Genesis 28-29 - Part C

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That's connectwithskip.com. Now, let's get started with today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig. Isaac didn't get to pick his wife, didn't get to see his wife till after they were engaged. Now, I know a lot of you are thinking, dude, never would I ever let that happen. However, Eliezer did it carefully and prayerfully. Jacob goes out, he's not praying at all in this, and he will choose his own wife. Here's the question you might ask, who was better off? So you've got to get to the end of the story because he chose the right gal, but he gets, well, a double portion, you might say. It's not what he wanted.

It didn't turn out the way he expected it. It says in verse three, now all the flocks would be gathered there. They would roll the stone from the well's mouth, water the sheep, put the stone back in its place on the well's mouth. And Jacob said to them, my brethren, where are you from? And they said, we are from Haran.

He's going, awesome, bingo, that's the place I'm going. And so he said to them, do you know Laban, the son of Nahor? And they said, we know him. And so he said to them, is he well?

They said, he is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep. Now the world would see this as just a coincidence. We see this as providence.

God arranged this thing very naturally, but it was supernatural. Now watch what Jacob says. Then he said, look, it is still high day. It is not time for cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go and feed them. That they said, we cannot until all the flocks be gathered together.

And they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep. Now why would he say this? Was he saying this because he was some conscientious person who felt really sorry for sheep and he wanted them to be fed? Because basically what he's saying is, look, water the sheep and then let them go feed again. And they're saying, well, we can't until they all get gathered together so we can do the watering of all the flocks at once. Why is he bringing this up?

What he's saying is this. I see Rachel is coming. You guys water the sheep and get out of here. Because he wants some alone time with a girl that he sees out of the corner of his eye and now in full view coming toward him. Because she is, as we'll be told, very beautiful.

And he is hoping this is the one and it will turn out to be the one. Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban, his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel.

Wow! Just like that? Oh yeah, but it gets better. And lifted up his voice and wept.

What kind of a deal is this? First of all, it comes up and it's so romantic. Here's the kiss. And then he goes, oh! She's thinking, is it the garlic I ate for lunch? I think he's overcome with emotion.

It's been a long journey. He is more of the emotional sort. He's not the outdoors guy. He's the man of the tent.

He's the indoor type. Maybe a bit more emotional. You see, he's overcome with emotion.

It's been a long, hard trip for the boy. And then Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son, so she ran and told her father. Some commentators in dealing with this passage will say that this was love at first sight. Certainly, she looked beautiful and when he saw her, he went, Couldn't even whistle there, but anyway, you get the idea.

There you go. Scientists that study this have an interesting theory. They call it love mapping. That your brain is wired to lock onto certain characteristics of the opposite sex. That when you see those certain characteristics and one will have a group of characteristics different from another. That attraction, that bond that forms infatuation that brings you in proximity upon which people develop relationships. Here's a little article I found about love maps from one of the so-called experts of it. The issue of love at first sight brings up the speculation of biological origin. That you're hardwired to see somebody and then gravitate toward that person. But she, Helen Fisher, also adds, In terms of human courtship and marriage, several observations are important. The infatuation phase, that's where Jacob is at, tends to wane after four years or less.

This may be in part to a reflection of the human brain's inability to stay in a revved up mode over a long period of time. The waning of infatuation seems to play a role in divorces occurring in the early years of marriage. The longer that couples weather the years, the longer they tend to stay married. Now I share that with you because Jacob is about to weather several years.

Not just three or four, but fourteen of those years. And show that he is really interested and goes from infatuation to commitment in this relationship. Verse 13, It came to pass when Laban heard the report about Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he stayed with him for a month. And Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should be your wages? Now Jacob was waiting for this conversation.

Like what can I do for you? Glad that you ask. Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah. The name of the younger was Rachel.

Now watch this. Leah's eyes were delicate. NIV says weak. But Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Perhaps the New Living Translation does a better job with it. It says, Leah had pretty eyes. But Rachel was beautiful in every way with a lovely face and a shapely figure. So rather than weak eyes, the term idea of Delica could be that she had beautiful eyes. But though she had beautiful eyes, her sister had beautiful everything.

And so there was the comparison. Now Jacob, it says, verse 18, loved Rachel. He'd spent a month with her every chance he got. And so he said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. Listen, there's that girl, she's so beautiful and he's just like knee jerk reacting like, I'm going to sign my life away here. Now he didn't read the fine print.

He's dealing with a master deceiver. Because you'll notice that Laban never promises that at the end of the seven years he gets to have Rachel. Never once does he promise that, though that's the implication that Jacob has in his mind. I'll serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. And Laban said, now watch what he says, it is better that I give her to you than I should give her to another man.

Stay with me. Nothing mentioned. It's all in the fine print in his own mind. So Jacob served seven years for Rachel. Now watch this, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love that he had for her. That is one of the most beautiful passages in all of the Bible to me.

