Monthly Archives: January 2024

JACOB, DECEIVER TURNED DEPENDENT – 4

Bible Study, ,

JACOB IN HARAN

Initially, Jacob received a warm welcome into Laban’s household. He became one of the family and part of the team that ran the affairs of Laban’s family business.

After a month in the household, Laban offered to pay Jacob wages for his work. Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter, so he asked for HER hand in marriage, not knowing that he, the deceiver, had set himself up to be deceived.

After seven years of hard work, he finally got his reward, only to find that the wily Laban had palmed Leah, the unattractive older sister, on to Jacob in the dark. Jacob was incensed but, because of his love for Rachel, he pledged another seven years to pay for her to be his wife.

‭Genesis‬ ‭29:28‭-‬30‬ ‭NLT‬
[28] “So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. [29] (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) [30] So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.”

God blessed Leah with four sons to compensate for Jacob’s disdain, the first four ancestors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel was barren, which would have increased the tension in Jacob’s household.

Four little boys running around in their home got to Rachel so she did the typically human and cultural thing. She gave her maid, Bilhah to Jacob to bear children for her.

‭Genesis‬ ‭30:1‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” [2] Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!” [3] Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” [4] So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. [5] Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. [6] Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” [7] Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. [8] Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”

There seemed to be no end to the rivalry between the sisters but, in this chaotic and unpleasant family situation, God was busy building the foundation and framework of His nation.

Leah, too, climbed on the bandwagon, adding another servant into the already messy situation.

‭Genesis‬ ‭30:9‭-‬13‬ ‭NLT‬
[9] “Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. [10] Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. [11] Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!” [12] Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. [13] And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”

Now Jacob had four wives to contend with, with all the rivalry and confusion this situation would inevitably bring with it.

‭Genesis‬ ‭30:14‭-‬21‬ ‭NLT‬
[14] “One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” [15] But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?” Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.” [16] So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. [17] And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. [18] She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” [19] Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. [20] She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” [21] Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.”

Ten sons, three mothers and one barren, favourite wife! What a recipe for chaos. Finally, God blessed Rachel with her own precious son, Joseph, who would later play a dramatic role in the lives of his brothers.

‭Genesis‬ ‭30:25‭-‬26‬ ‭NIV‬
[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.”

So, Jacob was eager to return home but Laban refused to let him go, offering him an even bigger reward is he stayed longer.

‭Genesis‬ ‭30:27‭-‬28‬ ‭NIV‬
[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.”

Jacob asked for all the animals in Laban’s flocks of sheep and goats that had discoloured coats. Laban agreed, and separated out the animals Jacob had requested, removing his own far away so that Jacob couldn’t be get at r them. So, Jacob once again devised an ingenious plan to defraud his uncle, enriching himself at his uncle’s expense.

‭Genesis‬ ‭30:37‭-‬39‬ ‭NIV‬
[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.”

Now, added to the mix was the hostility of Laban’s sons towards Jacob. There was no end to Jacob’s trickery as he manipulated Laban’s animals to enrich himself. Laban’s sons were suspicious of him and complained to their father. Laban’s changed attitude towards him, setting him on course to turn to Canaan.

Armed with God’s promise of His presence and His commitment to bless him, Jacob gathered his family and possessions and set off secretly while Laban was out of town.

When Laban returned and found the house strangely empty and quiet, he was angry and set off to them back. However, God warned him to leave the alone. He finally caught up with them and said his farewells after a stern rebuke.

What do we learn from this season in Jacob’s life? Perhaps the most evident is the mess we make when we leave God out of the mix. The longer Jacob stayed under Laban’s roof the more complicated his life became. Gid blessed him with children and possessions but his relationships, the most important aspect of human life, were in tatters.

Jacob left Laban under a cloud of mistrust, resentment, and hostility and set out with misgivings to collide with the same attitudes as he faced Esau.

How would he handle a situation of his own making?

To be continued…

JACOB – DECEIVER TURNED DEPENDENT – 3

Bible Study, ,

Jacob’s trickery forced him to flee his brother’s wrath and put many miles between himself and Esau. Once again, Rebekah used a devious excuse to cool the situation.

‭Genesis‬ ‭27:41‭-‬46‬ ‭NLT‬
[41] “From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.” [42] But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. [43] So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. [44] Stay there with him until your brother cools off. [45] When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” [46] Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”

‭Genesis‬ ‭28:1‭-‬5‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. [2] Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. [3] May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! [4] May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.” [5] So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.”

