the Mediterranean Sea where there was fishing and commerce available to them. However, the tribe of Dan never fully conquered their assigned land due to their lack of faith in God. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Later, the kingdom of Israel was divided after the reign of Solomon. The kingdom split into Israel’s ten tribes in the north and Judah’s two in the south. The people of Dan had long moved from the south to the north in search of a better land and so this tribe ended up in the northern kingdom of Israel. King Jeroboam was afraid that those who lived in his kingdom in the north would still go down to the southern kingdom to worship at Jerusalem, since that was where the temple that God had authorized was located. So Jeroboam built two additional altars for the people of his nation to worship. He established worship in the south at Bethel and in the north at Dan. He built a golden calf at each location and instituted special days and feasts when people would meet. Sadly, this man-made worship at Dan led the people away from worshipping the God of the Bible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.7 of today's passage we read, <b>"And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is the sixth son of Jacob and the second born for Rachel by Bilhah. One thing is clear here through this intense sibling rivalry and it is that feeding the flesh is sin which allows decay and destruction into our lives. Sin is anything that separates us from God and the life He desires to give us. Sin always leads us down roads that we would not directly choose for ourselves and our posterity. Sin always yields various forms of death. Even though by this time in the narrative one half of the twelve sons of Jacob had been birthed, what we actually are left with is one of the longest courses in what it looks like to resist the leading of God's Spirit and serving the flesh.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.8 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then Rachel said, 'With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.' So she called his name Naphtali."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With the birth of this next son much is revealed about Rachel. <b>Naphtali</b> means <b>"my twisting." </b>With the naming of this next son of Jacob, Rachel was saying</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> that through her struggle against her sister, she had prevailed. The flesh always twists the truth and makes lies appear more attractive than they really are. Rachel clearly wasn't getting the message and her response only fed the flesh which unbeknown to her was out to destroy her.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When it comes to resisting the powerful demands of our flesh, the Bible describes it as a kind of dying. That’s because our deceived, corrupt flesh believes our life will be happier if we gratify it. Denying the flesh can feel like dying to something life-giving. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When we, in following the Spirit’s direction, die to our flesh, we actually die to that which desires to destroy us. In this scenario, we die to death itself. This kind of dying is worth dying every day because in doing so, we choose life. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sin had wrecked our lives, but God’s grace has overcome it through the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. It is through being taught by God's grace that we are enabled to see the ultimate value of saying "yes" to God and saying "no" to the flesh.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-15060701410637959432024-03-01T06:00:00.364-05:002024-03-01T09:19:39.694-05:00Genesis 30:1-4<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/KCXI5PA3kDU" target="_blank">For the Genesis 30:1-4 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>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!" </b></span><b>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?" </b><b>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." 4 Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. ~ Genesis 30:1-4</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today, we transition into Genesis 30 which has two major themes within: The building of Jacob's family in v.1-24 and the building of Jacob's fortune in v.25-43. At this point in the narrative </span><span style="font-family: arial;">both of Jacob’s wives were desperate: One was desperate for love and the other was desperate for children. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Leah, the older and the less-loved wife of Jacob had given birth to four sons in a row and Rachel had not even conceived a child once. This caused envy and</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> jealousy to abound between the two women. Envy and jealousy are often the source of even greater troubles which lead us down all kinds of deadly streets.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.1 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>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!'"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It had been at least five years since Jacob had wed Rachel and she had not even conceived a child. In the culture of the Bible, bearing children was the highest honor of a woman and having none was a point of shame. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">After these many years, Rachel envied her sister. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">These feelings had festered over the years which led Rachel to say to Jacob <b>"Give me children, or else I die!"</b> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rachel envied her sister which meant she had the desire for that which was not hers and she begrudged her sister who actually possessed what she wanted. Envy is not primarily wanting what someone else has, it’s having a grudge that they have it. Envy prompted Rachel to want her sister to be miserable like she was. Rachel was a lady at the end of her rope. These fostered feelings of resentment led her to the point of blaming her husband for somehow withholding children from her when it was obvious that it was not God's will for her to have children quite yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.2 of today's passage we read, <b>"</b></span><b><span style="font-family: arial;">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?'