Sunday, January 29, 2012

Read Gen. 31:25-32:2

            And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country ofGilead. And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

            So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.

            Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

            Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

            Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

             Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.

            32:1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

(Genesis 31:25-55 ESV)   http://www.esvbible.org/search/Genesis%2B31/

Prayer

Introduction: In this morning’s study we will look at the 4^th part of this text, the confrontation between Jacob and Laban. Here we will see the charges that Laban brought against Jacob, and how Jacob answers those charges. In the early part of this chapter we saw Jacob’s faith grow as he discussed with his wives how God had been working in his life which was the first time Jacob is recorded as proclaiming praise to God to others. In this part of the chapter Jacob also testifies of God’s protection to Laban and his men. There are some interesting ethical issues in this text which we shall discuss and some questions that we will find about both Jacob and Rachel’s behaviour.

The main idea, the gospel point, which I want us to come away from this text with is that God acts to preserve those who trust in him. The doctrine of assurance is demonstrated in this text and without assurance, the doctrines of grace fall apart.

1. I.                   The LORD’s Command To Return, 31:3
2. II.                Jacob and His Wives Discuss Leaving, vv.4-16
3. III.             Jacob’s Flight and Laban’s Pursuit, vv.17-24

1. IV.              Confrontation Between Jacob and Laban, vv.25-42

1. A.      Vss.25-30 Laban’s Accusations
   1. 1.       Vs.25- And Laban overtook Jacob. Although Jacob had at least a 3 day head start on Laban, Jacob and company were traveling with flocks, herds and a large family while Laban pursued with just his kinsmen, presumably trained and armed men from his household servants and family. The language used in vs.23 “pursued” is military language and is the same word as used in14:14 when Abram went in pursuit of those who had raidedSodom and takenLot hostage.
   2. 2.       Now Jacob had pitched his tent- “pitched” Moses does not use the normal word for pitching a tent, nata, like he uses elsewhere in Genesis (12:8; 26:25; 33:19; 35:21), instead, he uses taqa which “denotes the pounding or thrusting of an object into something and often connotes hostility (Waltke, p.428)”.Hamilton writes (pp. 299-300), “In some places the verb means ‘thrust, drive (a weapon into a person)” and cites Judges 3:21;4:21 and 2 Sam.18:14. This would seem to imply that Jacob knows that Laban is in hot pursuit and has caught him and it perhaps shows Jacob’s wrath. Moses is skillfully using language to set the stage for the climax of the Jacob v. Laban conflict.
   3. 3.       the hill country of Gilead- Gilead means rugged; this is the region east of theJordan River and in between theSea of Galilee and theDead Sea. In Jacob’s time it was a lush, forested area with lots of fertile grazing land as well. WhenIsrael conqueredCanaan theland ofGilead was divided amongst the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
   4. 4.       Vs.26 And Laban said to Jacob, ‘What have you done?’- this recalls Jacob’s words to Laban in 29:25 on the morning after his wedding when Jacob awoke to find Leah in bed with him. This phrase was also used by God towards Cain in4:10 and by Abimelech of Abraham in 20:9. It is also used by every mother of 3 year olds. Laban is the one deceived now, reaping what he has sown! This begins the accusation by Laban of Jacob the crime of taking his daughters captive. He has been Jacob’s benefactor and is now loudly complaining of being deceived.
   5. 5.       you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives… tricked/deceived is a recurring important word/idea in the Jacob-Laban story, twice in this story (v.20). The word used here is literally, “stole my heart” and is used to play against Rachel’s stealing of the household gods. The idea of deception, though not this particular word, is a part of the entire Jacob story going back to 27:36 as Esau complains bitterly that his brother has “cheated” him twice. He refers to Leah and Rachel as “his daughters” not as Jacob’s wives, and accuses Jacob of taking them by force, against their will. But we know that the daughters of Laban willingly chose to side with their husband against their father and here in this dispute they do not respond to their father’s false claim.
   6. 6.       It is curious that Laban does not charge Jacob with theft of his flocks and herds, perhaps indicating that that would be over the top even for a rascal like Laban.
   7. 7.       Vss.27-28 Why did you flee secretly and trick me…so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs… this reeks of hypocrisy.
   8. 8.       Vs.29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke… the “you” is plural, thus implying that Laban was intending harm not just to Jacob. Perhaps, despite his protest about Jacob taking his daughters as captives, he knows in his heart that they willingly, gladly even, left him, and this angered him so that he intended on harming all of them or at least taking his daughters back by force. Despite his so-called power to do them harm, he knows he cannot because of what God had said to him. The violent, powerful man, is still underneath God’s sovereignty and power. Laban does give way to the command of the LORD, but this does not indicate faith as his actions were rooted in fear. Laban does accurately quote the word from the LORD.
   9. 9.       Apply- While certainly God does not speak audibly to every evil person who may be seeking to harm a Christian, we can absolutely live in the presence of evil because we know that God is in control and can use any evil thing that befalls us for his glory, our growing in grace, and the spread of his kingdom, Romans 8:28. Sometimes God intervenes and stops evil from happening to us, and sometimes he allows us to suffer. There is a real sense in Jacob’s flight of fleeing persecution because the LORD had used Laban’s flock to increase Jacob’s, at Laban’s expense. When the lost world sees Christians prospering and proclaiming their faith the world will not remain silent. Some few will repent and believe; others will curse or persecute the Believers.
   10. 10.   you longed greatly for your father’s house- Laban acknowledges Jacob’s legitimate desire to go home, he is protesting how Jacob left; the sense of the story is, however, that escaping in the middle of the night and fleeing was the only way that Jacob could have gotten his family out.
   11. 11.   why did you steal my gods?- Laban has accused Jacob of tricking/deceiving him and taking his daughters captive and now he is accusing Jacob of stealing his household gods.Hamilton writes (p.301) “Laban respected Jacob’s God, but Jacob has not respected Laban’s gods.” We know what Jacob does not know- Rachel is the godnapper.
   12. B.      Vss.31-32 Jacob’s Response
       1. 1.       Vs.31 I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. This answers Laban’s question in v.27 “Why did you flee secretly?” and literally means Jacob thought Laban would “rob” him of his wives. Was Jacob overreacting? His wives obviously had a sense of urgency and agreed with their husband to flee. Laban’s current threatening actions also suggest that Jacob was correct. This belief of Jacob’s was not part of his argument before his wives in vss.1-16.
       2. 2.       Was Jacob’s flight an act of obedience in faith or an act of fear and lack of faith? Is it ok to be afraid at times, and to act on it? Discuss a time in your life when you were afraid of something and based a decision on that fear. Does fear automatically cancel out faith? Should Jacob have approached Laban in faith and told him about God’s message sending him back home? Maybe we do not know the rest of the story. Perhaps Jacob knew of Laban’s violent streak and had genuine concerns for the safety of his family or himself. Psalm 23 is a good “fear/trust” passage.
       3. 3.       Warren Wiersbe (p.47) writes, “But instead of facing Laban honestly and trusting the Lord to keep His promises and work things out, Jacob fled with his family like a criminal escapting justice. This was an act of fear and unbelief, not an act of faith…It isn’t enough to know and do the will of God; we must also do His will in the way He wants it done, the way that will glorify Him the most.”
       4. 4.       Vs.32 Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. Jacob’s rash answer imperils the Covenant for if Rachel is found out Benjamin would not be born. This threat of death is strangely fulfilled as Rachel dies in childbirth with Benjamin in 35:16-18. Desecrating a temple or someone’s gods could result in execution going back to Hammurabi’s Code.
       5. 5.       This sentence is much like the one Joseph’s brothers would utter in 44:9 “Whichever of your servants is found with it (Joseph’s divination cup) shall die.”
       6. 6.       Another person later on in Scripture made a similar rash vow and had to execute his daughter. See Judges 11:29-40 and the story of Jephthah and his daughter.
       7. 7.       Application- Matt.5:34-37 “But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God 35 or by the earth, for it his footstool, …Let what you say be simply Yes or No; anything more than this comes from evil.”
       8. C.      Vss.33-35 Laban’s Search and Rachel’s Deceit
          1. 1.       Vs.33 “So Laban went into Jacob’s tent…Leah’s tent…” Moses is building the drama by dragging this out for maximum effect.
          2. 2.       Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them- like blind Isaac, he was using his sense of touch but being deceived.
          3. 3.       Vss.34-35 Now Rachel…sat on them….Let not my lord be angry…the way of women is upon me. There is a huge contrast being drawn between Jacob’s God and Laban’s gods. Jacob’s God can threaten Laban and insure that he does not harm Jacob but Laban’s gods must hide in a camel saddle while a menstruating woman sits on them, thus desecrating them. Isa.46:1-2, 3-13. See also Lev.15:19-33.
          4. 4.        Rachel is like her husband in that we see the younger child deceiver the father. Wiersbe says that Rachel was pretending (p.48).
          5. 5.       Was Rachel still clinging to false gods or did she take them for the value of the gold and silver and to get back at her father? We know that others in Jacob’s band had idols 35:2.
       9. D.      Vss.36-42 Jacob’s Accusations
          1. 1.       Vss.36-37 Jacob became angry and berated Laban- the word for berated, took to task, means quarreled with or disputed with. They had a fuss. The word is used previously in 13:7-8 to describe the fuss betweenLot’s and Abram’s herdsmen and in 26:20 over the ownership of wells between Isaac and the herdsmen of Gerar.
          2. 2.       The word rib, “berate”, is a legal term from the ancient courts. The story uses military language and now legal terms. We see Jacob appealing to Laban to present the evidence before “my kinsmen and your kinsmen”. But there is no evidence; where is CSI when you need them?
          3. 3.       “that they may decide between us two.” More legal language from the ancient world.
          4. 4.       Vs.38-41 Jacob goes into detail about how righteous he was in his dealings with Laban as he worked hard for Laban’s flocks and herds. I bore the loss if animals died due to predators which goes beyond the law’s requirement (Ex.22:10-13).
          5. 5.       I served you fourteen years for your two daughters- he does not bring up the bait and switch that Laban did with his daughters on Jacob’s wedding night. This is another sign that his family situation is improved.
          6. 6.       the Fear of Isaac- could be translated, according to Waltke (p.432) as “the Awesome One of Isaac” that is, the One of Isaac who inspires dread”, or asHamilton (p.308) “The Dreaded One of Isaac.” Mathews says the name is meant to inspire fear in others (p.530).
          7. 7.       Prov.1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Fearing God is no longer in fashion. To be a God-fearing man is out of date…or is it? In what way should we fear God? Have we lost that sense of dread of God?
          8. 8.       Vss.40-41 summarizes his complaint about his wages. The later laws of Moses specify that a slave should only work for 6 years in Exodus 21:2-6; Deut. 15:12,18; Jer.34:14. Jacob had worked 20 years. But in the Exodus passage it also states that if the master gives the slave a wife, when the slave leaves after 6 years, the wife and kids stay with the master. Mathews does not bring this up when he refers to this passage (p.529). Jacob says that Laban would have sent him away empty-handed if God had not intervened on his behalf, thus making the charge of withholding wages, a serious charge (Lev.19:13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.” Mal 3:5 “I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of Hosts.”
          9. 9.       While this passage does not have a direct teaching on how pay wages to employees it does bring the issue up. The Bible has a lot to say about work, money and ethics in the workplace. Much of our political discourse today revolves around those kinds of issues and we, the Church, need to be able to have those kinds of conversations from a biblical worldview.
          10. 10.   Where is the gospel in this part of the story? In the discussion about the stolen idols it would seem that Jacob missed an opportunity to contrast the LORD with the false idols. Jacob does, however, give praise to God and testified of His divine protection in vs.42. In our study of this chapter we have seen Jacob testify of God’s grace to his wives and now he testifies openly to Laban and his men. This testimony may be tarnished by his possibly unwarranted deception of Laban. Duguid (98) writes, “But if it was God’s time to leave, the manner of leaving was pure Jacob.” In the bigger picture what we see here is the LORD preserving Jacob for His purposes despite many mistakes. The LORD’s promise to Jacob, the gospel promise, will be honored as he protects Jacob from Laban’s wrath and schemes to cheat him. God did bless Jacob and take from Laban. When we trust in Christ for salvation we can continue on in faith because God will keep his word for us and preserve us from the Evil One and sometimes evil people who wish us harm. Thus I see a hint of the doctrine of Assurance in this story. Without the doctrine of Assurance, we could not have a gospel of grace for we would live in constant fear of losing our salvation and we would revert to a gospel of works, which no good news at all.
          11. 11.   The ethical issues brought up in these events can be used to spur Believers on to further discipleship by working in our jobs/careers for the glory of God and by making sure that we take proper care of our employees/clients. This serves a gospel purpose by providing us with a godly testimony before our co-workers, employers, employees and clients so that we can, when appropriate, share a verbal witness much as Jacob did.
          12. 12.   For the people of Israel in Moses’ day the story dramatically shows the close call that Jacob experienced and would speak to some of the difficult situation thatIsrael has been facing in their flight fromEgypt and journey to the Promised Land. God’s word is trustworthy, his covenant is sure, he delivered Jacob so He will deliver them.

