Genesis 31:1-55

Genesis Study 114

I AM THE GOD OF BETHEL

Genesis 31:1-55
Key verse 31:13
"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."

Last week we studied that Jacob grew exceedingly prosperous by God's grace. He might have desired to stay longer in Haran and become the richest man in the world. But in today's passage God directs him to go back to the Promised Land. God wanted to give him something much more precious than earthly prosperity.

Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." Within six years an empty-handed Jacob became wealthier than Laban. Strangely all strong flocks went to him while all weak ones went to Laban. The weak ones easily got sick and died. There was no clear evidence why this was happening. But it was happening. What belonged to Laban eventually belonged to his sons. But now they would have nothing to inherit from their father. This made them angry with Jacob. Twenty years ago, Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." Six years ago, he said to him, "…the Lord has blessed me because of you." But now Laban was not kind to Jacob anymore. In fact he considered Jacob as his rival and even as his enemy. At first Jacob felt uneasy but later he felt threatened.
Then the Lord said to him, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." God's training upon Jacob in Haran was over. It was time for him to go back to the Promised Land. Immediately Jacob held a family council. He said to his wives that their father Laban had cheated him by changing his wages ten times. If a company cuts salary ten times, will anybody continue to work for it? But Jacob continued to work for his uncle. However God did not let him suffer loss. If Laban said, "Not all the multi-coloured ones but only the speckled ones will be your wages," then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, "The streaked ones will be your wages," then all the flocks bore streaked young.
Jacob says in verse 9, "So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me." He realized that what made him exceedingly prosperous was not his branches but the Lord. In breeding season he once had a dream in which he saw that all the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled and spotted. The dream signified God's determination to give all the livestock to Jacob. The Lord said to him, "…for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you." Jacob thought there was no one to see his misery and understand his agony. But God had been watching over him everyday last twenty years. The Lord heard every sigh from his mouth. The Lord saw every tear from his eyes. And the Lord felt the same pain Jacob had in his heart. If Jacob shepherded Laban's flock the Lord shepherded Jacob.
Now the Lord said to him, "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." Bethel, the stone pillar and the vow were something Jacob had forgotten for a very very long time. He was too busy with his family affairs and his business. Even though he was not faithful to God, God remained faithful to him. Last twenty years he gave Jacob food to eat, clothes to wear and a house to stay. He also blessed him with four wives and twelve children. He made Jacob exceedingly prosperous. Jacob might have said to himself, "My God is the God of Haran. In him I will continue to prosperous in this land." But God said to him, "I am the God of Bethel."
Jacob wanted God to remain only as the God of Haran. His wives and servants were worshipping idols. Worldly culture became a part of their lives. Jacob himself pursued material gain as of first importance. He and his family had many spiritual problems. Yet Jacob did not want God to touch those problems. He only wanted God to bless whatever he was doing. He worshipped God in the same manner as idol worshippers.
We want God to forgive us, protect us and bless us. But we don't want him to interfere with our personal lives. We don't want to give up anything for his sake. We want to enjoy whatever we have been enjoying. At the same time we expect God to be kind to us all the days of our lives. This kind of faith is called beggar's faith. A beggar expects only receiving. And no matter how much you give him he remains always dirty and ugly.
God did not want Jacob to be a spiritual beggar. Instead he wanted him to be a royal prince of heaven. A beggar thinks only about food and pleasure. But a royal prince thinks first about honour and dignity. His first concern is how to bring glory to his father and his kingdom. Twenty years ago Jacob made this vow to the Lord at Bethel, "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 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 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." (Genesis 28:20-22) God blessed Jacob more than he had expected. Now according to the vow, there was something Jacob should do at Bethel. He should serve the Lord as his God and build a house for him and give him a tenth of all that the Lord had given him. But does God need a house or one tenth of Jacob's income to survive? God declares in the Bible, "…the world is mine, and all that is in it." (Psalm 50:12) He lacks nothing for he owns everything. Yet he wanted Jacob to go back to Bethel and keep his vow to him. All God wanted was relationship. As a father gives everything to his son and in return the son does his best to honour his father, God wanted to build up such relationship with Jacob. Through such relationship Jacob would receive not just materials gains but God himself. So he determined to go back to the God of Bethel.
His wives agreed with him. Jacob left Haran secretly for he was afraid of his uncle. But after ten days Laban and his relatives caught him up. However God appeared to Laban in his dream and prevented him from harming Jacob. So they made a covenant of peace and parted each other.
People call meeting the God of Haran as a success. But the Bible calls meeting the God of Bethel as a true success. Nowhere in the Bible God introduced himself as the God of Haran. He said to Jacob, "I am the God of Bethel." He is God who takes care of us perfectly and at the same he is God who wants us to honour him in our practical life. He wants us to grow not as spiritual beggars but as the royal princes of heaven. When Jacob grew exceedingly prosperous he had earthly joy that is known to everyone. But when he served the God of Bethel he had heavenly joy that was a secret between God and himself. Last night Jane Jr. made a vow to the Lord to welcome everyone in worship service. Joshua also made a vow to the Lord to put a piece of paper under a pulpit to keep it balanced. The vows are very small. But when they kept them, I can see great joy in their hearts. No matter how small it may be, when we do something to honour our Father in heaven, he makes us rejoice in him. The God of Bethel gives himself to us. May God bless us to live before the God of Bethel.