Jacob set off, knowing nothing of the tortuous road ahead of him. Instead of condemning him for his wickedness, God had an encounter with Jacob on his first night away from home that changed the direction of his life, adding the dimension of God to his thinking that seems to have been missing up to this time.

‭Genesis‬ ‭28:10‭-‬15‬ ‭NIV‬
[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 you until I have done what I have promised you.”

One wonders how much Isaac taught his sons about their grandfather, Abraham’s faith in the God who had made such awesome promises to him and his descendants. Was Abraham active in his grandson’s lives? Although he died at the age of 175, there is no mention of Isaac’s children until after Abraham’s death.

So, in Jacob’s first encounter with God in a dream, God includes him in the promises He made to Abraham and Isaac. From then on, Jacob, despite his dismal track record, becomes the third revered patriarch of the nation of Israel yet to be born.

Such is the nature of God and His promises that He is never hindered by the failures of those to whom His promises are given.

So said the Apostle Paul,

‭Romans‬ ‭2:4‬ ‭NLT‬
[4] “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”

‭Genesis‬ ‭28:16‭-‬22‬ ‭NIV‬
[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.” [18] 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 household, 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.”

Armed with the memory of his dream and the promises of favour and blessing on his life, Jacob continued his journey to Haran where he, like his grandfather’s servant, Eliezer, was divinely led to meet his father’s family and his future wives, Leah and Rachel. In the household of Laban, his mother’s brother, he would deceive and be deceived until his life became intolerable in the atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust.

To be continued…

JACOB – DECEIVER TURNED DEPENDENT – 2

Bible Study, ,

Unlike his son, Joseph, Jacob seems to have had no moral compass. He was an opportunist. His mother must have coached him to believe in his future (being above his brother) without instilling in him a trust in God that would allow God to work out His plans in his life.

So, when the opportunity presented, Jacob exploited his brother’s weak moment to get what he wanted, his brother’s birthright. Hunger gnawing in his belly, Esau agreed without giving it another thought.

Esau’s foolishness is a good example of a person who lives FOR the moment rather than IN the moment. To live for the moment implies that the foolish person does not consider what impact a present decision will have on his/her future, for example, a young girl gets pregnant after a one-night stand.

To live in the moment means to live fully in the present with an eye on the future.

So, our Jacob has set himself up for trouble in the future. No only has he jumped the gun on God’s plans but he has also sown the seeds of discord in his family. Jesus said that a family divided against itself will not stand. How tru that was for Jacob. No only was his own family divided but also the family into which he married in Haran.

The scene is set for phase two of his plan to defraud his brother. Aided by his mother, he jumps at the opportunity to steal his father’s blessing, the second half of the birthright of the eldest son.

‭Genesis‬ ‭27:1‭-‬10‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.” “Yes, Father?” Esau replied. [2] “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. [3] Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. [4] Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.” [5] But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, [6] she said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, [7] ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ [8] Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. [9] Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. [10] Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.”

The plan, cleared of obstacles by Rebekah’s ingenuity, falls into place and Jacob, once again, gets what he wants by manipulation, lies, and trickery.

True to God’s warning, and in keeping with the deceptive behaviour of both Abraham and Isaac, Jacob, continues a life of deception into the third generation.

‭Exodus‬ ‭34:7‬ ‭NLT‬
[7] “I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”

To be continued…

JACOB, DECEIVER TURNED DEPENDENT – 1

Bible Study, ,

Although Isaac was one of the patriarchs, his story is relatively uneventful. He seems to be the bridge between his father, Abraham, and his son, Jacob.

He was the miracle son of Abraham, the object of Abraham’s faith. His birth in his parents’ old age confirmed the start of a string of promises that stretched unendingly into their future.

For Jacob, his son, Isaac was the victim of trickery and deceit, disrespect and dishonour, possibly fuelled by the favouritism Isaac showed his brother, Esau, for purely selfish reasons.

‭Genesis‬ ‭25:28‬ ‭NLT‬
[28] “Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.”

So, we come to Jacob, younger son of twins born to Isaac and Rebekah in answer to Isaac’s prayer. From before their birth, these two boys were in conflict. Rebekah asked the Lord why they struggled in her womb and, once again as in many other times, God revealed that He had chosen the younger brother over the elder to fulfill His purposes. How often God bypassed the older son in favour of the younger to be the vehicle of His purposes.