1. V.                 A Covenant Between Jacob and Laban, vv.43-54

VI.       Laban and Jacob Go Their Separate Ways, 31:55-32:2

Conclusion: Next week we will try to cover the final two sections of this long chapter.

Bibliography:

Duguid, Iain M. Living In The Grip Of Relentless Grace: The Gospel In The Lives Of Isaac & Jacob. P&R Publishing:Phillipsburg, NJ 2002 (pp.93-105).

Hamilton, Victor P. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company:Grand Rapids,MI 1995 (pp.285-318).

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers:Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.503-549).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic:Grand Rapids,MI 1998 (pp.524-542.)

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan:Grand Rapids,MI 2001 (pp.421-441.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher:Dallas,TX 1994 (pp.260-283.)

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Authentic. Chariot Victor Publishing:Colorado Springs, CO.1997 (pp.46-51).

If you want a lively, interesting, and uplifting book on how to be a Church Greeter, read Buddy Bell’s book Greeting 101: Easy Steps to Greeting in the Local Church, Harrison House: Tulsa, OK 1998 (110pp.) Written in an informal, encouraging style with many biblical references, this book will benefit any church Usher or Greeter who reads it. Though not nearly as thorough or as polished as Thomas L. Clark’s A Guide for the Church Usher, Buddy Bell’s book may be the best introduction to the subject of Greeting. The only caution I would give is that Dr. Bell’s theological background is from the Charismatic side of the Faith and that may offend some of my Baptist brothers. I found it refreshing, perhaps because the book I reviewed just prior to this one was Alvin D. Johnson’s The Work of the Usher which did not impress me.

Chapter 1 “You Are a V.I.P.” opens strong with “Being a greeter, or a host and hostess as some churches call them, involves more than just standing at the door and shaking people’s hands as they enter the church. It is a ministry. First Corinthians12:28calls it the ministry of helps,” (p.3). Right from the start Dr. Bell grounds the work of the Greeter in the Word of God. He contrasts those who would just look at the Greeter as a job anybody could do with those who look at it as genuine ministry. For Buddy, the Greeters’ primary responsibility is “to let visitors know they are welcome.” Buddy’s warm style oozes over into his explanation of how to spot a visitor and share with them about your church as you guide them to where they need to be.

Bell is careful to point out that the Greeters are not just for visitors, but have a valuable role in greeting other church members and refers to Heb. 13:24 “Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints.” While I am not sure his exegesis of the text is too precise here, his application is fitting!

In chapter two Buddy tells us that we Greeters are “Representatives of the Kingdom of God”. He strongly says, “You are an ambassador of the Most High God to His people, and you need to look and act your best because you standing in His behalf.” That sentence is worth the price of the book! And again he ties it in with scripture, Col. 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

In all the books on ushering and greeting I have studied, there is some mention of how greeters/ushers should dress. Dr. Bell says: “follow the examples of your pastor and his wife.” Sound advice. He discusses cleanliness and even urges us to use mouthwash and underarm deodorant. That’s basic, and needed in some quarters. Bellwrites, “First impressions are critical, and your appearance and attitude can make the difference between someone being drawn closer to God or being pushed further away,” (p.25).

In his third chapter, “Getting Started”, Buddy says the greeters need to get to their places 30 minutes prior to worship starting and we need to pray together before we go to our doors, “All you need to do is to ask God to assist you in being the best greeter you can be today,” (p.32). Bell thinks that a church needs two greeters at every door as a minimum, and churches over 200 should have 6-7 greeters at each door, and as many married couples as possible should serve together. This allows for greeters to escort guests more freely. It is at this point that greeting and ushering seem to be combined by Bell (although he has a separate book on Ushering 101) but he later indicates that ushers are the ones who take the guests to their actual seats.

In chapter 4 “Extending a Warm Welcome” Dr. Bell states, “I believe that one of the most important aspects of our job as greeters is to surround every person who walks through the doorway of the church with the love of God,” (p.39). He gives us practical tips on how to do this with a “A Warm Smile”, “A Firm Handshake”, “A Kind Word”, and “Just a Simple Hug”. After his section on giving a simple hug, he goes into more depth explaining hugs for twelve pages! He is correct and very helpful to give this much detail to hugging because in our litigious and perverted society hugs have become controversial. Again Bell links his ideas with some Bible texts like Matt.8:3 as well as some medical research.

A rich part of the book for me, but that may irritate some, is Dr. Bell’s anecdotal stories of miraculous things that have occurred with Greeters. One such story is at the beginning of chapter 5, “Called to a Ministry of Love” on p.58, where he tells of a greeter who grabbed somebody’s hand and shook it, “and the person just broke out into tears and began to weep crying, ‘Oh, my God, I need Jesus.’”

We Greeters need to be “Walking, Talking Information Centers” in chapter 6. The Church Greeter should be able to answer questions about the church ranging from the practical, “Where is the nursery?” to the historical, “How did the church get started?”, to the convicting, “How many people have been saved since you have been here?”Bellsuggests that in order for Greeters to be effective they need to attend monthly meetings so they know what is going on in the church. The last section of ch.6, “A Word on Faithfulness” seems out of place for this chapter and should be in chapter 7 “Requirements for Greeters” which includes a section on the administrative aspects of becoming a greeter but then moves into a section “Be Committed”.

Chapter 8, “The Qualifications for Overseers” is a bit confusing because he misuses the word, seemingly referring to Greeters as Overseers but I think he is referring to the head Greeter. He is referring to Acts 6:3 and to the men who were to oversee the feeding of the widows, but normally the term “overseer” is meant as bishop, presbyter, elder, pastor. Nonetheless, Bell’s chapter is excellent as he speaks of some of the qualities you need in your Greeters. Bell believes that Greeters should be formally presented to the church with some kind of a commissioning service.

Bell’s final chapter, “Tips for Overseers” discusses how the head Greeter sets the example for the Greeter ministry. He goes into how he corrects Greeters who are making mistakes by coming alongside them and doing the job with them. Bell holds meetings, gives informational handouts to his Greeters and even gives them pop quizzes! On page 107 Bell has a brief discussion of Greeters and security, saying that one reason for hugging people is to check to see if they are carrying guns! This book was published in 1998, the year before the tragic shootings at Wedgewood Baptist here inFort Worth. I would suggest that many people in Baptist churches in Texas carry concealed with a license now. That is a good thing. Bell closes his book with an excellent prayer for Greeters and gives an Afterword that presents the gospel.

In conclusion, Buddy Bell’s book was very encouraging, biblical and practical; a joy to read. I can highly recommend this book as very possibly the best introduction to being a Church Greeter.

Here is a link to CBD for purchasing Buddy Bell’s book:

http://www.christianbook.com/greeting-easy-steps-the-local-church/buddy-bell/9781577948872/pd/948874?item_code=WW&netp_id=465393&event=ESRCG&view=details

Here is a link to Buddy Bell’s ministry:

http://www.buddybellministries.com/

The tone of the book is displayed on page one where the context of ushering is placed firmly in the secular world: “The host or hostess in the restaurant is the efficient and gracious person who knows where there is a readied table…The usher at the concert glances at a pair of tickets and quickly leads the purchasers down the aisle…The elevator operator in the lobby of a tall office building tells visitors not only the desired floor but also whether to turn to the right or the left…Railroad conductors, guards in sports stadiums…airplane flight attendants…all are charged with getting people to the proper location at the right time…The church usher is a part of such a tradition as he or she leads individuals into the atmosphere of the church service.”

