Laban’s sons saying

Genesis 31: 1-3: “And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.”

One of the quickest ways to destroy someone’s reputations is by starting a whispering campaign against them. This was a tool used by both Stalin and Mao Tse Tung. In this case Laban’s sons, Jacob’s brothers in law, started a whispering campaign against him. They tried to blacken his name by saying that he was stealing from their father. Jacob understood that Laban had a part in this campaign as well because he realised that Laban was treating him like an outsider. At this stage the Lord intervened and definitely told Jacob to go home. Things would only get worse for him if he stayed. Jacob also knew that the Lord had promised to bring him back to his family so he knew that this call would come one day.

Jacob took him rods

Genesis 30: 37-43: “And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle. And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”

Jacob still had some lessons to learn. He had trusted the Lord to care for him as he left his homeland and trusted the Lord to bring him back again. However, he was still trying to help the Lord and he did everything that he could to ensure that he became a rich man. He didn’t understand the modern science of genetics but just tried to use magic of some kind to influence the breeding of the cattle, sheep and goats. He waited until the best of the stock came to breed and he tried to influence them to give the kind of animals that Laban had contracted to give to him. In spite of Jacob and his tricks and Laban and his bad faith the Lord still blessed Jacob, in his own context and gave him the things that he needed to ensure that there would be a proper framework for the birth of the nation of Israel. God always works in spite of our machinations and not because of them. However, God is always gracious because He loves us with His Divine love.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

And he removed that day

Genesis 30: 35-36: “And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.”

Jacob had spent many years trying to trick other people but now an expert was trying to trick him. In this case, his father in law was a professional confidence trickster who had taken Jacob in completely. Jacob just wanted to get his brother’s share of the blessing and had played tricks with his mother’s blessing but Laban was only interested in himself and winning right now. This man had no interest in the future or God’s long term plan he just wanted to make sure that he got the best he could today. When the Lord Jesus Christ sent his disciples out on their mission, He told them “be ye therefor wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matt 10: 16) It is important for Christians to remember that there are people constantly on the look out to take advantage. Some people want to have a good reputation without earning it while others want to have other things that they haven’t earned. In every case these people will take these things from other people and hope that they can force the other people to take their reputation. However, we also know that Satan has to ask the Lord for permission before he can attack any of the Lord’s people and the Lord said, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor 10: 13) Satan had to ask permission before he could attack Job and he couldn’t attack Job more than the Lord let him. (Job 1: 6-12, 2: 1-6) We can go forward in confidence knowing that the Lord understands our limits and He only tests us to strengthen us not to break us.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

Such shall be my hire

Genesis 30: 28-34: “And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock: I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.”

Jacob had promised God that he would trust God and that God would be his God if God brought him back to his own land. However, he still wanted to be in control of the situation so he traded with Laban over his wages. Laban judged Jacob by his own standards and expected him to take everything and leave Laban with nothing. Jacob came up with a brilliant solution to this problem. He suggested that he get all the brown sheep and the spotted and speckled goats. In that way Laban would be free to check everything that he took and make sure that he wasn’t stealing anything. They both agreed to this and everything looked good, at first. Jacob would have been better to trust the Lord as Abraham did because the Lord blessed Abraham richly.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

Send me away

Genesis 30: 25-27: “And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. And Laban said unto him, 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.”

When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac he told the servant that he was not to take Isaac back to Haran under any circumstances. We read about this in Genesis 24: 6, 8. The Lord called Abraham to leave that place and to go to a place that He would show him. In this case Jacob had to go back to escape from his brother’s anger but he didn’t forget that they were not to return to that land to live. God had called them away from Haran and promised to establish them in the Land of Canaan. Jacob had to work to pay for his wives and he got to the stage where he remembered that he had to go back to his own country. He also remember making an agreement with God as he ran away. After he had the dream of the ladder reaching up to heaven he made a vow to God saying, “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:” (Genesis 28: 20-21) Even though e had spent so many years seeking after the blessing he knew that the blessing would never belong to him in that place. He decided to go back to the place where he could take advantage of the blessings that God had given him. However, he had worked for fourteen years for his two wives but believed that he should be paid for the extra six years that he had worked. Laban was still interested in getting free labour so he asked Jacob to stay. After all, the Lord was blessing Jacob and he wanted to get his share of that blessing.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

The Lord shall add

Genesis 30: 22-24: “And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.”