</span><span style="font-family: arial;">"</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacob became angry and told Rachel that God had prevented her from conceiving a child. Interestingly, there are t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">hree other barren women in the Bible who are directly tied to Rachel. The first was Sarah who was related to her through the family of Terah, her great-great grandfather. Sarah didn’t bear a child after 70 or so years of marriage. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The second barren woman connected to Rachel was 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 was well worth the wait. The third</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> barren woman contrasts with Rachel, and her name was Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet. Rachel was barren and envied; Hannah was barren and quietly wept. Rachel demanded children or she would die. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Hannah on the other hand prayed to the Lord for a child, and then she had three boys and two daughters. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Every married couple falls 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, <b>"Am I in the place of God?" </b></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Sin messed up the harmony of this world, meaning that every pain, affliction, misery, fear, regret, and annoyance is the result of our rebellion against God. Rachel could not have children for one reason or another due to sin. She didn't lack children because God was mad at her. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Children are the gift of God, and only He provides them. This means t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">here is no birth which is a surprise to God and He has, in His wisdom allowed them all, including those for which we try to find reason to abort. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, <b>"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.' </b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Just as Sarah had suggested to Abraham so many years before, Rachel suggested the same to Jacob. When Rachel came up with this idea she was not behaving in accordance with God's will. According to the prevailing culture, Bilhah was Rachel's possession and any children Bilhah would conceived with Jacob would have been the possession of Rachel. Therefore, the child would belong to her as much as to Jacob. Again, this was a pagan practice which</span> was perfectly normal in that culture but it was a human answer to a much deeper spiritual problem.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When Rachel couldn’t bear children she lost sight of Jacob’s commitment to her. Instead of accepting what he had already given her, his unrestrained love, she envied what Leah had with Jacob. The heated competition of who could give Jacob the most children gave birth to the sinister thorns of disunity within the family. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">This story provides for us a picture of how we can learn to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And, if we do not learn the lesson here, we will find our walk with the Lord continually plagued with this problem of barrenness, and we shall miss the secret of fruitfulness. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Rachel's difficulty grew out of the idea that her goal depended on her. This is a very common and widespread philosophy, even among believers in Christ. This is the place that the barrenness in our walk with the Lord leads us. As we read the Bible, we learn we are to be dependent upon the Lord for the definition of our lives. But what most often happens, we make up a list of rigid rules for acceptable behavior. We become frightfully busy doing things for God. We work hard at sincerely trying to meet His demands. We do our best. We note how the community around approves of our strenuous efforts and we love the pats on our backs for our faithful duty unto God. But despite all the effort and sincerity, deep in our hearts we know there is nothing but barrenness. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This happened to both Rachel and Leah as we will see. It appears that Rachel was being selfless, but the resulting fruit was the fruit of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit. The immediate results of acting in the flesh will always be the same. We become fleshly, displaying envy and jealousy, along with many other ugly emotions which lie ever near the surface of our yet fallen human hearts. Wherever these are evident they are the thermometer which tells us we are being defined by the self and not by the Spirit. </span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-40321284082831696292024-02-29T06:00:00.402-05:002024-02-29T06:00:00.142-05:00Genesis 29:30-35<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/1EfXASDmZPg" target="_blank">For the Genesis 29:30-35 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">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. 31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 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." 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. 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. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. ~ Genesis 29:30-35</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 29 where Jacob has met his match in his father-in-law Laban. As we saw in our last study, similar to Jacob, Laban was deceitful. His deceit tricked Jacob into marrying his two daughters, one Jacob loved more than the other. It wasn't that Jacob didn't love Leah, he just didn't love her the way he did Rachel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Figuratively speaking, every married person has two spouses. There is the person we thought we would marry and there is the person we actually married. Whoever it is that we love, figuratively, that person is both Leah and Rachel. We may love one more than the other, but they are wrapped into the same person. For every married couple, like it was for Jacob, the tension between the love we have and the love we want seems to grow with each passing day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When we choose to love flawed people for whom they are, it will be then that we will be free to choose how we perceive their flaws. Biblical scholars are not real sure how to translate the Hebrew word used to describe Leah's eyes. Sometimes it is translated that <b>"Leah had weak eyes."