I've always loved this text. Here is a man who makes a commitment of seven years for this chick that he says he loves after one month. Seven years he serves. In 1 Corinthians 13, describing love says love is patient, or love will wait. This guy is waiting seven years. Did I mention seven years?

That is unheard of today. Love is patient. Love will wait.

Gals, just a little counsel from Uncle Skip. If you're dating a young man, or a man of any age, who says, oh baby honey, sweetie, I love you so much, but I want more from you, I want to be more intimate with you, and I can't wait. I can't wait until next year, or until the wedding. I can't wait because I love you so much. After you slug him, and you have my permission to do so, realize what he's really saying. He's saying I love you, but what he really means is I love me, and I want you for me.

Because if he really loved you, he would consider you, not violate you, not take something from you, but consider that you are to be respected, and love is to be honored, and love will wait. Love is patient. Seven years. Wow. So they strike the deal. Here's the irony. The guy who deceived his father, Jacob, is about to be deceived by his father-in-law.

Very ironic. Galatians 6, God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. He's about to reap a harvest. Then Jacob said to Laban, this is after the seven years are done, he's worked now, it's a long courtship. Give me my wife. I'd say that after seven years. For my days are fulfilled, I want the paycheck.

Then I may go into her. Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we get back to Skip's teaching, it's more important than ever for Christians to stand for truth in our broken culture. And in the God Speaks biblical answers for today's issues collection of booklets from Skip Heitzig, you'll get equipped to speak God's timeless truth into the big issues of our time. God Speaks biblical answers for today's issues is our thanks for your gift of at least $50 today to help share biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your resources when you give $50 or more today to help reach people around the world with the good news of Jesus through Connect with Skip Heitzig.

Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. Now it came to pass in the evening that he, as Laban, took Leah, his daughter, and brought her to Jacob and he went into her. And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came to pass in the morning that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, what is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me? Now I know, I know, some of you read this and you think, what is this guy in just a dunce? Couldn't he tell the difference?

Right? Well, it was night. They didn't have lights like this. They had candlelight. The bridal suite was kept dark on purpose and a bridal veil that kept eyesight off of the ability to discern features.

She had a veil over and she went into the bridal suite and he woke up the next morning, realized there was a switcheroo going on. The older sis was put in her place. And look what Laban says.

He says, it must not be done so in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. That's true. And he knew it all along.

That's the fine print. Fulfill her week, that is her bridal week. We will give you this one also, that's what he calls Rachel, this one also.

For the service of which you will serve me still another seven years. Hardcore. And Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.

Now I'm going to guess that there was a rivalry between Leah and Rachel, very similar to the rivalry between Esau and Jacob. And that obviously Leah was complicit in this. She went along with the scheme, she had to.

Couldn't have worked without her consent. And I'm sure she delighted in the fact, you know, I'm not as pretty as my sister, but I'm going to get this guy, this strong, handsome man first. And I'm sure when it happened, it's like the red light went on in his head.

It's like, yeah, I remember that. I did that myself with my own father and dressed up and lied to him. And he found out later. And Laban, it says, verse 29, gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as maid. And Jacob also went to Rachel. And he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban another seven years. If he would have approached this carefully and prayerfully, as did Leah's, or perhaps things would have turned out a little bit differently. If he would have really talked to Laban and understood the custom and gone a little bit added a different way, perhaps.

It would have been different. Not sure. I do know this. When you're entering into a marriage relationship, understand what you're getting into. You're going to hear vows that will be said at the wedding.

Tell death. Do us part. It's much easier to get into a relationship than it is to live through a relationship. Mark Twain used to say, keep your eyes wide open before marriage and then half shut afterwards. I think that's good counsel.

Once you make the commitment, then you just let a lot of stuff just go. Just let it water off the duck's back. Let it roll. Don't worry about it. Don't get hung up on it. But at first, go slow. Be careful. Well, he loved Rachel more than Leah. That poses a problem.

He served with Laban another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he opened up her womb, but Rachel was barren. That's very interesting. As if there's some sort of divine compensation. That when you're lacking in something in your life, that God can compensate by giving you more in another area to make up for that.

I love that. God saw that and part of his grace was to enable one to conceive while the beautiful one was barren. So Leah conceived. And bore a son and she called his name Reuben, Reuven, for she said, the Lord has surely looked on my affliction.

That is, of being unloved by my husband. Therefore, my husband will love me. Now, Reuben means, see, a son. So the boy comes out and every Jewish father, especially in the patriarchal period, wanted a son to carry on the lineage.

Of course, that was important if the messianic promises were to be fulfilled. And so she thought, I'm going to earn my husband's love because I produced a son for him. Rachel didn't.

