The
Book of Genesis
Or, Love at First Sight
Lesson
Verse:
I.
Lesson Introduction
A. In ch. 29 Jacob left the house of God. In this chapter he enters into the house of Laban. As was stated last week, Laban has many characteristics of the Anti-Christ. This concept is more vivid once we realize that when we leave the house of God, as did Jacob, we enter the devil domain, the world. Once he arrived in Haran, he signed himself on and began to work for Laban.
B. If we leave the house of God with dread, awe, or doubts, as did Jacob, we become easy prey for the devil. Many people are awed by the wondrous works of the Lord, but never fully obey Him. Satan is fully aware of this and uses our lack of desire against us.
C. Jacob is about to learn that sin is a rough and tough taskmaster. If he had not dealt so deceptively with his brother and father, things would not have been so turbulent for him. If he had claimed the seven promises made to him by God, the next few years would not have been filled with so much deceit.
D. Questions:
1. Do we live with our choices and accept the responsibility?
2. Do we teach this concept to our children?
3. Have we rejected working for the Lord, and instead worked for the devil?
4. Have we endured poetic justice?
5. When we work for the devil do we pay our vows to the Lord?
II.
Lesson
A.
The Will of
God (29:1-10)
1.
The Right Place (29:1-5)
2.
The Right Person (29:6-10)
B.
The Wrong
Approach (29:11,12)
1.
Too fast
2.
Too passionate – letting his emotions take over so that
he can’t accept anything than what he has already decided!
3.
Too Stubborn – expected to just TAKE her right then
4.
The Right Approach
a.
Pray, even fast
b.
Seek counsel
c.
Meet her, meet her parents, take time to see if she is a
help MEET for you
d.
Allow it to NOT work out
C.
The
Wrestlers Face Off – the Match of
the Century (29:13,14)
1.
Jacob meets his match in Laban
a.
Both are hustlers
b.
Both know how to take advantage of every situation
c.
They were perfect for each other
2.
God matches you with the right “sharpener and
moulder!”
3.
Laban is a type of the anti-christ – is Jacob’s thorn
in the flesh (2Cor 12)
D.
Working for
Rachael’s Hand in Marriage
(29:15-20)
1.
The Eyes of Leah vs the body of Rachael
2.
Dowry
a.
Europe, the father gave a dowry to the groom’s father
– makes his daughter more attractive
b.
Middle East – the father GETS a dowry for his daughter
1)
To prove a man can afford to take care of her
2)
To show respect for the woman’s worth to her parents
3.
Laban sees here cheap labour in Jacob
4.
Jacob did not want money. He wanted the hand of
master’s younger daughter in marriage. He loved her so much that he was
willing to serve seven years for this young lass. Please remember that Laban
stated that it was not right for Jacob to serve him for nought. Laban even went
so far and told him to name the hourly rate. We can only assume that Jacob’s
mind was blinded by love, for he readily became a bond servant to Laban, asking
not for money at this time
5.
Wedding Night Woes (29:21-30)
a.
Week long wedding feast (see Jn 2; Jdg 14:12)
b.
Today we have a lifting of the veil just to make sure she
is the one you thought you were marrying!
c. Here was a man starting out at the age of 77. He was blessed by his father and the Lord God Almighty, but has nothing. God promised Jacob that he would become great. Isaac told him he would be great and that corn and wine would be his inheritance.
d. Jacob did not readily take God at His promises. He refused wages at the hand of Laban but was ready to serve Laban for Rachel. It appears he lived at home so long with someone doing things for him that he can not make a sound business decision.
e. Does this sound familiar? How many times have we refused the things offered by God and instead accepted an offer made by the devil, Josh 24:15? How we been guilty of crippling our children because we do not allow them to choose?
f. Choices, Deu 30:19.
1)
The word choose appears about 59 times in the
bible. Of these 59 occurrences 23 of them are in the book of Deuteronomy and of
these 23 usage’s, 22 of them refer directly to Lord doing the choosing. The
one time that Israel was given the choice it was a command for them to choose
the life offered by the Lord. God was going to do every thing for Israel. He
chose the country where they would live, where they would sacrifice, and
everything else for them. All they had to do was choose to serve Him.
2) The wise choose the ways of the Lord. The foolish choose the ways of the world. There is not but one hope for those that choose the ways of the world and that is that they will open their eyes and choose the ways of the Lord, Prov 1:29-33.:
3) Jacob made his choices and had to live with them for about 20 years. He worked 14 years for his wives and stayed another six years before he opened his eyes and realized that the Lord paid better wages than Laban. One could almost say it took 20 years for him to grow up and seek knowledge. The prodigal son opened his eyes and readily admitted that the servant fared better in the house of his father than did he in the world.
g. Reaping, Gal. 6:7.
1) One of the main things wrong with the world today in which we live is society does not want anyone to live with their choices and reap what they sow. Society has a better plan that will not harm one’s self-esteem.
2) Regardless of what society may teach, God’s ways are the best. He offered a very good plan to Jacob. Jacob had 77 years of his mother doing things for him, getting him out of trouble, making sure that everything went Jacob’s way.
h. The deceiver is deceived.
1) Jacob has sold him self into seven years of servitude for Rachel. He did not mind the work for he loved her greatly. On the night of their wedding, Laban hosted a big party to celebrate their marriage.
2) Laban’s eldest daughter, Leah, was not as pretty as Rachel. Laban probably was afraid that she would not marry, and recognizing that Jacob loved Rachel very much; he pulled a fast switch and sent Leah into Jacob on his wedding night. It was dark and Jacob could not tell the difference between Rachel and Leah, or so that is what he told his father-in-law in the morning.
3) It made no difference to Laban. A deal is a deal. He married Leah, and Leah was his wife for better or worse. Laban, realizing he had a sucker and was going to play him for all he could get, was ready to make Jacob an offer he could not refuse. He told Jacob that if he would celebrate the wedding for a week with Leah, he would also give him Rachel to wed as well. However, he would have to serve another seven years for her. But he would not have to wait seven years before he took her to wife. Jacob thought it was a good deal.
i. Poetic justice.
1) We can only wonder what Jacob was thinking when he accepted Laban’s offer. It is evident he was mad, but was helpless to do anything but be mad. This is what is known as poetic justice.
2) It was OK for the younger to get the blessing as long as it was old Jacob getting the blessing and not the elder brother Esau. It was OK in Jacob’s mind for Rachel to wed before the eldest Leah as long as it was not him marrying Leah. For him to be forced to marry Leah before getting the baby in the family was a great injustice. That father-in-law of his was a low down dirty deceiver to treat him in such a manner as to promise him Rachel and then substitute Leah in her place.
3) Does that sound familiar? How often do we act exactly in the same manner? How often have we swindled someone out of a ten dollar bill and then got mad because some stole five dollars from us? We reap what we sow. That law will always prove true.
E.
Leah’s
Worth (29:31-35) God shows His
choice in the matter
1.
Even though she was hated, God blessed her
2.
And, Jacob does end up loving her a little!
3.
Reuban – behold a son!
4.
Simeon – hearing
5.
Levi – Joined – mediator
6.
Judah – praise
7.
Leah finally learns to just praise God instead of trying
to manipulate her husband!
III.
Conclusion
IV.
Study Questions