Jacob's Children- Genesis 30

Sermon Nuggets Mon Sept 24 Jacob’s children

Verses Gen 30

            I grew up as one of the baby boomers. After WWII many people had children and were optimistic raising families without the fear of a major war and with a promising economy.  But  when I was a teenager there were predictions that the world cannot accommodate so great a population.  Countries like China limit a family to one child. If they have anymore it could result in fines and peer disdain. Abortions are readily available to prevent the overpopulation of the nation.

Various other forms of birth control became widely used and encouraged in our society. Women were exploring other options from traditional roles and many looked at being a homemaker as a lesser important job in our society. Having children took a back seat to exploring career options.

            The desire to live with more conveniences and more goods, the increase of recreation and entertainment, the need for wanting all the stuff that it took our parents many years to get resulted in most families requiring two incomes to make ends meet for the life style that is considered average. All of that has a barring on how many children a couple should have. It is a private decision but people with larger families will readily tell you that subtle and sometimes not to subtle comments are made by others that they shouldn't have so many kids. Some will tell you that it is economically prohibitive and irresponsible in our culture to have large families. People don’t live off the farm they way they used to. Cost of living has increased so greatly.

       

     So when God told Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob they would have descendants more numerous than the stars one wonders if that is a blessing. Indeed, God said it was, and it was part of his plan to fill the earth and take care of it.  Our Bible story today talks about Jacob’s children and how God works through the circumstances of life to carry out his will and plan. Let us look at how this is illustrated through the life of Jacob’s family.

            Last week in Chapter 29 we saw that Leah was the unloved wife. Her father Laban tricked Jacob by switching brides on his wedding day, only to discover it the next morning.

There is an interesting phrase that says, “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved he opened her womb.” Each child is a gift from God. There are no surprise pregnancies with God. There are many children who are thought to be unwanted because their biological mother and father didn't want to have a child or raise a child, but that certainly doesn't mean God didn't plan their birth. And this was the beginning of God’s plan to raise up a nation, which we later know to be Israel. 

            One of the tragedies of our day is the lie that women’s rights should include the decision of what to do with their own bodies. But indeed when their own bodies are carrying a baby there is a different body involved. It is a creation of God. To purposely end a pregnancy is killing a child. As any sin that can be forgiven, but seldom forgotten.

            

             I watched with interest on the TV how specialists can perform surgical procedures to correct problems on babies before they are born. As they had shown an unborn child with the commitment of making that life healthier all I could think of was doctors taking that little baby and crushing its skull and saying we’ve done nothing wrong. It’s a personal matter between a woman and doctor. Abortions are no longer limited to early conception. They are openly and unashamedly crushing heads of babies at birth before it comes out of the birth canal and calling that good. God help us.

            Leah saw that each and every one of her babies was a special gift from God and even though she could not win the love of her husband, she had the heart of God. Leah had been grateful to God for the children. The pinnacle of Leah’s piety was that point at which she came to recognize that to be loved and led by God was a far greater thing than to be loved by any man. While Jacob’s affection was still something she greatly desired, she was content with the love of God. In Him she was blessed. To Him she would give praise. And so when her fourth son was born she named him Judah, “praise the Lord,” .

While three sons did little to change Jacob’s heart, the birth of the fourth was the occasion for Leah’s expression of praise and thanksgiving toward the God Who had heard her prayers. Then she stopped bearing.

Pastor Dale

           

Sermon Nuggets Tues Sept 25 

Gen 30:1-13 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

² Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

³ Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family.”

⁴ So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, ⁵ and she became pregnant and bore him a son. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.

⁷ Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.

⁹ When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.¹⁰ Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad.

¹² Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

An Illustration of Competition

            Many people have the thought that if their marriage is in trouble then children will make it better. That is not the case. Many times children make marriages worse because the relationships of parents are challenged when children compete for attention and needs that have to be met. Children should never be used as pawns in a relationship.

The way Rachel was thinking is, “my husband loves me more than he loves my sister. But the more children my sister has the more attachment he will have toward her because I am not having children.” Jealousy creeps in because children are also the main reason for fulfillment in women of the Old Testament. That was their main function to produce sons and care for their husbands. Since Rachel cannot have children she does what others have done before her to take matters in her own hands. She desires to adopt children.

There are agencies that work out adoptions of children both within our culture and in other nations as well. But with medical science some infertile couples are finding that in certain incidents they can take the sperm from the father and egg from the mother and artificially fertilize it in laboratory conditions and then reinsert the egg in the mother and the child is a biological offspring. There are other scenarios of fertilizing the egg within the mother, and taking the egg from the mother fertilizing it and putting it in another woman’s body to carry. There are further cases where either the egg or the sperm is donated by another family member if the spouse is unable to produce it.

Here the science laboratory is nothing more than Rachel substituting her handmaiden, Bilhah, in her place as her substitute with the father to have a baby by adoption in her name.

 

I wish more was said of these handmaidens who become the victims of such thinking. Slaves were owned by their masters and had very little say when their masters slept with them or were told to have intercourse with their mistress’s husband. There were all types of sexual exploitations done to slaves throughout the history of man. Because this was the way it was doesn’t mean that was the way it should have been. Please understand that. This was a means of adoption due purely to competition for the love of Jacob as well as for ones own need of self fulfillment. It was selfish sin.

Rather than recognize her barrenness as coming from the hand of God, she sought to shift the blame to Jacob. It was all his fault, she insisted. The story the results with the competition of sisters which has Jacob being shuttled from bedroom to bedroom, tent to tent. Modern-day soap operas deal with a very similar kind of plot. However, God’s “soap” is not intended to encourage us to think sinful thoughts or to commit illicit acts but rather to “clean up our own acts” and to live righteously before Him.

Like Rachel, Rebekah had been barren, but Isaac’s response was quite different from Jacob’s. He prayed on behalf of Rebekah, and on his behalf God gave her children. No prayers are mentioned here. We are only told that God heard the petitions of the wives.  Sarai’s cry came more from circumstances in which there were no children and she didn’t see how she could have any. Rachel’s demand comes from her own pride and jealousy. She must have children, and she would take any steps necessary to get them.

The results were just as Rachel had hoped, and her response to the birth of this boy sounded most spiritual. One would think that Rachel had done a most wonderful and sacrificial thing in giving her maid to Jacob. Her words were intended to give credit to God for all that she and He had accomplished together. The name Dan meant “judged.” She claimed that God had judged the matter of her dispute with her sister Leah and had sided with her as proven by the birth of this child.