Normally I would agree with linking the church usher with other ushers in secular venues, other authors have done so. But with this book there is no effort whatsoever to give a biblical basis for ushering. In fact, not one scripture reference was given in the entire book, other than an uncited quote that appears in the Preface and in the Appendix, “Doorkeeper in the House of the Lord” (which comes from Psalm 84:10).

Johnson gives the role of the church usher, thus distinguishing him/her from the secular ushers, on p.2 “They are, first, persons to be respected and appreciated. They are the embodiment of the gracious spirit of the religious group. And they are more than this: Often unknowingly, they are friends who share in making the lonely feel cared for, the bereaved see hope, the sinner feel forgiveness, the discouraged feel cheered, the rich feel generous, the poor feel rich, and all feel enjoined to unselfish love for their neighbor. In short, ushers are instruments who introduce individuals to every practical expression of the church’s mission, and to the presence of the Almighty.” This is the best part of the book, and is well stated, with the exception of the first sentence which, while valuable, should come elsewhere.

Johnson is correct when he states that “No person is born an usher. One becomes an efficient, practicing usher only by means of training and experience,” (p.3), and properly tells us that “The foundation of the usher’s preparation, as in any Christian service, is prayer,” (p.4).  Johnson’s discussion on the usher being a person who thinks is helpful, “In their own church ushers are ever on the alert to spot any signs of awkwardness and to discover better ways of performing the ushering functions. They want to maintain a living and intelligent approach toward certain desired results and thereby guard against thoughtless repetitions of movements that are lacking in dignity or good taste. One of the greatest temptations of any regular position is that of getting into a rut, but dedicated ushers will seek to remain creative,” (p.5). That quote is worth the reading of the book despite its other failures.

Johnson makes a case for ushers needing to not be hearing impaired, unless their hearing aid is sufficient to allow the usher to carry on a conversation with a guest without requiring the guest to repeat themselves or shout.

According to Johnson, the usher should have a “lively sense of stewardship” and be dependable, regular and prompt. The usher’s personal appearance should be neat, conservative and with good grooming.

In chapter three, “Organizing for Action”, Johnson again roots the need for organized ushers in our democratic society, not the Scriptures. He warns against autocracy, anarchy and lethargy. “Too often a board, a society, or a fellowship group becomes so highly organized that its members lose sight of its real reason for existence,” p. 10. He makes a very good case for having regular usher meetings, though he does not state how often they should meet: “Three aims should be kept in view as the reasons for holding meetings of the ushers. First, many minds are better than one, and the sharing of ideas is important and productive. Second, the ushers themselves should devise and set forth the specific plans and procedures of their work, always under the advice and guidelines of the pastor. Third, a desirable team spirit is fostered as individuals learn to know each other better and feel more at ease in each other’s presence,” (p.11.)

Johnson brings out an excellent point when he speaks of “Deployment”: “If left to themselves, individuals who are supposed to usher are tempted to gather in a sociable little group in one spot, unaware of the clock and the assembling worshipers.” I have personally observed (and participated in) such groups of ushers!

Chapter three closes with a discussion on keeping records, including attendance and weather, or even at times, a special count of a certain age group. Here is where his writing gets a little bit weird, “The number present is acutely related to the date. Christmas, Easter, and anniversaries, for instance, are usually seasons of the greatest attendance. The location of the church also has a marked bearing upon attendance. If the church is in a typical town or city within two hundred miles of a popular resort area, the attendance may be expected to diminish during the resort’s big season…”

In chapter 4 “The Church Service”, Johnson explains greeting and seating, manner and deportment, and tending the congregation when the unexpected happens. He writes, “…ushers must be conditioned to respond to any crisis, even a disaster. People will look to them for leadership in such occurrences as a fire, bomb scare (bomb scare? This was published in 1966?) a riot or other civil disturbance, a sudden death, or the severe illness of someone present.” This is particularly appropriate in our post 9/11 era.

Johnson closes ch. 4 with some good practical advice, “Not everyone who enters desires the personal attention of an usher, and care must be taken not to embarrass such people by forcing them to receive the usher’s well-intentioned courtesies,” (p25.) Personally, this is the most challenging aspect of being an usher. Serving in a young church, many younger people do not seem to desire or need an usher as much as in a more traditional church setting with an older congregation.

Chapter 5 “Before and After the Service” speaks to preparing the place of worship and cleaning up afterwards. It is in this chapter that I learned a new word: sexton. This is a church word for the custodian/janitor. I like this word because it adds some depth of meaning to the job of church janitor; the person who is committed to cleaning and caring for the house of the Lord should be special. Johnson’s point is that the ushers need to work together with the sexton to keep the sanctuary clean and comfortable. This would have been a great time to point back to the ministry of the Levites in the Old Testament. On p.28 is another odd passage though: “If the sanctuary requires artificial light, an usher should decide how much light is needed and adjust the amount …” Granted this was published in 1966, but were there really that many churches back then without electricity? The churches I attended in the early 1960’s all had electricity.

In his sixth chapter, “The Usher’s Church”, Johnson brings up a good point about ushers assisting special guests, guest speakers and such, by obtaining needed supplies for them and helping them with their equipment. And in chapter 7, “Recruiting”, he balances the need for experienced ushers with bringing in new, inexperienced ushers.

While there were certainly several good points in the book, the overall tone of the book, while helpful and respectful, lacked a gospel centeredness and a biblical basis. While any usher could profit from reading this book, it is generally out of date and not as useful as the others I have studied.

http://www.christianbook.com/the-work-of-the-usher/alvin-johnson/9780817003562/pd/7003568?item_code=WW&netp_id=150973&event=ESRCG&view=details

Read Genesis 31:1-32:2

Pray

Introduction: The main ideas are God keeping his covenant with Jacob to protect him, and Jacob’s obedience to the Lord’s leading.

I.                   The LORD’s Command To Return, 31:3

A.      Following the LORD’s Leading- A combination of the change in Jacob’s circumstances, the leading of the Lord, and the agreement of his wives led to his decision to leave.

B.      God’s Plan Supersedes Our Plans

1.       If God’s blessings had not led to Laban’s being unhappy with Jacob, would Jacob have been inclined to go back home? Ross writes, p.529, “One wonders how easily Jacob could have been dislodged from this prosperous life if there had not been the growing resentment.” God had a plan for the Redemption of mankind and the descendants of Abraham were a key part of his plan. The covenant with Abraham included descendants, land and blessings. Jacob now had the descendants, the blessings of wealth, but he was not in the Promised Land. God’s plan required him to return to the Land of Promise.

2.       Apply: We need a glimpse of God’s plan of Redemption and how we fit into that plan and view our life decisions in the light of the Gospel. Too often we focus just on our perceived needs or our wants, and fail to consider what God may be doing and how he wants to use us for his glory and to be a blessing to others.

3.       Waltke writes, p.435, “God’s providence even orchestrates negative human emotions and actions to achieve his own sovereign purposes. As the jealousy of Jacob’s wives led to the birth of the tribes of Israel, so the jealousy of Laban and his sons leads to Jacob’s return to the land of his fathers.”

II.                Jacob and His Wives Discuss Leaving, vv.4-16

A.      God’s Blessing and Jacob’s Integrity, vss. 4-9

1.       “So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah…” Notice the quick obedience following the Lord’s call in vs. 3. 1Sam.15:22 “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

2.       Jesus said in John 14:21 “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.”

3.       Rachel and Leah- Waltke writes, p.424 “The order, giving priority to the loved wife, suggests that Jacob is now in charge of his home. In the childbearing scene, he was a pawn being brokered by his competing wives. Here his full speech demonstrates that he has finally taken spiritual leadership.”

4.       into the field where his flock was- this could actually be several miles, even a day or two journey, from the home in Haran. This would, in effect, give them a little bit of head start as they flee Laban.

5.       This speech by Jacob is his first public proclamation of his faith of which we have a record. Notice the frequency of the word “father” and the contrast between “your father” and “the God of my father”.

6.       your father does not regard me with favor…But the God of my father has been with me. Laban’s countenance was not with Jacob but God was with him. Jacob’s speech continuously contrasts Laban’s actions toward him with God’s actions: 31:5 Laban is against him but God is with him; 31:7 your father cheated me but God did not permit him to harm me; Laban changed his wages 10x but God took away the livestock of your father.

7.       You know that I have served your father with all my strength- this is remarkable considering all the negative character traits we have seen in Jacob’s story so far. The growth of Laban’s flocks and herds under Jacob’s care, and now Jacob’s own flocks and herds, testifies that Jacob spoke the truth. (Also see vss.38ff where he testifies of his hard work before Laban and Laban does not dispute him).

8.       Apply- Col.3:22-25 and see Matt.6:41 “if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

9.       vs.7 your father has cheated me and changed my wages 10 times. Literally, “made a fool of me”. 10 times may be literal or maybe using the number of completeness symbolically. The idea here is that Jacob had just cause to leave Laban. While we are to be patient with others and exercise forbearance, we are free to flee when we are taken advantage of; we do not have to just stay there and take it all the time.

10.   God did not permit him to harm me.- God’s Providence sometimes protects believers from harm others would do. This is a major theme of this passage (see vs. 24, 29).

11.   Apply: BUT, is this the norm? Does God’s Providence usually protect Believers or usually allow us to suffer along with everyone else?

12.   Vs.9- God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.- This is legal terminology for the transfer of property.

B.      Vss.10-13 God Reminds and Calls

1.       Here it is explained that the success of Jacob’s breeding scheme was really the Lord’s doing, not his ruse with the striped sticks.

2.       I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.- God sees the actions of the unjust; no one’s sins are hidden from God and he keeps a special eye on his children.

