How God is Working at Our Workplace
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Fiddler on the Roof, “The Bible clearly teaches you can never trust an employer.”
Fiddler on the Roof, “The Bible clearly teaches you can never trust an employer.”
Perchik proposes Hodel
Have you ever been burned for trusting an employer?
people have struggles at work.
Has your employer ever made you a promise? How well have they kept all their promises to you?
Has God ever made you a promise? More than one promise?
Look at how many promises God made Jacob.
Look at how many promises God made Jacob.
1. In utero Gen 25:23
And the Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb; two peoples will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.
2. Repeated by his father
May God give to you— from the dew of the sky and from the richness of the land— an abundance of grain and new wine. May peoples serve you and nations bow in worship to you. Be master over your relatives; may your mother’s sons bow in worship to you. Those who curse you will be cursed, and those who bless you will be blessed.
3. His father says it all over again Gen 28:3-4
May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you become an assembly of peoples. May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
4. When he ran for his life Gen 28:13-15
The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
God had made promises to Jacob but Jacob struggled to trust him kind of like we often do. It is especially had to trust God when you have a terrible employer. actually I have found that nothing makes people more miserable then when they hate their work. I think it might even be worse than a bad marriage and as we will see a bad employer can put a strain on a marriage.
the sunset days of Jacob’s life.
the sunset days of Jacob’s life.
some have called these his wilderness years.
Laban made promises to Jacob.
Laban made promises to Jacob.
lets think about some of these promises and see how faithful he was at keeping them.
Imagine if you terrible boss was also your Father-In-Law.
Jacob agrees to stay on with Laban
Jacob agrees to stay on with Laban
Jacob is ready to leave after 14 years and is fishing for a bonus which he deserved.
Laban says, “Name your wages” We have heard this before.
There was a time when Jacob thought that his success came because he did certain things. He learned differently. He learned that success when it comes is not because of you did certain things but because of something else.
Jacob had to come to a point where he realized that the reason for his success was not because of his plans and schemes, but because of God’s love.
whatever good has come to us it is the Lord’s goodness that has brought it to us.
Jacob is cheated by Laban 10 times. Laban is terrible at staying true to their agreements.
Jacob runs from his problems again.
Jacob runs from his problems again.
If he says he could lose everything if he goes back he could be killed by his brother.
The Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your ancestors and to your family, and I will be with you.”
It has been 20 years since Jacob has heard from God. However when Jacobs looks back he can see God has stayed true even though his employer has not stayed true. God has provided and protected him. He has guarded what He gave.
Laban’s daughters turn on him. When we let our work become more important than our family we can lose those who we love most. And we don’t realize how much we really loved them until they are gone.
The boy and his dad parable.
Jacob sneaks off because he does not fully believe that God will protect what He has provided.
Laban comes after Jacob = Jacobs problems follow him. If you escape conflict in an unhealthy way it can follow you. Your sin also follow you around.
God has protected Jacob against all odds but will He protect him against all gods?
Laban’s God’s are humiliated. Rachel takes her fathers gods out of spite.
No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute any accusation raised against you in court. This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, and their vindication is from me.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Laban comes to take the blessing, wealth, provision, the power of God but he leaves empty handed all that stays with Jacob. And so it is with you are your work. Because what God give he guards and what he provides he protects.
As a Christian is your Glass half empty or half full? neither your cup overflows.
We see that God is true to his promises to Jacob because the very 1st verse on 32 says that angles met him. Confirming that God was with him. Like God was camping with him or so he said.
What God provides He protects, what He gives he guards.