The statement made by Rachel on the occasion of the birth of Bilhah’s second son is more reflective of her true spiritual state at this time: “I won. I struggled with my sister and I am now on top.” It was egocentric. That is never the reason for children.

Rachel, while wrong in proposing that Jacob sleep with Bilhah, at least can be understood to have been reacting to her barrenness; but Leah already has four sons of her own. There was no need to give her maid Zilpah to Jacob for a wife—other than the fact that this was what Rachel had done. Leah and Rachel are in a head-to-head confrontation. If Rachel can employ her maid in this contest, so can she.

Even though commitment was the illustration in the first four births, Leah’s speech betrays her here. She does not mention God at all this time. In the fervent competition between two sisters, little thought is given to the ethics of their actions, only to the expected results. She who previously had viewed her children as a gift from a gracious and caring God now sees these sons as merely good fortune—“How lucky I am,” “How fortunate,” and “How happy am I.” Religious commitment now seems to be  thrown to the wind. For anyone keeping score, Leah was ahead of Rachel 4 to 2, but that was not enough. Now she has added two more points to the scoreboard.

            Where does jealousy, resentment or competition fit in your life? Who serves as the person, or people, you feel you are in competition with? What would God have you do?

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds Sept 26 

Gen 30: ¹⁴ During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁵ But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁶ So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

¹⁷ God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

¹⁹ Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

²¹ Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

 ²² Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. ²³ She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” ²⁴ She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”

An illustration of  Confusion

            Now we come to another confusing part of the explanation of what is happening with the competition. There is confusion as to how to have babies. Mandrakes were a plant with berries found in that part of the world which were thought to stimulate the desire for “love-making” and also to enhance the chances of conception. Leah, I suppose, was more interested in these berries, Rachel for the love potion. While temporarily not bearing children, Leah’s greatest need was to get Jacob into her tent where nature could take its course. Rachel, on the other hand, had Jacob with her nearly every night, but she seemed unable to become pregnant.

However, before we become too smug in our sophisticated and enlightened day, let me remind you that billions, are spent on cosmetics by Americans each year. Every day the tooth paste and the perfume commercials convince us that whiter teeth or cleaner breath or a more “come hither” perfume will do what nothing else can to enhance our love life. So you see, things have not really changed so much over the centuries after all.  In that same way there is confusion in our society as to what builds health and godly relationships. It is not how sexy one becomes, but what type of character they have as God’s spirit moves and makes us each one.

Rachel wanted this so badly she will do anything, and Leah as if she needs to buy her husband will only give them to her sister if she agrees that she can have sexual relationship with Jacob. Leah would get what she wanted. In exchange for this one night, Rachel got the mandrakes, which she hoped would enable her to conceive.

What a sad situation this had become to resort to a form of prostitution to purchase his services as her husband. And Rachel was so lacking in faith that she put her trust in mandrakes rather than the God who made them. Rachel, it would appear, attempted to produce sons like Jacob sought to produce sheep, by the use of magical devices.

Indeed, her night with Jacob did bring about what Leah had hoped for, another son. It was not because of mandrakes but because God had compassion on her that she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. It must be in spite of her bargaining with Rachel and not because of it that God blessed Leah.

I believe that Leah wrongly interpreted the meaning of God’s gift of that fifth son. It was a gift of God’s grace in response to her circumstances that the son was begotten; but Leah chose to interpret this son as evidence of God’s approval and blessing of her giving her maid Zilpah to Jacob. In her days, as in ours, true believers are all too quick to credit God with the “successes” of life which are a result of our sins. We seek to sanctify our sins by saying that God was behind it all. My friends, I sincerely believe that God is given too much credit whenever we make Him our partner in sin. Pious words do not necessarily prove pious works.

Finally, Leah is reported to give birth to a sixth son and also a daughter: Prayer does not immediately occur to Rachel as the solution to her stigma of barrenness, but it does seem to be her last resort. I never cease to be amazed at myself and others who leave prayer in the category of “last ditch” actions.

Neither sex nor children can create love. Leah would be quick to tell us that she learned no amount of sex could ever earn the love of her husband. Even after six boys, she was still unloved. Love cannot be manufactured through sex or with having children.

This is a truth that I desperately desire girls to learn. There are so many instances of girls who long to be loved giving their bodies in the vain search for love. Sex will produce children, but it will never produce love. I fear that many prostitutes were driven to their profession by the feeling that they were unloved. All they had to give, they supposed, was their body.

In time now, Rachel does have a son who is named. “Joseph”. His name means.  “has taken away,” which has reference to the removal of the barrenness which had so plagued Rachel It must have been nearly seven years after her marriage to Jacob that Rachel finally bore him a son. There may be significance to this delay. Jacob, due to his deception and deceit, was delayed in the process of getting a wife for himself. Perhaps Rachel was delayed in her attempts to have a child for the same reasons. She, too, was willing to employ questionable methods to obtain a son. Only after all these futile efforts were thwarted and shown to be without result does God open Rachel’s womb, and that may be in answer to her prayers. Rachel is yet to have another child, but he will come at the cost of her own life .

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs Sept 27 

Gen 30: ²⁵ After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. ²⁶ Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

²⁷ But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” ²⁸ He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

²⁹ Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. ³⁰ The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?”

³¹ “What shall I give you?” he asked.

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: ³² Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. ³³ And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.”

³⁴ “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” ³⁵ That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. ³⁶ Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

      ³⁷ Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. ³⁸ Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink,³⁹ they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. ⁴⁰ Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. ⁴¹ Whenever the stronger females were in heat,Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, ⁴² but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. ⁴³ In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

 An illustration of Character

            Our actions reveal our character in time. Jacob acted out of integrity whereas his father-in-law had consistently acted out of greed and selfishness.

Jacob had been deceived, and his return had already been delayed seven years longer than he had expected. Having fulfilled his obligation to Laban, Jacob was free to go, but Laban was reluctant to see this happen. He had come to realize that his prosperity was the result of Jacob’s presence (verse 27). If Jacob were to stay, Laban reasoned, it would be on the basis of the profit motive. All of Jacob’s labor over those fourteen years had been in lieu of a dowry. He had nothing to show for his labor except for his wives and family. It was now time to re-negotiate Jacob’s contract, and Laban asked him to name his terms.