</b> Sometimes it is translated that <b>"Leah had lovely eyes."</b> The difference between <b>weak</b> and <b>lovely</b> is significant, and clearly this word can be interpreted either way from the text. Jacob had a choice with regard to how he would translate Leah's eyes. He could have chosen to see them as <b>weak</b>, but he could have chosen to see them as <b>lovely</b>. Jacob was the biggest variable in this choice, but initially he saw them as "<b>weak</b>."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.30 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob lacked the depth to see the depth in Leah's eyes. And so, he chose to love Rachel more than Leah. I find it quite amazing though that by the end of Jacob's story, Jacob appeared to have embraced Leah. When Rachel died the family was in transit, so Jacob bought a piece of property by the side of road, buried Rachel there, and kept moving. But when Leah died he had her buried in the family plot where he would eventually have his own bones placed. Maybe this means that he had come to embrace the spouse he was given more than the one he wanted and had to leave behind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.31-32 of today's passage we read, <b>"31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 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.'</b><b>"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When we are despised by men we are potentially favored by God. I say "potentially" because if our trials drive us to more dependence upon the Lord, well we will be more blessed. If not, well, you get the picture. We can get hung up on those who look down on us or we can see their rejection as an opportunity to be more defined by the Lord, the choice is always before us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Leah was unloved, but God tended to her need. Like Leah, we may feel unloved, but we aren’t. We are truly the joy of God’s heart because of what the Lord Jesus did for us. Our time spent with Him is time well spent and what we may seem to be missing out on now will have a different outcome in the days ahead. In the case of Leah, she was able to conceive children.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob’s first child was born to Leah. As with all of the 12 sons and 1 daughter who are mentioned, their names reflect what was happening in Leah's heart. Leah named her first child "<b>Reuben</b>"<b> </b>which means <b>"See a son."</b> Leah went on to explain the choice of Reuben's name when she said, <b>"The Lord has surely looked on my affliction."</b> Leah was convinced that the Lord granted her a son due to the lack of love she received from her husband. As a result of giving birth to Jacob's first son, she thought Jacob might love her as she wanted to be loved. But, Leah was further disappointed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.33 of today's passage we read, <b>"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."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Leah was again the one to bear a son for Jacob, but by this time she believed that being granted the honor of bearing the firstborn didn’t change Jacob’s heart toward her. Again she chose a name showing the condition of her heart. <b>Simeon</b> means <b>"</b><b>to hear."</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Leah craved the love of Jacob, but in her craving, the Lord granted her a child to love. God does not always give to us what we want, but He will always give us what we need. True contentment in a world which isn’t always fair or kind comes only from the Lord who can fill the emptiness in our hearts. He knows when we are unloved and He always hears the cry of His children. Like Leah, we must let our voice be made known to the Lord for He is always faithful to hear and to provide for us what we truly need.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.34 of today's passage we read, <b>"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."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Now, for the third time in a row, Leah conceived a son. Leah named their third child <b>Levi</b> which means <b>"attached." </b>With three sons came 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 used the number three to show us its strength. In Ecclesiastes 4:12 we read, <b>"</b><b>Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Leah saw <b>Levi</b> as the son who would bring her what she had desired, a strong bond with Jacob. Interestingly though, in today's verses, this is the only verse in which the name of the Lord is not mentioned. Leah expected attachment from Jacob as a result of giving him children but to no avail. This caused Leah to leave the Lord out of the picture in this verse.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.35 of today's passage we read, </span><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">"And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now I will praise the Lord.' Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing."</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For a fourth time Leah received the Lord’s favor and she conceived a son. This time, she cried out, <b>"Now I will praise the Lord." </b>Leah's fourth born son was named <b>Judah</b> which means <b>"Praise the Lord."</b> As we previously noted, it was through <b>Judah</b> that the Lord Jesus Christ came to our desperation. Leah longed for praise from her husband but such is only to be found in the Lord. Like Leah we all long for the praise of men more than the praise of God. But, as Leah learned in the end, it is only the Lord who truly wells up from our souls authentic praise that endures even through our pain.