3.       I am the God of Bethel- the LORD reminds Jacob of who He is and of the covenant he made with him at Bethel.

4.       arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred. Three imperatives- arise, go out, return. We can take this and preach for a while. Arise- out of your comfort zone in that far off land that is not your true home. Go out- leave those entangling alliances that are hindering your mission. Return- to the God of your fathers and his plan for you life.

C.      Vss.14-16 Rachel and Leah Choose Jacob Over Their Father

1.       Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? Apparently Laban had consumed the dowry or inheritance of his daughters. They knew that their father was unjust and miserly and had cheated their husband.

2.       Are we not regarded as foreigners? Yet notice how Laban sings a different tune in vss.27-28, 43.

3.       All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children- the word used for “taken away” is a strong word meaning plundered, pointing to Exodus 12:36.

4.       Whatever God has said to you, do.- Jacob’s wives show a remarkable degree of unity here as they support their husband against their father. This is a turning point for them as well, and shows their faith in God. Like Rebekah before them, they are choosing to leave Laban and idolatry for the Promised Land and exclusive YHWH worship. (We’ll discuss Rachel and the idols later). Here is a picture of wives trusting in their husband’s godly, spiritual leadership.

III.             Jacob’s Flight and Laban’s Pursuit, vv.17-24

A.      Vss.17-21 Jacob Heads South

1.       So Jacob arose…to go to the land of Canaan- The emphasis here is on the quickness, the urgency and haste of his action after reaching the turning point. There was no delay. This implies suspicion of danger- if he had deliberated with Laban it would not have gone well. This is a middle of the night kind of escape.

2.       He drove away all his livestock- he is taking all of his accumulated livestock: sheep, goats, cattle, camels. This would necessarily slow him down, but in 19a we see that Laban (and presumably his sons and hired men) were away shearing the sheep. They could have been a couple of days away in the opposite direction. If Laban was a couple of days east of Haran shearing sheep, and Jacob was a couple of days west of Haran, and it took 3 days before Laban knew of Jacob’s departure, this would account for the seven days to catch up to Jacob in Gilead.

3.       Laban had gone to shear his sheep- This would normally happen around April-May (Mathews, p.517) and would usually include the whole family and lots of hired hands. It is indicative of the strained family relations that Jacob and his family were not present with Laban and his family at this occasion.

4.       Rachel stole her father’s household gods- there is a wordplay in Hebrew between “Rachel stole” in vs.19 and “Jacob tricked Laban” in v.20 which in Heb. reads “Jacob stole the heart of Laban”

5.       Why did Rachel steal the teraphim? There are two main answers but they could be combined. First, she could simply be getting even with her father by stealing something that would be valuable (gold, silver) to make up for her lost dowry. Or, second, she could still be partly pagan because later Jacob does require those with him to put away all false gods (35:2-4). The fact that in vv.33-35 Rachel has the idols hidden in the camel saddle upon which she is sitting while explaining to Laban that she is menstruating could indicate that she had only pecuniary motives since she is defiling the idols. But, she also could be lying to her father, thus remaining pagan.

6.       The symbolism of Rachel stealing Laban’s gods while Jacob is trusting in the one true God is rich. Jacob’s God enriches and protects Jacob, leading him back home while Laban is frustrated every step of the way and his gods are useless…except as a dowry for Rachel. Here is a novel crime- godnapping!

7.       In Moses’ structure of Genesis, these household gods stolen by Rachel somewhat parallel the gold cup used for divination “stolen” by Joseph’s brothers in ch.44. Laban admits to divination in 30:27, and the household gods can be used in that way.

8.       Laban the Aramean- Moses distinguishes between the racial stock of Laban the Aramean and Jacob, even though Laban is his uncle through his mother, Rebekah, and is his grandfather’s (Abraham) great nephew. There is now a difference between the descendants of Abraham and their kinsmen from Paddan-aram that is likely more linguistic and cultural/religious than racial.

9.       He intended to flee- the use of the word for “flee” links back to Jacob fleeing his brother Esau in 27:43 and even Hagar’s running away in 16:6-8, and points forward to Moses’ fleeing Egypt in Ex.2:15.

B.      Vss.22-24 The Chase Is On

1.       It was told Laban on the third day- their camps were possibly in opposite directions coming out of Haran and so it took 3 days for the news of Jacob’s flight to reach him.

2.       He took his kinsmen with him and pursued him- this is military language; Laban clearly has vengeance on his mind. This points forward to Israel fleeing Egypt and being pursued by Pharaoh and the army.

3.       “third day…seven days”- these could be literal or they could symbolize a short period of time followed by a longer period of time. The difficulty is the distance from Haran to Gilead is about 400 miles and Jacob is fleeing with all of his flocks and herds and children, etc. 20 miles  a day under those conditions would be brutal and likely kill of the flocks and herds. (See Mathews, p.522).

4.       God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night- Jacob and now Laban have dreams from God…pointing forward to Joseph’s dreams and back to Abimelech’s dream to not harm Abraham in 20:3-7. Laban points back to this dream as the reason he does no harm to Jacob in v.29- thus revealing his intent to do harm!

5.       Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad- and yet Laban goes into one of the longest rants in Genesis. The “good or bad” is a figure of speech that likely means do not exceed your authority, take it easy. Laban does make several accusations and protestations…but he does no harm to Jacob. Wenham, p.274, translates it this way “Take care, lest you contradict Jacob in any way” and explains, “Despite this very stern divine warning, the following diatribe is one of the fiercest and longest in Genesis.”

6.       This direct intervention by God likely saved Jacob’s life. Why doesn’t the Lord directly intervene all the time to save other believers? Salvation is wholly of God.

Conclusions:

1. God’s Providence sometimes includes Justice for the persecuted/oppressed believer. Jacob righteously plundered Laban.
2. God’s Providence sometimes uses people’s sinful, negative reactions to bring about good for His people.
3. God will provide guidance to those whose trust is in Him, those inside the Covenant.
4. Much in this story hearkens back to Abraham and Isaac’s stories, and much points forward to what Israel will face. It also points to our Christian walk today, 1Cor.10:1-14.
5. We see Jacob as the man of faith now, in this major turning point as he is not motivated by fear, but from a desire to obey God’s command in faith.

IV.             Confrontation Between Jacob and Laban, vv.25-42

V.                A Covenant Between Jacob and Laban, vv.43-54

VI.       Laban and Jacob Go Their Separate Ways, 31:55-32:2

Conclusion:

Notes:

Bibliography:

Boice, James Montomery. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis 12:1-36:43. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 1985 (pp.318-323).

Calvin, John. Genesis, in the Geneva Series of Commentaries, translated and edited by John King, two volumes in one. Banner of Truth Trust: Carlisle, PA 1847 (originally published in Latin 1554). Vol.2, pages 157-186.

Duguid, Iain M. Living In The Grip Of Relentless Grace: The Gospel In The Lives Of Isaac & Jacob. P&R Publishing: Phillipsburg, NJ 2002 (pp.93-105).

Hamilton, Victor P. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, MI 1995 (pp.285-318).

Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works Volume 6 Lectures on Genesis Chapters 31-37, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan. Concordia Publishing House: St. Louis, Missouri 1970 (originally published 1541-42), pp.3-86.

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers: Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.503-549).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, MI 1998 (pp.524-542.)

Sailhamer, John H. “Genesis” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, MI.1990, (pp.203-208).

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI 2001 (pp.421-441.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher: Dallas, TX 1994 (pp.260-283.)

Read Genesis 31:3-32:2

            Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

            So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

            So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to thelandofCanaanto his father Isaac. Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods. And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed theEuphrates, and set his face toward the hill country ofGilead.

            When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country ofGilead. But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

            And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country ofGilead. And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them….

(Genesis 31:1-32 ESV)     http://about.esvbible.org/

Pray

Introduction: Today we come to what may be the turning point in Jacob’s life. Here we come across the story of when, where, why, and how Jacob responds to the command of the LORD and begins to head home after his 20 year exile. At the same time we see some positive developments in Jacob’s character and spiritual life and some cooperation between Rachel and Leah. He has been blessed by God with a large family and wealth, so it is time to retrace his grandfather Abraham’s steps fromHaran toCanaan.

Today we will look at the big picture of this long chapter and do the hard work of literary analysis which is a fancy way of saying, Discovering what is in the text. If we get through this part we will then begin our verse by verse exposition.

The Main Idea of ch.31 is that God proves He is with Jacob, protecting him, as He leads Jacob home with his large family and great wealth. The promise God made to him in 28:14-15 is being fulfilled. Coming out of oppression and poverty into the inheritance God had promised would be an excellent preaching point for Moses and his people.

Literary Analysis

Context:

Moses’ formal outline using the toledoths

1. a.      Prologue, 1:1-2:3
2. b.      The Generations of the Heavens and the Earth 2:3-4:26
3. c.       The Generations of Adam 5:1-6:8
4. d.      The Generations of Noah 6:9-9:29
5. e.      The Generations of the Sons of Noah 10:1-11:9
6. f.        The Generations of Shem 11:10-26
7. g.      The Generations of Terah 11:27-25:11
8. h.      The Generations of Ishmael 25:12-18
9. i.        The Generations of Isaac 25:19-35:29 ***
10. j.        The Generations of Esau 36:1-37:1
11. k.      The Generations of Jacob 37:2-50:26

This Chiastic structure, slightly modified by me, comes from Waltke, p.352, 385.

A-Births and genealogy 25:19-24

  B-Digression: Rebekah in Foreign Palace, Foreigners 26:1-33

    C-Jacob steals Esau’s blessing 26:34-28:9

      D-Jacob receives the blessing but is in exile 28:10-32:32

        1-Encounter with God at Bethel28:10-22

          2-Conflict with Laban inHaran29:1-30

            3-Birth of the 12 Tribes 29:31-30:24 (Moses’ main point!)

          2’-Jacob prospers but flees Laban 30:25-31:55 (We are here!)

