Series Introduction:

Two weeks ago, we continued our journey with Jacob. This journey led us to a pivotal moment in his life when the Lord Himself appeared to him on the road to Haran. In that divine encounter, we witnessed the revelation of God's promises of grace that brought Jacob to his knees in worship. We were reminded of the great chasm between earth and heaven. But amid our failed attempts to reach heaven on our own, a beacon of hope pierces the darkness. God, in His infinite wisdom and boundless love, has bridged that seemingly insurmountable gap. He has done so through the person of Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our only Mediator. He is the stairway to heaven, the bridge between our broken humanity and the perfect divinity of God.

This week, we will pick up where we left off, with Jacob weary from his travels, arriving at his mother's homeland. In this land, Jacob will fall in love, but Jacob will also get a taste of his own medicine. The man who deceived his father to steal a blessing will himself be deceived.  

Scripture Reading: 

Genesis 29:1-30 (ESV)

Opening Prayer:

Heavenly Father, as we gather before you today, we come with hearts full of gratitude and expectation for the treasures you have prepared for us in your Word. Open the eyes of our hearts to see the gospel threads woven throughout the narrative. May we come to a deeper understanding of your boundless love, your unmerited grace, and the transformative power of your Word. Speak to us, O Lord, and may our hearts be receptive to the truths you wish to reveal to us today. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Introduction:

Jacob's entire life was forever altered by one mistake. In choosing to deceive his father and steal his brother's blessing, Jacob had lost everything he held dear. He had lost his home, family, and any of the possessions he might have inherited had he not acted so selfishly. But amidst the chaos and despair, Jacob had a miraculous encounter with God. He made a promise to follow the Lord with unwavering devotion, and in return, God gave him a new lease on life. The transformation Jacob experienced serves as a powerful reminder that, with God, we too are capable of renewal and new beginnings, no matter how lost we may feel in the moment. So take heart and know that even in your darkest moments, a brand new day is always possible. It is never to late to give your life to the Lord. 

Embracing the Joy of a New Beginning:

After his amazing encounter with God in the wilderness, I can only imagine Jacob's joy and excitement as he sets out on a fresh start. With God by his side, he was filled with happiness and optimism as he headed towards his destination, confident in God's love and protection. Jacob's journey to Haran had been challenging - he had to travel 500 miles, and the road was fraught with danger. But his faith in God gave him the strength to persevere. 

When he finally arrived at his destination, he wasted no time in searching for his new family. He met some shepherds at a well and asked about Laban, his relative. To his surprise, he found out that Laban's daughter Rachel was among them, for she was a shepherdess. The passage describes Jacob's overwhelming excitement upon seeing Rachel. 

Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. - Genesis 29:10-12, ESV

Now to my single brothers in the room, I wouldn't advise going in for the kiss on your first meeting. Jacob may have been alone in the wilderness a little too long, but thankfully the kiss was well received. 

Now when I do my sermon prep, I like to read how Christians from the past interpreted these scriptures. I'm especially fond of the early church, and in consulting the early church fathers a gospel parallel emerged that I had not seen before. Many of them saw Jacob, as a symbol of Jesus, seeking a bride to call his own. Rachel, as unassuming a shepherd girl, symbolizes the church among the nations, a people who, like her, might appear humble on the outside but are precious in the eyes of God.

In this ancient story, they saw an illustration of how Christ came into the world to be joined with the church. Just as Jacob recognized Rachel, Christ recognizes us as His own when we come to Him with hearts purified by His grace. 

The Joy of Laboring for Love:

As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, and Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh!" And he stayed with him a month

Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me." So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed." So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.  - Genesis 29:13-23, ESV

From this passage, we learn that Jacob's love for Rachel was not a fleeting emotion but a steadfast commitment that propelled him to toil ceaselessly for seven years, each day a testament to the depth of his affection. It was no easy feat. It required loyalty and determination, as he worked tirelessly for the one he loved. The passing years were like rungs in a ladder, leading him ever closer to the day of their joyful union and husband and wife.

When I began dating Juli, I was confident she was the one for me. However, I didn't want to seem hasty, so I waited six months before informing my parents of my intentions. My dad thought I should wait at least another three months just to make sure I was ready, so I looked at my calendar, and three months from that day, I wrote, "Talk to my parents again." Three months came and went, and when I called my dad, he gave me his blessing. As soon as I got off the phone with him, I called Juli's father and asked if we could meet to talk about my intentions for his daughter. I was ready to make this happen. 

Now if I had had to wait seven years to marry Juli I would not have been a happy camper, but I would have waited because she is worth it. In a society where instant gratification reigns supreme and indulgence is the norm, it can be easy to forget the value of hard work and dedication. However, Jacob's actions remind us that true love requires sacrifice and that the sweetest rewards come from the effort we put in. When we invest our time and energy into something we truly care about, we create something beautiful worth waiting for.

In a world that often encourages us to put our own desires first, we must take note of their sacrificial love and strive to mirror the same kind of devotion. Love isn't just a passive feeling; it's an active pursuit that demands our wholehearted engagement. You cannot truly say that you love someone unless you are willing to patiently wait for them, to diligently work for them, to forsake all others, and commit yourself fully to them alone. 

Love is truly a powerful force. It's incredible how quickly time can fly by when you're with the one you love. Love can give meaning to tedious labor, especially if we are laboring out of love for another. Love gives us a reason to wake up each day. 

This is not just limited to romantic love either. There are things I do now for my daughter that a younger version of myself would find tedious, toilsome, and sometimes disgusting. But because I love her I find joy even in the sticky, messy, fussy aspects of parenting. That doesn't mean I don't get frustrated or worn out, but when I remember how much I love my daughter it always gives me the strength to keep going. 