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-38969266429179057362024-02-28T06:00:00.538-05:002024-03-27T08:53:23.790-04:00Genesis 32:1-5<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/kbfu5aNy9qs" target="_blank">For the Genesis 32:1-5 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>1 So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God’s camp." And he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, "Speak thus to my lord Esau, 'Thus your servant Jacob says: I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight." ~ Genesis 32:1-5</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we transition into Genesis 32 where Jacob's time of exile in Haran has ended and he is back at the edge of the Promised Land. The emphasis in today's passage is most subtle and yet it is as clear as can be. But, it is only clear to those who are growing in their hearts as servants. Jacob was being freed to rule with the heart of a servant and to serve with the heart of a king.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.</span><span style="font-family: arial;">1 of today's passage we read, <b>"So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him."</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While on his way to Canaan, Jacob was met by <b>"the angels of God."</b> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">When Jacob left Canaan 20 years earlier, the last thing recorded was his vision of the ladder and the angels ascending and descending on it. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">As Jacob reentered the promised land, he again had another vision of angels who were there all along, but Jacob simply didn’t know it. Of course all things created, ladders and angels serve to point us to the One who has served us best by laying down His life so that we could be made right with God.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In Hebrews 1:14 we read, <b>"</b></span><b>Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" </b>This passage speaks of angels as ministering spirits sent forth by God. When we hear about some miracle, we find ourselves wondering about what really happened in the realm of the unseen. It is truly plausible to think that those miracles came about as the result of the intervention of the angels of God. It is clear throughout the Scriptures that God's angels do His bidding in this world and it is largely due to those miraculous moments that we experience miracles.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>2 of today's passage we read, <b>"When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is God’s camp.' And he called the name of that place Mahanaim."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob saw the angels who prompted him to say, <b>"This is God’s camp."</b> Interestingly, before he left Canaan 20 years earlier, when he had awakened from his sleep after his dream of the ladder Jacob said, <b>"Surely this is God’s house."</b> What began as the house of God was now seen as the camp of God. Then he called the place <b>Mahanaim</b> which is mentioned 13 times in the Bible. Mahanaim literally means <b>"Two Camps"</b> and it reveals the convergence of the seen physical realm and the unseen spiritual realm. God’s camp always surrounds His people and we are currently being prepared for the return of Christ and the establishment of His millennial kingdom here on earth. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.3-5 of today's passage we read, <b>"3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, 'Speak thus to my lord Esau, 'Thus your servant Jacob says: 'I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The word <b>"messengers"</b> is the same word as <b>"angels."</b> In other words, Jacob's servants were sent by his direction just as angels are sent by God’s direction. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The messengers of Jacob were commanded to speak to Esau using the name <b>"Adoni,"</b> my lord. Jacob, despite having stolen both the birthright and the blessing was deferring his honor to Esau. He additionally referred to himself as <b>"your servant."</b> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob was intentionally subordinating himself in order to gain Esau’s favor. He did this so that his relationship with his brother could be restored. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Esau, like Laban, was not in a personal relationship with the Lord. He knew about the Lord but he didn't know the Lord for himself. Our adventure with God is dependent upon our perceived need of Him and our awareness of His daily working in our lives. Often we miss the adventure because we are afraid of God and we are afraid to go to where He leads. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Over and over we are reminded in the Old Testament that <b>"</b></span><b>Your servant is coming."</b> In fact, Isaiah 53 has long been titled <b>"The Suffering Servant." </b>In Revelation 7:17 we read, <b>"</b><b>The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." </b>And, according to Luke 12, the Lord Jesus will serve believers in heaven for eternity. There is much more to this concept of servanthood that meets the eye. I find it startling that the ultimate goal in Romans is this concept of servanthood.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">According to v.5 of today's passage, Jacob accentuates the fact that he had obtained great wealth during his time away. He did this because he wanted his brother Esau to know that he would not be a burden to him. He also wanted Esau to know that he was not a threat to him, especially since his family had grown to be so large. Seeing such a large group advance in his direction would have alarmed Esau. So, Jacob served his brother by sending his messengers to him with a message of peace in advance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In Matthew 20:25-26 we read, <b>"But Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.'" </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">While in Haran, Jacob learned to lose sight of himself as he served Laban for 20 years for two wives and a healthy herd of sheep, goats, and camels. As we move forward into Genesis 32 the concept of servanthood will become more and more evident. As he arrived at Mahanaim, Jacob was beginning to see that God's ultimate goal in the life of the believer is to help those arrested by the seen world to be able to connect to the unseen world. This is the case for all believers for the more we get to know the heart of the Lord, the more we will reflect the heart of the Servant.