The main aim of prayer is contact with God rather than getting the thing that we ask for. We know that God has promised to give us what we ask for, if we satisfy the conditions of asking. John 15: 7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” This isn’t just a blank cheque but requires that first we make sure that His words abide in us and we abide in Him. In James 4: 2, 3 “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” we find that we don’t ask from time to time and at other times we ask with improper motives. These things lead to not receiving. We should always take care to ask with the proper motives and then we will receive what we ask. Remember that Abraham prayed about having his own son with Sarah for twenty five years before Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The Apostle Paul asked the Lord to take away his thorn in the flesh three times but the Lord told Him to trust in His grace (2 Cor 12:7-9). We must remember Who is God and who is the creature when it is time to pray. However, in this case, Rachel prayed while her sister and the slave girls were having children and she finally had the child that she prayed for. She was so confident after this that the even believed, rightly, that she would have a second son. If we pray for a long time and nothing seems to happen then we can give thanks that the Lord that we have a chance to get to know Him better.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

My husband will dwell with me

Genesis 30: 19-21 “And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.”

Even though Leah was unloved she was blessed by the Lord. She had six sons in all and a daughter to give her joy in her old age. The Lord knows every person’s situation and the Lord understands all our needs. In Romans 8: 28 we read “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Leah was part of God’s plan and she was under the Lord’s care all her life. There may be people today who are in a similar position to Leah. They fell unloved but it is good to remember that God loves each one of His people and He will never stop caring for us. We may have a huge ache in our soul but God knows that as well and He is able to deal with that problem as well. If we are willing to thank Him for His love then we will begin to feel the peace of God in our hearts and we will be able to overcome the ache in our soul.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

God hath given me my hire

Genesis 30: 14-18: “And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.”

This episode is the end point of all the tricks that Reuben’s grandfather played. He established a family that was based on conflict and everyone else involved decided that conflict was the only way to live. They were all more concerned about themselves than they were about compassion and considering the needs of another person. Poor Rachel had no son to find her tasty fruit in the field so she gave what she had to get what she wanted. After this another son was born. How sad for her son to be called her son “hire”. Hoe would always be reminded of the conflict in his family. This reminds us that we choose consequences when we choose behaviour even if we don’t think about all the consequences at the time we choose the behaviour. This reminds us of Galatians 6: 7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

Happy am I

Genesis 30: 9-13: “When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.”

This section tells us all about polygamy and why it is so bad. There are supporters of polygamy who talk about being sister wives and helping each other but that is not true. We were designed by our Creator to be in monogamous relationships and anything else leads to significant emotional problems. In this case, there was huge problems between the sisters because they were in competition with each other. In order to solve the problem they added extra wives to the mix but that really didn’t help. Leah had four sons but she took her slave girl and gave her to Jacob because she hoped that would solve the problem. She even reached the stage where she called the second child of her slave “happy” but this didn’t seem to help in the long run. It is hard to blame these girls for the problem because it came from a cynical decision on their father’s part but they still had to bear the consequences. It is important for us to understand that other people can suffer significantly when we make bad decisions but even though this may be the case, anyone can trust in the Lord and find comfort and security in Him despite the problem and despite our sinful nature.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

I have wrestled with my sister

Genesis 30: 1-8: “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.”

Even though Rachel was loved more than Leah, she was unhappy that she didn’t have a son. She longed to have a child of her own so that she could gain a measure of independence. In the beginning God made Eve from Adam and then God said that a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh. There is no room in God’s equation for three people being joined together and becoming one flesh, just two. After Jacob married Leah they were joined together into one flesh but Jacob still chose to marry Rachel, this didn’t make it possible for him to be joined to Rachel as well even though she was joined to Jacob after their marriage. Jacob was a more selfish person and he was angry with Rachel because she was caught in an emotional wilderness. However, Jacob blamed God for the problem and didn’t accept any responsibility himself. In the end Rachel took her slave girl and told Jacob to have children with her. In the laws of those days the children of the slave girl would actually belong to Rachel so she chose this ancient method of surrogacy. She had two surrogate sons and then she felt some security. However, these boys were both slave boys and she still didn’t have her own son. In the short term, however, she felt a sense of triumph because she had been fighting against her sister for her husband’s attention and now she had sons to take her mind away from her emptiness of soul.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

Now I will praise the Lord

Genesis 29: 31-35: “And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.”

Even though her father had given Leah a bad situation, the Lord saw that she was in trouble and blessed her with four sons. In a culture of multiple marriages there isn’t any real bond between the husband and the wife. The spouses have to compete with each other for attention and a mother can only find true security in her children. In those days, women had very few rights and they would have no source of income after they death of their husband. They had to rely on their sons to look after them at that stage. All Leah wanted was to be loved and respected. We can assume that she was treated badly while she was growing up because she had tender eyes and wasn’t much of a marriage prospect but her father added to her woes by forcing her into the competitive situation where she wasn’t loved by her husband. It is hard not to feel sorry for this poor woman but the Lord saw her situation and gave her some important compensation. She was the mother of four sons and respected for that in her community.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

Fulfil her week

Genesis 29: 26-30: “And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.”