Genesis 30:25-43

Genesis Study 113

JACOB GREW EXCEEDINGLY PROSPEROUS

Genesis 30:25-43
Key verse 30:43
"In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys."

Today's passage is about the last six years of Jacob's life in Haran. Let's learn how God guided him.
Look at verses 25-28. After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob's fourteen years labour contract with his uncle Laban was over. So he said to his uncle, "Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 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." Being a contract worker, Jacob did not get gratuity or pension. At the end of the fourteen years service what he got was only four wives and twelve children whom he had to support. He was now ninety-one years old. He was not sure if his brother's fury subsided. Even then he wanted to go back to Canaan.
Laban did not want to loose such a skilful and faithful shepherd like Jacob. So he replied, "If I have found favour in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. Name your wages, and I will pay them." Laban was still practicing divination. So he did not deserve God's blessing. Yet the Lord blessed him because of Jacob. Would Jacob accept his uncle's proposal and stay back in Haran?
Look at verse 29. Jacob said to him, "You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 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?" Usually hired shepherds do not work hard. Sometimes they even kill the sheep and eat them. If they are paid in advance, they don't care anything. But Jacob was different. Before starting his seven years service he already received Rachel as his wages. He could have spent time only with her. But he tended his uncle's flocks with all his heart and with all his strength. He worked like Laban's own son whereas the sons of Laban worked like hired hands. God blessed Jacob's hard labour with great number of flocks. But at the end all of them belonged to Laban. Not even a single sheep was given to Jacob. Without any income how can he send his twelve children to school? He desired to do something for his family's future.
Look at verses 31 to 33. Jacob accepted Laban's proposal and named his wages. "Don't give me anything," he replied. "But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them." Jacob did not ask for ten percent of his uncle's flocks. Instead he asked Laban to give him every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-coloured lamb and every spotted or speckled goat as his wages. Speckled ones have many spots in pattern like butterflies. Spotted ones have many spots without pattern like the 101 dalmatians. And streaked ones have many straight lines like zebras. Dark-coloured lambs grow to be black sheep. Such sheep or goats are easy to distinguish. But a chance of getting them is very rare. Wool from such sheep is low in quality and sold in cheaper price. Jacob was a highly qualified shepherd. He could have demanded more. Without him Laban could not manage his farm. But Jacob did not struggle with his wages. He proposed a term easy to accept. It seems he desired to stay back in Haran. In fact it was God's will to train him six years more in the land.
Look at verses 34 to 36. Laban agreed on the terms of Jacob's wages. That same day he removed all the goats and sheep Jacob mentioned, and he placed them in the care of his sons. Then he put a three-day journey between the two groups of flocks. He did not give even one percent of chance for Jacob to have his own flocks. This cunning Laban never wanted to loose his flocks as well as Jacob's service.
But look at verses 37 to 43. The paragraph begins with "Jacob, however…" Jacob was often deceived by his uncle. However he was not defeated. He had a never-give-up spirit. By any means he found out to a way to achieve his goal. The last verse says, "In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous…" People waste their time holding grudge or keep on complaining. But Jacob lost no time. Right after the new agreement was signed he took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and platanus trees. He made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. It was like stripes on a zebra. Then he placed the braches in all the watering troughs. Whenever the flocks came for drinking they saw the branches. They saw the zebra pattern every morning, every afternoon, every evening and even every night in their dreams. In the past the sheep and goats preferred only green grasses. But now they preferred multi-coloured grasses. The world of single colour looked very boring to their eyes. They mated in front of the zebra pattern branches. Then they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Biotechnology students may laugh at what Jacob did. If an African lady looks at a zebra everyday will she give birth to a baby in black and white? We all know it is not possible. But surprisingly it happened to Jacob's sheep and goats.
He did one more thing. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, he would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches. But if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the single-coloured and weak animals went to Laban. But the multi-coloured and strong ones went to Jacob. In this way he grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks. The flocks were too many that he alone could not tend. So he acquired maidservants and menservants to look after his flocks. The wools from the sheep and milk from the goats were too heavy to carry to the market. So he brought camels and donkeys. He became wealthier than his uncle. A man of nothing because a man of great success.
How could Jacob grow exceedingly prosperous? Was it because of his zebra pattern branches? In the next chapter, Jacob himself confessed to his wives, "…God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me." It was God who made Jacob exceedingly prosperous. God never let his people be mistreated to the end. Jacob did not have enough strength or wisdom to overcome his cunning uncle. But when the Lord was with him, finally he became a winner. During God's training, Jacob received only humiliation and mistreatment. But at the end of the training God granted him grand success.
Time to time we worry about our future. We fear that we may remain humiliated and fruitless to the end of our lives. But the Lord said in the Bible, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) All the events happening today are the part of the plan God has for us. Today God takes away all we have. He throws us to the ground. He puts us under the cunning people. Once Jacob dreamed to build his life higher than anyone else. But God let him be lower than everyone. For sometime Jacob couldn't understand the way how God dealt with his life. It was God who gave him the glorious vision and the wonderful promises. But the reality was going to opposite direction. He wanted to fly higher and higher. But he was falling lower and lower. He must have asked himself, "What is God doing with my life?" I believe all of us are familiar with this question. Indeed what is God doing with our lives? Do you know what is the world's tallest building today? It is the Taipei 101 Tower. Its height above ground is 509 meters—a half kilometre! But here is an interesting story. The tower is supported by 380 concrete-filled steel piles, sunk into the soil to a depth of 80 meters. The higher we want to build the deeper we must go down. This is what God is doing with our lives. He is not going to pitch a small tent with our lives. He is going to build the kingdom of God with our lives. That is why he lowering us down day after day, month after month and year after year. But the lower we go down, the higher God will lift us up. Jacob could be exceedingly prosperous because he was made exceedingly miserable during God's training. Do not worry about your future. God is guiding you exactly according to the plan he has for you. Let us praise God for lowering us down today for tomorrow he will make us exceedingly prosperous.