        1’-Encounters with God 32:1-32

    C’-Reconciliation with Esau 33:1-17

  B’-Digression: Dinah in Foreign Palace, Foreigners 33:18-34:31

A’-Births and Deaths 35:1-29

Plot: This unit begins with the LORD telling Jacob it was time to go, whereas in the previous unit, it was Jacob’s idea to leave. In this chapter the tension that has existed between Jacob and Laban since ch.29:25 (when Jacob woke with Leah in his bed instead of Rachel) comes to a head and violence is narrowly averted. We see Rachel and Leah included together in the decision to leave and they side with their husband against their father. We discover that the breeding plan Jacob used (but NOT the part with the striped stakes) was given by God to prosper him and take away from Laban. Jacob and his family flee Laban who subsequently chases him for seven days. The confrontation between Laban and Jacob has three elements: 1) the personal, 2) the religious, and, 3) the legal. It is resolved when Laban does not find the stolen idols and they erect a “heap” of stones in a non-aggression pact.

Geography: The LORD tells Jacob to “Return to the land of your fathers” so he flees the Paddan-aram area, crossing over theEuphratesRiver, and heads towardGilead. Laban catches up to him in the hills ofGilead, east of theJordan, north of the Jabbok, SE of theSea of Galilee. Jacob got a three day head start and Laban pursued for seven days, thus Jacob was ten days of travel away fromHaran. With all of his flocks and herds, wives and children, making twenty miles a day would be extremely fast.

Characters: We see a lot of progress with Jacob as he gives an extended praise to the LORD as he reveals the dream about goat breeding. Jacob also seems to treat both his wives with respect in this episode, consulting with Rachel and Leah in vv. 4-16. Likewise we see teamwork and agreement with the two sisters. Rachel, however, is shown to be just as devious as her father and husband in stealing and hiding Laban’s gods. Her motives are unclear. Laban is seen to be violent here (v.29), his violence only stopped by the dream from God. Laban’s controlling and raging nature are seen as he searches for his idols and claims in v.43 that the women, children and flocks actually belong to him. Jacob’s response to Laban is finally a manly and godly response, though he does rashly pledge to kill whoever had stolen the idols. This rash pledge is perhaps matched by Rachel’s untimely death in ch.35. God is shown to be merciful to Jacob in keeping his covenant to “be with him” (28:15), protecting him from Laban and his men.

Key Words: served (vv.6,41 ); wages (p.7,8, ) links the present unit with the two prior units; return to the land (vv.3, 13, ). “Taken-steal” vs,9, 16, 19, tricked v.20 and 26-27, steal v.30, 32, 39 (2x). Notice all the words about wealth- v.14 portion, inheritance; v.15 he has sold us, devoured our money; v.16 wealth. Household gods (vv.19, 30, 32, 34, 35). Heap, stone and pillar (vv.45- links to ch.29, v.46, 48, 51, 52 (3x)). “The Fear of his father Isaac” as a name for God, v.53.

Structure: There are good arguments for the chapter consisting of 31:1-55, or 31:2-55, or 31:2-32:1. 31:3-32:2 should also be considered among the various ways of structuring the passage. In 31:1-3 you have a transitional passage that can go with the previous unit or with this unit, and it can be divided between the two units. While 31:1-2 provide the impetus for Jacob to leave, I believe those verse go better with the previous unit which shows Jacob attempting to leave without the Lord’s command. With 31:3 you get the Lord finally telling him to go and so the story continues dealing with Jacob’s flight. 31:3, with the Lord speaking to Jacob, is matched at the end of the unit in 32:1-2 with “Jacob went on his way” and “the angels of God met him”. This gives the unit a beginning with the Lord telling him to go, an ending with him going on his way, a command from the Lord to leave and an encounter with the angels of God. Furthermore, with 32:2 mentioning angels –malakim- of God, 32:3 has Jacob sending “messengers” -malakim- before him. Thus, the first unit closes with messengers-angles and the following unit begins with messengers. This closely matches Wenham’s outline except that he begins the unit at 31:2.

A very good argument against this outline is made by Waltke who shows a parallel structure in 32-33:17 as follows (p.437): A-Angels of God meet Jacob at ‘Two Camps’ (32:1-2); B- Jacob prepares to meet Esau in ‘Two Camps’ (32:3-21); A’- Angel of God meets Jacob at Peniel (32:22-32); B’- Jacob meets Esau (33:1-17). However, we have already seen many instances in Moses’ book where there are overlapping structures, parallelisms and chiasmus structures within other parallelisms and chiasms. The structures are so interwoven yet distinct that it lends itself to proving that one great author wrote this complex, beautiful book.

The outline I will be using is: 1) The LORD’s Command To Return, v.31:3; 2) Jacob and His Wives Discuss Leaving, vv.4-16; 3) Jacob’s Flight and Laban’s Pursuit, vv.17-24; 4) Confrontation Between Jacob and Laban, vv.25-42; 5) A Covenant Between Jacob and Laban, vv.43-54; 6) Laban and Jacob Go Their Separate Ways, 31:55-32:2.

Exposition

1. I.                   The LORD’s Command To Return, 31:3
   1. A.      Following the LORD’s Leading
      1. 1.       Jacob’s desire to leave, 30:25-26; 31:1-2 Last week we discussed Jacob’s desire to return home. After Rachel finally had Joseph, and he had worked off his 14 year obligation to Laban, Jacob was ready to leave Paddan-aram and return toCanaan. It is made plain in chapters 29-31 that Laban was an unethical man and so Jacob was ready to quit. But nowhere in ch. 30 do we see the LORD telling him to leave. If Jacob had left 6 years earlier, when his obligation was up, he would have left poor and destitute. God held him there in order to bless Jacob and fulfill the promise he had made to him. Jacob’s frustration with a difficult boss was leading him to make an untimely decision which would have been against God’s will. Now, six years later, he realizes that Laban’s sons are against him and that Laban no longer regards him with favor.
      2. 2.       Application- most of us have likely faced a time in our lives when, like the Southwest Airlines commercial says, we “Want to get away?” One of the most agonizing decisions we face is the hard question of staying and toughing it out or quitting, leaving. Then there is the second guessing you do after you make your decision! Seeking to follow the Lord’s will is often very difficult. The best I can tell you is that if you are sincerely following the Lord, are faithfully in the Word, are praying about it, and seeking godly counsel, you can act in faith according to the desires of your heart because the Lord’s will is most often like a ranch where you have the freedom under grace to move about freely on the Lord’s ranch. Sometimes, the Lord provides you with the “yellow brick road” and it is quite obvious what the Lord wants you to do. But paint by the numbers is not how most of life works out. You have to act prudently, in faith, without a big neon sign in the heavens telling you where to go, when to leave, what to do. Here, Jacob wanted to go, but Laban induced him to stay for 6 more years; and God blessed him. But now it is clearly the LORD telling him to return to the land of your fathers in vs.3.
      3. 3.       Look at 28:1-5 to see that Jacob’s father, Isaac, had blessed him and prophesied over him…and it has come to pass.
      4. 4.       Return- In ch.28:15 the LORD had promised, “For I…will bring you back to this land.” The LORD is now commanding Jacob to take the steps to come home.
      5. 5.       Return to the land of your fathers- Waltke, p.424, “The Lord’s command to Jacob to depart foreshadows the Exodus.”
      6. 6.       to the land of your fathers- back in ch.24 Abraham had made his servant swear to “go to my country and to my kindred”,Haran, to get a wife for Isaac. Now, because of the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping his promises, that land of your fathers for Jacob isCanaan. Jacob is retrace the steps that Abraham and Sarah took, and that his mother Rebekah took.
      7. 7.       and to your kindred- Gen.12:1 the Lord tells Abraham to “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Abraham was to leave what was familiar, and his family, and go into the unknown, but Jacob is called to return to that which was familiar and to his family.
      8. 8.       I will be with you- again, the Lord is reiterating the promise given to Jacob in 28:14-15.
      9. 9.       Application- to where or to what is the Lord calling you? Do you have a sense of the Lord’s calling on your life? In your personal spiritual life, have you answered the call to salvation? Have you repented of sin and trusted in Jesus alone for salvation? Do you acknowledge the call of God in your life for holiness and for fruit? To grow in Grace? Has the Lord called you this church? What is God’s calling to you in your family life? Or work life? Do you have a sense of being a missionary here? Or is the Lord perhaps calling you to serve as a missionary somewhere else?

Bibliography:

Boice, James Montomery. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis 12:1-36:43. Zondervan:Grand Rapids, MI. 1985 (pp.318-323).

Calvin, John. Genesis, in the Geneva Series of Commentaries, translated and edited by John King, two volumes in one. Banner of Truth Trust:Carlisle,PA 1847 (originally published in Latin 1554). Vol.2, pages 157-186.

Duguid, Iain M. Living In The Grip Of Relentless Grace: The Gospel In The Lives Of Isaac & Jacob. P&R Publishing:Phillipsburg, NJ 2002 (pp.93-105).

Hamilton, Victor P. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company:Grand Rapids,MI 1995 (pp.285-318).

Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works Volume 6 Lectures on Genesis Chapters 31-37, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan. Concordia Publishing House:St. Louis,Missouri 1970 (originally published 1541-42), pp.3-86.

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers:Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.503-549).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic:Grand Rapids,MI 1998 (pp.524-542.)

Sailhamer, John H. “Genesis” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Zondervan Publishing House:Grand Rapids, MI.1990, (pp.203-208).

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan:Grand Rapids,MI 2001 (pp.421-441.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher:Dallas,TX 1994 (pp.260-283.)

Gen.30:25-43

Pray:

Introduction: I appreciate brother Wayne for standing in for me last week and introducing this passage to you. As strange as this passage sounds to us today, this is a key passage in Moses’ outline and a key message toIsrael in his day. This passage is not about how to breed goats. It is all about God keeping his covenant with Jacob and the hope that gives the Israelites of Moses’ day. Because God kept his covenant with Jacob, you and I can trust him to keep his covenant in Christ with us. In our text we see how Jacob prospers despite his cheapskate father-in-law. While there are some good moral/ethical teachings in this passage- the value of consistent hard work for Jacob- the text is focused primarily on the prosperity that God gives to Jacob.

A good New Testament verse that would show us this idea is Phil.3:7-11 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share  his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection of the dead.”

