Open your bibles once again to the book of Genesis. We find ourselves in chapter 29 this morning. We’ve covered a lot of ground in our sermon series titled Beginning With Moses: Christ In Genesis. Most recently we have been focusing on Jacob.
Jacob has deceitfully stolen Esau’s birthright. Then he deceived his father Isaac and stole the blessing intended for Esau. And last week we saw that God himself provides Jacob with a vision affirming his blessings to Jacob.
We have noticed that there was almost nothing commendable about Jacob until he finally responded to the vision with faith and commitment. His faith clearly lacks the maturity one might expect based upon the overwhelming blessings that God has poured out upon him, but the Lord is not done with him yet.
Before we read this passage let us look to the Lord in prayer for his help in understanding it.
Genesis 29:1-30
1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.
This is the Word of the LORD.
Prior to the second half of this chapter you might have been asking, “Will there ever be any consequences for Jacob’s deceitfulness?” The first half seems to suggest his life is just getting better and better. But, his life comes tumbling down very rapidly.
This is one of those passages of Scripture where God is not mentioned, but serves as the main character—orchestrating everything behind the scenes. You see a similar thing in Esther. All of the events “just so happen” to work out perfectly, but there is not a single reference to God. Another example would be Ruth. God is mentioned a few times in the book, but for the most part, the human characters do all of the acting.
We can learn a couple of things from this kind of text. First, God works through people. God can certainly accomplish his will without us, but he chooses to involve us, despite the fact that all of us are flawed. The second thing we learn from this kind of text is that God is always accomplishing his purposes whether or not we acknowledge him to be doing so.
When we are trusting completely in the providence of God no circumstance will overwhelm our faith. Only the good providence of a loving God can bring hope out of shame. We will attempt to unpack that statement in two parts.
First, we will look at how Jacob is Confident In Providence (1-14). Second, we’ll see how he is Forbearing With Providence (15-30).
Confident In Providence (1-14)
Jacob is apparently setting out with a new determination. His traveling is literally “lifted up his feet” rather than the typical word for “walking”. He carries on his mission with a renewed enthusiasm.
We could break these first fourteen verses down further into three sections. Jacob meet with the shepherds in verses 1-8, then he meets with Rachel in verses 9-12, and finally he meets with Laban in verses 13-14.
As he comes to the place where the shepherds have gathered their flocks around a well, the reader is immediately taken back to chapter 24 when Abraham’s servant was sent on a mission to find a bride for Isaac and he met Rebekah at a well.
Jacob is unaware of his whereabouts. He discovers a couple of things in his conversation with them. He is informed about the large stone that covers the well. And more importantly he learns that he has reached his destination. As soon as they tell him about Rachel, he attempts to get rid of them.
Waltke says, “Their presence is the proverbial fly in the ointment.” He wants to be alone with Rachel. I love how James Boice recreates the story in a fashion some of you will be familiar with:
“Many men will remember their courting days and recall how, when they wanted o be alone with their girl, her kid brother always seemed to be hanging around, and how it was often costly to get rid of him. ‘Here, Junior, why don’t you take this quarter and go get yourself some ice cream?’ ‘I like sundaes. They cost seventy-five cents.’ ‘All right, here’s a dollar. Go stuff yourself with ice cream.’ This is what Jacob seemed to be doing.”
Now, of course, Jacob’s tactic works about as well as we would have expected. These lazy shepherd boys aren’t going anywhere.
As much as we know God is orchestrating these events, we can’t help but notice a significant difference between Jacob and Abraham’s servant. There isn’t any mention of prayer on Jacob’s part. He does not pray or give thanks to God like Abraham’s servant. We noted last week that his response to his dream was a sort of turning point in his spiritual life, and yet, this week we see that he still has A LOT of maturing left.
And yet, Jacob continues to receive blessing upon blessing. Rachel arrives and not only is she beautiful, but she’s industrious as a shepherdess. No wonder the other shepherds were unwilling to leave. They were probably competing with one another for her affection, but in swoops the heel-catcher!