Jacob names his terms. Normally goats in that land were black or dark brown, seldom white or spotted with white. On the other hand, the sheep were nearly always white, infrequently black or spotted.  Jacob offered to continue working as a tender of the flocks if he were but to receive these stripped and spotted animals. 

It seems that Laban was trying to pull a fast one over on Jacob. He agreed, but then  took all those animals and moved a three days’ distance kept by Laban’s sons. This would make it even harder for Jacob to achieve his wages.

Some later time the herd would be examined, and the spotted or striped animals would go to Jacob, while the rest would be Laban’s. He thought removing the flocks would lessened the chances of other spotted or striped animals being conceived, since these would not be mating with the flock. He then could keep the adults and prevent lambs from being spotted or striped.

Jacob did three things: took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches.

It was the belief that visual impressions at the time of conception affected the outcome at birth. The peeled poles were thought to produce striped offspring. No one believes that this is true today, and no farmer uses this technique to upgrade his cattle.

Only later will we be told the real reason for Jacob’s prosperity. But when we think of character Jacob did not prosper because he pulled one over on Laban. Jacob’s success was not the product of his schemes. He did not trick Laban but was applying breeding techniques he thought would improve his chances of a desired flock. He worked to achieve his goals. He sought to earn his wages the old fashioned way-work and plan ahead.

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Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri Sept 28

Gen 30

 An Illustration of the Covenant.

What is the connection between the peeling of branch, or having the livestock drink from water where a stick is placed? Moses helps us understand that what Jacob did wasn't so much a superstitious activity of man as it was a symbolic expression of obedience of his faith in God. Chapter 31:10-13 comments on what happened.  ¹⁰ “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. ¹¹ The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ¹² And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. ¹³ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.

 So many of the actions of the rites of the Levites, or the way the temple was constructed were symbolic of something they didn't understand but did in obedience as a faith commitment to the covenant or agreement of God. Just like baptism symbolizes our salvation and does not save us, so these poles and sticks are a means of God’s grace, not the cause of these animals becoming stripped. If there is some special type or symbol I am not sure what it would be other than a symbol of obedience to God who not only gives children to men and women, but kids to goats, rams, and sheep. Jacob did what God told him to do, period.

Countless men and women are trying to work their way into God’s heaven by their own devices. Some of these would include church membership, baptism, confirmation, communion, church leadership, charity, and so on. Now all of these activities may have great value to the Christian, but going through those motions don’t mean anything to someone trying to win God’s approval by anything but faith. The only way to enter God’s heaven is to trust the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ. He bore the penalty for our sins. He provided the righteousness which God requires.

Don’t mix up the results of success from a human point of view, with the righteousness that God requires. As someone has rightly pointed out, we are not commanded to be victorious, only obedient.

God used the circumstances of Jacob and his wives and concubines to begin the nation he wants holy unto himself. He takes what is and makes it what He wants it to be. That is good news. He takes you and me like we are and makes us, if we let him, what He wants us to be. That is covenant relationship. That is the agreement that takes God at his word. Throughout this chapter the covenant of God that he will bless and multiply shows that even through the ups and downs, the positive and negative, the cheating and manipulating, the commitment and the failings, God works out His will and plan. PTL

In the this story of Jacob we see love, sex, marriage, and family are all gifts from a good and loving God, but their enjoyment cannot be complete apart from fellowship with Him. Kids galore are the ways God provides for blessing and for worship that we can say as expressed in this chapter. Work hard, Do you best, trust God and watch Him work.

We are blessed that people will see God at work. That is his plan as we are part of his covenant people saved by Jesus Christ. Marvel at his work in our circumstances.

Pastor Dale

Jacob's Marriage Genesis 29

Sermon Nuggets Mon Sept 17                                          

Gen 29

Double Wedding

           

            Whenever we read the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, we must always remember that behavior that is recorded is not the same thing as behavior which is approved. Just because the Bible records that people lied, stole, and had numerous wives doesn't mean that God approves of such things. The Bible is an accurate record of what happened in the lives of real people, including their mistakes and foolish choices.

We know that Jacob left his home for two reasons. First to flee from his brother, Esau, who was intent on killing him because he stole not only his birthright, but his blessing. And secondly, Jacob left home with the instructions of his parents to find a wife from the family of his mother in order to start descendents for the promised line as revealed by God. He met with God along the way and received the promise directly just as Abraham and Isaac did. He made a commitment to God.

            After Jacob arrived in the region of his Mother’s family he asked some shepherds if anyone heard about this family. Providentially by God’s direction not only have they heard about this family, here comes the daughter of Laban whose name is Rachael and she is also a shepherdess.

            Jacob gets one look at his cousin and he falls in love. He moves the rock from the well and waters her sheep. He reveals his relationship with her. Rachael runs home to tell her family. Her father is excited about the news some 75 years later about his sister and brings his nephew into their home as long lost family.

            After about a month after Jacob is living and working for his Uncle. Uncle Laban asks Jacob what he wants for wages. He is in love with Rachel and wants to marry her.

            I wonder if Laban remembered when the servant of Abraham came to take his sister away. She left after just a week and never saw her again. He probably didn’t want to lose her. But how much would she be worth? Isn’t that great when fathers can negotiate a financial settlement with the groom on the price of a bride? What would that do for the self esteem of the bride? There is no mention that she had much say in the negotiation, but the deal is done and they are engaged for seven years.

            That’s a bit different that even today when people can’t seem to wait before they get married. I have counseled couples who wanted to get an education after high school but are afraid that their boyfriend or girlfriend won’t wait that long. I remind them of the love commitment that Jacob had for Rachel where says because he loved her time flew by. Does your love have persistence to it that you can wait?

When 7 years past Jacob can’t wait any longer. He has been pure. She is a virgin. Now is the time to marry according to the contract. He has done his job and proved faithful and committed. So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a wedding feast. But when evening came, he took his older daughter Leah who had poor eyes, and gave her to Jacob. The bride is veiled, the time is at night. They go into the wedding tent, the bridal chamber and consummate the marriage.

But what a shock when the veil was removed and it was daylight in the tent and Jacob discovers that his bride is the older sister, Leah. Can you imagine what dialogue there was between the son-in-law and father-in-law? "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?"

But here the deceiver, namely Jacob, was deceived at his own game. He wanted one thing and it was stolen from him. He was married to the wrong woman. Laban was acting out of order, knowing full well that Jacob would not agree to his older daughter he tricked him into marrying her since that was the custom of marrying children in their birth order, just like it is in India.