 I.                   Laban Tries To Swindle Jacob, 30:25-36

1. 1. A.     Jacob Requests To Leave Laban’s Service, 30:25-26
   2. B.     Laban Wants Jacob To Stay and Work for Wages, vv.27-28
      1. 1.      But Laban said, “If I have found favor in your sight” v.27- Like he did with Abraham’s servant, and like Pharaoh with Israel, he is trying to delay Jacob’s departure. He succeeds, but loses his wealth to Jacob in the process. He does not deal with Jacob’s request, he makes a counter offer. The word for sight is ‘ayin, eyes.Hamilton points out, p.282, “Fourteen years earlier Leah’s eyes were mentioned; now Jacob’s eyes are mentioned.”
      2. 2.      I have learned by divination- divination was forbidden to Israel in Lev.19:26; Deut. 18:10,14. This is an occultic practice. Again, the Bible is not here teaching that the practice worked nor is it being recommended. Moses is faithfully reporting a sinful practice of Laban’s. Gordon Wenham disagrees with the translation and says it should read, “I have grown rich” (p.255). Mathews, p.496, explains this wide diversity of translations by pointing out that the key word in dispute in the sentence is nahas but the Akkadian word is nahasu and would mean “to become wealthy, prosper”, which fits in this particular context. However, Mathews also points out, “That he practiced divination should not be startling, however, since we know that Joseph had access to the paraphernalia of such sorcery (44:5,15). If so, here is another example of the many crossassociations between the Jacob and Joseph narratives. Yet one must hear everything that this huckster says cautiously, for we do not know it this is a fabrication. What is striking is Laban’s casual connection of divination with the Lord, for divination was one of the sorcerer’s arts strictly forbidden in the law…Another irregularity is the use of divination at all to discern the source of his prosperity.” I will side with the ESV and NIV translators on this one because, while it may be a bit odd for Laban to resort to divination at this point in the story and the Akkadian word may make more sense, it is in keeping with Laban’s character to do this and it is in keeping with Moses’ writing style to introduce a word here, that will be used later of Joseph. It also makes a good preaching point for Moses as he forbids the practice outright.
      3. 3.      Apply- when I was a kid I remember being with other kids in our Baptist youth group and someone had a Ouija board and brought it to a couple of youth functions or simply at their house. We also tried a séance once on an RA camp out. Where was the adult supervision? Nothing weird happened, but Christian kids have no business playing around like that. Today I know there are people who claim Christ who read their horoscopes daily or who have visited mediums to get their palm read or fortune told. Unbelievable! There is an increase in occultism and witchcraft in the last 30 years inAmerica and it seems to indicate that as Christianity has declined, occultism and other world religions, are filling the void.
      4. 4.      the LORD has blessed me because of you- this goes straight back to 12:1-3 and God’s promise to Abram that he would be a blessing to others and that those who blessed him would be blessed and those who cursed him would be cursed. Laban is clearly stating that he has received a blessing and is implying that he may even know of God’s covenant with Jacob. The blessings of prosperity are taken away as he mistreats Jacob.
      5. 5.      Can you think of other occasions in Genesis where people have prospered by being close to the Patriarchs? 21:22f; 26:28f;14:19; 39:5, 23.
      6. 6.      Apply-The difference in the West from all the rest is the Judeo-Christian foundation Western Civilization has. It is no accident that the West is reeling in financial trauma now, as we have abandoned our Judeo-Christian faith and worldview. Our foreign policy is turning away from support forIsrael and we will suffer for it. When you look at the difference in prosperity, infrastructure, education, culture and the arts betweenIsrael and the Palestinians, Jordanians, Syrians and Egyptians you can see this principle from Genesis come alive. Although the Jews who have rejected their own Messiah, Jesus Christ, for 2,000 years, are lost spiritually and headed for hell unless they repent and believe in Jesus, the Lord’s hand is still upon them for His purposes and this ancient principle of prosperity for those who bless Abraham and his descendants.
      7. 7.      Name your wages- Laban makes a bold claim here, which he apparently does not intend to keep. Waltke states, p.419, “Laban is always focused on economics. His statement has haunting echoes of the first deal he offered Jacob. The reader should anticipate that he intends to deceive Jacob again.” It is like saying, “What do I owe you?” Jacob had worked these 14 years for his wives, he owns no property, so if he leaves now, he has 4 wives and 12 children, but no wealth to take care of them with. Laban essentially has Jacob in a tough spot and Jacob cannot leave at this point.

1. C.     Jacob Wants To Provide for His Own Household, vv.29-30
   1. 1.      you yourself know how I have served you- Jacob is confronting Laban with the fact that, while the Lord has indeed blessed Laban because of Jacob, Jacob has worked hard for Laban; he has served him well. Here we see the first sign of Jacob’s integrity. He is boldly challenging Laban to contradict him; Jacob has served faithfully. Wenham says, p.255, “but to say merely that ‘the LORD has blessed me because of you’ (v27) is an understatement. ‘The few that you had…have teemed and increased, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I have gone’ (v30). Here Jacob alludes to the promise made to him in 28:14 that his descendants would ‘spread’ or ‘teem’. The gist of his remarks is: ‘If God has done so much for you as the result of my work, surely you can now do something for me, or at least let me do something for my family.”
   2. 2.      how your livestock has fared with me- as a herder/shepherd/rancher Jacob has been fulfilling the mandate given to Adam and Eve in Gen. 1:28 to subdue the animals, and he has been successful.
   3. 3.      What should be happening here is that Laban should have given his son-in-law, daughters, and grandchildren, a large enough gift to get him started on his own household. Instead they are negotiating over wages.
   4. 4.      the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned- this is about the first godly thing we have heard Jacob utter in the form of a testimony to someone else.
   5. 5.      Apply- Col.3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” When we work at our jobs, we need to work in light of Col.3:23 AND Gen.12:2-3. There is a sense in which we, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, children of God through the work of Christ and the power of the Spirit, should be experiencing the blessings God promised Abraham. That includes being a blessing to those around us and that means at work. Christians ought to be the best workers.RedeemerChurch should have a reputation amongst employers and customers who know us so that they would say, “Send us some more of those Redeemer Christians to work here!” We need to be conduits of God’s favor to those with whom we work, like Jacob.
   6. D.    Jacob and Laban Negotiate, vv.31-33
      1. 1.      What shall I give you?- Wenham is skeptical of Laban being willing to give Jacob anything, ibid., “Laban’s question…sounds reasonable and open, but in fact he has already indicated that he will not give Jacob a farewell present.”
      2. 2.      You shall not give me anything- Jacob is not asking for a gift, even though as a son-in-law it would be appropriate. This phrase actually points us back to Abraham dealing with the king ofSodom after he had rescuedLot and the Sodomites in14:21,23. Abraham did not want to be enriched by the generosity of the king ofSodom. So too, here, Jacob wants nothing from his crooked father-in-law and has another way to start his family off- work, and the grace of God.
      3. 3.      let me pass through all your flocks today removing from it- Did Jacob expect to immediately take the variants from the flocks and herds to begin his own operation? Wenham and Mathews take the view that  Jacob’s plan was to do what Laban eventually did, separate out the speckled and spotted and black so that Jacob would start off with zero. A better answer is that Jacob intended on taking the OFFSPRING from these goats and sheep. This makes sense because of Laban’s reaction in sending all these spotted animals away with his sons.
      4. 4.      Jacob’s breeding plan- normally the sheep were white and the goats black or brown in that part of the world at that time. What Jacob is proposing is that he will take out the less than 20% variants from the flocks and herds. This will make Jacob’s herds clearly different from Laban’s, thus giving some legal protection for Jacob; it will be easy to identify the two different herds/flocks. Waltke writes, p.419, “Normally the hire of a shepherd is 20% of the flock, and rarely, if ever, would the speckled population be such a large percentage.”
   7. E.     Laban Tries To Swindle Jacob, vv. 34-36
      1. 1.      Laban said, ‘Good!’- Laban agrees so readily because he thinks the terms favor him.
      2. 2.      But that day Laban removed the …striped and spotted…and all that were speckled…and every lamb that was black- whatever Jacob expected, Laban acted to thwart and cheat Jacob once again. He gives the variant herds to his own sons and sends them a three day’s journey away. How now will Jacob prosper?
      3. 3.      The Main Point is enhanced by Laban’s cheating- in the end God gets the greater glory for blessing Jacob because of Laban’s cheating. From Laban’s point of view, there was no way Jacob could prosper, but Laban is warring against the LORD at this point. God has a covenant to keep with Jacob!
      4. 4.      An application- when people act unethically or illegally against us, we can get angry at their sinful behavior, but we should realize that perhaps the Lord has allowed this to happen so that we are sanctified and He is glorified as we respond in faith. This is turning the other cheek, forgiving our brother 70×7.

1. II.                Jacob Tries To Swindle Laban, 30:37-43
   1. A.     Jacob’s Breeding Program, vv.37-43
      1. 1.      The use of the trees with peeled bark does not in any way alter goat or sheep breeding and genetics, and must have been merely a folk custom. Ancient man did have some ideas of genetics and did intelligently breed animals and plants to produce desired traits. Jacob clearly ascribes his success to the Lord in 31:10ff. So what is going on here?Hamilton says that “Jacob’s rods function much as do Rachel’s mandrakes. It is not the mandrakes that produce fertility, and it is not Jacob’s white rods that produce the right kind of offspring for Jacob- although perhaps that is what Jacob wanted Laban to think.” (p.284). “The flock tended by Jacob had only monochrome animals in respect of phenotype. As regards genotype, however, a third were pure monochromes (homozygotes) and two-thirds were heterozygotes (who contained the gene of spottedness). By crossing the heterozygotes among themselves, Jacob would produce, according to the laws of heredity, twenty-five percent spotted sheep. Thus he multiplies his flock. Jacob has displayed ingenuity; he has not practiced deception.”
      2. 2.      The use of the term for the poplar tree, libneh, along with the word for white, laban, along with his father-in-law’s name, Laban, provides a humorous wordplay at Laban’s expense
      3. 3.      I believe that the use of the striped stakes was a ruse to throw off Laban, who might have been superstitious and not as good of a goat breeder as Jacob.
      4. 4.      the feebler would be Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s- Jacob not only bred the animals for coloration but for strength as well. This shows that over a period of about 6 years, Laban did not supervise his herds well and he allowed Jacob’s breeding plan to drain Laban’s flocks and herds.
      5. 5.      Thus the man increased greatly- Wenham uses the term “teemed” again pointing back to 28:14 and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Jacob. This is a huge point that Moses is making! Here is another promise of God to Abraham, Isaac and now to Jacob which is being kept. In Jacob you have the many offspring and also prosperity. Abraham and Isaac had more wealth, but only the few offspring. Wenham writes, p.257, “Indeed the phraseology here closely echoes12:16, ‘Abram…acquired sheep, cattle, donkeys, slaves slave-girls, she asses, and camels.’ Jacob became as rich in exile in Paddan-Aram as his grandfather had become inEgypt. Now that he has made his fortune, he is in a much better position to leave than he was at the beginning of the episode.” The presence of camels in the list of Jacob’s animal herds indicates great wealth for only the most prosperous of herdsmen could afford to raise camels.
      6. 6.      Apply- the WRONG application would be to use this text to try to prove the Health&Wealth Gospel of the Name It and Claim It TV Preachers. God’s primary concern is for his glory and your holiness not your health, wealth and success in this life. That being said, there is an historical trend of those who follow Christ prospering in general. If you follow Christ and work hard, are frugal and generous, honest, punctual and work as unto the Lord, you will tend toward prosperity.