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-65374487899594217122024-02-28T06:00:00.537-05:002024-02-28T10:34:43.617-05:00Genesis 29:21-29<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/C_w6-8AMNow" target="_blank">For the Genesis 29:21-29 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her." 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 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. 24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 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?" </span><span style="font-family: arial;">26 And Laban said, "It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 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." 28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. 29 And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. ~ Genesis 29:21-29</span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 29 which in a few ways echoes the events of Genesis 27 where a deceitful brother tricked his blind father. Laban's trick in the darkness of night was aided by Jacob's partying spirit. It was also aided by Leah who wore a dense wedding veil. Then, to add to all of that, it was dark outside and dim inside. Interestingly, Jacob's service of seven years seemed <b>"in his eyes"</b> but a few days. Because Isaac’s <b>"eyes were too dim to see,"</b> Jacob was able to steal his brother's blessing. Jacob’s eyes for Rachel, on the other hand, enabled Laban to take advantage of him. And, Jacob wound up with a woman whose <b>"eyes were weak." </b>Ironically,<b> </b>Jacob's deceit will have come full circle. Oh, the law of reciprocity, we reap what we sow. This law is different than karma because this law doesn't factor in our salvation but according to the Buddhist karma determines where one goes after death. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.21 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After Jacob fulfilled his end of the bargain to Laban, he once again came to Laban asking for Rachel's hand in marriage. Having been reduced to a slave who had to beg for his wages, Jacob spoke of Rachel as payment for services rendered. At this point, Jacob sounded much like his brother Esau when he begged Jacob for a bowl of his red stew. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As he stood before Laban, knocked down a notch or two, Jacob probably thought to himself, <i>"This is a bad moment."</i> But in reality, it was one of Jacob's greatest moments because being humbled is a good thing, especially when it prompts us to cry out to God for help. We are most often humbled by the most humiliating of circumstances. To be humble means to recognize that we are not self-sufficient, but dependent on God for everything we need. It is out of this type of humility that we are more likely to submit our will to God's will. And, when we do, we will witness God's power in ways that we have never before. This is when we are privileged to see God the best.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.22 of today's passage we read, <b>"And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is the fourth <b>feast</b> noted in the Bible</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">. The men of Haran had gathered for the wedding and the feast. Along with the feast would be included some of the best wine one could find. When it came time for Jacob to receive unto himself his bride, it was obvious that he had too much to drink and in his drunken state he found it difficult to even know that it wasn't Rachel who had entered his dwelling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.23-24 of today's passage we read,<b> "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. 24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Laban deceived Jacob by sending to him Leah instead of Rachel. And, since it was t</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">he custom to give handmaids to a daughter at her marriage, <b>Zilpah</b> was included. This is the law of reciprocity at its finest. We reap what we sow is the old saying. At the hands of his eventual father-in-law, Jacob was now the recipient of ill-treatment. All of this happened due to the fact that Jacob lacked a personal relationship with God wherein He was defining him. This is why we must be defined by God because when we walk outside of His truth, we avail ourselves to those who are wrongly defined.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>25 of today's passage we read, <b>"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?'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was their custom at the time, as it still is in many places, for the bride to be veiled. Due to the fact that it was nighttime and the lighting was so dim, Jacob never saw the face of the wife he had for so long worked. Although Jacob was undoubtedly shocked by these events, in the big picture a greater reality was emerging: Jacob was humbled so that he would be fit to be the servant-leader of God’s people later.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Many years after these events, Joseph, after being hated by his brothers, was left for dead. And then, he was sold into slavery to some Ishmaelite traders. Due to his ability to see the big picture, Joseph was able to recognize that God’s sovereign goodness accomplishes the best who are learning to trust Him. Joseph told his brothers, <b>"You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." </b>It was the truth as defined by God that enabled Joseph to ardently determine to be defined by God. This resulted in giving Joseph to see the world through the eyes of God which is wisdom. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.26-27 of today's passage we read,<b> "26 And Laban said, 'It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 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.'