Laban tells Jacob that he can have Rachel as promised, after the bridal week is over, but he has to work for another 7 years. Because Jacob loved Rachel this is something he agreed to, so within one week he had a double wedding. Two sisters married the same man. But it doesn’t take anyone by surprise to realize there were problems with this arrangement right from the beginning.

            Jacob loved Rachel he did not love Leah. She was forced into a situation because apparently people didn’t want her for a wife maybe because of her poor eyes, and next to her sister was not attractive. She felt rejection and even when she got a husband he was unwilling. Leah was resentful of her sister and her sister resentful of her.

            God knew what he was doing when he said from the very beginning, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and the two shall  become one.” There is a spiritual oneness designed by God with one husband and one wife that is God’s plan for marriage.  So even before the Law there was the Godly principle set down. People were more influenced by the culture than faith.

            Laban is behaving in exactly this fashion however in that culture. Interestingly enough it really wasn’t until the last 150 or so years that our culture began to marry for love. Marriages used to be arranged and based on compatibility. One author I read stated that “We live in an age that over values romantic love”. It has also been noted and I quote “Men and women who in earlier centuries were married, now remain unmarried and unhappy in a society that considers romantic love the only proper basis for marriage”

           

When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb and she had four sons. Each time she thought this was a blessing of God and would she would be loved by her husband. All this time Rachel was barren.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues Sept 18 

Gen 29: 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weakeyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her.”

²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. ²³ But when evening came, he took his daughter Leahand gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.

²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. ²⁷ Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

²⁸ And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ²⁹ Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. ³⁰ Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

           

From the Groom’s Perspective

There are some reflections as we look at Marriage from different perspectives.

            Although there may be many reasons for a man to get married, we know of at least three reasons Jacob wanted to get married. Sex, love, and kids. He went to this land to find a wife in order to fulfill the promise of God to have offspring to begin ancestry from which the promises of God would be made known to the world. But when he met his cousin he saw she was beautiful beyond words and fell in love with her. As soon as the seven years are up he doesn’t seem to mix words. Let me marry her they I may lie with her. Now’s the time for sexual relationship with my wife.

Is he in love with her solely based on her good looks? We are not sure. We know she’s good looking and we know he’s deeply in love with her.  Is this love at first sight? Or lust at first sight? Many times people begin their attraction physically. They are appealing to the member of the opposite sex. When I first laid my eyes on Judi she had her hair up in this large curlers and a scarf over her head. Fortunately we had future encounters which allowed me to see her in a different light!

Rachel is characterized only by her physical attractiveness. She was “beautiful of form and face” (verse 17). The author may be drawing our attention to this fact because it was the major source of attraction for Jacob. There seems to be, then, a significant contrast here between Rachel and Rebekah. Rebekah was selected for Isaac by Abraham’s servant on the basis of divine guidance and because of personal qualities which assured him that she would be a fine wife for Isaac. Rachel, on the other hand, was selected by Jacob for himself, but without any mention of her personal qualities, only a description of her beauty. Rebekah’s beauty was an additional plus, an unexpected fringe benefit; Rachel’s beauty was the essence of her selection. The red warning lights should already be flashing in our minds.

The point of verse 20 is that Rachel was well worth the high price which Jacob had agreed to pay for her—a price measured in years of service rather than dollars. The Bible says that Jacob worked those 7 years and that they went by fast to him-so in love with her that the effort he had to put out to get her hand in marriage seemed like nothing. The effort wasn’t considered great for the reward, the goal, the woman of his dreams was what he kept his sights upon.

It’s been a 7 year engagement for he calls her “my wife”. In that day and in Jesus’ day one’s engagement was considered to be as binding as marriage itself. It was a serious thing to be engaged. Legally bound to one another. Remember that Joseph spoke of quietly divorcing Mary even though they not yet officially married.

 He’s eager to have sexual relations with her. They have not had pre-marital sex. They had remained sexually pure during those 7 years of engagement. The Bible restricts sexual activity to marriage. The Bible exhorts to purity and holiness in all of our relationships. It recognizes the power of sexual desire and yet we are told to master our desires. I know that the majority of dating and engaged couples in today’s society are involved with each other sexually in ways that the Bible says must be reserved for marriage. Jacob, for all his character flaws respected Rachel when it came to physical things. He saved himself for marriage.

God has planned sex as something good and enjoyable which God has made and reserved for the marriage bed. Don’t give away your purity. Save yourself for the one you marry. Also when and if you are dating be on guard against what is known as gradualism. Gradualism is a slippery slope. First you start out holding hands, then kissing, then comes petting and then heavy petting and then before a couple knows it they’ve gone all the way. As a single person you need to set physical limits in your mind even before you start dating and you need to be resolved and firm on that. You need to commit yourself to the Lord to be the sexually pure person God wants you to be.

Love is a commitment. If you really love someone you will wait until the time is right. Now I am not necessarily recommending that people wait seven years, unless circumstances call for waiting, but the longer the engagements the more you experience challenges of life that let you reflect on the strength of a relationship. But the more a couple is together the greater the strain of wanting to be more intimate before it’s time so 1 Cor 7 comes into play in those decisions as well. It is better for a couple to marry than burn with passion.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds Sept 19 

Gen 29

¹³ As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. ¹⁴ Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, ¹⁵ Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah had weakeyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. ¹⁸ Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

¹⁹ Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her.”

²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. ²³ But when evening came, he took his daughter Leahand gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.

²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. ²⁷ Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

²⁸ And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ²⁹ Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. ³⁰ Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

From the Father-in-laws perspective

Marriage for Laban was his consideration of finding a husband for his daughters who will treat them well, be a good provider, be a good worker, and have a spiritual base. 

I believe initially there is also a spiritual element that was important for Laban.

When he first heard about Abraham and the promise given to Isaac, when he heard the servant tell how God had led him to his sister Rebekah, he acknowledged this was from God and blessed her in her leaving. Now he hears how Jacob met with the Lord, has the birthright and the promise of God and that too is important for his daughters. Parents want what they think is best for their kids and faith is an important characteristic in future spouses.

When the time of marriage came however, Laban’s responsibilities as a father overshadowed doing what was right. The end result was that Laban married off both his daughters and got 14 years of labor from Jacob. He was taking advantage of Jacobs love for his daughter.  Greed also got the best of him. It seems he was more concerned about his own motives at this point than those of his daughters. He was more concerned of the customs of his day that keeping his word, or earning trust. 