Genesis 29:31-30:24

Genesis Study 112

THE GOD OF JACOB'S FAMILY

Genesis 29:31-30:24
Key verse 29:31
"When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren."

In today's passage Jacob got eleven sons and one daughter in seven years. In average he got a new child every seven month. We remember how happy Abraham was when he got his only son Isaac after 25 years of his life in Canaan. But here we see Jacob getting almost two children every year. However in no where in this passage was his joy expressed. Let us visit his family and see what was going on. Let us learn how God moulded Jacob and his family.

I. The God of Leah (29:31-35; 30:9-21)
Verse 31 says that Leah was not loved by Jacob. On Rachel's birthday Jacob presented her a big chocolate cake along with a bunch of roses. On her birthday card he wrote, "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats and your teeth like a flock of sheep. Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon and your neck like a tower built with elegance. All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you. You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes. From your Jacob…" But on Leah's birthday Jacob gave nothing and said nothing to her, not even "Happy birthday". Her presence always reminded him of his uncle's deception. Before marriage he did not love her a single moment. After marriage he disliked her. Many a time she prepared mutton curry and chicken curry for Jacob. But he always went to Rachel's room and had chappati.
Leah solved her marriage problem. She got a handsome and hardworking husband. Yet her life became more miserable than before. She thought it was all because of her weak eyes. She envied her sister's sparkling eyes. In fact she envied everything in Rachel—her tall height and slim body, fair skin and quick understanding. Leah said to herself, "God is unfair. He does not love me."

