God Works Through Our Mess

Good Morning Family!

It is great to see all of you this morning.

Even when I have work to do during the gathering it’s one of my very favorite times every week.

If you’re new or passing through Welcome!

My name is Rob. I’m one of the elders and pastors here at Hillside.

If we haven’t met, I’d love to meet you after this.

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Today, we’re going to be in Genesis Chapter 29.

Genesis has 50 chapters so we’re a few chapters over that halfway point in our Journey through the Gospel in Genesis now.

Chapter 29 is the beginning of what is really a two part saga in the life of Jacob

So, the two part saga that begins today is the story of Jacob arriving in Haran - working for his uncle to gain a wife - and ultimately begin a family.

Big picture :: He gains two wives, two baby mama’s, a huge dose of his own medicine and through all of it we see God’s providence shine through as we eventually see all 12 tribes born out of this complete mess of a situation.

God Works Through Our Mess

If you would grab your Bible and stand IF YOU’RE ABLE and I’ll read Chapter 29.

- - - - - - Read Chapter 29 - - - - I’ll Pray - - - - Then we’ll get going - - - - - - -

Genesis 29:1–30 NASB95

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of the east. He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well. Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.” He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.” While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept. Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things. Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month. Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face. Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.” Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. “Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.” Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.

- - - - - - - Pray - - - - You may be seated - - - - - - -

Explanation

During our journey through Genesis we have almost always gone through an entire chapter or a larger section at a time.

So, every time I begin preparing for a sermon in this series I struggle through it

because in every large section I’ve had to dissect there has been room for two, three, or four sermons.

It’s just rich with material and meat for us to chew on.

But I’m going to do my best to get through verse 30 this morning with you.

Verses 1-14 are the initial happenings of the story that set us up for

the main point - the problem that happens - the main conflict - with Laban’s deception

Jacob arrives in Haran (1-8).

Jacob meets the family (9-14).

Genesis 29:1–8 NASB95

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of the east. He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well. Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.” He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

In this first verse we get a glimpse of Jacob being led by God…and believing God.

Though it’s a subtile glimpse.

When it says, “Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land”

The Hebrew actually says that Jacob “lifted up his feet”.

paints a picture of him walking with a lighter step.

going on this journey in light of his encounter with God (gen. 28:13-15), rather than if he hadn’t heard from God.

God will give Jacob and his descendants the land.

Jacob will have MANY descendants.

The whole of the earth would be blessed by Jacob and his family.

God would be with him, would keep him, would bring him back to the land, that God would indeed fulfill his word to Jacob.

So he’s traveling in light of his encounter with God rather than if he’d never had it.

He didn’t ignore that it happened.

Secondly, This one verse takes place over the course of what was likely around 3 weeks, depending on how hard they pushed. 15 days at 30 mi. per day.

This takes place over the course of a few weeks.

The fact that he reaches his destination is at least some proof that God was with him and was guiding him.

So already Jacob sees and witnesses to some degree that God’s words can be trusted and they’re reliable and true.

already Jacob sees that God is indeed working in his life and is with him and is guiding his steps.

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Jacob goes on to meet some shepherds and through his interaction with them he knows that he’s where he should be.

We see more of God providentially working around Jacob in verse 9.

Genesis 29:9–14 NASB95

While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept. Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things. Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.

We see God’s perfect timing at work in verse 9 when, in the middle of Jacob talking with these shepherds, Rachel appears with Laban’s sheep.

Of all the times that Jacob could’ve arrived

Of all the times that Rachel could’ve showed up with the sheep

Of all of the places for Jacob to show up — Of all of the directions for him to go.

Marine Corps Land Navigation

If your off course by only 1 degree...

After 100 yards, you'll be off by 5.2 feet.

After a mile, you'll be off by 92.2 feet.

After traveling from San Francisco to L.A., you'll be off by 6 miles.

If you were trying to get from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., you'd end up on the other side of Baltimore, 42.6 miles away.

It’s been a long time since I’ve studied that or haven’t had some sort of electronic device to help guide me

so If I were to use these same tools today to try and reach Williston

there’s at least a chance I’d end up visiting with Brian and Ruth in the cities.

If Jacob would’ve only been a degree or two different on his journey this wouldn’t have been part of the story.

God orchestrated this one moment for them both to show up in the same place at the same time.

Because that’s how powerful and in control God is.

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So, in all those areas in life that feel so desperately out of control

and in all those moments when we strive with all our might to make something happen

feeling like we just have to be in control.

We don’t have to be in control because God is in control and Jacob got to witness this first hand

In God getting him to Haran safely

and in God getting him there at just the right time

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The story continues and Jacob is overcome with emotion when he hears this is indeed his family that he’s set out to reach.

Rachel is excited and she goes and tells Laban (her father) and he’s excited

Laban runs out to meet Jacob - There was some family reunion hugs and kisses that took place

Followed by Laban stating that Jacob was surely his bone and flesh. “We’re Family”

So Jacob stayed.

Genesis 29:15–20 NASB95

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

The plot thickens in verses 15-20 when Laban offers to pay Jacob.

Jacob wasn’t rich at this point in his life.

All he had to offer was his sweat and work.

Notice the explicit language of Jacob. “I will serve you 7 years for your YOUNGER DAUGHTER RACHEL.”

