Jacob's Prosperity

Intro:

We have seen Jacob and his unique family situation. He has been conned into taking the sister and as well as the one he loved. He gave 14 years of work, and has 2 wives and their servants who bore children to him. The family is shaping up, and now the author turns to focusing on his wealth.

Remember:

Genesis 28:20–22 ESV

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

Gen 28:

God blesses Jacob and we explore that this evening.

Jacob’s Blessing on Display

Genesis 30:25–30 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?”

Gen 30:25-

EX: God continued to bless Jacob

God increased Jacob’s wealth and through him, Laban’s

Even Laban saw this

God’s blessings came due to Jacob

Laban asks him to name his wages

Laban was seeking more profit.

Using Jacob to that end.

Jacob pointed that out as well.

Jacob’s thoughts had turned to his own family and he desired to go home.

AP: Providence of God

God’s Providence

God’s Providence is defined by Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary:

“sovereign, divine superintendence of all things guiding them toward their divinely predetermined end in a way that is consistent with their created nature, all to the glory and praise of God."

It is God’s benevolent control of all things.

Consider:

Matthew 5:45 ESV

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

God’s blessings on His children, often benefit those around us.

God wanted to enrich Jacob, so Laban also benefitted and he knew it.

Earlier, Sodom and Gomorrah, how many righteous did God say He would spare them for?

10!

This also illustrates God’s blessings on whole earth.

God blesses today the same way.

A nation should be glad to host God’s children

He works through us to be a force for good in the world.

HE works around us blessing us and our world.

Jacob’s Wages

Gen 30:31-36

Genesis 30:31–36 ESV

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.

EX: Jacob wanted God’s blessings

I want nothing from you

no share of wealth and herds

I want the opportunity to grow my own

plan to be from animals yet to be born:

speckled, spotted, striped and abnormally colored

This kept Laban from being able to claim he had enriched Jacob and/or that Jacob had stolen.

Sounded good to Laban because odds were long the newborns would be oddly colored and/or marked

Laban tried to cheat

removed the spotted and streaked.

Genetically, he was playing the odds that there would be little or none born since the males were removed and couldn’t reproduce

AP: Work dilegently

Hard to understand

perhaps really a way to make animals go into heat

Perhaps just a myth

Point: God prospered Jacob in spite of Laban’s meddling and deceit

AP:

We need to be like Jacob.

We should work diligently to provide for the needs we and our family have. We should seek to help those around us.

God established that we would work to provide.

that is part of the curse from the garden of Eden

Paul reminded us of this:

;

Colossians 3:17 ESV

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:22–24 ESV

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 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.

As disciples of Jesus, we do the right thing regardless of what our coworkers or supervisors may do.

Why?

We are serving for God’s glory, not our own, not our employers.

Jacob Prospers More

Genesis 30:37–43 ESV

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.

Gen 30:37-

-42 Strange husbandry

Hard to understand

perhaps really a way to make animals go into heat

Perhaps just a myth

Point: God prospered Jacob in spite of Laban’s meddling and deceit

It was God who blessed and deserved all the credit

The sons of Laban grew jealous

AP: The world can grow jealous still.

Some will see God’s blessings and our generosity and rejoice.

In that situation, give God the glory

Sadly, others grow jealous and attack.

Jealously often leads people to question the motives of those ahead of us.

They inherited all, there is no way we can do it.

They had to cheat to get it.

They were lucky

Dave Ramsey often defends the wealthy.

His group, led by Chris Hogan, did a study called everyday millionaires. in it they interviewed 10,000 millionaires and their results confirmed other studies:

They usually built wealth through giving generously, living on a budget, investing long term, and working hard.

The world wants to play the victim and blame others for their woes.

Sin is our fault- we all do it

Got out of debt and stayed out.

We all make mistakes.

Turn around and serve the Lord with all we have in everything we do.

Parent for God’s glory.

Live on a budget

Work for God’s glory

Save 15% of gross income

Serve others .....

Spread their investments in well diversified areas.

Leave their investments alone

Top 3 professions:

Conclusion:

Keep serving GOD

HE will always be faithful.