When we're deeply invested and motivated by love, even the most challenging and labor-intensive tasks become enjoyable. This applies especially to matters of faith. Every sincere believer can testify to feeling compelled by their love for Christ. It's the most powerful driving force in human nature, surpassing all others combined.

This love has, and still does, motivate people to dedicate everything they have and do for the sake of their faith. It has led individuals to give up wealth, reputation, and honor in the name of the gospel. It has inspired people to leave their homes, part with familiar faces from their youth, and travel to distant lands to share the incomprehensible richness of Christ with strangers. It's an unbreakable and unconquerable force, this love for Christ. It provides strength even in the face of the most daunting challenges and makes seemingly endless trials feel short.

This is why the command to love is so often repeated in the scriptures: 

"Let all that you do be done in love." - 1 Corinthians 16:14, ESV.

"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." - Ephesians 4:2, ESV.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8, ESV.

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." - Romans 12:9-10, ESV. 

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." - 1 Peter 4:8, ESV. 

Jesus himself said that the two greatest commandments start with love: 

"And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 22:37-39, ESV. 

Living a Christian life without love can be difficult, burdensome, and unhappy. I would go so far as to say the Christian life without love is impossible. But when love is present, even the toughest situations can be filled with joy, hope, and contentment.

Love, Deception, and God's Redemptive Plan:

Now remember the only reason Jacob was in this land in the first place was because he had deceived his father and brother. He was forced to flee from his family out of fear that his brother Esau would take his life. However, after seven years he had made something of himself and was ready to begin a new life with his new bride. Unfortunately his past deception came back to haunt him on his wedding night, as he found himself deceived by Laban, just as he had deceived his father and brother back home. 

Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed." So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" Laban said, "It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. - Genesis 29:21-30, ESV. 

Jacob experienced the hurtful consequences of being deceived. Laban had tricked Jacob into marrying his eldest daughter Leah. The scripture tells us "Leah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored" (Genesis 29:17, ESV). Some translations say that Leah's eyes were "weak," but it is unclear what the author meant by including this detail. Some have taken this to mean that Leah was not attractive compared to Rachel, who was "beautiful and well favored." People also point to the fact that Leah sounds like the Hebrew word for cow, whereas Rachel sounds like the Hebrew word for a ewe lamb. However, another way to look at this shines a more favorable light on Leah. The eyes in Hebrew thought were the gateways to the soul, and so Leah having tender or gentle eyes may have been a way of saying Leah was a sensitive and tender-hearted person. Whereas Rachel had outward beauty, Leah was beautiful on the inside. It may be the case that both translations are true simultaneously. Regardless of how we interpret that verse, the point remains that Jacob was tricked into marrying the wrong sister, just as he had deceived his father into blessing the wrong brother. 

As I read this story, I can't help but feel sorry for Leah. She found herself in a situation similar to what Hagar faced when Sarah used her to give Abraham a child. Both women had little control over the circumstances they found themselves in. It's a sad reality that even today, our sins often harm more than just ourselves and our relationship with God. Innocent people are often dragged into the mess, and they suffer as a result.

Not only was this a sinful act of deception on Laban's part, but it also was a violation of God's design for marriage. In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus clarifies that God created marriage in the beginning as a union involving one man and one woman becoming husband and wife. God-ordained monogamy promotes a deeper and more profound bond between spouses, where two individuals become one flesh and share a unique and inseparable bond. Polygamy, on the other hand, is a pagan practice that never ends well. Jacob's polygamous marriage to both Leah and Rachel caused many complications, conflicts, and pain within his family.

However, God's plan for redemption was still in motion, even through this already broken family dynamic. Just as God blessed Hagar, even though what happened to her was not His will or His plan, God also blessed Leah, who was hated and brought into a horrible situation by no fault of her own. In Genesis 29:31, we read, "When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." Her ability to bear children while Rachel remained barren ensured that Leah would not be forsaken or abandoned by Jacob. In fact, her children would make up six of the twelve tribes of Israel, God's chosen people. Not only that but from her son Judah would come the line of David through which would come Jesus the Messiah, our Savior and Lord. What a powerful testimony to God's ability to take something so broken and bring something beautiful out of it. 

Conclusion:

As we reflect on this account in the life of Jacob, we are reminded of God's divine plan and providence in the lives of His chosen ones. The story of Jacob and Rachel serves as a powerful testament to His faithfulness, even in the face of trials and tribulations. Just as Jacob had to wait for his beloved Rachel, we too must wait patiently on the Lord, trusting in His timing and wisdom. 

While others may deceive us, God is not a God of deception. God fulfills His promises, and His love and grace abound in our lives, even when we face difficulties. Today, I invite you to respond to this message by reaffirming your trust in the Lord. Let us surrender our impatience, doubts, and fears to Him, knowing that He is in control. As we seek His guidance, may we find the strength to endure and the faith to persevere in all circumstances.

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to do so today. Just as Jacob's life was transformed by encountering God, so can yours be. Reach out to Him, and He will welcome you into His loving arms. Let us pray together and seek God's guidance as we respond to His word.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, as we draw this time of reflection to a close, our hearts are stirred by the transformative journey of Jacob, a life marred by mistakes, yet redeemed through Your boundless grace. Lord, we recognize the impact of our choices, and how they can alter the course of our lives and affect those around us for good or for evil. Still, we are reminded that even in our moments of weakness, Your mercy shines bright, offering us a chance at renewal and a new beginning. We thank You, Lord, for revealing Your truth through the passages explored today. May we carry these lessons with us, allowing them to shape our hearts and guide our actions. As we navigate the complexities of life, relationships, and faith, may we remember the power of Your grace to mend, renew, and redeem. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.