Laban corrupts Jacob morally. Polygamy wasn’t God’s original design. Two sisters in the same man’s bed wasn’t God’s design. Yet Jacob goes along with it which says something about his character too. He completes the wedding week with Leah and then the week after takes Rachel on as his wife. The end result is a big mess! Jacob ends up with 2 wives. One he doesn’t love or want, and the other he favors. That does not make for a very good marriage or family relationship.

 Incidentally the text tells us that as a wedding gift Laban gives both Leah and Rachel a servant girl.  This becomes important later.

            The irony of this is that what goes around comes around. Jacob was a deceiver taking the birthright from his eldest brother. Now Jacob was forced to learn that the right of the firstborn must be respected within that culture. Jacob wore a disguise pretending to his brother to get the blessing, now Leah wears the wedding veil to conceal her identify imposing as her sister for the marriage blessing.

            Laban is not one we would want to use as an example. But it is possible that you are a person who use people and cherish things, other than the other way around. It's possible that you have been unfeeling in your dealings with others. Friend, follow the course of Laban's life. He eventually loses his daughters, his grandchildren, and much of his wealth.

You have to think that one day Laban woke up and realized that he had squandered the good things of life away by his actions. I can't help but think that he died a lonely and broken man. His riches would be empty without the love of family and walking in integrity with the Lord. Although Laban had appreciation for the God of Abraham, he also had other idols around as we will see later.

He is to be commended for his desire to have his daughters cared for, but using his son-in-law for his own advantages makes for unhealthy in law relationships.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs Sept 20 

Gen 29

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah had weakeyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. ¹⁸ Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

    ²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. ²³ But when evening came, he took his daughter Leahand gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.

²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. ²⁷ Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

 ³⁰ Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah.

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

³³ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.

³⁴ Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

³⁵ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.Then she stopped having children.

From the Brides' Perspective

           

Few women have been so misunderstood as Leah. Even her name does her a great disservice, for it means “wild cow.” The statement that she had “weak eyes” (verse 17) seems to many to portray Leah as a homely girl with pop-bottle glasses, who cannot see. .

The Bible doesn’t go into the detail regarding the part the she plays in the deception since it was her father’s idea. She could have protested and let the secret out before he said “I do”. I think she might have been a willing accompanist. Perhaps her lack of beauty, which is implied not stated, made it difficult to find a husband so now was her chance to have a man by hook or crook.

            Are there other marriages that are done with pretense instead of openness in our day? I am aware of manipulation and secrets that are kept on the part of husband and wives in certain incidents before marriage. I am aware of some brides thinking they will never get married and that fear drives them to pretend they are something they are not until after the wedding when truth always comes out. I know of men who don’t think they can get a bride so will lie to deceive their mate or not tell whole story until later.

           

I knew a girl in our youth group at my home church in Detroit who felt that she could never find a boyfriend. When one dated her she really dolled up for him. She lost weight, got contacts, used make up and womanly charms to win him over, but after the marriage never saw her with contacts again, doubled her weight and seldom used make up. I left the area but discovered later they were divorced and she was left alone. If he married only for physical reasons both guys and girls will be in for a big surprise. I think however the lady was pretending to be something she wasn’t and the outward covering was a symptom of an inward need what she also hid from her spouse.

            But try to put yourself in Leah’s shoes after the wedding. Jacob's rejection had to hurt. No one likes rejection no matter what culture you are living in. How would you feel if after your week-long honeymoon your husband married someone else -your sister? You yearn for someone to love you and maybe you are tempted to do anything to find that love. Again, don't compromise your standards. The world may not see your beauty yet but God does. He has made you to be a uniquely gifted person that He will use in a wonderful way. If you feel you have nothing to offer, it is because you are not looking through the eyes of the Lord.

The Lord had compassion on Leah because she was discriminated against and unloved by her husband. She was second fiddle. God opened her womb, a special honor for women in that society and blessed her with sons. God knows our hurts and our feelings and understands rejection. He will never forget us. 

I want to say a word first about Rachel. Imagine being Rachel and being able to say with pride and admiration “Look what my man is doing to show how much he loves me. Look at that man. That man loves me. Don’t you all wish someone would be able to say that about you? I know they love me. Just look at their sacrifice for me. Look at what they are doing for me.”

Few things are as important to women today as beauty. This beauty thing is way overplayed even in our society. Rachel was a wonderfully-endowed woman. There is nothing wrong with that. Sarah was beautiful, and so was Rebekah. But outward beauty must always be a secondary consideration. Jacob looked at Rachel’s exterior and investigated no further into her character. The writer, King Lemuel, was not in error when he gave this counsel: Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised (Proverbs 31:30).

Men and boys, this is a word for us. We all want to be seen with the beautiful girls. We all have dreamed of dating them. Some have made great sacrifices to marry a showpiece. Let us look first for character, and if we find it, let us look no further. If we find character with charm and beauty, let us consider ourselves fortunate.

Ladies, I realize that our society has placed a premium on glamour and beauty. I understand that much of your sense of self-worth is based upon your outward attractiveness and “sex appeal.” However, that is wrong. Our ultimate worth is that estimation which comes from God. God was not impressed with Rachel’s good looks. After all, He gave that to her in the first place. God looked upon the heart and blessed Leah. Her worth, while never fully realized by her husband, was great in the eyes of God. May all of us learn to be content with ourselves as God made us, and may we find our real worth in the realm of the spirit 

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri Sept 21

 Gods’ Perspective

Marriage is to be in obedience to God to reflect his glory and be used to honor him and serve others and carry out his purposes in our lives. Can he do that better if you are married or single? It was God’s will for Jacob to be married. It wasn’t God’s will to marry two women, but the grace of God was made evident even in the circumstances of ignorance and disobedience. God will work out good and carry out his will and will set us up again on the right path if we let Him.

God’s purposes are going to be accomplished in spite of the messes we make in life. You and I may blow it big time but God’s not done with us and He’s still able and will accomplish the immutable purposes he has for our lives.

Mark this down. Marriage doesn’t solve problems. It can only reveal and intensify them. It is not to be used to escape problems at home or in your personal life. The person that Jacob married literally was not the person he intended to marry. Can’t we all say that about our spouses? We joke and say, It doesn’t make any difference who you marry on your wedding day it is a different person a few months later. None of us marry our dreams. We marry reality and the person is always different than what we imagined in our dreams. So then we learn to live with the reality by the grace of God.