‭Genesis‬ ‭25:21‭-‬23‬ ‭NLT‬
[21] “Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. [22] But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. [23] And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

Scripture does not reveal how God would carry out His plan to build His nation through Jacob rather than Esau. Perhaps He was revealing to Rebekah what would happen through human conniving rather than how it would happen according to His will.

Like her grandparents-in-law, Abraham and Sarah (in the birth of Ishmael), Rebekah tried to help God in this process, only to sour relationships between the brothers and cause unnessary conflict in her family. Since Jacob was her favourite son, Jacob was to be God’s favoured one, and she would make sure it happened!

To be continued…

BIG DADDY IS WATCHING YOU!

Christian Life, ,

In the six-plus years I have lived as a tenant at 29 Braemar Road, my worst sin has been the many times I have inadvertantly left the electric gate open! Recently, I drove off, leaving the gate open again, (the remote didn’t respond at the first press of the button), blissfully unaware that my landlord was watching at the window.

On my return, my landlady confronted me as usual. “You left the gate open AGAIN!” Oh dear, the worst was that her husband was watching me do it, or not do it! Now, I remind myself, every time I back down the driveway, “Big daddy’s watching you!” It does help, a little!

Several years ago, I wrote a poem based on Psalm139 which, I think, is the most beautiful and inspiring psalm in the whole book of Psalms.

‭Psalms‬ ‭139:1‭-‬18‬, 23-24 ‭NLT‬
[1] O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. [2] You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
[3] You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
[4] You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
[5] You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
[6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
[7] I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
[8] If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
[9] If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
[10] even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
[11] I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
[12] but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
[13] You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
[14] Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
[15] You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
[16] You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. [17] How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
[18] I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!…
[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
[24] Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, there are many benefits to living in the bubble of God. What happens when we find ourselves, through faith in Jesus, aware that we are encased in God’s presence?

God rakes through our minds, scrutinising every thought, belief, and desire, because these are the sources of our words and behaviour. God’s internal scouring can be unnerving if we do not take control of and discipline our minds to think God’s revealed thoughts and not follow the dictates of the flesh.

God knows what we do with our bodies too; how we use and abuse them, what we put into them through our senses, where we go with them. He made our bodies, watching and supervising every stage of our development in utero, overseeing our birth and growth through all the phases of our lives from infancy to adulthood.

When we try to run from Him because of our rebellious nature—fear, guilt, shame driving us from Him, there is nowhere to hide. We are encased in Him wherever we go. Heaven and hell might try to hide us but He is Jehovah Shamma—God is there! Even deepest darkness is no obstacle to Him. God can see in the dark!

What’s God’s motive for all this observation, supervision, and involvement in our lives? Why is Big Daddy watching us?

David was God’s friend. It makes sense, according to God’s promise as David found out, that God should reveal to him the deep secrets of His covenant.

‭Psalms‬ ‭25:14‬ ‭NLT‬
[14] “The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.”

So, what did God teach David through His covenant?

God wasn’t interested in all David’s failures. He wasn’t fazed by David’s mess-ups. He had a perfect solution to deal with those.

Psalms‬ ‭32:1‬, 2 ‭NLT‬
[1] Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
[2]” Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”

After all, this was part of God’s covenant!

God’s passion, as David discovered, was to accompany, guide, support, and bless His child. He had already written David’s history before he was born. Every day was accounted for in His book. All David had to do was to live his story written by the divine Author, trusting His love and following His instructions.

Psalms‬ ‭139:5‬, and 9-10 NLT‬
[5] You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head….
[8] “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. [9] If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, [10] even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me…
[17] How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! [18] I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”

So, what was David’s response to this revelation of God’s overwhelming goodness, favour, and blessing?

“Here’s my heart, Lord. I throw it wide open and give you permission to scrutinise every part. I want you to lead me in your way without obstacles and hindrance from me. I want you to be my Supreme Authority in every department of my life.”

Where was all this leading? God had a destiny and destination for David and for all of us who follow his direction. Our destiny…

‭Romans‬ ‭8:29‬ ‭NLT‬
[29] “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Our destination…

Let David tell us in another beloved psalm

‭Psalms‬ ‭23:6‬ ‭NLT‬
[6] “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

My beloved fellow believers, take heart! Big Daddy is watching you!