Laban had won in his quest for superiority. He managed to trick Jacob and force him to do what he didn’t want to do. He must have been concerned about finding a husband for Leah because she was tender eyed. This probably means that she was unable to see very well and couldn’t do much work. In the book of Deuteronomy “tender” is associated with delicate and someone who doesn’t want to go outside at all. If this was the case then it would have been hard to find a husband for her because she would not be a good worker for her new husband. On the other hand we also read that Rachel was beautiful and well favoured so we can assume that Leah wasn’t very pretty either. Laban was a very cruel man who forced his daughters into a situation whereby they would constantly be competing with each other for love and attention. He really didn’t care for his daughters at all. We don’t read how either reacted to this situation but we can assume that neither of them liked it very much. Laban forced Jacob to finish the week’s celebrations for the wedding then he let Jacob marry the woman he loved. Later these women took Jacob’s side against their father when they tried to escape with some of the wealth. This is not the way to treat anyone, let alone your own children. However, God was with Leah and blessed with many children. in the mean time Jacob had to work for another seven years.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

But a few days

Genesis 29: 20-25: “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?”

Jacob loved Rachel and he happily worked for seven years so that he could earn the right to take her as his wife. There is no evidence that Jacob suspected that Laban would do anything to trick him but he was living in a fool’s paradise. There are two kinds of people who can be easily tricked. The first kind is someone who wants to get something for nothing and the second is someone who really wants to please everyone else. In both cases they get what they deserve. Jacob had spent much of his life trying to get something that he didn’t deserve and he could not earn. Here, he assumed that Laban could be trusted but learnt that he couldn’t be trusted. The wife came to the wedding covered with a clothing similar to a burka today and Jacob assumed that he was marrying Rachel but discovered that he was married to Leah when he woke up in the morning. They went into their tent after the ceremony was finished and everything was dark so Jacob didn’t look. I assume that Laban had threatened Leah with terrible punishment if she told Jacob what was happening, after all, Laban treated her like she was just another possession. When Jacob realised that he was married to the wrong woman, he also understood that he couldn’t really do anything about it. He couldn’t leave Leah and go back to his home because he was afraid of his brother and he knew that Laban would punish him severely if he tried to escape from the marriage that he had be forced into. All he could do was complain to Laban. Poor Leah, she was innocent in the whole matter but was forced to spend a lifetime paying for another person’s evil deed. Sometimes life can be very hard us but we need to trust God and hope in Him through all the hard time that God give us because we know that God is treating us like a child when he brings us to testing times. (see Heb 12: 7, 9 “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? ... Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”)

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

It is better that I give her to thee

Genesis 29: 15-19: “And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.”

Jacob had spent his life as a control freak trying to manage every situation so that he remained in control and reached the goals that he had set for himself. His mother helped in every way that she could. Esau had the confidence of being the older brother and assumed that everything would come easily to him. He didn’t value the things that he hadn’t had to work for. However, as soon as Jacob came to his mother’s home country, his uncle took control and started to manipulate Jacob. He didn’t give him time to settle in and take stock of his situation. At that stage, there is no evidence that Jacob even asked Laban if he could work for him, Laban just assumed that he could get an extra worker who didn’t know the local conditions and he hoped to exploit him. Jacob believed in love at first sight because he fell in love with Rachel when he first met her at the well. He had come to find a wife and he felt that his goal was already achieved so he asked for her to be his wife. On the other hand, Laban was happy to use his daughters as weapons to manipulate Jacob. He made sure that he sounded sincere but he was planning to rip Jacob off. Jacob spent a large part of his life manipulating other people but then he experienced what it was like.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

My bone and my flesh

Genesis 29: 9-14: “And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. 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. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.”

Even though Jacob was determined to maintain control of the situation, God was still in overall control. In this case, God worked in spite of Jacob. Rachel, his relative, came to the well. Jacob didn’t accept the convention of the time and moved the stone away from the mouth of the well. Jacob already knew that Rachel was his relative so he let her know who he was. Rachel was a good woman for she accepted Jacob’s word that she was his relative. Before long Rachel took Jacob to meet her father. Why did Rachel accept Jacob so easily in a culture that keeps women away from men, as far as possible? Rachel knew about her aunty Rebekah and remembered the stories that her father told her so she knew what her relatives would look like and where they would come from. At this stage, she just accepted Jacob as a relative rather than a prospective husband and was also bound by the rules of hospitality that applied in those days. Laban was glad to see his relative and welcomed him into his home as such. If those people, in that time, were able to accept people into their homes and offer them hospitality then, surely, Christians should be quick to offer hospitality to other Christians.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

And rolled the stone from the well

Genesis 29: 1-8: “Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth. And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll he stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep."