Now, if you thought it was awkward for Abraham’s servant to stare at Rebekah as she watered his entourage of camels, what do think of this encounter? Jacob kisses Rachel and then breaks out sobbing. Actually, this one is probably not as weird as it sounds. This is probably nothing more than a kiss “of family affection rather than of romance” (ESV Study Bible).
God’s goodness in giving Rachel to Jacob is a picture of grace. The cheater receives the love of a woman who swept him off his feet. When you get to chapter 48 you find Jacob dying and ready to give his blessing to Joseph and his sons. As he is in the process of blessing them, he pauses to speak of his sorrow in burying Rachel (Gen. 48:7). It was a statement made out of context, but clearly reflects where his mind was being drawn. Isn’t there something moving and beautiful about that?
Their relationship is actually quite unique among the patriarchs. Both Abraham and Isaac seem to struggle in their marriages. Abraham and Sarah fought over how they should treat Hagar and Ishmael. Isaac and Rebekah fought over how they should treat Jacob and Esau. Neither of their marriages reflect the romantic descriptions of Jacob and Rachel. This is love at first sight!
Only the good providence of a loving God can bring hope out of shame.
We don’t really see shame mentioned or acknowledged by anyone in the text, but that doesn’t mean it is any less appropriate by way of implication. Jacob’s actions all along have been shameful as he deceived his brother and father. And now, after have received an incredible vision from the Lord, he remains spiritually immature (i.e., prayerless and ungrateful). Laban’s actions will be equally shameful. Even Leah must bear some of the blame in going along with the plan. But we will focus on her next week.
God’s good providence must be defined in such a way that preserves both his love for his children (as we’ve already seen), but also his discipline of them (as we are about to see). “Good” does not mean pain free.
Feelings of shame are not easy to cope with, but it is universal. All of us, regardless of background or age, have experienced shame. You might try to indulge your shame in liberality. You might try to suppress your shame with conservatism. But nothing will eliminate shame, and transform it into hope, except the good providence of a loving God!
Do you trust in the hand of providence? Are you resting confidently in the path you’re on? Understanding the providence of God goes a long way toward resting in confident assurance.
Marriages that are burdened with shame can be filled with hope. Jacob, at this point, might be a poor example, but his marriage is exemplary. Marriage isn’t always filled with romance. Our spouses rarely meet the expectations we have set for them. We have to be careful about placing all of our hopes and dreams upon our spouse.
But, let me leave you with a very practical implication of this text: Find a way to send the kids off—do a better job than Jacob did—get a babysitter, and reflect upon the love of your youth. Spend time with your spouse this week working on developing an affection that will last until the end of your days.
We can be confident in providence, but we should fully anticipate…
Forbearing With Providence (15-30)
God’s discipline of Jacob will come at the hands of Laban who will deceive and trap Jacob in his service for 20 years! Considering the immaturity of Jacob and his reaction to Rachel’s arrival, it isn’t a stretch to think he is placing all of his hope in her. All of his pent up aggression from the failure of his life are pinned to the hope of marital fulfillment.
It would have been customary for Jacob to offer Laban a “bride-price” in exchange for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban makes the not-so-subtle suggestion to honor this when offers to pay Jacob. His willingness to pay Laban the equivalent of seven years’ wages for Rachel is significant.
We have the beautiful sentiment expressed in verse 20 followed by Jacob’s shocking (and crass) statement in verse 21. His heart is revealed in this request. He can’t take it any more. His passion for Rachel is overwhelming. Jacob’s demand is extremely forthright, especially for that day and age.
Jacob is deceived when a feast—which probably included a little too much wine—is followed by Laban’s giving of Leah to Jacob for the consummation of their marriage. In addition to Jacob not having all of his wits about him after the feast, it would have been dark and the bride would have been veiled (see 24:65).
Galatians 6:7 teaches us that “a man reaps what he sows.” Jacob’s sins are finally coming home to roost. Instead of being the perpetrator, he is now the victim of deception. Now Jacob knows what it’s like to be deceived (v.25). Laban’s remarks in verse 26 highlight Jacob’s own deception.
