Genesis 29 sermon- What Goes Around Comes Around

Genesis 29:1-30

What Goes Around Comes Around

June 30, 2019

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXORDIUM

         As we make our way through Genesis, there is a recurring theme that is inescapable. God will have His way no matter who or what is in His way.

         His promises are true and no man can break God’s promise. Even when God threatens to revoke His promise to a particular person or people, He intends to deliver upon His promise.

         That promise is all about the person of Jesus Christ. From the very beginning, it was God’s plan to save the    world and He would have it so.

         So, what does this matter to us? We find ourselves in the midst of life, with all of its joys and sorrows and may have a hard time seeing what God’s macro plans have to do with our micro lives.

         But we ought not to be discouraged by God working His will no matter what man does, as if man didn’t really matter at all. If we think that way, then we have already lost sight of God’s purposes, because it is God’s set plan to save man. And not simply mankind as an abstraction. God sets His love on His own beloved Son and all those named in Him. This is not simply ‘a people’ but rather, particular people with names like Mason James, Edmund Augustine and John Theodore. God loves particular people and His interest is in them in the details.

         The key is for us to understand that God’s ultimate plans to save the world through a redeemer includes the salvation of ourselves and of our children.

         This is the very thing that makes the mess make sense. As we struggle through doubt, ill health, financial troubles, challenging or even wayward children, cultural demise, political strife and many such difficulties, we must see that God is weaving this all into a tapestry that reveals the salvation of the world that includes us, those named in Jesus Christ.

         God’s ultimate purposes are the foundation on which we build particular faith. We can go through the current difficulties, suffering, pain, trials, sicknesses, even death, things the Apostle Paul calls ‘light affliction’ 1 Cor. 4:16-18 ¹⁶ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward manis renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory; ¹⁸ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen aretemporal; but the things which are not seen areeternal.^[1]

         You see, we faint not in the immediate trials of life because we understand God’s overarching plan, which includes us. This life we are passing through is temporal but it works in us an eternal weight of glory, which will redound to the glory of God, our chief end.

EXEGESIS

29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. ² And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there werethree flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone wasupon the well’s mouth. ³ And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place. 

After Jacob was reassured by God that he was His man, he went confidently on his way. He returned to the place where his father had found a wife, probably the exact same well. 

⁴ And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence beye? And they said, Of Haran arewe. ⁵ And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. ⁶ And he said unto them, Ishe well? And they said, He iswell: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. 

After arriving at the well, he inquires of the locals if they know Laban, son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. They know him and tell Jacob that Laban is well. Furthermore, Laban’s daughter, Rachel is coming to water the sheep.

⁷ And he said, Lo, it isyet high day, neither is ittime that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go andfeed them. ⁸ And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and tillthey roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep. ⁹ And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. ¹⁰ 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. 

Apparently, there was a rule to only remove the covering of the well when all the sheep were gathered. Perhaps the owner of the well only removed the stone at a particular time to control who came and went. 

Rachel was shepherdess. She was the daughter of a great man and the sister of a great man and yet she did hard manual labor. 

Jacob broke the rules. He desired to bless Rachel and was unwilling for her to have to wait to water the sheep. He personally rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban.

This is the story of Rebekah in reverse where Rebekah watered the camels of Isaac’s servant. Perhaps Jacob learned something from his mother. If you see a need fill it.

¹¹ And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹² And Jacob told Rachel that he washer father’s brother, and that he wasRebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father. ¹³ And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

This is a kiss of greeting. Jacob’s tears are tears of joy and astonishment at God’s blessing. Rebekah is Rachel’s aunt and therefore, Jacob is her cousin. Rachel is excited to see Jacob and runs and tells Laban who then runs to meet Jacob and embraces and kisses him.

Jacob tells Laban all things. This would have likely included the conflict with Esau, Rebekah’s noble and cunning actions, Jacob’s flight, his vision and his arrival at the well just in time to see Rachel.

No doubt Laban would have been keenly interested and highly impressed by the narrative.

 ¹⁴ And Laban said to him, Surely thou artmy bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. ¹⁵ And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou artmy brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shallthy wages be?

Laban expresses his love and closeness to Jacob, “You are my bone and flesh.” And Jacob stays with Laban for a month before he declares his love for Rachel. 

 ¹⁶ And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder wasLeah, and the name of the younger wasRachel. ¹⁷ Leah wastender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. ¹⁸ And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. ¹⁹ And Laban said, It isbetter that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. ²⁰ And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him buta few days, for the love he had to her.

