God Our Witness

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have a Bible and I hope that you do, open ‘em up with me to Genesis chapter 31…Genesis chapter 31. We’re gonna be starting verse 17 this morning.

Over the last couple months, we’ve been following the story of Jacob—And listen, what a story it’s been, right? God made a covenant with Abraham, He confirmed it with Isaac, and now that promise, its continuing through Jacob.

We saw how Jacob fled from Esau…He encountered God at Bethel—God gave him a vision, a promise, a future. Then we watched as Jacob entered into Laban’s household. And from the start, there’s been tension: we saw deception, manipulation, broken trust. Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah, he changed his wages multiple times, and constantly he found new ways to control the situation.

But even in all the family drama—God was at work.

Last week, we looked at how God began to turn things around, despite Laban’s schemes. God prospered Jacob’s flocks. God reminded Jacob of His promise, and God told him it was time to return home. And Jacob obeyed.

And so now, as we come to verse 17, things reach a breaking point. Jacob leaves secretly. Laban chases him down. There’s a confrontation that’s been building for over 20 years—and all of it unfolds right here in our passage this morning.

But listen, underneath all the tension, there’s something even bigger happening.

This isn’t just about a family argument. I’ve said this over and over again…this story and every story we’ve read about so far, its about a God who sees everything. A God who doesn’t overlook pain. A God who protects His people, who brings truth to light. It’s a reminder that even when the world mistreats us—even when people twist the facts or take advantage of us—God is our witness.

Let me give you an illustration to kind of set the stage: Imagine you’ve worked faithfully at a job for two decades. You’ve poured in your time, your heart, your energy. But behind closed doors, someone in leadership, they keep changing your role…and then on top of that, they take credit for your work, they constantly twist the story. You know the truth, but you feel stuck. You’re powerless. But then one day—it all comes out. Not because you fought your way out, but because someone higher up saw it all along. And so, they step in, they clear your name. They say, “I know what’s really been happening all along.”

That’s what’s going on in this passage. Jacob’s been mistreated for years—but God saw it all, and now He’s bringing it all to light.

Here’s the main idea I want you to hold onto this morning: When the world mistreats us, we can rest in the God who sees, in the God who protects, in the God who vindicates His people.

Let me give you the outline for where we’re headed today:

Point number 1: God sees our affliction – He never turns a blind eye to injustice.

Point number 2: God protects us from our enemies – Even when we don’t realize it.

And point number 3: God vindicates His people – He brings truth to light in His perfect time.

And so, if you’re feeling unseen today... If you’re tired of trying to prove yourself... If you’ve been wronged and don’t know how to respond—this passage is for you.

If you’re sitting here today feeling grieved—or even angry—at what’s come to light over the last couple of weeks in our country… if you’ve watched people twist Scripture and claim it as hate, or just people manipulating truth… if you’ve seen all the evil and wondered, “Where’s the justice at?”—then this passage is for you.

Because Genesis 31, it shows us a God who doesn’t stay silent. A God who sees through manipulation. A God who protects His people. A God who brings the truth out into the open. When people misuse authority—whether that be in families, or churches, public platforms—God’s not indifferent. He is a righteous witness, and He won’t let deception go unchecked.

And so, if you’re there with me in Genesis 31, starting in verse 17, you can remain seated as we read our passage together?

It says this:

Genesis 31:17–42 ESV

So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram (Pad-dam-a-ram), to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods. And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean (Air-a-me-in), by not telling him that he intended to flee. He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. But God came to Laban the Aramean(Air-a-me-In) in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods. Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

[Prayer]

Again our three points…God sees our affliction…God protects us from our enemies…God vindicates His people.

Let’s look at this first thing together.

I. God Sees Our Affliction (vv. 17-21, 36-42)

God sees our affliction.

Look back with me at verse 17. It says:

“So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.”

Now let’s stop there. That verse, it might not feel like much at first glance, but really think about it. Jacob isn’t just packing up for a vacation. He’s leaving behind twenty years of labor, right? Two decades of affliction. Everything he owns in this moment—every sheep, every camel, every servant—it was all gained in the house of a man who lied, who cheated, who manipulated him. Verse 41 says it very plainly: “These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.”