1. III.             Jacob Prospers at Laban’s Expense, 31:1-2
   1. A.     The Sons of Laban
      1. 1.      Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, - While Laban may not have been attentive to what was going on with the flocks and herds, Laban’s sons were, and they were not happy about it. Notice that in vs. 1 Jacob “heard” and in vs. 2 Jacob “saw” that trouble was coming his way.
      2. 2.      Apply- did Laban’s sons have a legitimate grievance with Jacob? Was not Jacob abiding by the agreement he had with his father in law? Had not Laban abused Jacob? NOTICE: Those who are outside the covenant will frequently be upset, hateful and offended at the prosperity which God grants to those inside the covenant. We can see this in today’s politics. There is the politics of envy that seeks to promote class warfare inAmerica. The green eyed devil of envy is a problem whether it is two women competing for babies, or men competing for goats, or spoiled college kids camping out on Wall Street complaining about the rich. This continues a theme of “obstacles” to the covenant that we have seen with such characters as Lot, the king of Sodom, Pharaoh, the kings of the east, Ishmael, Esau, etc.
      3. 3.      Laban did not regard him with favor as before- the cheapskate realizes he has been outfoxed by his son-in-law and he is not happy with it.

Conclusion: This section is not about how to breed goats. This is a central point that Moses is making right alongside the large section dealing with the births of Jacob’s children. God is keeping his gracious covenant with Jacob, despite Jacob’s man flaws and his possible belief in superstition about breeding animals. This is a message of encouragement forIsrael in the wilderness as they are the heirs of Jacob and of God’s covenant. They too were cheated out of their wages for generations inEgypt, but now God is going to prosper them. God is proven trustworthy and gracious, his word is sure, his covenant will not fail.

For the Christian, we have a solid hope for our salvation because we see how God maneuvers things for his glory, the keeping of His Word. Our hope does not depend on our man made schemes, but on Christ alone. A practical lesson we get is that the world is going to be opposed to the gospel covenant, even though they may recognize the blessings that come to those who keep the covenant, and those who befriend the ones in the covenant. The Christian response is to work hard and follow the golden rule while giving God the glory and trusting in Him. Some success in this world is seen for those who follow Christ, but this should not be misinterpreted to mean that God is obligated to prosper us in this life.

Bibliography:

Boice, James Montomery. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis 12:1-36:43. Zondervan:Grand Rapids, MI. 1985 (pp.312-317).

Calvin, John. Genesis, in the Geneva Series of Commentaries, translated and edited by John King, two volumes in one. Banner of Truth Trust:Carlisle,PA 1847 (originally published in Latin 1554). Vol.2, pages 134-149.

Duguid, Iain M. Living In The Grip Of Relentless Grace: The Gospel In The Lives Of Isaac & Jacob. P&R Publishing:Phillipsburg, NJ 2002 (pp.77-91).

Hamilton, Victor P. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company:Grand Rapids,MI 1995 (pp.269-278).

Luther, Martin. Lectures on Genesis, Chapters 26-30,Luther’s Works, Volume 5, translated by George V. Schick and Paul D. Pahl, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan and Walter A. Hansen. Concordia Publishing House:St. Louis,MO 1968 (pp.313-363). These lectures were given by Luther in 1541-1542.

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers:Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.472-490).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic:Grand Rapids,MI 1998 (pp.517-529.)

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan:Grand Rapids,MI 2001 (pp.416-423.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher:Dallas,TX 1994 (pp.250-269.)

Read Genesis 30:25-43

            As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you. Name your wages, and I will give it.” Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock.

            Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban’s flock. Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

            Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.

            (Genesis 30:25-31:2 ESV) http://www.esvbible.org/search/Genesis+30/

Pray:

Introduction: I was on vacation this week, visiting family inOklahoma, and gave these notes to brother Wayne Spray who led the class and discussion in my absence.

Literary Analysis

Plot: The events in this portion of Jacob’s story show that the Lord is keeping his promise to prosper Jacob and bless him and mirrors the previous passage about the births of his children, also a sign of God’s promise being kept. The two passages together show that our covenant keeping God is fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob. This passage, however, is also about the conflict with Laban and thus mirrors 29:1-30. Remember that Conflict and Obstacles have been a part of the Patriarch’s lives since11:30 “Sarai was barren.” Conflict, Obstacles, and Blessing seem to always go together with the Patriarchs (and with we who follow Jesus). What stands out as strange to us is, of course, the pre-scientific view of genetics and breeding that Jacob uses with the striped rods. Much like the mandrakes his wives used, this pagan and pre-scientific procedure DOES NOT produce the desired effect; rather, Moses is careful to show that the blessings come from God’s grace, not human efforts.

Waltke writes, pp.416-417, “In the theophany atBethel, God promises to be with Jacob. His presence entails blessing in children and in property, not in the absence of conflict. In the preceding scenes, God has been building Jacob’s house; in this scene, his property. Prudently, one should build up property before his family (Prov.27:23-27), but Laban prevents his flesh and blood from acting prudently. During the first seven years of their marriage contract, Laban should have allowed Jacob to prepare for his household; instead, he left him empty handed. Now Jacob builds up his property on his own.”

Geography: Jacob is still in the Haran area, the ancestral homeland, but vs.25 introduces the idea of returning to his own “home and country”.

Characters: The story shifts from dealing with Jacob’s wives (Laban’s daughters) and their children, to dealing with Jacob and Laban. While Laban remains as we have seen him so far, greedy, Jacob seems to come out of his passivity and return to his old, scheming self. Waltke writes, “Whereas he was a passive victim of both Laban and his wives with reference to his marriages and children, now he is once again aggressive and shrewd….Jacob the manipulated becomes again Jacob the manipulator.”

In the episode with Laban swapping Leah for Rachel, Jacob was honorable and stayed, working for Rachel, and did not divorce Leah (although he does not treat Leah with love as he does Rachel) despite Laban’s trickery. But now, in regards to the flocks, he seems to try to deliberately breed Laban’s flocks and herds to his own advantage, thus enriching himself at Laban’s expense (that is how Laban’s sons interpreted it in 31:1). However, in 31:5-12 he ascribes his increase (and, logically, Laban’s decline) to the Lord (despite Laban’s prior ‘divination’ that his increase was coming from the LORD in 30:27).

Key Words: In vs.25 “send me away” points back to 28:5 “Thus Isaac sent Jacob away,” and, even further back, to 24:54 “Send me away to my master,” by Abraham’s servant seeking to leave Laban with Rebekah and return to Isaac. Laban seeks to delay Abraham’s servant and does delay Jacob (by about 6 years). The “send me away” of 30:25 also points forward to 32:1 “Jacob went on his way.”

“Serve-work-hire-wages-reward-wealth” are the key words in the Jacob-Esau and Jacob-Laban passages. In our present text they appear in vss.25 (2x), 28, 29, 33; 31:1(wealth),

“Increased”  or “the LORD has blessed”, in vs.27, 30 (both terms), 43 and “gained” 31:1.

Context:

Moses’ formal outline using the toledoths

1. a.      Prologue, 1:1-2:3
2. b.      The Generations of the Heavens and the Earth 2:3-4:26
3. c.       The Generations of Adam 5:1-6:8
4. d.      The Generations of Noah 6:9-9:29
5. e.      The Generations of the Sons of Noah 10:1-11:9
6. f.        The Generations of Shem 11:10-26
7. g.      The Generations of Terah 11:27-25:11
8. h.      The Generations of Ishmael 25:12-18
9. i.        The Generations of Isaac 25:19-35:29 ***
10. j.        The Generations of Esau 36:1-37:1
11. k.      The Generations of Jacob 37:2-50:26

This Chiastic structure, slightly modified by me, comes from Waltke, p.352, 385.

A-Births and genealogy 25:19-24

  B-Digression: Rebekah in Foreign Palace, Foreigners 26:1-33

    C-Jacob steals Esau’s blessing 26:34-28:9

      D-Jacob receives the blessing but is in exile 28:10-32:32

        1-Encounter with God at Bethel28:10-22

          2-Conflict with Laban inHaran29:1-30

            3-Birth of the 12 Tribes 29:31-30:24 (Moses’ main point!)

          2’-Jacob prospers but flees Laban 30:25-31:55 (We are here!)

        1’-Encounters with God 32:1-32

    C’-Reconciliation with Esau 33:1-17

  B’-Digression: Dinah in Foreign Palace, Foreigners 33:18-34:31

A’-Births and Deaths 35:1-29

Structure: This passage opens with a temporal clause in vs.25, “As soon as Rachel…” that gives a break in the story pointing to a new section as well as linking with the previous section. When Jacob says, “Send me away…” also in vs.25 we get the theme for the next two sections of the story: this one 30:25-31:1 dealing with his prosperity and the next, 31:2-55 his actual departure.

