Jacob Meets Rachel
Notes
Transcript
Jacob meets Rachel. This was aimed at by Isaac’s instructions. He didnt know her name, but he did where to send Jacob. He did know what was good for his son. When your dad tells you to do something and you are able to get it done, there is a great sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with.
1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large,
3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”
5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”
6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!”
7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.”
8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things,
14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.
Jacob went on his journey is from a unique figure of speech: ‘lifted up his feet’. Great phrase! Put some pep in his step! And this is a response to the just the promise of God. Not even the actualization of that promise.
20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
The promises of God fill us with
Hope - Knowing God is working in and through and FOR us gives us hope.
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
When life is hard or when we face loss or when discouragement sets in, knowing this isnt the end helps. It gives hope! Because even if it is our last day on this earth, in this life, for the believer it isnt the end!
I would imagine leaving his family would have been difficult for Jacob. Only place he had ever known. The strength of the relationship with his mother would have played into this. So for God to come to him in the dream we saw last week allows Jacob to continue full of hope.
Hope is always for the future. asks the question: who hopes for what they already have? But let’s remember that hope isnt a wish. It is an assuredness of God’s promise.
peace?
Confidence - Having purpose, a reason for today, gives confidence.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall he rallied his people by reminding them of God’s promise. They worked, confident God was using them for His purpose. They faced the opposition of their enemy, confident God had given them this task, thus He was for them. And they worked knowing full well those words that would be penned centuries later: If God is for me, who can be against me?!
As Jacob walks up to the well and engages the shepherds he speaks as a man who has confidence. He even gives them advice/instruction about taking the sheep back out for the afternoon. It was not bossy or rude, it was just the overflow of a confident man speaking the truth.
In this very conversation we see Jacob realizing how close he is to finding the one Isaac sent him to. And then they point out Rachel! Talk about confidence! This is the first interaction he has had in Haran and the one he had been pointed to walks up! He recognizes God’s hand on him.
Strength - The strength of God’s presence and activity in our lives is like none other. With God, all things are possible.
31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.
An east Texas pine tree usually grows to be 110-120 feet tall. There is one outside Lufkin that the forest service says is 138’. The tallest in the state. How does a tree stand so tall and not get pushed over by the wind? In the lifetime of that tree there have been, no doubt, several times that tropical storms have pushed against it. But while we can see the grandeur of the height of a pine tree, what we dont see is the tap root. While an oak tree has a root ball that generally matches its branches, a pine tree has a tap root that gives it strength. That tap root will be somewhere around half as tall as the tree. Up to 75’ deep. And from the depth of its tap root, a pine tree gets its strength.
Equipped with the hope of God’s promise and the confidence of realizing who was gathered around the well, Jacob springs into action with the strength of God. Our text goes so far as to say he moved the stone from the well by himself. The promises of God fill with us strength!
And that would be a great place to stop today but there is one more thing we need to embrace: the promises of God are not always in the future. Over and over in life we see the FULFILLMENT of the promises of God! Jacob met and married Rachel. Nehemiah and his people built the wall.
The fulfillment of those promises grows our faith.
When we have seen God act on our behalf we tend to trust deeper with greater hope and confidence and strength.
I was in conversation with one of you this week, hoping to give words of encouragement when I heard the words: I know God’s got this. He has taken care of me all my life.
Do you think that person’s faith has grown? They can trust deeper because of what God has done in the past? I do.
When Jesus walked on earth there were two times someone asked Him for help in this:
In the boy’s father says “I believe. Help my unbelief.” and in the apostles, in response to the command to forgive, say “Increase our faith!”.