We see several ironies in this passage: 1) Jacob will serve Laban before his older brother Esau will serve him. 2) Jacob received the rights of the firstborn through deception, but now he must honor the rights of the firstborn Leah. 3) Laban deceives Jacob in the same way that Jacob deceived Isaac. The consequences are fitting for his crime.
Finally, we see Jacob paying the consequences for his sins. The events are transpiring every bit as much by the hand of Providence, but God’s “good” purposes have taken on a disciplinary nature.
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald is trying to paint a picture of this truism: the dream is always bigger than the reality. For Gatsby, the picture he had of his lost love was the motivation behind everything he did. His flashy lifestyle, his extravagant parties, his many acquaintances, all served the purpose of attracting Daisy Buchanan.
When he finally has the chance to see her again, it’s as if time stands still. Even as she is talking to him, his mind is still living in his dream world. Ultimately, reality proves to be far less rewarding than the dream. And every reader can relate to this picture of grasping at something that always remains just beyond our reach.
Jacob finely got “the one” thing he had been searching for! For seven years he was controlled by a single passion to marry Rachel. When the dream finally became a reality—she was Leah! It doesn’t matter if you are liberal or conservative, it’s always Leah in the morning! The one true love you always want remains just beyond your reach.
What is the thing that you need to take your deepest adoration off of and place it upon the Lord? As soon as we think Jacob is starting to get it, his world is flipped upside-down by Laban’s deception.
Derek Kidner writes, “In Laban, Jacob met his match and his means of discipline. Twenty years of drudgery and friction were to weather his character, and the reader can reflect that presumably Jacob is not the only person to have needed a Laban in his life.” Surely, Jacob was beginning to realize he was getting exactly what he deserved. He was reaping what he sowed.
As reality sets in, the shame of failure bubbles to the surface. Keep in mind that the shame of failure has the potential to be the birthplace of hope. Only the good providence of a loving God can bring hope out of shame.
I want to emphasize the word “only”. We seek hope in a lot of different ways. All of them—except one—lead us right back to shame. ONLY when we believe in the good providence of a loving God, is our shame turned into hope.
You might have the notion that conservatism will eliminate your shame. You’re the kind of person who is completely caught up with your Bible Reading Plan, though you would have a hard time remembering it. You are trying to honor Psalm 119:6—“Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments”—by your own self-effort. And you are finding yourself right back where you started.
Or, you might be thinking liberality can eliminate shame. You make life all about enjoying your freedom. However, without the ability to deal with shame you begin to blame others for those feelings. It must be the last vestiges of your parents moralism or your legalistic past…
Turn with me to Ecclesiastes 2:9-11. We get a picture of this philosophy when “the Preacher” writes:
“So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, [It was Leah!] all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”
Attempting to eliminate shame through self-liberation is a fruitless endeavor.
But there is one more approach that is quite common. And we see this in the very next section. “The Preacher” tells us in Ecclesiastes 2:12-17,
“So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, ‘What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?’ And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.”
Self-knowledge leads to the same end as self-effort and self-liberation. More knowledge cannot eliminate the shame either.
Which one do you tend towards? I often think I will be saved by following the rules, by living according to conservative principles. Shame’s usefulness is a stumbling block for all of us. We will do everything we possibly can to eliminate shame from our lives.
But shame can lead to hope when it drives you to Christ!
Conclusion
Only the good providence of a loving God can bring hope out of shame. When you believe this, your shame will not drive you to create further rules and regulations, which inevitably cycle back around to shame. When you believe this your shame will not drive you deeper into your addiction. Rather, you will take your shame to Christ and receive his loving and free forgiveness. Jesus Christ felt none of the shame in his perfect life. Why would he? YET, he bore all of it in our place in his death on the cross.
Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
I don’t care who you are, this applies to you! This is a call to believe. You can be confident in providence and patiently forbear with providence. When we understand what Christ has done for us we find a growing desire to please him. We experience the freedom from sin that indulgence could never provide. Instead of a self-gained wisdom we recognize more and more the true wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit and it presses us deeper into his Word and causes us to be drawn into meditation. Let us look to the only one who truly offers hope!