And so, don’t miss this: behind verse 17 is years of sweat, and heartache, and pain that nobody else seemed to acknowledge…except for God.

Look at verse 20:

“And Jacob tricked Laban, by not telling him that he intended to flee.”

That word “tricked” in the Hebrew, it literally means he “stole the heart of.” In other words, Jacob snuck out…Why? Verse 31 gives us the reason: “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.” Jacob’s life it’s been marked by fear, by mistreatment, uncertainty…all under Laban’s roof. For twenty years he lived like that. But God saw it.

Now fast forward with me to verse 36. Laban’s searched everywhere for his stolen idols (remember Rachel took those…that’s not the point of the story though), and he’s come up empty-handed. And finally Jacob erupts:

“What’s my offense? What’s my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? … These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.”

Guys, do you hear the weight of those words? Jacob, he’s recounting years of unrecognized labor. Every loss, every miscarriage, every stolen animal, every night in the cold—Jacob shouldered the cost, all while Laban exploited Jacob’s faithfulness. And yet in verse 42 Jacob says: “God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands.”

Do you see how this passage works? The narrative itself, its building the case that even when man overlooks, God still sees.

Let me put it this way: Jacob’s affliction was real, but it wasn’t invisible. The whole time—through every long day in the field, every cold night under the stars, every unjust wage change—God was watching. And in His time, God brought it all to light.

And listen, this theme, it runs all throughout Scripture. Exodus 3:7: “Then the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry.’” Psalm 34:15: “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.”

Matt Chandler, he said this, “God’s not wasting your pain. He’s not ignoring it. He’s not distracted. He’s storing it, redeeming it, and in His time He will use it for His glory and your good.”

I love how Voddie Baucham (Boc-uhm) put it, “God doesn’t owe us deliverance on our timetable, but He never fails to be faithful on His.”

And so, here’s the takeaway: when you feel unseen, when you feel like your labor or your suffering doesn’t matter—remember Jacob’s testimony. He was able to look back and say: “God saw my affliction.”…And listen, if you belong to Christ, you can say the same.

Guys, pay attention to this passage.

Jacob says in verse 40: “There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.” That’s a picture of quiet endurance. Nobody applauded him. Nobody gave him a medal. But God saw him. And in verse 42 again, Jacob looks back and he testifies: “God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands.”

And so, here’s what that means for us today:

Faithfulness, in the unseen things we do, its still meaningful. Maybe your boss doesn’t notice your effort, or maybe your family doesn’t say thank you…maybe your quiet acts of obedience, they go unrecognized. But God sees all of it. And just like Jacob, your labor, its never wasted, especially when it’s done in obedience to Christ…Colossians 3:23 and 24, it reminds us: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Endurance builds character, it builds trust in God. When we’re faithful under pressure, especially when unseen, God shapes our hearts. He teaches us patience, humility, dependence in Him. Jacob’s story, it shows us that God’s timing, its perfect—He vindicated Jacob not because Jacob schemed successfully, but because God had been watching all along. Romans 5:3 and 4 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Faithfulness under affliction, it testifies to the glory of God. Your quiet obedience, your patient endurance, your integrity when no one else is watching—it all points to a God who sees and to a God who works in secret. Jacob’s ordinary acts of faithfulness, they were all part of God’s extraordinary plan to preserve His covenant promises.

And so, here’s the application for us: when you feel overlooked, when your labor seems unnoticed, don’t stop. Don’t measure your work by applause or recognition. Measure it by faithfulness to God. Keep showing up, keep doing the right thing, keep living in integrity, because God’s watching, and He’ll bring it all to light in His perfect timing.

Think about that for just a moment—every tear, every sleepless night, every act of faithful service that went unnoticed…God remembers. And one day, when the full story’s revealed, the world will see…and even more importantly, God’s glory, it’ll be displayed through your endurance.

God sees our affliction!

