Faith Journeys (Genesis 29-31)

Psalm 128 NIV

A song of ascents. 1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. 5 May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. 6 May you live to see your children’s children— peace be on Israel.

1 Kings 8:54–61 NIV

54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: 56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Romans 8:26–39 NIV

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Introduction:

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin

Despite the mind-numbing brutality of the Joseph Stalin regime in the Soviet Union, his propaganda machine did its job well. Many Russians hailed him as a hero and a savior, including a young school girl who was chosen to greet Stalin on one occasion.

Years later, this woman recalled Stalin taking her onto his lap, smiling like a loving father. She was starry-eyed, and she cherished the moment for many years. Only later did she learn that during this period, Stalin had her parents arrested and sent to the labor camps, never to be seen again.

Today in the Word, October, 1997, p. 36

Deception seems to be the past time of the enemy. He began in the Garden with Eve. He told her that if she disobeyed God and ate from the tree, she would become like God knowing good and evil.

Then Satan deceived Cain into believing that if he eliminated his brother Abel his own offerings would be good enough for God.

Satan deceived men into believing they could build a tower to reach God and he deceived Jacob into believing it was appropriate for him to deceive his father Isaac for the sake of receiving a blessing he believed was promised to him by God.

Jacob had learned to use manipulation and deception to get what he wanted. Well, now he will come face-to-face with a man who does business this way and God will show Jacob that He can provide far more than what one can get through manipulation and deception.

Today we will be looking at Genesis 29-31, but for the reading of our text, we will look at a Genesis 29:14b-30. Please stand for the reading of the Word.

Genesis 29:14b, 15-30

14 ... After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,

Genesis 29:14b–30 NIV

15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.” 22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant. 25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?” 26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.” 28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

The Word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Pray

I. Faith Journeys Genesis 29-31

Sermon Introduction:

We learn early on that Jacob was a homebody. He preferred to do work around the home than to be out in the wild. He made a bold play to secure his home for himself, but it cost him dearly. Oh, he won, but he would have to leave it for a time the length yet undisclosed.

He is driven by fear for three days headed to a destination he had never been before. Tired, afraid, probably hungry, and in total depression, he lays down to sleep. This was not at all what he had bargained for. However, something happens that night that changes his perspective and the course of his life. God reveals himself to Jacob and turns Jacob’s journey into a journey of faith. Like, yet unlike, his grandfather Abraham’s journey.

You see, God called Abraham out from Ur and later Haran to make a journey to an unknown place in faith. Jacob now makes a journey back to Haran, an unknown place for him. It did not begin as a call or a journey of faith, but when he rises from his dream encounter with God, he continues his journey with a sense of calling and a beginning level of faith.

His fear turns to expectation as he continues his journey and we quickly find that....

A. Faith Journeys Never Disappoint (Genesis 29:1-12)

Genesis 29:1–6 NIV

1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Harran,” they replied. 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered. 6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?” “Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

Jacob carried no GPS. He had no previous trips to show him the way, but like Abraham’s servant before him, he came to the very location, the very well, of the people he was searching for.

Personally, I believe the Internet has stolen from many people the opportunity to make this kind of faith journey. This kind of journey can come at any time in life, though it is often first experienced when our children move away to go to college. If they are Christians, this essentially becomes their initial journey of faith. I had gone to college straight from high school, but my real faith journey was in my 30’s when I left my family to journey 1,500 miles away to Colorado Springs. I literally moved there without ever having traveled there before, so I had no idea what to expect. In my mind, I pictured something more like NYC or downtown Denver, with high rises all around. But that was not the case, thank goodness! :-) However, now days, fewer and fewer are making these trips, choosing instead to attend classes online without leaving home. It is a real shame, as there is no experience like setting out completely on faith trusting God and God alone!

I remember a missionary story I heard once. Unfortunately, I have forgotten many of the details, but there is one part of the story I never forgot. This missionary was on the mission field in some remote area. They did not have much money. The husband felt God impressing upon him that he needed to travel some other place (I do not remember from where to where). He felt impressed it was urgent and he needed to go quickly. He had no money and was not sure how he would be able to buy the ticket, but he packed quickly and traveled to the airport. Once there, he did not know what to do other than wait. He had not waited long when someone he knew came running up to him and pressed money into his hands saying, “God told me I should come and give this to you.” It turned out to be enough to buy the ticket to where he felt called to go.

