God Prepares His People

Jacob's character is changed by the consequences of his sin.

Genesis 29:15-20  Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”  16  Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.  17  There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.  

18  Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”  19  “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”  

20  So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

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Jacob has a reputation for being a deceiver but in reality he came from a family full of deceivers that was as dysfunctional as you can find anywhere. As a result of Jacob's home life he will fail to be a good father and husband for his family and he will repeat many of their mistakes.

Each of Jacob's parents had a favorite child that was their accomplice in the deception that eventually got Jacob thrown out of the house. Despite the sinful and twisted way that Jacob received what God said he would inherit, God kept his covenant promises that started with Jacob's grandfather Abraham. (Genesis 28:1-9)

Jacob left home to run from his brother but his departure was disguised by saying that he needed to get a wife. If he was really going to get a wife he should have packed some essentials before he left home. Remember back in Genesis 24:1-67 when Isaac needed a wife, Abraham sent his servant with everything that was needed but Jacob was running for his life.

Jacob did the initial work that Rebekah did when she met Abraham's servant but then he also worked for fourteen years for the wife that he really wanted. The consequences of sin forced him into working for his bride instead of giving his future father in law the dowry that was expected.

It is ironic that Jacob cheated his brother out of the rights of the firstborn son and then he gets cheated by his father in law because of the rights of the firstborn daughter. Leah treated Jacob the same way that he treated his father when he pretended to be Esau. The cheater was forced to deal with being cheated. (Genesis 29:25, Galatians 6:7-8)

Jacobs new family looks a lot like the dysfunctional home that he grew up in. His parents had two sons and one was preferred over the other and now Jacob has two brides and they both know that they are not loved equally. Imagine on the first morning of married life, your husband wakes up and gets angry when he sees you, and then he storms off to see your father.

But if having two wives that are sisters isn't bad enough, Jacob also slept with their handmaids and had more sons through them, it looks like God allowed Jacob to punish himself through his relationship with these four women.

But wait, there's more, the rivalry between the two wife's rubbed off on their sons and to make it worse Jacob did like his father and had his own favorite son. The trouble that existed between Jacob and Esau was nothing compared to the deception that occurred between Joseph and his brothers.

Despite all of his lies, deception and the times that he made commitments without asking for his will, God used all of this to shape Jacob's character. God allowed Jacob to go through many self made trials before he brought him safely home.

God's Boot Camp
1. Recognize and submit to God’s hand in the daily events of your life.  2. Submit to God when you reap the consequences of your sin.  3. Don’t run from the difficult people in your life until God gives you the okay. 4. Plan to persevere over the long haul. Christianity isn’t a 100-yard dash; it’s a marathon. 5. Thank God for the gracious blessings He bestows in spite of your sin.

The consequences of Jacob's sin took a long time for him to live through. All of us can testify that we have had the same experience. As many preachers have stated, sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay. (Hebrews 12:10-11)

I have been too much like Jacob but I need to remember that all of God's children make plenty of mistakes. We should be encouraged by the imperfect humanity of the people in the Bible. We all have desires that don't need to be fulfilled, we all want what others have and wonder why God has blessed someone else more than we think he should. (James 4:1-3)

1 Corinthians 9:25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

We tend to think that God's people in the Bible were more adequate for being used by him but most of the examples in scripture show us that God uses ordinary people that must yield to God's work of preparing us into the person that he wants us to be. 

Thank you Lord for being patient and willing to help me learn to be more like your son through my circumstances, places and the people that you placed in my life.

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Steven Cole - God's Boot Camp (bible.org)

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The Promised Son Rebels

Gods sovereign will cannot be stopped.

Genesis 25:21-23 Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The LORD answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. 23 And the LORD told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

Genesis 27:1-4 One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.” “Yes, Father?” Esau replied. 2 “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. 3 Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”

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Hold on, did you see what just happened? In chapter 25 of Genesis God said that the older son, Esau would serve the younger son, Jacob and then over in chapter 27 Isaac is attempting to turn all of that around.

Even before he was born, God made it clear that Jacob would be the heir of the covenant promises made to Abraham but suddenly Isaac calls in his son Esau to try and give him the inheritance. But Isaac doesn't realize that his wife is going to step in and "help" God with his will so that Jacob will get what has been promised.

All four of the characters in this family drama are working outside of God's will, Isaac and Esau conspired together to go against God but Rebekah and Jacob were also outside of God's will even though they were trying to accomplish God's will.