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Laban, who was not being defined by God but by his culture explained his deceptive actions. Even though he had already been blessed by Jacob,</span> Laban was motivated by his love of money. And, yet again, Laban would profit from Jacob’s love for his younger daughter. He knew that Jacob would be willing to work another seven years without payment. And to ensure that Jacob accepted, Laban asked Jacob to only complete the bridal week with Leah. So, in seven more days, Jacob would be given his prize.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The number seven shows up a lot in the life of Jacob. In Jeremiah 30:7 we read of the phrase, <b>"The time of Jacob's trouble."</b> This passage makes a lot more sense when we realize that in just a short time Jacob would be renamed by God to Israel. Since Jacob is Israel as an unbeliever, it makes sense that Israel is Jacob as a believer. A careful study of Jeremiah 30:7 renders the understanding that it is a description of the time known as the Tribulation in the New Testament. <b>This "time of Jacob's trouble"</b> describes how unbelieving Israel will come to believe in the Lord Jesus at the end of time as we know it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, <b>"28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. 29 And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We are not told how Rachel or Leah felt about their father treating them as objects for monetary gain. At least Rachel had the heart of Jacob. Who knows how much Leah struggled through these events. We were told earlier that her eyes were <b>"weak" </b>which meant that she probably had a disability that would have made it really hard for her to get by in the ancient world. Perhaps this is why her father was so eager to get her married to Jacob. It might also explain why she did not help her sister Rachel with the herding of the sheep.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So here was Leah with bad eyesight and not as pretty as her sister, struggling with deep insecurities about her disability and her appearance, and then her father publicly humiliates her by making her sleep with and marry a man who’s in love with her sister. She’s denied the opportunity to marry someone who loved her and forced into a relationship with a man who loved someone else. She was used and abused by those who were supposed to protect and cherish her, and then she was publicly paraded around for a week as the new wife of her dad’s latest business partner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">But, there is a twist to this story, as there always is with God calling the shots. God saw Leah’s situation and had compassion on her. He opened her womb and her first son she called Reuben. Leah thought God sent her Rueben to help her find love from her husband. She acknowledged God giving her Simeon her second-born because she thought God was trying to make up for her husband not loving her. With Levi, her third son, she hoped Jacob might at least form an attachment to her, even if he didn’t love her. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Finally, with the birth of her fourth-born son, Judah, Leah chose to praise the Lord, turning to Him for love instead of her husband. This is the ultimate lesson of this life that only God fulfills us. I find it most interesting that the Lord Jesus came through the line of Leah, not through the line of Rachel. The Savior of the world came through Judah, Leah’s fourth son.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-89287686817953391352024-02-27T06:00:00.405-05:002024-02-27T06:00:00.347-05:00Genesis 29:15-20<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/hXeDNV1Gh2U" target="_blank">For the Genesis 29:15-20 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>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?" 16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. 18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter." 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." 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. ~ Genesis 29:15-20</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Today, we continue our study of Genesis 29 where we find Jacob in the home of his uncle Laban, his mother's brother. In our previous study, Laban had said to Jacob, <b>"you are of</b></span><b> the same stock and therefore you are family."</b> This is why Laban allowed Jacob to stay as a guest for an entire month. In doing that Jacob pictured for us the Lord Jesus who came to this earth in order to procure a bride for Himself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.15 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?'"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When he arrived at Laban's home, Jacob had enough money to pay Laban for his daughter to be his wife, just as Abraham’s servant did about 100 years before. Laban, being a shrewd man who valued money more than he should have, looked for a way to get as much out of Jacob as he could. In order to accomplish his desired result, Laban made it sound like he was helping Jacob. In reality, Laban was just as much a deceiver as Jacob was, only time would reveal it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">God, throughout the Bible, tells us to not put our trust in money. In 1 Timothy 6:17 we read, <b>"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."</b></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The prosperity of this world is okay as long as it is our servant rather than we it. Actually wealth is a common consequence of faithfulness. Paul didn’t tell the rich to feel guilty about being rich; he just urged caution. The abundance or lack of money will only be felt for one life, therefore we do well to not get tangled up in it. If we stockpile earthly treasures especially at the expense of heavenly treasures, we have demonstrated that we do not get what this life is really about. As we see throughout the Genesis narrative, God blesses us so that we can bless others with hopes that they will desire a personal relationship with Him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, <b>"16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.