In nearly every relationship, husbands and wives experience a period of unfulfilled expectations. God often works in our lives not by giving us the perfect environment, but by demonstrating his grace, love, and power in our imperfect situations.

God did not bring these events to pass to punish Jacob but to instruct him. Punishment has been born by our Savior on the cross, but discipline is the corrective training which furthers us on the path leading to godliness (cf. Hebrews 12).

In addition to all this, Jacob experienced the grace of God in the delay of 14 plus years. It was this delay which contributed to the preservation of Jacob’s life by keeping him away from the anger of Esau, who had purposed to kill him.

Amazingly, the grace of God was manifested in this event by the gift of Leah as a wife to Jacob. Leah was Jacobs first wife. It was Leah, not Rachel, who became the mother of Judah, who was to be the heir through whom the Messiah would come. Also it was Levi, a son of Leah, who provided the priestly line in later years.

God comes to Leah's defense. The Lord is the defender of the broken-hearted. Certainly as a result of this a relationship did seem to develop between Jacob and Leah. He may not have loved her the most, but he did seem to love her.

God is Holy but His followers are not. We have read this morning of people who made mistakes. Yet, these are people God chose and used to bring about our salvation.

Do you see why this is significant? Some of you may have been putting off following Jesus because of the hypocrisy of some of claim his name? You have misunderstood the gospel It's God who is holy not his followers. Yes, there are many who claim to love Christ who show no resemblance to the Savior at all. Friend, there will always be that in the church. Look to Jesus!

You may have written others off because they do not "measure up". Friend, be careful. Jesus tells us that the measure we use in judging others will be the measure that is applied to you. Can you life up to the standards that you hold others to?  Some of you are desperately discouraged because your life does not measure up to what you wish it would be. You need to remember that being holy is something granted to us by faith in Christ. Then we grow in incorporated the works of God in our lifetime. Be confident of God  be patient with yourself. The process of growth should be steady  Don't get discouraged and give up. When you stumble, get up, confess your sin and begin again.

The wonder of this story is that it points us to Jesus. The whole purpose of our Savior's coming and His substitutionary death was to pay for our rebellion. We are all in desperate need of a Savior simply because God is holy and we are not. He requires perfection . . . we don't come close to meeting his standard. We need someone to rescue us. That someone is Jesus. His death on the cross was to pay the price of our sin.

The wonder of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is this: God knows what we are like. He knows the duplicity in our hearts and the rebellion that often governs our lives. And knowing this . . . knowing what we were really like . . . He still sent Christ for us. We deserve to spend eternity facing the horror of Hell. That's what we deserve! But Christ came to offer us a way out.  He offered to take our place; to suffer our penalty; to make us new. He comes to us in our foolishness and rebellion and offers us a chance to start again. You see, If God loved Jacob, Rachel, and Leah . . .God can and will love you. The question is: will you receive that love?

Pastor Dale

Choices and Decisions Genesis 28

Sermon Nuggets Mon Sept 10 

Verses: Gen 28:1-22                          

Choices and Decisions

            Every day in our lives we are confronted with many choices and decisions. We are asked as a nation to elect a new president, as well as other government officials. We are asked to chose something as important as a mate for life and as simple as if we want paper or plastic at the grocery store; choices of a job, or home as well as what to wear.

            I was told a story many years ago of twin brothers who went into the army. They were very different as one arose high in the ranks to become a general. The other never made it out of perpetual KP. The stresses of life followed them and they had nervous breakdowns and met again in a psych ward. The younger asked the older why he was there. He said life as a General has many decisions. “Decisions, decisions, decisions. I never knew how to decide. How about you?”

“ Same thing. My sergeant asked me to peal the potatoes and put them in three piles, small medium and large. Decisions, decisions, decisions.”

           

There is a book out called don’t sweat the small stuff.  Someone added, Everything is small stuff. Perhaps an eternal perspective helps us understand that sometimes we major in the minors and minor in the majors.              

As we looking at the choices and decisions made and implied in this passage we see a very different direction for Esau than Jacob, though we acknowledge both are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. Judas and Peter were the same way you know. Both fell short of the glory of God. But they handled their sins in different ways. One through repentance and the other through remorse. One  through coming to Christ for forgiveness and the other taking matters into his own hands to pay for his own sins. 

What decisions are you facing this week? Are you open to God’s leading? How might He best guide you? Do you really want His best even if you do not know how to decide?

We are often faced in life with many choices and decisions. What are the principles that help guide us?  Prayer, Scripture, advice, and peace of heart are all part of that. I see some contrasts that motivate the lives of Esau and Jacob in their choices.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues Sept 11 

Gen 28:1-9 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman. ² Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. ³ May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. ⁴ May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the landwhere you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham.” ⁵ Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶ Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” ⁷ and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. ⁸ Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; ⁹ so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

Pleasure or Purity

            There is nothing wrong with pleasures, and may I add there is nothing wrong with purity. But given the two options most in our culture would choose pleasure over purity. Pleasure crosses the line when it is sin or it hurts other people. Pleasure is self centered; purity is God centered. But when we are God centered we find a pleasure that is longer lasting and deeper than the pleasures offered in this world.

            Our society says the pleasure is the greatest goal in our life. Whether it is drinking beer, having sex, feasting on pornography, involved in gluttony. Whether it is passing on gossip, or over indulging in sports or hobbies.

                       

As we look at the passage now, Isaac agrees with his wife Rebekah that it  is God’s will that Jacob marry, have children and be the ancestor of the promised line blessed of God. He changes his attitude toward Jacob now when he realizes he was wrong in trying to do God’s will his own way.

There was no question that when Isaac was to find a wife she was the bride of God’s choosing. Abraham directed his servant to go to his relatives Haran and the Lord directed his father’s servant. They looked in the right place for the right reasons and sought Gods direction and the Lord provided the right spouse.

Now you might think, since this was a marriage made in heaven that they wouldn’t have any conflicts. Just like Christian couples who pray and sense clearly Gods’ direction for them to marry for all the right reasons and find to their surprise their spouse isn’t perfect. Neither were Isaac and Rebekah. We saw they had conflicts mostly over their children and showing favoritism. Married couples will face times of adjustment and conflict. Part of the commitment in marriage is the faith to trust God  they will be worked out, or grace to live with them.

            So Jacob obeyed and sought God’s will and his parents blessing by leaving for the land of his ancestors for a wife.

