Jacob: Actions Speak Louder...

Scripture is clear that Jacob was a man who had faith in God, a man who feared God… BUT HE WAS WEAK. NOW… do not come to Jacob’s life in his weak faith and feel it is okay to mimic his life.

With a weak faith, and a life that often revealed actions or inaction that spoke to the contrary to his faith… we see devastating results or consequences of such a life.

*** What you and I believe and how we live SHOULD NOT contradict each other. ***

I find it interesting that many of our household values in our family are taught around the dinner table, or a good campfire… times together set aside just to discuss life.

These times come planned and unplanned

Instruction is sometimes direct and indirect

These are valuable, but we also need to remember that often values are caught… observed, day in and day out. Our kids observe and imitate!!!

That is why we have statements like:

“like father like son”

“he’s a real chip of the old block”

“the apple doesn't fall far from the tree”

As a young kid Lisa and I noticed Joseph would hit his face with his phone… We realized that he saw how I closed my flip phone with my chin. Preston when he prays addresses his God as “Gracious Heavenly Father”. Things I never sat down and trained them… just OBSERVED!!!

Mark my words church! Your actions or inaction; Your obedience or disobedience to the Lord will impact the next generation… your kids!

In Genesis 34-35 today we will look at four situations in Jacob’s family that were observed and we will see things that were stated and those things left silent.

Lacking Trust In God

Genesis 33:1-2 gives a glimpse of family dynamics…

Genesis 33:1–2 NASB95

Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.

God said He would protect us but just in case

I want to protect the children who are most valuable to me

Let’s say we trust God but manipulate the situation, beg grovel and plead… just to give God a hand.

CHURCH!!! Life will throw countless opportunities for you to demonstrate by word and actions who or what you have faith in! Do your actions speak counterintuitive to your words?

Leaving Things To Question

Jacob on his way to Bethel finds Shechem to be to his liking and invest in land there.

Genesis 34 is the tragic record of Jacob’s only daughter being raped by Shechem’s son Hamor and the horrendous response of Jacob’s sons. Genesis 34:1-7

Genesis 34:1–7 NASB95

Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. He was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young girl for a wife.” Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in. Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

NOTICE: What we see and don’t see:

We do not see Jacob’s emotion (Dinah by the way is Leah’s daughter)

We do not see Jacob speak or defend

We do not see Jacob go before God

We do not see the family directed or lead

It is not until the end of the chapter we see Jacob speak… and he is concerned for his reputation and safety!

We see grief and anger over what has occured in the hearts of the sons

These are natural and correct responses

YET… in our anger do not sin

I often have wondered if the inaction or silence of their father spurred their sinful response that follows?!

Mishandling God’s Covenant...

Whether this was planned or not here is what happened

If you want to negotiate for our sister then you ALL have to be circumcised!

Lack of respect and value for the covenant relationship with God

Surprised when they agreed maybe?!

Three days later all the men in pain, Simeon and Levi kill all the men! Genesis 34:25-31

Genesis 34:25–31 NASB95

Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went forth. Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks and their herds and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses. Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” But they said, “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?”

You may be sitting there going “good! they deserved it”. There is a difference in justice, seeking God and His direction and allowing our rage to overcome us and enact upon it.

Failing To Lead

Jacob has very little authority or control of his home. This is summarized in Genesis 35:22

Genesis 35:22 (NASB95)

It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.

This type of action by Reuben is a direct challenge to the leadership of Jacob!

This is consensual, Bilhah is willing to do this feeling the scorn of Jacob possibly

Later in Genesis we see there is a consequence but nothing else here!

Part of leading in a family is dealing with sin. (dealing with sin requires us to look at the log in our own eye)

Jacob however had strived to deal with sin earlier in chapter 35.

When Words & Actions Line Up

Jacob was probably in a place where he knew he was not where God wanted him. Sons are upset with him, the neighbors don’t like him, and are scared of him, Dinah has been raped and well… Mostly because God told him. Genesis 35:1-4

Genesis 35:1–4 NASB95

Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.

We are going to go where God says

We are leaving our idols… there is only ONE GOD

Cleanse yourselves, we are starting fresh!

I will lead us in worshiping Him

I am directing who we will serve and worship!

Jacob takes his family to Bethel and there God has a message for him: Genesis 35:9-12

Genesis 35:9–12 NASB95

Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel. God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. “The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

STOP being Jacob!!! You are Israel!!!

STOP being like the world!!! You are his child!!!

It is time we start living what we believe!