I do not remember all the other details, but that is enough to show that God works in incredible ways that we never experience unless we set out somewhere completely on faith. These experiences stretch our faith and reveal God’s faithfulness.

Jacob was no 18 year old when he made this trip. Remember, the men often married at older ages, though the women were often young. Isaac was 40 years old when he met and married Rebekah. Jacob may have been as old as 63 years when he made this journey. This seems old to us (for marrying that is), but to people who lived to be 120-175 years old, this was not so old.

Once we begin our faith journey, God uses the journey to teach us. You see...

B. In Faith Journeys We Confront Our Weaknesses (Genesis 29:14b-30)

For Jacob, he would quickly experience the other side of deception. Jacob’s use of deception would be used against him to make a slave out of him by another master of deception, Laban. You wondered where Rebekah learned it? Laban is her older brother. It was evidently a family past-time.

Genesis 29:20-23, 25

Genesis 29:20–23 NIV

20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.” 22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.

Genesis 29:25 NIV

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

Now, let us step back a moment to Jacob’s arrival.

Laban was probably pretty disappointed in Jacob. When Eliezer came from Abraham for a wife for Isaac, he had come with many gifts and riches to bestow upon Laban and his family. When he heard that Isaac’s son was here, he would have expected the same thing, but instead he finds Jacob destitute. Jacob holds nothing back from his story believing he is talking to a concerned uncle (remember the story at the beginning of this service about a smiling Stalin? Well, Laban is a smiling serpent also!).

Notice how Laban works Jacob to get labor out of him. Jacob was a guest and should have been treated as such, but Laban is fearful he will be a deadbeat so he manipulates Jacob in a way that makes Jacob feel he is doing Jacob a favor.

Genesis 29:15 NIV

15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

From here forward, Laban continues to trick and deceive Jacob, all the while using Jacob to prosper himself and his lazy sons (Jacob is essentially doing the work the sons should have been doing. Oh and by the way, the going bride price was more like 3-4 years. Jacob’s own love exuberance and the fact that he is not sure he can yet go home, probably propel his offer of 7 years. This could still be a bit of manipulation on Jacob’s part to continue living there).

This seems unfair, but we will quickly see that God uses all of this for Jacob’s good. In the meantime, Jacob is getting a good look at himself as he deals with Laban. His frustration and anger had to be turned on himself when he realized he had done the same thing to Esau and his father Isaac. Laban’s emphasis on the younger not prospering before the older, would have been like a knife twisted in his chest, as he thought back to his stealing his older brother’s birthright and blessing.

On our faith journeys, we are confronted by our weaknesses. God uses this time to help us to see our weak areas and to help us learn how to place our trust in Him instead of on ourselves. We may be manipulative of others or we may be fearful. Perhaps we are over controlling. Whatever the case may be. Now, this does not mean that we become completely cured of these things. Neither do we have only one weakness. But, God usually works on one area of our life at a time. It is a journey we never complete this side of eternity. However, as we work on these areas in our life, God strengthens us and helps us to learn to lean on Him in these weaknesses.

Now, faith journeys have a key purpose.

C. Faith Journeys Are Avenues to Fulfilled Promises (Genesis 29:31-30:24)

The next 7 years are difficult for Jacob. God is continuing t o hone a man of faith out of him. In the meantime, his wives are manipulating him and using him for their own needs to produce children. It is a sad story of a wife unloved blessed by God and a wife loved, that is left barren. God always has a heart for the unloved. Always remember that! However, God is using this sad situation for his purposes. Jacob is not perfect. He is still learning how to be a man of God. Yet, God is being faithful to his promise to produce a unique family to become a nation. This nation will be His people.

You have to wonder if all the family bickering has distracted him from God’s promise of many descendents or if he is looking at this with wonderment. Remember, this promise had been with them since Abraham, yet Abraham only had one son and Isaac, two. Now, Jacob finds he has 11 sons and a daughter.

The truth to recognize here is that our faith journeys are the avenues by which God fulfills His work in our lives. If we do not take journeys of faith, God is unable to fulfill what He desires to fulfill in our lives. The many ways He chooses to bless us. We essentially close the door on them. Now, do not get me wrong. God always keeps His promises and He always fulfills His purposes. However, if we are not open to being the instrument of His choosing, He will find another and we will forfeit the blessings that could have been ours.