But look at verse 31. "When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." God loved Leah as much as he loved Rachel. Jacob's love was partial. But God loves everyone equally most. He loves you most and he loves me most. Leah bore Jacob total six sons and one daughter. While naming her children, she expressed her thanks to God. Here are her six sons and her words of thanksgiving. Reuben—"It is because the Lord has seen my misery." Simeon—"Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." Levi—"Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Judah—"This time I will praise the Lord." Issachar—"God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband." Zebulun—"God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honour, because I have borne him six sons." Later she was buried in the cave of Machpelah where Sarah and Rebekah had been buried. Her fourth son Judah became the ancestor of Jesus Christ. Indeed God loved her and honoured her.
The God of Leah is our God too. Each of us has his or her own weak eyes. It can be poor English or short height or poverty or slow in understanding etc. Because of these weak eyes we are not attractive. We envy others. We complain to God for not being fair to us. But Leah met God because of her weak eyes. If she had sparkling eyes, Jacob could have loved her. And if Jacob loved her she could have named her sons differently: Jacob Jr First, Jacob Jr Second, Jacob Jr. Third etc. But she named her sons remembering God's grace. Her spiritual eyes were bright enough to see God's work in her life. Apostle Paul also had very weak eyes. He pleaded with God to solve the problem. But God said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." This one word opened Paul's spiritual eyes brightly. Then he said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Who will be an English teacher missionary among us? It is the one who is poorest in English. Let us boast about our weak eyes. Because of this God's love and power are resting on us.

II. The God of Rachel (30:1-8; 22-24)
Everyone wants to be like Rachel, lovely in form and beautiful. She was the centre of attraction. With one glance of her eyes she store Jacob's heart. Jacob became a slave of love and worked exclusively for her seven years. He had four wives: Leah and Zilpah, Rachel and Bilhah. But Rachel was his only love. About four thousand years ago they successfully made a love marriage. Such a beautiful bride and such a handsome bridegroom married after seven years of romance. They must have lived happily ever after. But the reality tells us a different story.
Look at verse 1. "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!" Rachel was completely frustrated with her barren life. She was jealous of her sister and angry with her husband. A woman has two purposes in her life: One is to be a suitable helper to her husband and the other to be a God-fearing mother to her children. But Rachel failed in both.
For the first time Jacob became angry with her and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?" Jacob was correct. It was God who kept her from having children. As God gave weak eyes to Leah he gave Rachel barren womb. But his purpose was same. He wanted Rachel to meet God through her barrenness. It was time for her to come to God in humble prayer.
But she said to Jacob, "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." She relied on her maidservant instead of God. Bilhah bore to Jacob two sons—Dan and Naphtali. When Naphtali was born Rachel said, "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won." No doubt she was attractive and charming. But how was her heart? It was filled with jealousy and anger, competition and rivalry. She had a face of an angel and a heart of a devil. Everyday life was a hell for her.
But through her barrenness she could be humble before God. Look at verse 22. "Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb." God listened to her because she prayed. Rachel too became a woman of prayer. It is very difficult for a beautiful woman to be a woman of prayer because she is too busy to maintain her beauty. But Rachel's barrenness brought her near to God. She knelt down before the Lord as a helpless soul. She humbly pleaded with God for his mercy. When she gave birth to Joseph she did not say, "I am going to beat my sister with ten more sons." She only said, "God has taken away my disgrace. May the Lord add to me another son." Instead of struggling with her sister she learned to struggle with God in prayer. For the first time in her life she tasted peace. The peace came not from her beauty or husband but from God.
In college life, when we do not give birth to a degree, we become barren students. In office life, when we do not give birth to a good performance, we become barren employees. In mission life, when we do not give birth to spiritual children we become barren shepherds and shepherdesses. This makes us jealous and angry. We can't bear its disgrace. But when we are barren it is a best time to meet God. God had closed Rachel's womb. So he alone could open it. Barren Rachel could be Mother Rachel only through God. God made us barren because he wants us to be fruitful in him. The God of Rachel is our God. When we come to him in humble prayer, he opens our closed wombs. He takes away our disgrace. He makes us the most fruitful men and women of God.

III. The God of Jacob (29:31-30:24)
In this passage we see Jacob suffering between his two strong wives. His shepherd life was hard. But his family life was harder. Rachel traded him for drugs. One evening Leah said to him, "You must sleep with me. I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." In Canaan his father blessed him saying, "May nations serve you and people bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you." But in reality he was lorded even over by his wives. He was considered as a hired husband. He had no freedom. He got no respect. All his children were named by his wives. But he couldn't raise his voice because it was not his home ground. His pride was crushed. His dream for a sweet home was shattered. It seems his whole life was messed up. But God was silently carrying out his redemptive ministry in Jacob's life. All the children born to Jacob would be the pillars in God's world salvation ministry. The God of Jacob is our God. When God trains us life seems to be more confused and congested with many problems. But even though we not see him or hear him, he is silently carrying out his good will upon our lives. He builds his kingdom by using our tears and broken hearts. I humbly pray that we may meet the God of Jacob, the God of Leah and the God of Rachel as our God.

