Jacob page 2

There are a number of important lessons for a Believer in the life of Jacob:-

1. Never do evil to achieve good
2. God is completely in charge, He is sovereign.
3. You reap what you sow.
4. Always wait on God, He knows the right time and action.

Following the request of Rebekah, that Jacob find his wife from their family in Bethuel, Jacob is sent away with Isaac’s blessing, Genesis 28:1-4. Isaac could not know that Esau wanted to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac had died. Esau was to be disappointed, for Isaac lived for another 43 years. Rebekah and Isaac had one plan for Jacob, but God’s plan was very different.
Jacob, without realizing it, believed in God and desired the things of God. God knew this, He had seen the desire when he looked at Jacob’s heart and mind. God was working to get the best out of Jacob and bring glory to His Name thorough Jacob.

Jacob’s Dream.

Genesis 28:10-22. On the first night of Jacob’s journey to his uncle, God makes His first move to establish the missing fellowship.
As Jacob settled down to sleep that night he must have felt alone and wondered if all the events of the past years were worth it? It was then that God reveals His presence. Jacob falls asleep and God makes him dream. He saw a ladder from the earth to heaven and angels are climbing up and down this ladder. At the top stood the Lord who identifies Himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac. He makes Jacob a promise, where you are sleeping is part of the land you and your descendants will inherit. In addition God promised that the descendants will be like the dust on earth in number, they will spread across the world and from this nation will come a great blessing for the world. What a promise! Jacob may feel alone but God was reaching down to him and Jacob could reach up to God.
Seven times God used the word "I", He did not expect any response from Jacob, no limits like "if" or "but" God showed that He was fully in charge. Note especially verse 15, a divine assurance for Jacob and the ultimate purpose of His actions. Consider Rom 8:28.
When Jacob awakes he realized that he was in the presence of God, Genesis 28:16. He is afraid, "a dreadful place", yet this is the "House of God" and the "Gate to heaven". Jacob would have heard about God from his father, but at this point it all becomes personal, God was very near, very present and was controlling his life. Read and consider Psalm 139, God knows all about Jacob and He knows all about you.

Jacob marks the place.

Jacob makes a promise, Genesis 28:20-22, but note that he makes conditions "if God," Jacob still did not have a full faith. He attempts to make conditions, "God, if you supply food, clothes, safe journey, then - God would be his God." How sad, with all the love and grace available from God, Jacob sets conditions for his worship. Jacob wanted God to be in his life, but also he wanted the help and blessing upon his personal plans, not what God had planned for him.

As a Believer be careful if you include conditions in your worship, God could hold us to the conditions and account for our failures.
Jacob had not fully submitted to the Will of God, so God has to continue to teach and often chasten (humbled, possibly ashamed) him. Consider Heb 12:5-11, chastening by God is designed to bring glory to God and more fruit of righteousness. God’s training can take many years, look at the life of Moses, Joseph, David and the disciples before they were used for the work of God. See Gal 2:20; Phil 3:14.

Jacob’s New Life. Genesis 29:1-14.

Jacob now continues on his journey, a changed man, he had found fellowship with God. Jacob was completely alone as he made the 450 miles on foot to the home of his uncle Laban.
God takes care of Jacob during the journey, and guides him to the correct place. Jacob comes to a well and asks if any one knows of Laban, yes they did, and we see how God is in full control for the men tell Jacob that the daughter of Laban, Rachel, was approaching to water her sheep.
When Jacob met Rachel, it was love at first sight, v10,11. Rachel brings her father Laban and so begins 20 years of discipline for Jacob.

Who is Laban?

Laban and Jacob were very similar in many ways, they were both out to get the most for themselves, however, Laban was probably more crooked and cunning then Jacob, but Jacob believed in God, Laban did not, Genesis 31:19 showed he worshipped idols.
It was God’s plan to let Jacob suffer hardship and pain under the cunning of Laban so that ultimately Jacob would put all his faith in God. God will often do this to a Believer, He has a purpose for all Believers and He may use hardship in life to accomplish His purpose and make a Believer more fruitful, Rom 8:28: Psalm 37:5.

It took 20 years for the training by God to be completed, but he had to go through severe testing and suffered considerable cunning by Laban.
During the 20 years Jacob struggled to gain worldly possessions, he does not seem to show the Bethel experience he had received on his journey to Laban.

Jacob has to submit to Birthright. Genesis 29:15-28.

God now allows Jacob to suffer and reap what he had sown, Jacob wanted to marry Rachel and he offers to work for 7 years to pay the payment of the marriage required by Laban. At the end of the seven years Jacob goes to Laban and asks for Rachel in marriage.
Laban now reveals his cunning, he had another older daughter, Leah, who was apparently not so good looking as Rachel. As the older of the two sisters she would be expected to marry first. It was the custom for the bride to wear a veil so it was not possible to see the face of the bride until after the ceremony. Laban deceives Jacob and sends Leah in to be the bride at the marriage instead of Rachel, because of the veil Jacob did not discover the change until after the marriage.

Jacob had not respected the rights of Esau being the firstborn, having stolen the title and blessing away from Esau, now Jacob has to submit to the cunning of Laban and the rights of the firstborn. In addition Jacob now has to learn to wait for the promised wife. Just as he should have waited upon the promise of God, "the elder shall serve the younger, " Genesis 25:23b. Jacob now has to work and wait another seven years before he is able to marry Rachel.

Further Cunning by Laban.

14 years later, after Jacob’s marriage to Rachel and the birth of her first child, Joseph, Jacob asks to return to his family, but Laban does not want him to leave and cunningly said to Jacob, "I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. " Quite a confession by Laban, an idol worshipper. Laban had told Jacob to "name his wage," this gave Jacob the chance to be cunning as well. He told Laban that he would not get a wage, Jacob would continue to look after Laban’s herds but he would search all the herds and any cow, sheep or goats which are spotted or speckled or the colour brown will become Jacob’s, theoretically a rare situation, so Laban was very happy with this idea.

Once Jacob had separated the marked animals from Laban’s herds he now arranges how the various animals conceive, the use of the sticks is thought to be a local story that if the animal saw the marked sticks then they would have spotted etc. babies, but the facts were that God was at work, making sure that the animals were marked, as agreed. Any spotted etc. were Jacobs.