I did. She conceived again and bore a son and said, because the Lord has heard that I am unloved. So no doubt, this is a matter of prayer before the Lord. She talked to him about it. He has therefore given me this son also. And she called his name Simeon, which means one who hears. She conceived again and bore a son and said, now this time my husband will become attached to me.

See, every time she's trying to, with the children, manipulate her husband's love. He'll become attached to me because I have born him three sons. Therefore, his name was Levi, which means attached. She bears Levi, which is the priestly tribe. She bears, we'll see, Judah, which is the royal tribe from which Jesus Christ will come. So she was compensated, you might say, by being the agent of the blessing of God to the world. She conceived again, final verse, verse 35, and bore a son and said, now I will praise the Lord. Therefore, she called his name Praise, which is what Judah means. And then she stopped bearing.

So the first few children were all about gaining her father, her husband's favor. Judah is somehow reflected that her attitude has changed a little bit. She's worshiping, she's praising, she's in better spirits.

She says, praise the Lord. Here's the question I want to leave with you tonight. Just as Jacob was at Bethel and it was a barren place, a God-forsaken place, he thought the Lord isn't in this place. Here's my question. What is your Bethel?

You have one. You have some barren place. Somebody's going to listen to this who gets it in a hospital bed. That bed of pain is their Bethel, it's barren, it's God-forsaken. You're saying God isn't in this place.

For others it's a wheelchair, for others it's a boring job, for others it's a very difficult relationship. And you're in that difficult, dark place and you're saying God isn't in this, God isn't here. And what you have to realize is that any barren place you're at can become Bethel, the house of God, when God lets down the ladder. There was no temple at Bethel, there was no literal house, but he calls it the house of God as if to say God's house is wherever God meets with me in my painful, barren condition. That's my Bethel.

Will you allow the Lord to come to you on perhaps the very thing you hate, the very thing you fear the most? When did Jesus come walking on the water to his disciples on the Sea of Galilee? Was it when it was real nice and calm, when it was just glassy, just perfect glassy, awesome evening, and they were just sort of hanging out in the boat? It was in a storm.

It was the waves, they thought it was going to drown them. Now, the very thing they feared the most is the vehicle that the Lord came to them on. Perhaps the Lord will come to you in a dynamic, dramatic way on what you fear the most. And that place, that barren place becomes the house of God and you'll say God is in this place. And I knew it not, but I know it now. There was a preacher who preached on Jacob's ladder one Sunday, and his son was in the audience, made an impact on him. That night, that Sunday night, that pastor's kid went to sleep and had a dream. Got up the next day and said, Daddy, I had an interesting dream last night after your sermon on Sunday.

Well, what was it, son? I dreamt that there was a ladder from earth to heaven. Ooh, wow, just sort of like the biblical story.

Yeah, but it was a little bit different, Dad. There were people, not angels, people going up it. And at the base of the ladder, there was a bunch of chalk. And the idea is that before you climb the ladder, you take one of the pieces of chalk and you mark on each rung of the ladder for every sin you've committed in your life. And people were going up it, and it was my turn, and I went up it, and I grabbed my chalk, but as I was climbing up the ladder and marking the rungs with the chalk, there was somebody coming down. Well, that's interesting, son. Who was coming down? You were, Dad. In my dream, I saw you coming down the ladder. And he said, well, that's interesting, son. Why was I coming down the ladder?

What for? And the boy said, for more chalk. An interesting dream, perhaps a late-night burrito mixed with the biblical sermon.

I like Jacob's dream better than the boy's dream. Not more chalk, but more grace. More grace. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch, a wretch, undeserving wretch like me. God's in the business of saving wretches, undeserving, lost people, finding them, bringing them home, restoring them.

God is all about broken things. Have you ever met a person who doesn't like brand new cars, but likes the old, vintage, like a 57 Chevy? You know, that's a classic. Nothing like a restored 57 Chevy in all of its glory. Something about it.

Restored. We admire that. That's sort of what God is like.

Instead of a new model, instead of saying, you know, all you guys are losers. I'm just going to create a brand new, perfect human race. He goes, no, I'll take you in your sin and in your brokenness and through the blood of my son, you're a fixer-upper, I'll restore you. Something about a fixed-up, vintage person, saved, redeemed, that is a billboard of my grace. He's done that in many of our lives.

He wants to do it in all of our lives. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program. Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resources that will help you confidently speak God's timeless truth into our culture. Pastor Skip's God Speaks biblical answers for today's issues collection of booklets is our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copy when you give $50 or more. Call 800-922-1888. That's 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. And did you know that you can get a weekly devotional and other resources from Pastor Skip sent right to your email inbox? Simply visit connectwithskip.com and sign up for emails from Skip. Come back next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's Word here on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the cross and cast all burdens on His Word. Make a connection, connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.