Genesis 29:1-30

Genesis Study 111

JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL

Genesis 29:1-30
Key verse 29:28
"And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife."

In the previous chapter Jacob met the Lord at Bethel. Since then Jacob was no more an aimless wanderer. He became a pilgrim to the kingdom of God. Today's chapter tells us about the first step of his pilgrimage.

Look at verses 1 to 14a. Jacob was almost near to his uncle's house. He saw a well in the field. Shepherds were gathering their flocks at the well. When all the flocks were gathered, they would roll away a stone from the mouth of the well. Then they would water their sheep. Rachel daughter of Laban also came with her father's sheep. The shepherds informed Jacob who she was. Then he rolled the stone away and watered his uncle's sheep. After that he greeted Rachel and began to weep aloud. A long journey of 800km on foot was finally over. The God of Bethel guided him exactly to the right person and the right place. There is not even one percent error in God's guidance. Jacob was relieved from all fears and anxieties. He was welcomed to his uncle's family. Instead of a stone pillow he was given a cushion pillow. Instead of dry and hard bread, mutton curry and chicken curry were served everyday.
Look at verses 4b to 20. Jacob was not a lazy person. He was a man of hardworking. He got up before the sunrise and found out the best pasture for his uncle's sheep. Till late night he watched over the flock. While he was shepherding none of them was lost. They all became fatter and healthier than ever before. The sheep liked shepherd Jacob more than shepherdess Rachel. Laban was quite impressed with Jacob's faithfulness.
After one month on probation they entered into a legal contract. Jacob would work for Laban seven years. In return Laban would give him his younger daughter Rachel in marriage. Jacob was in love with Rachel because she was lovely in form, and beautiful. When Rebekah was married to Isaac, Abraham's servant offered her family costly gifts loaded in ten camels. But Jacob had nothing. So he offered his seven years' service as dowry. He was already 77 years old. He had to live in his uncle's house as a hired hand and marry at the age of 84.
When his father Isaac married, he didn't do anything. Everything was arranged by his father Abraham. All he did was taking Rebekah into his mother's tent. Even for Jacob's brother Esau, marriage was a one day job. He took whoever he liked as his wives. But as for Jacob, seven year's hard labour was demanded for his marriage. Later he confessed, "This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes." (Genesis 31:40)
What did the Lord want to teach Jacob through this hardship? Jacob was a man of deception. In order to get spiritual blessings he did not mind to deceive his father and brother. Getting something through deception is a stealing. God cannot bless such person. Jacob must learn to work hard before getting anything. This would change the man of trick into a man of truth. People see only what we have—our degrees, jobs, houses, life partners and disciples. So we want to have them as soon as possible. We want a shortcut. But the Lord sees how we have them. His focus is not our possessions but we ourselves. So he always takes us through a right path. Even if it may take long years, he trains us first to learn faithfulness and truthfulness.
How did Jacob receive God's training? Look at verse 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." When shepherdess Sarah received seven weeks' training she felt it was like seven years' training. But as for Jacob, the seven years' training seemed like seven days' training. The keyword was love. When we love God, morning prayer and meditation do not become a burden. Instead every morning we will be excited to hear God and talk to him. We have many hurts and wounds while serving God's flock. How can we be healed? How can we continue to serve them with joy? The answer is love. When we love their perishing souls, we can hear their inner cry. Their mouths say they don't need God's salvation. But their souls are crying for it day and night. May God restore our love for him and his flock. Then our lives on earth will be like only a few days.