II. God Protects Us From Our Enemies (vv. 22-30)

Point number 2…God protects us from our enemies.

Pick it up with me in verse 22:

“When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead.”

And so, here’s what’s happening: Jacob has about a three-day head start. But once word reaches Laban, he gathers his relatives, and the text says he “pursued him.” That word in Hebrew, its a military word—it’s used for enemies chasing after Israel in battle. So this isn’t a family road trip—this is a hostile pursuit. Laban’s treating Jacob like an enemy fugitive.

Verse 23, it adds, “he followed close after him.” The image here is of Laban breathing down Jacob’s neck, about to overtake him. Humanly speaking, Jacob’s cornered. He’s outnumbered, he’s defenseless, and he knows it.

But then—verse 24—don’t miss the opening words: “But God…”

“But God came to Laban in a dream by night and said to him, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’”

Do you see that? Laban’s charging full speed ahead, but God Himself steps in and He restrains him. Laban thinks he’s in control, but God set the boundary.

And notice exactly what God says: “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” That’s an idiom, meaning, “Don’t threaten him, don’t manipulate him, don’t harm him. Hands off.” In one sentence, Laban’s power, its completely checked.

Verse 25 shows us the standoff:

“And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead.”

Two camps face-to-face. From the outside it looks like Jacob’s trapped. But spiritually, the outcome’s already settled—Laban can’t lay a hand on Jacob.

Then Laban speaks in verse 26:

“What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?”

Now, can you hear the irony here? Laban’s gaslighting Jacob. He claims Jacob dragged his daughters away like prisoners of war. He pretends he would’ve thrown a farewell party with tambourines and lyres! I mean have you ever heard a lyre? This was gonna be a great party!…But we know Laban’s track record—he’s a manipulator. He’s twisting the story to make himself look like the victim…which without getting off track too much here, you can see a lot of this same stuff in the world, right? With transgenderism, homosexuality, abortion…the world always claims to be the victim.

And then the truth slips out in verse 29:

“It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’”

And so, there it is. His intent was violence, but his hands were tied. He admits, “I could’ve destroyed you, but your God stopped me.” Calvin put it this way: “God so bridled (bride-dal-ed) the fury of Laban, that he dared not touch even a hair of Jacob.”

Finally, verse 30:

“And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”

Even here, we see the folly of idolatry. Laban’s still clinging to powerless household gods—gods that can be stolen, or hidden, or even sat on—while the living God of Abraham, He’s moving heaven and earth to protect His covenant. That’s the contrast here.

Listen, here’s what I want you to takeaway theologically from this passage…here’s what God wants you to know about Himself:

Number 1, God restrains evil.

Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will.”

Laban intended harm, but God said, “You can come this far and no further.”

Spurgeon, he said this, “There’s no stronger [fortress] than the interposition of God. If He says, ‘Touch not,’ though the enemy be armed to the teeth, he must turn back like a coward.”

Number 2, God protects His covenant purposes. If Jacob’s destroyed here, then the promise dies. But God preserves His servant, because He’s preserving His plan. John MacArthur said : “God never promised His people they wouldn’t face enemies; He promised that no enemy could [hinder] His purpose for them.”

And then number 3, God’s people often look defenseless, but they’re never unprotected. From the outside, Jacob looked like easy prey. But in reality, he was safer in that valley than Laban was, because God was on his side. Psalm 118:6 says, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Listen, there’s gonna be “Labans” in our lives, right?—people, forces, sometimes even spiritual enemies—that might oppose us. And oftentimes we feel outnumbered, or cornered, or vulnerable. But just like Jacob, as followers of Christ, we’re never outside of God’s protective hand.

God might allow your enemies to chase you down, but guys, they’ll never overtake you apart from His will. He might allow the pressure to rise, but He’ll always set the boundaries.

Remember Job—Satan could only go as far as God permitted.

Remember Joseph—his brothers meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

Remember the cross—Satan thought he had won, but God was working salvation.