            Esau was not concerned about God’s will for his life in finding a spouse. He knew about the teachings of his grandfather, since Esau and Jacob were 14 years old when Grandpa Abraham died. He knew about the example and teachings and stories of his father.  But the pleasure of a good time were more important than spiritual concerns or seeking to live a godly life. He was looking for pleasure. The women that satisfied him and his desires motivated him to marry two Hittite women which met with the disapproval of his parents. Now remember, as we said before in another sermon,  it was not the race as much as the false faith of the people that is the Biblical objection as we see many exceptions to the racial issues.

Many people live for pleasure only to find they compromise their purity. We too often find that happiness defined by our culture is pretty shallow and not fulfilling. Jacob is willing to wait for the right woman rather than meeting his fleshly desires and making choices that aren’t God’s best. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because it is fun doesn’t mean its right and just because it is right doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.

I have been surprised often of people thinking all Christians do is sit home read the Bible, looking for reasons to criticize others, and look for ways to squelch fun. Yet after they come to the Lord and gotten involved in activities I have heard over again “I didn’t know Christians could have so much fun.” 

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds Sept 12 

Gen 28: 8-17 ⁸ Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; ⁹ so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

   ¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. ¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.¹³ There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. ¹⁵ I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave youuntil I have done what I have promised you.”

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Pleasing others or Presence of God.

Esau has learned at least one of the reasons why he felt unloved: his wives displeased his parents. I say “parents,” but you will observe that Esau is not reported to have cared about his mother’s sentiments toward him, only his father’s.  Desperately he sought to win the approval of his father. If having a non-Canaanite wife was all that it took to please his father, then that was a small price to pay for the approval he craved. Failing to see any problem in his actions, Esau took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael (verse 9). This woman was no Canaanite; she was of the family of Abraham. What could be more pleasing to Isaac than this?

But Esau did not understand the matter of purity or the presence of God. Ishmael had been rejected to carry out the line of Abraham because he was a child of human effort. He was a product of human ingenuity, not spiritual dependence. Marriage to a descendant of Ishmael was done it seems to please dad and others. Without realizing it, he typified in this act the very thing which God most condemned. Don’t things to please others instead of God. Just as Abraham acted on his own to achieve a son, so Esau acted one his own win the approval of others. Ishmael also represents the man’s way, the way of the slave and not the way of grace.

Perhaps I can comment on in-law relationships. I believe that Isaac and Rebekah knew what they were talking about when they wanted to prevent Esau from marrying Caananite women. They knew they would not help spiritually. They knew the culture around them and the ties that compromise faith. As you have heard there were many cultures including the Jewish culture where arranged marriages by parents were prominent. Listen to your parents, even if you don’t agree with them you can be sure of two things, they love you and have your best interests in mind generally, and they have had experience.

            Also remember when the Bible says “a man shall leave your father and other and be joined to your wife and the two shall become one flesh.” There is a place to realize that your mate is the most important person in your life, and your commitment to your spouse is to be above your parents. There are many unhealthy in-law relationships because of interference in areas where parents have no right.

           

Thirdly, a healthy relationship is when it is not competing for power, attention, or love. My advice is make the very best of your in law relationships as you possibly can.  The best type of relationship is where there is acceptance, communication, respect and love. Do what you can to make that happen for our spouses sake. Don’t force your mate to not have contact with his or her parents. For both parents and children, as well as sisters and brothers in law, the Bible says as much as it is up to you, live in peace.

Esau in seeking to be popular and pleasing others also loose the close presence of God.  Many of our choices and decisions are influenced by other people. Now there is no problem with trying to please others if it is also moral and ethical. For an employee to please a boss by doing good work is commendable; for a salesperson to achieve notoriety by working hard and making more than his quota and please his supervisors is worthy as long as it is done honestly. A husband or a wife who do certain things to please their spouse makes for strong marriages. For a student to please a teacher or a soldier to please his officer can bring delight.  But once pleasing others conflicts with pleasing God it will hinder the presence of God.

Politicians will try very hard to please the people in a popularity contest to get elected. But sometimes to please others means you compromise principles and values. Pastors can be tempted to please the people of his church at the compromise of truth or rebuke that is Godly. It is never popular to be a prophet. But to declare the whole truth of God is to be blessed of the father.

While Esau had lots of people around him and would not be considered lonely with three wives and host of servants. Here is Jacob all by himself, going where he is never known or loved. It is an unpopular place to be. But in this setting he has a meeting with God. This is a story of grace revisited. God meets him while he is by himself seeking to obedient to he call and finding a wife among the family of his mother a different line from his Grandfather Abraham.

            And what a meeting it was. He sees the angel coming up and down from heaven and the revelation that all that was promised to his Grandfather and father would now be his. The vision represents, symbolically, what the divine promise declared in words (verses 13-15) and forms a bridge between heaven and earth. At the foot was a poor, helpless and forsaken man. Jacob here represents human nature with its inability and helplessness. The angels of God ever descend to bring help and give deliverance. This forsaken and helpless man is to become the source of blessing and medium of salvation to the whole world.

As we today look back on the fulfillment of the promise of blessing, we know that this blessing was to be accomplished by the descent of the fullness of the personal God into helpless and unworthy human nature, through the incarnation of God in Christ.

In the immediate sense, the Lord seems to make a particular application to Jacob and speaks as though that ladder were placed between heaven and earth for Jacob only. "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go." and "I will not leave you." The Lord reveals to us what we call His particular providence over those who are His servants. Wherever we are, he declares He sees us; He tells us He is with us. He assures us He cares for us and pledges to keep us.

Jacob was about to leave the land of promise for a twenty year sojourn in Paddan-aram. He might be tempted never to return to this land again. By means of this dramatic vision God impressed Jacob with the significance of this land. It was the place where heaven and earth met. It was the place where God would come down to man and where men would find access to God. It was, as Jacob asserted, “the gate of heaven.”

Throughout those twenty years Jacob would never forget this dream. He would realize that ultimately, to be in the will of God, he must be in the place of God’s choosing, the land of promise. It was in the land that God’s blessings would be poured out upon God’s people. While Jacob must leave, he must surely return.

Do you remember a similar picture described in the New Testament? Jesus was picking his disciples when he came across Nathanael sitting “under the fig tree” He said here is one without guile.  Nathanael questioned him how any good could come from Nazareth. And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). Nathanael had put too much stock in place. How could Messiah come from Nazareth? Jesus had been born in Bethlehem. Don’t put the emphasis on the land, but on the ladder.  He, Jesus of Nazareth, was the ladder.