Entering into this deal he had no reason to believe that anything other than what he had asked for would come out of it.

Laban’s answer was clever

He didn’t say no. or yes.

He said I’d love for her to be your wife…stay.

This is Jacob beginning to get a taste of his own medicine.

Remember Jacob has already selfishly taken his brother’s birthright

He’s deceived his Father — Lied to him to take his brother’s blessing away as well — So stealing and deceiving.

Deceiving and looking out for ole number 1 has been the biggest part of what we see of Jacob’s life.

So this is Jacob learning not to do that.

Learning what the other side feels like.

On any other day having to do with any other issue

Jacob might’ve seen through this or asked for it in writing or something

But in verse 20 Moses makes it clear that he’s in love — And that make a difference

Verse 20 also sets us up for the rest of the story — Because part of the story has everything to do with Jacob loving Rachel MORE than Leah.

That becomes a huge part of Leah’s life and spiritual growth.

However, Jacob did this gladly — did it without hesitation — And it flew by because of his love for Rachel.

We can infer that God was still with Jacob, guiding him and blessing him, because that’s essentially the big reason Laban deceives —

He doesn’t want to lose Jacob. Jacob being there has been blessing the whole operation.

BUT...The time came when that 7 years was up,

Genesis 29:21–30 NASB95

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.” Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. “Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.” Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.

So the time has finally come! 7 YEARS - Big deal

7 years of waiting and excitement

7 years of working hard and doing all he had to do to earn his bride

How long did Donna and I date? ____________________________

I couldn’t imagine showing up at her place

talking with Curt about Donna and I getting married

And saying, “I’ll tell you what, How about I hang out here, clean up burn garbage and mow for 7 years and you give me Donna.”

Now........I would’ve done that. Lol.

7 years isn’t a long time really, but it is in this day and age.

If a drive-thru takes longer than 5 minutes to get through we’re mad.

We drove to Killdeer just yesterday and watched impatience at its best

Sand hauling type truck passing at the end of passing zone and

because he wanted to be in front and they didn’t want to be passed he ended up

on the wrong side of the road goin over a hill.

We were right with him at the roundabout in Killdeer.

You can imagine the excitement in Jacob’s heart when he went and talked to Laban.

An excitement that only would’ve built up and reinforced when Laban agreed and organized the wedding feast.

That excitement culminated in that moment when he had his bride in his arms and she was his and he was hers.

That’s so close to a “happily ever after” he can taste it.

Then imagine the rush of emotion when he wakes in the morning and he has been deceived like this.

…the struggle, the disbelief, the sadness, the anger welling up in his heart when he discovered this wasn’t the bride he had worked so hard and so faithfully for.

…when he realized this was not the person he had spent 7 years falling deeper in love with and building excitement for.

…IMAGINE the rush of emotion when he was face to face with the man who had so deeply deceived him.

Then imagine the brokenness in Jacob when Laban - after being confronted - just acted like it was no big deal - acted like “this was always how it was going to be”. This is the custom.

Then Laban further teaching Jacob what deception feels like

says “you can have Rachel as well after the week” (honeymoon)

but he had to work for another 7 years to keep her.

So Jacob in utter brokenness agrees.

Application/Conclusion

Now this is where our scripture for today ends. With Jacob broken, humbled, hurting, and in despair to a degree.

Often when we are surrounded by difficult circumstances we don’t have the birds-eye-view to

see what God is doing.

or to seen that he’s even doing anything.

We’re so caught up in our own situation and our own emotions that we aren’t even looking for what God is doing or where he’s working around us.

But family we can be sure that he IS INDEED AT WORK.

We can rest assured that despite our circumstances

despite the sin

despite the hurt and pain and struggle

despite the anxiety and worry involved

when it looks like there’s nowhere left to turn

when it looks like there’s nothing left in the tank.

when the energy account is overdrawn and you still have to get through the rest of the week

GOD IS AT WORK THEN TOO!!!

All throughout scripture God works through messes and difficult situations.

Even through deception like in today’s story.

All throughout scripture God uses human deception to fulfill his promise.

God used Laban’s deception of switching Leah for Rachel—which resulted in Jacob marrying both sisters as well as their two maids—to give birth to Israel’s tribal heads

Later God would use the deception of Jacob’s sons (selling Joseph) to save Jacob’s family from famine (45:4–9).

Still later, God would use David’s deception and murder of Uriah to bring about his marriage to Bathsheba and the crowning of Solomon, their second son.

Many years later God had yet to fulfill his promise that the whole earth would be blessed by Jacob and his family when...

Judas sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and betrayed him with a kiss.

when...

“The chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death.” When they found two false witnesses who agreed, the council decided: regarding the one man; the one human that has ever existed that is completely perfect and sinless; the one person in all of human history that lived as a perfect image bearer of God...“He deserves death” (Matt 26:59, 66).

God worked through deception and sin and mess then

and he works through it now.

so no matter your situation

no matter what brought you to Hillside or to Dickinson

no matter what crumby situation you’ve found yourself in now that you’re here

Like Jacob, you’re here on purpose.

God brought you here.

And he’s working no matter what it looks like.

We just have to be looking for it.

we have to have the eyes to see it.

Let’s leave today with open eyes that are on the look out for where God is working around us, in us, and even through us so we can join him in his work and his mission together!