We see this throughout scripture. Typically, the family blessings went to the oldest, but God continually turned His nose up at the oldest (i.e. Cain, Ishmael, Esau) because they were obviously not open to God.

So on that note, let us look at the personal blessings Jacob gained and we see that...

D. Faith Journeys Produce Blessings (Genesis 30:25-43)

These blessings come even in the midst of life’s trials.

Jacob completed his 14 years of service for his wives. He was prepared to take leave of Laban, however, Laban had other ideas. He was profiting from Jacob’s work. Keep in mind, Jacob has done all this work for nothing more than two wives. Every gain has been Laban’s. Laban is reluctant for Jacob to leave. So, Jacob agrees to continue to work for Laban for wages in flocks.

Genesis 30:31–32 NIV

31 “What shall I give you?” he asked. “Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.

Once again, Laban schemes. Jacob intends to cut out his herd and take care of them along with Laban’s herds. However, Laban quickly pulls out the agreed upon flock and puts Jacob’s flock in the hands of his sons some distance away. He is trying to ensure that Jacob cannot flee.

Jacob works for Laban six more years, during which time, Laban continues to swindle Jacob by continually changing the agreement. Laban also charges Jacob for every lost or killed stray and Jacob feeds his family from his flock alone. However, God uses this time to bless Jacob despite the corruption of Laban. You see, “God re-purposes evil intent and shows mercy to people who definitely do not deserve it.”

Jacob is not perfect. He is far from perfect. He is even still working his own means to achieve his goals as we see when he uses old home remedies to produce the speckled and spotted. Jacob is a work in progress. However, God blesses him in spite of himself for God’s purposes.

43 In this way the man [Jacob] grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

God enjoys blessing His people. As He does so, the world takes notice and see Him.

Deut 28:1-6, 9-10

Deuteronomy 28:1–6 NIV

1 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

Deuteronomy 28:9–10 NIV

9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you.

Which brings me to our last point of the day.

E. Faith Journeys Reveal God’s Presence (Genesis 31:5-7)

Genesis 31:5–7 (NIV)

5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me.

Jacob isn’t perfect, but he is more and more learning to rely on God. We will see this again next week. It is interesting that in Jacob’s late days, we do not find him using deception like he did in the beginning. He never becomes perfect and it will be a long road of ups and downs for him. However, God continues to bless his family in miraculous ways as we will continue to discover.

Conclusion:

Before we choose to follow God, He can seem elusive and distant. However, when we make a choice to follow Him, we begin our own faith journey. That does not mean that everything goes easy and we become wealthy. In fact, it is downright hard as we face our weaknesses and learn to turn them over to God one difficulty after another. However, in the process, God is revealed. He becomes more clear to us and we are able to face each succeeding difficulty with more confidence and grace.

But deception is still a tool of the enemy. We need to continue to grow closer to God so we also illuminate the work of the enemy so we can avoid it. He lurks in the dark and seeks to destroy. However, his ultimate act of deception was his undoing. (Was being the operative word). You see, he used deception to place God’s Son on a cross. He thought he could kill the Son of Man. Little did he know that by that act of deception, he opened the door to be defeated. Jesus overcame death and provided for us the means to do the same. Now, Satan is in his last days. Oh, he will make one final desperate act of deception in the form of a man called the Antichrist. I believe that man is even now gearing up. The seven year tribulation has not started yet, but the events are setting the scene for them to begin. The clock will begin ticking down when this man steps into the office of a one-world government. We can see this all getting set up. Every nation is struggling. Every government is facing rebellion of some sort. It is just a matter of time before they decide a united earthly kingdom is the answer, and this man will deceive and offer peace and the 7-year clock will begin ticking down.

However, we have nothing to fear. Like Pastor Dick said last week, we have all the reason in the world to feel joy even now. God has already won! His book is written and the ending is disclosed. I believe that we will be raptured either before this man takes office or within the first three years of his taking office. We will not be part of the terrifying things that will follow in the final 3 1/2 years. We can rejoice, but we also need to be diligent in being God’s witnesses. There are too many who do not yet know that God has provided salvation for them. Our faith journeys may just be what they need to witness to see God for themselves.

Earlier we read a prayer from Solomon for his people. Now allow me to close with a portion of the prayer from Jesus, for us.

John 17:13-26

John 17:13–26 NIV

13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

To Jesus prayer I add...

Father, may we receive your prayer for us with obedience and love. Amen!

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