Guys, you might not see God’s hand of protection in the moment, but it’s always there. John Piper says it well: “God’s always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”

So don’t measure God’s protection by how comfortable you feel. Measure it by His promise: “The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life” (Ps. 121:7). And rest assured: if God is for us, who can be against us?

Amen?

Apply that to everything in your life…everything that’s happened recently…the fears it’s created. Apply it to your own situations.

God protects His own from the enemy.

III. God Vindicates His People (vv. 31-42)

And then finally, point number 3…God vindicates His people.

Look with me again at verse 31. It says: “Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.’ Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.”

And so, Jacob, he admits that he acted out of fear, right? For two decades, he’s been living under Laban’s thumb—and deep down he believed that Laban could still take everything away from him in an instant. And so he says, “I was afraid.”

And then notice his rash vow in verse 32: “Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live.” That’s a dangerous statement! Especially considering Jacob doesn’t realize Rachel’s the one that’s stolen ‘em. And so, in trying to defend himself, he's actually putting the wife he loves most at risk.

But do you see what’s happening here? Jacob’s trying to vindicate himself in his own strength, with his own words. And it almost backfires…which is a reminder for us that when we try to clear our own name apart from God, it usually ends up just making things much worse.

Now watch what happens next in verse 33: “So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. And she said to her father, ‘Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.’ So he searched but did not find the household gods.”

This is almost comical, right? Here’s the great patriarch Laban, frantically tearing through every tent, rummaging through their bags, looking for his “powerful gods”—and where are they? Sitting under his daughter on a camel cushion! Laban’s idols, they’re powerless…they’re hidden, silenced. Meanwhile, the God of Abraham and Isaac—He’s actively working to vindicate His servant.

And listen, we could talk about all the other stuff here…Rachel’s lie…her thievery…the pagan influence Laban’s family had on Jacob’s. But I don’t wanna get us off track on the point of this passage…on the point its trying to make about God and who He is.

Look at verse 36 again: “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two.”

Again, we’ve talked about this…but for twenty years Jacob’s endured quietly. But now, in front of all these witnesses, he lays out the record:

“These twenty years (he says) I’ve been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.”

Do you hear the passion in his words? Jacob’s been faithful. He’s borne the cost. He’s endured (again) sleepless nights—all while Laban twisted the system. And not one time did Laban acknowledge Jacob’s integrity.

But here’s the climax, verse 42: “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

There it is. Jacob knows—his vindication didn’t come from his clever words, or his speech, or his ability to fight for himself. His vindication came from God.

God saw. God acted. God rebuked Laban.

Guys, that’s the point this passage is making: God vindicates His people.

That’s what God does for His people. He sees every step, He sees every sacrifice, He sees every hidden act of obedience. And in His time, He brings the truth to light.

And so, what’s this mean for us?

Listen, when you’ve been falsely accused. Some of you know what it’s like to be slandered, or misunderstood, maybe misrepresented. Your instinct, its to fight back, to clear your own name. But this passage, it reminds us: entrust yourself to God.

Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”

Let Him vindicate you in His time.

Or listen, when your labor feels unnoticed. Maybe you’ve been serving faithfully—in your home, in your work, in ministry—but no one seems to care. Remember Jacob’s words: “God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands,” right? God sees every unseen act of faithfulness. And one day, He’ll honor it openly. Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you’ve shown for His name.”

Or listen, when fear starts to control you, remember this passage.

Jacob admitted, “I was afraid.” Fear drove him to make rash decisions, it drove him to sneak away, fear caused him to make careless vows. And yet God still vindicated him.

That’s good news for us. Even when our faith’s weak, even when fear clouds our judgment, God remains faithful to defend His people.

Guys, the world, its gonna twist truth. We live in a culture that paints Christians as the problem, they twist Scripture, they misrepresent the gospel. But listen to me—don’t panic…because God will vindicate His people. Lies may spread for a season, but truth, it has a way of rising to the surface because God Himself brings it to light.

Spurgeon said it like this: “If we defend ourselves, God will let us do it; but if we leave our defense with Him, He will vindicate us.”