Look at verses 21 to 30. Here we receive a wedding invitation from Jacob. His seven years' service for Laban was completed. It was time for Jacob to marry Rachel his only love. Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. Professional singers and dancers gave a zest to the feast. At the entrance of the wedding hall a big flower board reads, "Rachel weds Jacob". People proposed a toast again and again: "For the bride and bridegroom, yeh!" Jacob couldn't remember how much he drank. When evening came a lady came into his room. He had no doubt that it was Rachel. So he lay with her. But when morning came, there was Leah! She was Rachel's elder sister who had weak eyes. Jacob ran to his uncle and said, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?" Jacob was deceived for the first time in his life. It was quite bitter. If it was a TV he could have exchanged it. But it was a wife. He lay with Leah last night. So he must live with her to the end of his life. Laban made a poor excuse saying, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work." There is a saying in my country, "Over a crawling man is a running man. And over a running man is a flying man." If Jacob was a running man, Laban was a flying man. In one shot he solved two problems: the marriage of his older daughter and the extension of labour contract with Jacob. In one week's time Jacob got two wives who were sisters to each other. And he had to work for Laban another seven years.
Jacob had served his uncle with honest and sincerity. He expected the same treatment from Laban. But what he received was deception. Jacob might have thought the seven years' training was more than enough to mould him as a man of truth. But God had a longer plan. We think few weeks' training is enough for us to be changed. But men are so sinful that it takes minimum twenty years to bring any slight change in them. God trained Abraham 25 years, Isaac 20 years and Moses 80 years. Jacob was stronger than these three. So the seven years were too short for him. Next week we are going to study about God's second round training for Jacob. In fact God had prepared total twelve rounds training for him. God did not use holy people as Jacob's trainers. Instead he used cunning Laban, weak-sighted Leah and jealous Rachel. God did not train Jacob in a holy temple. Instead he trained him in a place where he had to live like a slave. Jacob wanted to run away from his uncle's place as early as possible. But God gave him more trainers and put him in a harder situation. Gold is made not in an air-conditioned room but in a furnace where the temperate is more than 2,000 degree Celsius. Bangalore is a cool city. Some of us are working in air-conditioned offices. But when God trains us our heads are burning with anger and tension. We want to run away to somewhere else. But if Jacob did not receive God's training in Haran, he would receive a harder training in Canaan. Changing the people and situation is not a solution. The Lord said in the Bible, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent." God trained Jacob because he loved him. After the training Jacob would be a man of truth and have unshakable peace in all situations.
Our day to day life is God's training. All people around us are God's trainers. Instead of escaping from a hard situation, let us pray and find out God's will in it. Instead of fighting with people, let us struggle with God's word and repent before him. Then the God of Jacob will mould us to be the men and women of truth. He will fill our hearts with unshakable peace in all situations.

Genesis 28:1-22

Genesis Study 110

THE GOD OF BETHEL

Genesis 28:1-22
Key verse 28:14
"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."

In today's passage we are going to study about the God of Jacob. In a word the God of Jacob is the God of Bethel. I pray we may meet God whom Jacob met at Bethel.