Jacob saw God above the ladder; Jesus revealed God as the ladder. Ultimately it was Jesus Christ who bridged the gap between heaven and earth. It is through Him that God has come down to man. It is through Him that man will have access to God. Jacob saw what he needed to see at that moment in his life. Jesus revealed to Nathanael that there was much more to be seen than what Jacob had perceived in his day.

Jacob rather than seeking to please others found himself in the presence of God and that was more blessed. Which would you pick and why?

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs Sept 13 

Verses Gen 28:18-21¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.¹⁹ He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God ²² and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Prosperity or Peace.

There is another ingredient that is in play with our choices and decisions. It has to do with possession or prosperity instead of peace of mind and trust in God. This is implied more than stated with Esau, but he had plenty compared to Jacob who left it all at this point.

In Jacob’s meeting with God there were some very important promises: "I am with you. Wherever you go, whatever you do, whatever your circumstances are, I am with you." And he underscores this by this vision of the stairway. "Jacob, utter your needs, and I will respond. Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you." This represents a continual supply; whatever our need is, God meets that need. This is what the Lord wanted Jacob to know. Wherever he went, he had this same sort of access to God.

Actually, this had been true in Jacob's life for seventy-seven years. The Lord had been that kind of God to Jacob. Whatever his need was, he met it. But it was only now that Jacob saw it. The veil was torn away from his eyes so that, for an instant, he saw spiritual truths which ordinarily are hidden--because we humans live, for the most part, in the physical dimension-but which are none the less true.

The blessing of his two sons was the last we have in the active life of Isaac. Jacob now becomes the leading figure in the sacred history. Abraham’s life was one of authority and decision, Isaac’s of submission and quietness, and Jacob’s one of trial and struggle. There was no accumulation of wives, no material blessings yet for Jacob. Esau’s household grows and the more wives you have the more in the culture in which you live looked upon you as wealthy. The things of this earth become important to so many and possessions become so important- unfortunately more important than peace.

All of Jacob’s efforts to achieve the blessing of God are in vain as well. It was only by entering into a relationship with the covenant God of Abraham and Isaac that Jacob could experience the blessings of God. The basis for such a relationship was the revealed word of God.

I find it amusing that while Jacob could not find God by striving, he was found by God while in his sleep. Surely God is trying to tell us something by this. It is by resting in Him and in His Word that we can be blessed. This does not mean the absence of activity on our part, but it does mean that self-effort will always be futile.

           

What is Jacob request? Vs. 20-21. If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I may return to my father house, then the Lord will be my God.”. What will bring Jacob peace? Not possessions or prosperity but knowing God, resting in his protection, having food and clothes. That would be it. Anything else is a tremendous blessing.

1 Tim 6:8 “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

 Heb 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.".

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri Sept 14 

Gen 28:20-22 ²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God ²² and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Performance or Promise

Ultimately the question of faith is – do I trust what I’m going to do for God, or do I trust God and His promises? Back in the mid 1960s, three out of four Americans said they trusted the federal government to do what is right all or most all the time, according to Gallup. Twenty years ago that figure had dropped to 44%.  Ten years ago only 19% have that kind of faith in the government. Last year according to CNN only 15% people polled trust the federal government to do what is right.

Last year the Gallup poll showed 75% of the people trusted the military and 45% trusted the church or faith communities.

Many do not live in trusting anyone or anything because they have been disappointed. People who have been burned aren’t sure they can trust much again.

 Judge “How could you swindle those people who trusted you so?”  

Con man: You can only swindle those who trust you.”

God promises to be our God, our Savior. We do not have the same call as Jacob did, nor Abraham, nor Sarah, nor Hannah. What is God’s call and promise in your life? “I will never leave you, nor forsake you- therefore you can confidently say, the Lord is my helper, Why can man do to me?”

 Many times in our lives God allows us to experience the results of our choices and our decisions even though we think we are doing them for God, to find that we need only accept the promises laid out before us. 

I believe when we accept God at his word, then it is a response, not a performance that comes from the heart, not obligation to express our love back to God in wanting to live for him and in worship and service. That is the vow that Jacob makes, to put a marker of his faith commitment at the place of meeting with God and promises by means of giving God 10% of all he has or will have which is symbolic of giving himself. Even our choices can be selfish, or made to be a performance, but the promise of God come as a gift to us even while we are sinners, or lack faith, or lack understanding.

I don’t believe there is anything special about that spot except that is where God meet Jacob, not the other way around. The reason God was there was that Jacob was there. Wherever Jacob went, God would be there. Jacob was on his way up to Haran, which by this time had become idolatrous. The people there had rejected the truth and worshiped another god entirely, as becomes apparent later on. He was going to be in a situation where people were deceitful, cruel, vicious, and untrustworthy. But wherever Jacob went, that would be "Beth-el," "the house of God," that would be the gate of heaven. There would be access to God there. God would be there, because Jacob would be there.

I like what one preacher said, “We have a tendency to invest certain places with religious significance, because we feel that is where God is. God does not live in this church building. He is here when we are here. But when we are gone, this is not a holy site. Wherever you go, that is the house of God- that is the gate of heaven. This means that your house -- which may seem a cold and loveless place to you--is the house of God. There are angels ascending and descending upon you as you move about in that house. Your kitchen sink is the house of God, when you are there. That ought to change your attitude about washing dishes! When you have been cooking all afternoon, have served up a fine meal, and then everybody has gone off to watch TV and you are left to wash the dirty dishes, remember, that is the house of God. God is available to you right there. For some of you businessmen, your car is your office, and in it you go from place to place. And because of the state of the economy, you are really suffering. Remember, that car is the house of God. Your office or workbench, or wherever you are throughout the day, is the house of God.” (I lost the source of the quote)

 At times of deliverance from life’s disparities we vow our future faithfulness to God; yet our futures are marked with the grief and guilt of vows forgotten and contracts broken. God yearns for a fellowship with us in which we are committed to Him in devotion, service and faithfulness to our vows. It is profound that God is faithful to us in our unfaithfulness to Him.

Entering into a relationship with God does not guarantee only good times and happy experiences; but it does assure us of the forgiveness of sins, the hope of eternal life, and the presence of God in our everyday lives. Based on that it is worthy to make choices and decisions based on faith in God rather than pleasures, prosperity, pleasing others, or performances. How about you?

Pastor Dale