Here’s the deal, spend 7 years of hard labor and I’ll give you my beautiful daughter. There were two daughters.

Rushdoony-Leah, the older sister, was “tender eyed,” meaning that her eyes were not dark. The preference then was against blue and greenish eyes (vv. 16–18)^[2]

²¹ And Jacob said unto Laban, Give memy wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. ²² And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. ²³ And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. ²⁴ And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid foran handmaid.

Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. His mind was set on Rachel for these seven years. He loved her and she was quite beautiful. No doubt his desire was strong. He lived apart from her but most certainly saw her regularly as he came to report to Laban.

         Notice that it is Jacob who reminds Laban that the time is fulfilled. No doubt he was counting down the days and knew the exact day when the seven years were fulfilled. It was Jacob’s desire to fulfill the seven years and return to his parents. Perhaps he would have sent a messenger ahead to see if the wrath of his brother still burned against him.

         There was big wedding feast and Laban tricked Jacob and brought in the tender-eyed Leah to be the wife instead of the beautiful Rachel. It was cunningly planned no doubt with free flowing wine and a veiled Leah. 

         Keep in mind also that both Leah and Rachel were somehow involved in the plan. Leah was fully in on it as she is the one who sleeps with Jacob. We are not told what Rachel’s take on things was. She did know about it as she was the promised sister and is held back on the wedding night. It is likely that Laban revealed his entire plot to give Leah first and then offer Rachel as well, knowing that Jacob loved Rachel and would agree to the plan.

         It is likely that Rachel did not like this plan and was very upset at her father and her sister. However, we have no indication that she tried to stop the deceit.

 ²⁵ And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it wasLeah: and he said to Laban, What isthis thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

The plot was exposed in the morning. Jacob had served for Rachel but was given Leah. Jacob is confused and asks Laban why he tricked him this way.

 ²⁶ And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. ²⁷ Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

Laban explains that the eldest daughter must marry first. Obviously, he did not think Jacob would marry Leah. It has been seven years since Jacob agreed to work to marry Rachel and in that interval there has been no suitable suitors for Leah. So, Laban went to extreme measures to marry her off and marry her well.

Laban asks Jacob to receive Leah by fulfilling the week of marriage with her and then he will also give Jacob his other daughter Rachel to wife. Jacob agrees to this plan.

EXHORTATION

For the Love of a Woman

²⁸ And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. ²⁹ And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. ³⁰ And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.^[3]

Jacob served seven years before he could take Rachel as wife. He agreed to serve another seven years in order to be able to marry her, totaling 14 years of service to her father in order to have her as wife. But he was able to live with her as wife after just the first seven years and the seven more days. However, he incurred a debt of 14 years of hard labor to be able to marry her. He basically gave his life for her.

And you boys think answering a few questions to a father and having him have input into your qualifications and reasons you want to marry his daughter is a problem?

The love of a woman can certainly make a man a man. Jacob was from good stock but the requirements Laban forced Jacob to rise to the occasion. He became an indispensable part of Laban’s operation. He proved he was worthy of Laban’s daughters and more.

Young men, are you willing to work that hard? Are you willing to show a father that you are worthy of his daughter? Or, do you simply expect him to take your word for it? Prepare yourself to be the sort of man that the sort of woman you want to marry would want to marry. Do not be dismayed that her father questions your manhood. You should expect that and be the sort of man that can receives a man’s scrutiny. Don’t be alarmed when her father follows Reagan’s advice, Trust but verify.

I suppose there are many additional lessons we can learn from this narrative. We have seen how God used Abraham’s and Isaac’s deception of Abimelech to prosper them and further the cause of God’s chosen people.

We have seen how God used Rebekah and Jacob’s deception of Isaac, to secure the blessing of God that was meant to fall on Jacob and not Esau.

We now see how God used Laban’s deception of Jacob to bring the promised seed through Leah and not Rachel. 

We have speculated about who was right and who was wrong in these various deceptions. It is not easy to untangle. The text does not tell us exactly. But one principle certainly shines through in all of this and it is that Romans 8:28 ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to hispurpose^[4].

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^[1]The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 2 Co 4:16–18.

^[2]Rousas John Rushdoony, Commentaries on the Pentateuch: Genesis(Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 2002), 203.

^[3]The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ge 29.

^[4]The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ro 8:28.