The Deception

• Blessing the oldest son was usually done with the rest of the family present but Isaac and Esau didn't want anyone reminding them of what God told them. Isaac was more concerned about what his wife thought than he was about God.
• This is probably not the first time that Rebekah has been eavesdropping on the conversations between Isaac and Esau. That's why the props needed to make the deception work were so accessible.
• Jacob didn't refuse to go along with the deception for the right reasons, he was more concerned with getting caught than doing the right thing, he is a grown man that could have easily stood up to his mom. (40 years old)
• Isaac intended to give all of his blessings to Esau without anything being left to give to Isaac. That's why there wasn't anything left when Esau begged to have something after it was all given to Jacob.
• Jacob must have been anxious to get the blessing done before Esau returns. He had to keep telling more lies as he answered his father's questions. Jacob had the nerve to say that God helped him.

The consequences 

• Isaac set his heart on that which was contrary to the will of God, this is the same man that got on the altar when God told his dad to sacrifice him, he has gone from huge faith and obedience to one of the biggest examples of rebellion in the Bible.
• Esau wants to kill Jacob so that the blessings can then come back to him. But instead Esau would father the nation of Edom which would bring trouble to the descendants of Jacob.
• Jacob was forced to leave home and leave behind all of the inheritance that would someday be his. He had gained everything but he temporarily lost it all.
• Rebekah lost her awesome relationship with Jacob and her relationship with Esau become strained even more that before. Esau purposely annoyed her by marrying more of the local Canaanite women.
• Esau and Jacob will have a strained relationship, it will be 20 years later when the two meet and settle their differences.

Attempting to help God accomplish his will and purposes is a crazy idea, we can't even guarantee the outcomes of the events that happen in our lives, how can we believe that God needs our help.

God has always had a people, he chooses whoever he wants and makes his sovereign will come to pass, even the rule about the firstborn son doesn't matter to God. The first born doesn't always win:

• Abel over Cain
• Isaac over Ishmael
• Jacob over Esau
• Ephraim over Manasseh 
• Judah over Reuben

God didn't need Rebekah to deceive her husband to thwart his plan to rebel against God, even if Isaac's plan to pass the blessings on to Esau had been successful, God could have killed Esau and the rights as the oldest son would have gone to Jacob.

The most unnecessary job in the world is trying to help make God's will come to pass. Worse yet is lying and cheating to make his will come to pass. God has a long history of working out his will without my help.

Keep me in the center of your will Lord.

The Bible In My Life

We need Bible knowledge and application of what God has revealed to us.

2 Timothy 3:13-17 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. 14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

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In Paul's final letter to Timothy, not too long before Paul would be executed, he warned that what Timothy believed would be challenged after Paul is gone. Deceived people won't keep it to themselves, Paul knew that the people that were against his ministry and against the gospel would attempt to deceive Timothy, he would have the truth questioned and he would be tempted to walk away.

It is sad enough to be deceived but sadder still is the fact that deceived people will deceive others. (2 Timothy 3:1-9, 4:6 / 2 Peter 3:17) The lessons that Timothy's family taught him and also the training that he received from Paul would have to take root in Timothy's life to keep him from being ineffective in ministry.

Imagine having Paul as the leader of your small group helping you through long term discipleship. (2 Timothy 1:5-6, 16) Paul's investment in Timothy was rewarded abundantly as you can see in Paul's letters and in the history of the early church:

• Ministered together in various cities (Acts 17:14, 15, 18:5, 20:4 / 2 Corinthians 1:19). 
• Timothy was in Rome with Paul while Paul was in prison (Philippians 2:19–23) 
• Paul frequently mentions Timothy in his epistles (Romans 16:21 / 2 Corinthians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Colossians 1:1 / 1 Thessalonians 1:1 / 2 Thessalonians 1:1 / Philemon 1:1)
• Paul often sent Timothy to churches as his representative (1 Corinthians 4:17, 16:10 / Philemon 2:19 / 1 Thessalonians 3:2),
• Timothy served as pastor of the church at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3)

Timothy took in the sound teaching of his family and from Paul and he allowed it to control his life. The truth was presented to him but it couldn't be forced upon him to apply it to his life. Timothy had to decide what he would do with the information that God revealed to him. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

God's authority isn't forced on us, I get to decide to be a rebel, but my rebellion won't be allowed to last forever. At the end of time it will be a different story as we meet our maker we will all recognize his authority and bow down to him.

We see examples of God speaking in the Bible, the phrase "God said" is found around 3800 times, but after "God said" it was up to man to decide if he would yield to God's authority and pay attention to what "God said."

“It’s not only information about God; it’s the voice of God in print.”

-Tony Evans

The word of God has the authority of God to put the plans of God in motion for my life but the pursuit of the American dream and the pursuit of personal freedom makes it difficult to yield to any authority.

James 1:22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

I need to remember that God is in charge, God wrote the Bible, therefore the Bible has authority over my life and I need to learn everything I can about what it says. But knowledge isn't all, I also need application, I need to allow it to influence my thinking and my actions so that I will please God.

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Our Conqueror Will Return (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)
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