Jacob had an amazing experience where he had a vision of the Lord and understood that the Lord was Lord of all creation. He knew that God was in control and that changed his attitude to life, so much so, that he promised to give God back a tenth of all that God gave him. However, he still had a tendency to go back to his old ways. This is true for every person: we know that God is able to change us but as long as we are interested in being in control of our lives then we will have a tendency to go back to our old ways. The Lord brought Jacob right back to his uncle’s region. He had never been there, even though his mother was born there. When he got to the place he quickly started to take control and didn’t follow the local customs. It is very easy for us, as Christians, to assume that we are God’s people therefore we can do whatever we want to do. This is not true. We should accept that every government has been set up by God and we need to submit to the government authority unless they tell us how we should worship. If they want us to worship in an special way we should worship in the way that God has told us and peacefully accept the consequences.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

The Great God

Genesis 28: 23: “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee”

Jacob had such an incredible experience that it changed his behaviour for the rest of his life. He committed himself to give God a tenth of all that God gave to him. There is no evidence to suggest that he didn’t do this. This leads to a very important point for anyone who wants to work for God. Every one of the great heroes of faith in the Bible had a vision of the Lord’s majesty. This doesn’t mean that they had a dream one night, it means that they understood that the Lord is the creator and ruler of all creation. If we want to become a great man or a great woman of God we need to understand that there is no such thing as a great man or a great woman of God, there are only ordinary men and women who belong to the Great God. It the greatness of our God that matters not what we can do or achieve. Jacob was able to survive twenty very hard years because he understood that God is the Great God.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

How dreadful is this place!

Genesis 28: 17-22: “And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”

In Psalm 111: 10 and Proverbs 9: 10 we read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is important for us to fear the Lord as then we will come to Him with the correct attitude. The first time that we read about fear in the Bible is in Gen 9: 2 where we discover that every animal on the earth has a fear and dread of man. We know that fear is associated with dread and that this is associated with being under another’s authority. In Revelation 19: 5 we read that everyone is to fear the Lord. This reminds us that it is proper to understand that the Lord has, by right, authority over us and we do well to submit to that authority. Jacob wanted to have the benefits of the Lord’s blessing and to inherit the eternal promises but he didn’t trust the Lord to take control of his life and bring these things about. He schemed and plotted to get something that the Lord had promised to give him while he was still in his mother’s womb. However, in order to have wisdom, he had to learn to submit to the Lord and to trust Him to deliver what He had promised. Jacob went through many years of hardship before he finally reached the place where he submitted to God but this was the first step in that process. He learnt to fear the Lord and to understand that the Lord is holy, even though He is also gracious. Jacob began to learn that lesson but he also wanted to be in control of the situation and tried to make a deal with God by saying that he would submit to the Lord if the Lord did what he wanted the Lord to do. This is not the proper attitude to have when you come to the Lord.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

I knew it not

Genesis 28: 10-16: “And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.” 

Jacob was about to begin a difficult period in his life. He had spent his life cheating and lying so that he could obtain the spiritual blessings God had set apart for him from before his birth. However, he was going to be cheated and lied to for many years before he was able to find rest. However, the Lord gave him a vision to carry him through all the hard years. He saw a vision of a ladder reaching up to heaven and angels going up and down the ladder. He was to learn that God knew where he was all the time and that God understood his problems and cared for him in every situation. Even though he didn’t know that the Lord was with him when he lay down to sleep he soon understood that the Lord was with him and he would be with him for the rest of his life.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

When Esau saw

Genesis 28: 6-9: “When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram; And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.”

Even though Esau was the elder son, he was the one who seemed to be left out at all the important times. He just wanted to be put first rather than having the left overs after Jacob got what he wanted. This is not quite true because Esau was Isaac’s favourite while Jacob was his mother’s favourite. However, as soon as Esau saw that Jacob was sent away to find a wife in his mother’s homeland he went and found foreign wives as well. Esau is a good example of a person getting what they chose. He wanted to have instant gratification and wasn’t willing to make sacrifices for long term good. Jacob, on the other hand, knew that the eternal things were best and he schemed and planned to make sure that he had the eternal blessings. This might no be the best way to seek God’s blessing but it is certainly better than sacrificing God’s blessings for a good plate of food. People who live in the post Lord Jesus Christ era can get access to all God’s eternal blessings without doing anything other than believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (see Acts 16: 30, 31 “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”) It is much better to be in the position we are in where we can be confident that the Lord Jesus Christ has finished the work and there is nothing left for us to do (see John 19: 30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”)

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1