Look at verses 1 to 5. Here we see Isaac restoring his spiritual eyesight. He did not curse Jacob or Rebekah for deceiving him. He realized it was God's will to bless his younger son. Now his concern was to raise Jacob as a blessing. To be a blessing Jacob must not marry a Canaanite woman. He must go to Paddan Aram and take a wife for himself among the daughters of his uncle. Marrying a God-fearing man or a God-fearing woman is the foundation of godly life. Isaac blessed Jacob to be fruitful and increase in number and take possession of the land. He said, "May God Almighty give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham."
Look at verses 6 to 9. Here we see how Esau responded to the same event. He did not realize it was God's will to bless his younger brother. He only realized how displeasing his Canaanite wives were to his father. Then he took another wife from among the daughters of Ishmael. But all three were ungodly. The point was not nationality but spirituality. When a physician makes a wrong diagnosis he gives a wrong medicine to his patient. Esau should have realized how displeasing he himself was to God. Then he could have changed himself instead of changing his wife. But there was no God in his life. He was a man of flesh.
Look at verses 10 and 11. On his way to Haran, Jacob reached a certain place. He stopped there for the night. His heart was as dark and cold as the night. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. His life was as heavy and hard as the stone. Behind him was furious Esau and before him was uncertain future. He did not know what to do. Being a quiet man, he hardly travelled a long distance. He spent his 77 years' life in a tent with his mom. But now he was all alone. Wolves howled around him; night dew fell over him. Fear was his food and sorrow his drink. He felt asleep in tears.
Surely this was not what Jacob expected while he was struggling so hard for the blessing. But God gives such a hard training to those who are going to receive his blessing. If a surgery knife is given to a man who is not trained he will use it like a butcher. But if the same knife is given to a trained man, he will use it to save many lives. God wants to bless all men. But he can give his blessing only to those who undergo his training. Even in this small Bible house God gives us many trainings—worship service training, testimony training, daily bread training, Bible reading training, prayer training, fishing training, one to one Bible study training, and tithe training etc. Why does God give us so many trainings? It is because he wants to give us so many blessings. I can clearly see in the Bible, in Christian history and in our ministry, those who humbly receive God's training receive great blessings from God. God did not train Esau. But he trained Jacob because he loved him and wanted to bless him. As for Jacob, God's training was not at all easy to bear. It was almost like a nightmare.
But let's read verse 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." Obviously this was not a nightmare. The dream was so bright, so wonderful and so glorious. This was a dream given by God. Jacob had thought his life was heading no where. But now it became clear that heaven was his destiny. He had thought he was left all alone. But the Lord and his angels were with him. Ascending the angels took Jacob's agonies to God; descending they brought God's comfort to him. God was watching over Jacob in real time. Someday Jacob would take the stairway and reach heaven. There he would meet his God face to face. He would live with him forever. What could be more wonderful than this?
Soon we will become old having many wrinkles. There will be a small tomb for each of us. But we have a dream: We shall all rise again from our tombs and enter the kingdom of God. We have a dream: We shall see our heavenly Father face to face and live with him forever and ever more. While struggling to keep our faith and serve God's ministry we shed many tears. But we have a dream: Our Father in heaven will wipe away every tear from our eyes. We are rejected and despised. But we have a dream: We shall reign with God Almighty in his everlasting kingdom. On that day we shall sing a new song to our God. This is our dream. All worldly dreams will fail but the dream given by our God will surely come true.
Look at verses 13 to 15. There above the stairway stood the Lord, and he blessed Jacob saying, "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. 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. 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." God would guide Jacob with the same love and kindness he had shown to Abraham and Isaac. Jacob was an alien in the land. But God would give him the entire land. Jacob was still single. But God would increase his descendants like the dust of the earth. At present Jacob made his brother angry, his father tremble and his mother sorrowful. But God would make him a source of blessing for all peoples on earth. Jacob did not know what would happen tomorrow. But God would bring him back safely to the Promised Land. The gap between God's promise and Jacob's present situation was like a gap between heaven and earth. However the promise would surely come true. In fact it came true in history because it was promised by God Almighty. God gave us the same promise. Someday South India will be the land of God-fearing. On that day all people will remember us as a source of blessing.
Look at verses 16 to 19. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 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." Once the house of God seemed to be far away and the gate of heaven high above. But now this is the house of God; this is the gate of heaven. When we hold the dream given by God this small Bible house becomes the house of God. When we accept the promise written in the Bible this small book becomes the gate of heaven. 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. He began to have an independent worship service. Last night the stone signified his heavy heart. But now it signifies God's firm and sure promise. Jacob called that place Bethel which means a house of God. Not many people in Bangalore have their own houses. But whoever holds God's dream and accepts God's promise can have the house of God.
Look at verses 20 to 22. 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 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God 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." Jacob made this vow because he believed God's promise. However his faith was not as strong as that of Abraham and of Isaac. So he had to make a kind of contract with God. Yet this vow became a link between God and Jacob. Through this Jacob could personally experience God. The vow worked like a steppingstone for Jacob to reach a higher stage of his spiritual life.
God served not only obedient Abraham and humble Isaac but also selfish Jacob. The God of Jacob is the God of Bethel. To homeless Jacob, God became a shelter. To lonely Jacob, God became a friend. To fearful Jacob, God became a father. The God of Bethel is our God too. May God help us come to him everyday. He will give us his wonderful dreams and great promises.

Genesis 27:1-46

Genesis Study 109

JACOB GETS THE BLESSING

Genesis 27:1-46
Key verse 27:29
"May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."

Abraham had lived by faith and received God's blessing. He handed it over to his son Isaac. Isaac also lived by faith and kept God's blessing. Now it was time for him to hand it over to his next generation. Handing over God's blessing to a right person is very important. If it is given to a wrong person the stream of God's blessing will stop. Isaac had two sons. Who would be a right person? May God bless us to learn how to be right people to inherit his blessing.

Look at verses 1 to 4. Here Isaac decided to give his blessing to Esau his firstborn. At this time he was a hundred and thirty-seven years old (Genesis 30:25; 41:46; 45:6; 47:9). His eyes were so weak that he could no longer see. He felt he must bless Esau before his death. So he directed his first son to hunt some wild game and prepare him a tasty food so that he might give him his blessing. In chapter 25 God had revealed his will to bless Jacob above Esau. Isaac had learned it from his wife. He also might have heard about Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a single meal. In the previous chapter we read that Esau married two Hittite women who became a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah. All these things made it clear that Esau was not a right person to inherit God's blessing.
Why then did Isaac decide to bless him? There were two things that blinded his spiritual discernment: one is physical seniority and the other human attachment. Esau was senior to Jacob by five minutes. And he was Isaac's favourite son strong and tough. But the Bible does not support such standard. It is written, "…many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." (Matthew 19:30) "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b) Esau's heart despised his birthright. His heart ran after the ungodly women of the land. He thought he would inherit God's blessing by pleasing his father. But God was looking at his heart. Esau had good relationship with his father. But his relationship with God was zero. God could not bless him.

