Rags to Riches

Good morning everyone, it is so good to be here this morning with you all. Right now we get to send out the kiddos to their class where you have the opportunity to learn about God in a way that makes sense to you. Then, remember, you gotta pay attention real good so that you can come find me after service and tell me something you learned today. Then of course we also want to welcome those of you joining us online, etc.

So there was this guy who was born in Mississippi into a pretty poor family. This mans dad moved from job to job trying desperately to provide for his family, however, the family frequently relied on the goodness of neighbors and government assistance such as various forms of welfare. This was back in the 30’s, so we are talking almost 100 years ago, and this mans father was trying so hard to provide for his family that he eventually ended up in jail because he wrote a $4 bad check. Now, 90 years ago that $4 check was worth right around $75. Well, for that $4 this mans dad spent 8 months in jail. This man who grew up in a very poor home was labeled as average at school. He was later given a guitar at 10 years old and was taught how to play guitar by his uncles and pastor. He was labeled as the trashy kid by his classmates and a bit hillbilly based on the type of music he enjoyed listening to. He couldn’t sing, or at least thats what everyone thought and said. In music class this young man was not very highly regarded. However, this young man continued to work and practice playing guitar because he really enjoyed playing. He couldn’t read music, he could only played by ear after listening on a jukebox or record.

In 1953 this young man entered a school show and, and this is what he said of his experience.

“I wasn't popular in school ... I failed music—only thing I ever failed. And then they entered me in this talent show ... when I came onstage, I heard people kind of rumbling and whispering and so forth, 'cause nobody knew I even sang. It was amazing how popular I became in school after that.”

At age 19, this young man became a megastar with his recording of 'That's All Right'. Elvis Presley went on to sell over 250 million albums, with 19 no. 1 hits and 115 top 40 hits. He won three Grammies and starred in 31 movies. You see, Elvis Presley started off at a low place in life, and worked hard to flip the script and go from rags to riches

The story we are going to look at today is the story about how Jacob came to Laban with nothing. He did not show up to Haran with the riches of his father, even though his father had resources. When Jacob fled, he fled with what he what he could carry, which means when he met Laban, he had nothing to pay for Rachel, let alone start a family. That is why we saw last week that Jacob ended up working for Laban according to the agreement to marry Rachel, and Laban tricked him into working to marry Leah as well. Something really important that we have learned over the last few weeks is that In the life of the trusting Christian, there are no accidents, only appointments.In other words, in the life of the Christian, God is in control and you can trust that what is going on in your life is being overseen by the Father for your good. We are reminded of that in

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

So, if you are a believer, if you love God, if you have been called according to his purposes, then he will work all of your circumstances out for your good. You may not always feel like it is for your good in the moment, but it is for your good. It doesn’t mean its the easiest possible option, but it’s for your good, and that is something that you will do well to remember as you are moving through your life.

So, let’s take a look at today’s story because what we are going to have here today is a very dishonest Laban and a Jacob who is apparently attempting to do things according to his own strength still. What is interesting is that even though Jacob is attempting to handle things himself, God will bless simply because God made a promise to bless, and God can bless who he chooses to bless. So let’s take a look at a very interesting story here this morning…

Genesis 30:25–43 ESV

As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. Name your wages, and I will give it.” Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock. Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban’s flock. Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

So that really is a pretty interesting story isn’t it? Here we see how Jacob went from Rags to Riches, in alot of ways just like the story of Elvis that I shared with you earlier. You see, Jacob started out with nothing in this story, and by the end of this story, he has everything that he wants, or at least everything he needs. It’s a true rags to riches story here, ya know…

That’s why this story is so important. You see, Jacob really wants to leave Laban and go to truly begin his family for himself. The thing is, it’s kind of hard to start your own family while living under the roof and under the rules of another man’s house. Jacob’s family is growing, but he is still seen as under the roof of Laban and so he feels its time to go out on his own, and he’s right. You will remember that God has promised Jacob a particular piece of land and God has promised to prosper Jacob in this new land, but Jacob will need to get there in order to be blessed in this new land. So…that is what Jacob wants to do…get moving. There is something we can learn here that is really important. It’s something we have talked about before, but we see it again here, and so it’s an important reminder this morning.

God is Faithful to Provide for his People

Yeah, see this is an incredibly important piece of information both for Jacob to know and remember, but also for you and I to know and remember. We have seen how God has blessed Jacob and provided for him both by bringing him Rachel, and keeping him safe in danger. So, now we see that God has not forsaken Jacob even when Jacob is attempting to do things in his own strength, which is something that we have talked about before, isn’t it. The first thing that we see is that God blessed Jacob with an abundance of livestock. Look, Laban was even actively trying to cheat Jacob, but God was still protecting and providing for Jacob in the midst of that. Laban immediately cheated, or really attempted to cheat Jacob by removing all of the abnormally colored sheep and goats. He took them and had his sons take them a 3 days ride away from this point. This would be something like 40-45 miles apart from where the rest of the flock is. However, Laban does this so that Jacob cannot claim these for himself, and so that he will cheat Jacob by making things more difficult for him to earn enough for him to leave and truly begin his own family. We are also reminded that God is faithful in keeping his promises by providing for Jacob’s needs, as well as Jacob’s desires. God previously promised in 28:5 that,

“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

God will not leave Jacob until he has been brought back to Canaan to the land that God has promised to give to him and to his ancestors. This is a promise, and God’s promises will be fulfilled. Here’s the deal that so many people seem to forget…We get so wrapped up in our own circumstances that we forget the promises of God that we know to be true. Well, this morning you will notice on the back of your note-sheet there are a list of promises and passages for you to remind yourself about those promises to help you trust God in the midst of your current situation.