</b><b>"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Over and over the Bible uses the number two to point us to contrast. </span>Laban's two daughters were quite the contrast. The name of the first, <b>Leah</b>, means "<b>wearied</b>" and the second daughter's names, <b>Rachel,</b> means "<b>ewe lamb.</b>" The two names of Jacob’s future wives are important to help us understand the contrast that is there for us on a daily basis. This contrast consists of being defined by this world or being defined by the Lord.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>17 we are given contrast between the two. <b>Leah</b> pictured the law. Her name means "<b>wearied</b>" and it describes our attempts to try to measure up to the law that wearies us. We are told that Leah eyes were "<b>delicate</b>" literally meaning "<b>weak</b>." In Hebrews 7, we are told that the law, like Leah’s eyes, is weak and useless to make us right before the Lord.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Also in v.17 we are told that "</span><b>Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.</b>" Rachel pictures for us the gospel which is pictured in the context of a swollen river which you’ve helplessly fallen into. Your head has gone down under the water several times and you're thinking that if it goes down again, well, you're a goner. Suddenly, from the shore, someone throws you a life preserver, which aggressively speeds toward you. Out of your desperation you grab hold of the preserver and you are triumphantly pulled to the shore. Rachel's name pictures for us this life-preserver. How <b>beautiful</b> is the One who came to rescue us from the torrential waters of sin? It was the Lord Jesus Christ who came to measure up to the law for us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news which tells us we’re saved by grace through faith and that our works are not involved in the process.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.18-20 of today's passage we read, <b>"18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter." 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." 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."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Jacob was 77 years old when this story took place. He was the son of promise, the inheritor of Isaac’s estate, and he traveled to Padan Aram to purchase for himself a wife from among his parents people. Jacob was a man who made a commitment of seven years for a woman that he loved, even though he had only known her for a month. Laban was probably was very happy about the arrangements that Jacob offered because he got seven years of work out of Jacob and his daughter would be taken care of for the rest of her life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Seven is the number of spiritual perfection. The seven years of work which Jacob agreed to as a dowry pictures for us the work the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross of Calvary. It was there while hanging on the cross that the Lord Jesus uttered seven statements. Within those seven sentences, the Lord Jesus summed up the Gospel which includes <b>forgiveness</b>, <b>salvation</b>, <b>relationship</b>, <b>abandonment</b>, <b>distress</b>, <b>triumph</b> and <b>reunion</b>.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447555251635954476.post-16115614363821190462024-02-26T06:00:00.474-05:002024-02-26T06:00:00.190-05:00Genesis 29:7-14<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/mOIyjmxuleU" target="_blank">For the Genesis 29:7-14 PODCAST, Click Here!</a><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>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." </b></span><b>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." </b><b>9 Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 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. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. 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. </b><b>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. 14 And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him for a month. ~ Genesis 29:7-14</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Today, we continue our study of Genesis 29 where Jacob has just met his future wife Rachel at a well near Rachel's hometown of Haran. After inquiring of the shepherds at the well that if they knew his uncle Laban, Jacob was told by the shepherds that Laban's daughter Rachel just so happened to be arriving at the well where they had all gathered.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Earlier we were informed that in order for the sheep to be hydrated the stone above the well had to be rolled away. We will see these words repeated in today's passage. This is the only place in the entire Old Testament where these two words, <b>"rolled away"</b> are combined. These two words are combined 4 times in the New Testament, and every instance concerns the <b>"rolling away"</b> of the stone in front of Christ’s tomb.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, <b>"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.' 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.'</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The flocks could not be watered until the stone was rolled away sounds a lot like a spiritual truth that we have learned from the resurrection of Christ. At </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">the cross, the Lord Jesus paid the penalty that was earned by mankind's sinfulness. And, it was early on Sunday morning after He had been crucified that He rose from the dead. The stone was rolled away from the tomb of the Good Shepherd of the sheep so that the well of living water might be accessed by all humble enough to believe the gospel and to receive the gift of forgiveness of sin earned for us by the Lord Jesus. That Easter morning the stone was rolled away not to allow the Lord Jesus the opportunity to exit the tomb but that sinful man might have access to God.