Look at verses 4 to 17. Jacob saw his brother hurriedly leaving for hunting. His mother Rebekah overheard the whole story and narrated it to him. She advised Jacob to serve his father with some tasty food and receive his blessing. Even after seventy-seven years she remembered God's promise concerning Jacob. Now the situation was against God's promise. It was time for her to pray and humbly request Isaac to follow God's will. But she neither prayed to God nor requested her husband. She thought there was no time to change her husband's decision. So she relied on her trick.
Jacob was afraid to deceive his father. If his deception was disclosed he would rather be cursed. But Rebekah comforted him saying, "My son, let the curse fall on me." And she encouraged him to go ahead with her trick. She put the best clothes of Esau on Jacob. She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. Then she handed to Jacob the tasty food she had made. In politics people use bribery and deception to get earthly blessing. Here we see the same politics. Jacob expected immediate blessing. But right after this event what God gave him was training. God trained him until he repented of his deception. God trained him until he relied on God's promise. It took twenty long years. Politics has nothing to do with God's blessing. To receive God's blessing one must repent and obey God. There is no other way.
Look at verses 18 to 24. Jacob went to his father and introduced himself as Esau. Isaac wondered how he could find the wild game so quickly. Jacob replied, "The Lord your God gave me success." He misused even the name of the Lord. His lie grew bigger. Isaac touched his hands which were covered with goatskins. "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau," said Isaac in confusion. For final confirmation he asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob changed his voice and replied, "I am." Then Isaac blessed him.
The moment of inheriting God's blessing must be the holiest moment. But Jacob was deceiving his father and misusing God's name. God was seeing everything. He could have stopped Jacob. But he let him be blessed. Jacob was blessed not because of his Hollywood action but because of God's wonderful grace.
We are blessed to know Jesus, receive his eternal life and become God's children. Was it because we were better than others? Were we not suffering from our sins before meeting Jesus? We were. Even after believing in Jesus, we have committed many sins. God knew it from the beginning. However he was pleased to bless us. He sacrificed his one and only Son when we were still dirty and sinful. Only by the grace of God we are what we are today.
Look at verses 25 to 29. After eating and drinking, Isaac blessed Jacob for three things—first, material abundance, second, leadership and third, a source of blessing. He said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness—an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed." Isaac uttered his blessing in five sentences. Just for these five sentences Jacob risked his life. But these few words would change his whole life. For these words of blessing he would be trained for twenty years. And when these words came true, he would be a source of blessing for all mankind. The words of God we receive every morning and every Lord's Day seem to be very small. But these words have power to change our lives. They have power to change the course of history.

Look at verses 30 to 40. Esau came in from hunting. But he just missed the blessing. He burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, "Bless me—me too, my father!" He was already seventy-seven years old. But he cried like a baby. He claimed that the blessing given to Jacob must be cancelled because he acted in deception. But Isaac confirmed saying, "…indeed he will be blessed!" The Bible says, "God's gifts and his call are irrevocable (which means they cannot be cancelled)." (Romans 11:29) Then Esau asked for a leftover blessing. But what he received was almost like a curse. Isaac said to him, "Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck." It was time for Esau to seriously think of the reason why he was rejected by God. It was time for him to repent and restore his relationship with God. But what did he do?
Look at verses 41 to 46. He held a grudge against Jacob and determined to kill him. He thought he lost the blessing because of his brother's deception. He still believed he well deserved God's blessing. Indeed he was deceived by himself. No one could help him realize his folly. Rebekah advised Jacob to flee to his uncle Laban and stay with him until Esau's fury subsided.
Jacob had many problems. But at least he valued spiritual things. So he got the birthright by any means. He took the blessing at the risk of his life. And he remained single even at the age of seventy-seven without marrying ungodly women. We should not learn his deception. But we must learn his spiritual value system. In human point of view Esau was attractive like the world cup stars with big muscles and strong legs. But God chose Jacob to be blessed. Just for one word of blessing he waited for seventy-seven years and risked his life. May God help us come to him every morning for one word of blessing. May God help us struggle with Bible testimony for one word of blessing.