We will continue to see that, and right now we are seeing how God is fulfilling his promise to bless Jacob and to provide for him.

Jacob is Transformed from Rags to Riches

This is an amazing story because when he first showed up in town Jacob had nothing. Laban saw a young man that he could cheat and manipulate into free labor for 20 years. Laban saw a young man that enriched him beyond what he would have been on his own, and Laban knows it…but he is manipulating Jacob to stay for as long as possible in order to get as much labor as possible. First Laban tricked Jacob into an additional 7 years of labor to marry Rachel. Then at the end of the 14 years of total labor Jacob approached Laban about leaving and going to start his own family, and what does Laban do? Well, he admits that he is doing so well because of Jacob and convinces Jacob to stay longer by offering whatever Jacob wants to stay and work for him. Essentially, “name your price” kind of job offer. However, Laban is dishonest, and when Jacob names his price and Laban agrees, Laban double crosses Jacob by removing the very sheep and goats that he just agreed to pay Jacob. Now Jacob will be starting from nothing and will be needing to breed the sheep and goats in order to build up a flock large enough to be able to leave…this will take many years to accomplish. However, God is bigger than Laban’s deceit, just as he has been bigger than Jacob’s deceit for all of these years.

Jacob began a six-year effort to increase his wealth at Laban’s expense. During that time he used at least three different techniques to make the flocks produce sheep and goats he could keep: (1) he separated the strong animals from the weak, using only the strong ones for his breeding purposes; (2) he set … peeled branches … in the water channels where the sheep bred; and (3) he made the flocks face the streaked and completely dark sheep in Laban’s flocks. However, Jacobs efforts are nothing compared to God’s work here. Jacob was unable to accomplish what he was attempting to do…However, God was able to accomplish what Jacob needed done. Here is the truth…Jacob’s peeled sticks belonged in the same category as Rachel’s mandrakes: They were both superstitious practices that had nothing to do with what actually happened. It was God who controlled the genetic structure of the animals and multiplied the spotted and striped sheep and goats. In other words, it was God who was increased Jacob’s wealth rapidly. Remember, at Bethel, God promised to bless Jacob, and He kept His promise; and since Laban had agreed to Jacob’s terms, he could do nothing about the results. All of those animals belonged to Jacob.

During the next six years, Jacob became a very wealthy man because of his faith and the blessing of the Lord. Now he was ready to leave and go out on his own, return to his own land and people, and fulfill whatever purposes God had planned for him. When he had arrived in Padan Aram twenty years before, all he had was his staff (32:10). But he had worked hard, suffered much, and trusted God. Now he had a large family and owned extensive flocks of healthy sheep and goats, as well as camels and donkeys and servants to care for all the animals.

Jacob entered into Laban’s house a humble shepherd, however, God has transformed Jacob into a respected leader in Laban’s household. This is important becuase it is God who exalts the humble just as it is God who humbles the proud. The reality is that Jacob’s efforts to control the herds were useless, just as Rachel’s efforts to control her womb were useless, just like your efforts to control your situation is useless…God is in control of all things at all times…that means

God Transformed You

Yeah, you know…I may not know your specific circumstance, although with many of you I do…but do you know what I do know? I do know that God is in control even in your circumstance. I know that when you trust in the Lord things will be easier…no your struggles may not go away, but they will be easier. Look, I can tell you 100% that I don’t understand it, but I promise you, when you truly trust in the Lord…things just get easier…not gone, you will still be tempted…easier. When you know and can trust in the promises of the Lord things go a little smoother. Listen, I can tell you time after time after time in my own life and how God has literally transformed me into something that frankly I don’t even recognize somedays because there is no way I could get here on my own…but through the promises of the Lord…here I am.

However, I don’t have to tell you about the transformation in my life, because you can look at your own life. Remember what God has given you than you are currently taking for granted. You know what I’m talking about…You know who you were…you might have fooled everyone else, but you never fooled yourself or your God…He knows who you were, and that’s not who you are anymore because of the promises that he made to you.

Praise the Lord for that transformation and give him the credit he deserves this morning. You did nothing…your efforts are as filthy rags…Your God is sovereign and your God transformed you…

If your here this morning and you want to know what it looks like to have a transformed life, then, please reach out and lets have a conversation about how God is waiting to transform your life. God can and does transform lives, we wouldn’t be here if he didn’t…Repent of your sin and trust in the work of the Holy Spirit to make you new!

Let’s pray (pray for God to continue to work in hearts and lives)