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Jacob was a shepherd and so he knew what was normal for tending sheep, but he didn’t know the customs of this well in the fields just outside of Haran. </span>Normally in the middle of the day when it was the hottest, the shepherds would take a break and relax in the shade and let the animals enjoy a drink of water. But, once the hottest part of the day was behind them, the animals would be taken back out into the fields to eat further. It was the middle of the day and Jacob did not understand why they were just sitting around. This is why he suggested they drink. <span>Jacob did not understand t</span>he local agreement which meant that only when all the flocks were gathered together would they roll the stone from the mouth of the well. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, <b>"9 Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 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."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>When Rachel, the beautiful cousin of Jacob arrived, it was obvious she was a shepherdess tending to her father's sheep. In that moment 77 year old Jacob </span>was overwhelmed in such a way that he moved the rather large stone off the well by himself and watered the flock for Rachel. Jacob's journey to Haran was marked by three stones: The first stone was covered with oil at Luz to mark the place where God gave to Jacob the dream of the ladder. The second stone was this huge well cap that Jacob removed to gather the water for Laban’s flocks. The third stone will come later, in fact, it will be a pile of stones which will be a monument to Jacob's reconciliation with his brother, Esau.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>11 of today's passage we read, <b>"Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept." </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This is the second recorded kiss in the Bible. The first was when Jacob kissed Isaac before being blessed and now Jacob, the one who was blessed, kissed his cousin and future wife. Then he lifted up his voice in praise of God over meeting Rachel. And, for whatever reason, the emotions that went along with the voice resulted in weeping.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In the background of Jacob's outburst was his deepest longings. Jacob was a man who was forever in searched of that which would fill his heart. His story is our story. We are like the woman the Lord Jesus met at Jacob's well in John 4 who had six different men whom she had hoped would fulfill her dreams but to no avail. To her the Lord Jesus said, <b>"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.</b><b>" </b>Jacob, like the woman in John 4, was really in search of the One who would fulfill all of his longings, he just didn't know it yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In v.</span>12-14 of today's passage we read, <b>"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. 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. 14 And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him for a month."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was at that moment that Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s <b>relative</b> or <b>brother</b>. The Hebrew word translated "<b>relative</b>" is translated in other translations of the Bible as "<b>brother</b>." This is confusing to us, but in their culture, it was not meant in a literal sense. Brother, in this sense is extended to remote degrees of family relationships such as a nephew, a cousin, or an uncle. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Laban certainly remembered the 10 camels full of goods bearing the servant of Abraham who came to find a wife for his son Isaac. He probably knew through communicating with Rebekah that Isaac had prospered greatly and had become great and that this blessing would flow down to his own son as well. </span><span>Like he did about 100 years before, Laban ran</span> out to a man by a well to become a part of God’s story, the story of mankind moving from the fall to his restoration in Christ. There at the well, Laban embraced Jacob, and for the third time in the Bible it notes another kiss. Then they went into Laban's house.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">While in the house, Laban discerned what Jacob was proposing. This is why Laban announced Jacob was his bone and his flesh. This meant that they were family. Because of this, Jacob was now allowed to stay and be a part of Laban's family life. Jacob gladly stayed there for a month.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This true story of Jacob meeting Rachel pictures the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The stone over the well pictures the Lord Jesus while the water pictures the Holy Spirit. Jacob pictures Christ and Rachel and the sheep picture people who are coming to the Lord Jesus in faith. Everything here points to fallen man and his encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>What is clear from today's </span>narrative is that Jacob was growing in grace and in his relationship with the Lord. Of course like you and me, Jacob was not all that godly when he was young, but as the years passed and as he experienced the Lord’s faithfulness God began to capture more of Jacob's heart. All of this just underscores the fact that God cares about our hearts most. And He will never be in as much of a hurry as we are to change us from the heart outward. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since God displayed so much patience with Jacob, we should be more patient with God, ourselves and others. God cares most that we are holy which means to be complete. This is why our lives are so full of troubles, pains, and sorrows because troubles, pains, and sorrows are useful tools that soften our sin soaked hearts toward God. The world does not understand this process because it has no concept of just how unholy it is and how far it has been removed from the heart of the Lord Jesus. But we get it because our eyes have been opened to the goodness of our wonderful God who sent His Shepherd Son who has been known to run after just one lost sheep.</span></p>BYoung Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961858520111769181noreply@blogger.com