And so here’s the big takeaway: When you’ve been mistreated, or misunderstood, or slandered in some kind of way, resist the urge to vindicate yourself in your own strength. Rest in the God who sees, in the God who protects, in the God who vindicates His people.

Closing

And so, what’s God’s Word saying to us today?

God’s saying to us—I see you. I see your affliction. I see your suffering. I see every tear you’ve shed, every long night you’ve endured, every burden you’ve carried.

He’s saying to us—I’ll protect you. The world, the flesh, the devil—they may rise up against you, but they can’t touch you apart from My will. I’m your shield, I’m your refuge, I’m your strong tower.

He’s saying to us—I’ll vindicate you. You don’t have to fight for your own name. You don’t have to live in fear of false accusation, or of being forgotten, or of injustice having the last word. God Himself will clear your name in His time. And listen, your righteousness, it’ll shine like the noonday sun.

But guys, listen to me—our confidence in these promises, it doesn’t come because we’re strong, or because we’re faithful, or because we always get it right. Our hope rests in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let me remind you of that gospel.

The bad news is that you and I, we’re sinners. We’ve rebelled against a holy God. And for that reason, we deserve His judgment, not His protection…which is what sin leads to; death and separation.

And the worse news, its that we can’t fix that problem. No amount of good works, no moral record, no amount of church attendance will ever erase our guilt or cleanse our hearts. We’re hopeless on our own.

The good news is that Jesus (God Himself) came into this world…He became the very thing He created…He lived the perfect life we couldn’t, He died the death we deserved, He bore the wrath of God in our place.

Listen, on the cross, the Judge took the judgment so that the guilty could walk free.

And the best news is that He rose again. The grave couldn’t hold Him, sin couldn’t defeat Him, Satan couldn’t stop Him. And now, for all who repent and believe, there’s forgiveness, there’s new life, there’s a promise that God will see us, He’ll protect us, He’ll vindicate us, and one day He’ll raise us with Christ forever.

The best news is that salvation, its all a free gift…Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

As a believer, that’s why you can endure affliction without despair—because Jesus bore the ultimate affliction for you. That’s why you can face enemies without fear—because Christ, He’s already defeated your greatest enemy at the cross. That’s why you can rest when you’re misrepresented or slandered—because the same God who vindicated His Son by raising Him from the dead He’ll vindicate you too, when you stand with Christ in glory.

Our hope, its not in our circumstances. Our hope’s not in our ability to fight back or defend ourselves. Our hope, its in the gospel—the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But listen, if you’re here today and you don’t know Jesus, then I want you to hear me: these promises, they’re not yours. Outside of Christ, God doesn’t stand as your protector, He stands as your Judge. He doesn’t promise to vindicate you—He promises to bring your sins into the light on the last day and deal with them justly.

And yet—this same God, He offers you mercy today. If you’ll turn from your sin, if you’ll place your trust in Jesus Christ alone, then everything we’ve seen in this text, it becomes true for you as well. God’ll see you, God’ll protect you, God’ll vindicate you—not because of who you are, but because of who Christ is and what He’s has done for you.

So don’t leave here, this morning, without Him. Don’t walk away still carrying your sin and facing His judgment. Run to Christ. Receive His grace. Rest in His finished work.

Because the God who sees, the God who protects, the God who vindicates—He’s the God of the gospel. And in Christ, He’s your God.

Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Listen, our praise team, they’re gonna come back up and lead us in worship.

Again, if you follow Jesus…Remember today that no matter what you endure, God sees your faithfulness…He protects you from your enemies…and guys, remember He’ll vindicate you in His perfect timing—rest in that promise…live boldly for Him today because of that promise.

Maybe as you reflect on that…ask Him for the strength, this morning, to live in light of that hope. Thank Him for the hope we have in Christ, no matter what it is we face.

For those of you that don’t follow Christ…know this—without Him (just like Laban), you stand under God’s judgment…But in Him, mercy, protection, eternal life…all of that, it’s yours if you would just turn and believe in Christ Jesus.

And so again…the praise team’s gonna play. You take this time, respond to the Word of God…and I’ll close us in just a moment.

[Prayer]