There is some disagreement over the proper point of conclusion for this section, however. The chapter division at 30:43 could be the proper place, with 31:1 the proper beginning of the next section. Keep in mind that chapter and verse divisions are not in the original manuscripts, and neither is punctuation. However, Wenham, p.252, makes a good case for ending the first section at 31:1 and beginning the next at 31:2. Grammatically, 31:1 has no nominal subject and literally reads: “he heard what Laban’s sons were saying” which is a good conclusion to the prior section, but not a good introduction to the following.

The section could end at 31:2, “And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.” This phrase is repeated in 31:5 as Jacob speaks with Rachel and Leah. This makes a good case for the prior section ending at 31:2 with a phrase that points forward to 32:5 and the start of the next section.  Wenham prefers the break between 31:1 and 31:2, “Thus by the conventions of Genesis, 31:1 is a fitting close to the episode,” (p.252).

I am going with 31:2 as the end point of the first section for three reasons. First, Laban is mentioned in 30:25 “Jacob said to Laban, ‘Send me away’ and in 31:1-2, giving a resolution to the story with Laban’s sons talking bad about Jacob, and “Laban did not regard him with favor.” This makes for a decent pair of bookends with the key word being Laban and the theme of Jacob’s desire to leave being matched by Laban’s ill regard for him. Secondly, what is stated in 31:2 points forward to 31:5 in a rather typical Moses fashion. Finally, 31:3 has the LORD commanding Jacob to return which is a fitting beginning point for the next section, Jacob’s departure.

Ross outlines the text with two sub-sections, 30:25-34 and then 35-43, keeping the major break at the end of 30:43 and the next section starting at 31:1. Wenham also has two sub-sections, 30:25-36, and then 37-31:1. Boice and Hamilton both deal with 30:25-43 as a whole unit. I will deal with the text broken into three sub-sections: (1) Laban Tries To Swindle Jacob, 30:25-36, (2) Jacob Tries To Swindle Laban, 30:37-43. and (3) Jacob Prospers at Laban’s Expense, 31:1-2.

1. I.                   Laban Tries To Swindle Jacob, 30:25-36
   1. A.     Jacob Requests To Leave Laban’s Service, 30:25-26
      1. 1.      As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, v.25a- this is a transition from the previous section of Jacob’s story to the next and links the two. The birth of Joseph to Rachel seems to free up Jacob along with the completion of the second 7 years of work for Laban. Given that Leah had borne 7 children and had a period of unknown length of barrenness, it is possible that the 7 years is a theological rounded number. Keep in mind that Joseph’s name means “He will add” pointing not only to the future birth of Benjamin, but in this instance, to the blessings of flocks and herds (Mathews, p.493.)
      2. 2.      Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away…”, v.25b- Wenham writes, p.254, “In this first speech, Jacob demands permission from his father-in-law to return home with his wives and children. He uses the straight imperative without even a ‘please’ or any of the milder forms of request. The verbal forms suggest a somewhat aggressive first move on Jacob’s part, ‘Let me go so that I may return.’ Here Jacob echoes the words of Abraham’s servant (24:54,56), who similarly asked leave of Laban to return toCanaan.” This exact phrase is used in 32:27 where Jacob is wrestling with the Lord all night. This would also minister to the people of Moses’ day as it would call to mind Moses confronting Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” (Ex.5:1).
      3. 3.      that I may go to my own home and country- even though this is the ancestral homeland he wants to go back to the Promised Land which is part of the covenant, hence, the “my land”; it is his by promise from the LORD.
      4. 4.      Give me my wives and my children, v.26- this phrasing points us back to Jacob’s wedding day in 29:21, AND possibly forward to Exodus 21:3-6 which basically states that if a male slave was given a wife by his master and then subsequently was freed, he had to leave behind his wife and kids. (American slavery in the antebellum South was infamous for breaking up slave families). According to 31:43, Laban still considers his daughters and their children as his property.
      5. 5.      for whom I have served you- serve is repeated 3x in this verse (literally- you know the service I have served you). All the words for “serve” in this story can also be understood as “slave”. While Jacob was not a slave technically, Laban treated him just about as badly. Remember that Jacob showed up penniless. All this slave type language would, again, reach Moses’ people.
      6. 6.      Deut. 15:12-14 points out that a master was not to send his freed slave out empty-handed. He was to essentially give the freed slave enough to start a homestead. 31:42 indicates that Jacob believes Laban would have sent him away empty handed.
      7. B.     Laban Wants Jacob To Stay and Work for Wages, vv.27-28
         1. 1.      But Laban said, v.27- Like he did with Abraham’s servant, and like Pharaoh withIsrael, he is trying to delay Jacob’s departure. He succeeds, but loses his wealth to Jacob in the process. He does not deal with Jacob’s request, he makes a counter offer.
         2. 2.      I have learned by divination- divination was forbidden toIsrael in Lev.19:26; Deut. 18:10,14. This is an occultic practice. Again, the Bible is not here teaching that the practice worked nor is it being recommended. Moses is faithfully reporting a sinful practice of Laban’s.
         3. 3.      Apply- when I was a kid I remember being with other kids in our Baptist youth group and someone had a Ouija board and brought it to a couple of youth functions. We also tried a séance on an RA camp out. Where was the adult supervision? Nothing weird happened, but Christian kids have no business playing around like that. Today I know there are people who claim Christ who read their horoscopes daily or who have visited mediums to get their palm read or fortune told. Unbelievable!
         4. 4.      the LORD has blessed me because of you- this goes straight back to 12:1-3 and God’s promise to Abram that he would be a blessing to others and that those who blessed him would be blessed and those who cursed him would be cursed. Laban is clearly stating that he has received a blessing and is implying that he may even know of God’s covenant with Jacob. The blessings of prosperity are taken away as he mistreats Jacob.
         5. 5.      Can you think of other occasions in Genesis where people have prospered by being close to the Patriarchs? 21:22f; 26:28f;14:19; 39:5, 23.
         6. 6.      Apply-The difference in the West from all the rest is the Judeo-Christian foundationWestern Civ has. It is no accident that the West is reeling in financial trauma now, as we have abandoned our Judeo-Christian faith and worldview. Our foreign policy is turning away from support forIsrael and we will suffer for it.
         7. 7.      Name your wages- Laban makes a bold claim here, which he apparently does not intend to keep.
         8. 8.       
      8. C.     Jacob Wants To Provide for His Own Household, vv.29-30
      9. D.    Jacob and Laban Negotiate, vv.31-33
      10. E.     Laban Tries To Swindle Jacob, vv. 34-36

1. II.                Jacob Tries To Swindle Laban, 30:37-43
2. III.             Jacob Prospers at Laban’s Expense, 31:1-2

Bibliography:

Boice, James Montomery. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis 12:1-36:43. Zondervan:Grand Rapids, MI. 1985 (pp.312-317).

Calvin, John. Genesis, in the Geneva Series of Commentaries, translated and edited by John King, two volumes in one. Banner of Truth Trust:Carlisle,PA 1847 (originally published in Latin 1554). Vol.2, pages 134-149.

Duguid, Iain M. Living In The Grip Of Relentless Grace: The Gospel In The Lives Of Isaac & Jacob. P&R Publishing:Phillipsburg, NJ 2002 (pp.77-91).

Hamilton, Victor P. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company:Grand Rapids,MI 1995 (pp.269-278).

Luther, Martin. Lectures on Genesis, Chapters 26-30,Luther’s Works, Volume 5, translated by George V. Schick and Paul D. Pahl, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan and Walter A. Hansen. Concordia Publishing House:St. Louis,MO 1968 (pp.313-363). These lectures were given by Luther in 1541-1542.

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers:Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.472-490).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic:Grand Rapids,MI 1998 (pp.517-529.)

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI 2001 (pp.416-423.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher:Dallas,TX 1994 (pp.250-269.)

Read Genesis 29:31-30:24

            In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.

            And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

            Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”

          (Genesis 30:14-24 ESV) http://about.esvbible.org/

Pray:

Review/Introduction: In our studies in Genesis, begun almost 4 years ago, we have finally reached the central point of Moses’ book (thematically at least), that provides the freed slaves of Egypt and the new nation of Israel with the answers to the questions: Who are we? And, Where did we come from? The answer is that we are people who were founded by humble, sinful people, chosen by God’s grace to enter into a covenant with Him. The only person in this lineage given by Moses who rises to hero status is Abraham, the man of faith. His son, Isaac, was wealthy but a weak leader. And now we are looking at Jacob and see a sinner and weak man who deceived others and is himself deceived and then managed by his 2 wives. So if the theme in studying Abraham was Faith, the themes we are clearly seeing now are God’s undeserved Grace and his divineProvidence.

One of the internal proofs of the veracity of Scripture is the very weakness of the characters in this book. Think about the founding myths of the ancient Greeks where the gods father or mother some of the heroes and they go off to war with ancientTroy. Think aboutRomulusand Remus or Aeneas founding ancientRome. Think of our own history as Americans and our founding fathers. Now compare with this story of Jacob, Laban, Leah and Rachel and the children born inHaranand all their sordid history we shall study over the next year or two.

The idea is NOT how great these people were; the idea IS How Great God Is!

This morning, as we pick up where we left off last week, we shall study the details of this text but the main lesson I want us to remember is that God pours out his Grace on sinners like you and me. Our only hope for salvation is in Christ alone and in this story we know that unloved Leah is the ancestor mother of the Saviour of the world. We know the rest of the story that Moses andIsraelonly had an inkling about.

1. I.                   Leah’s Faith, 29:31-35
2. II.                Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Their Handmaidens, 30:1-13
3. III.             Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Mandrakes, 30:14-21
   1. A.        Rachel Resorting to Plan C, vss. 14-16
      1. 1.        Reuben …found mandrakes, vs.14- Reuben, Jacob and Leah’s firstborn, could be anywhere between 6 and 8 years old at this time; old enough to be working in the fields. A mandrake is a type of plant with a flower and a tuber similar to a potato underneath the ground. The plant is in the nightshade, potato and tomato family. The Greeks called it the “love apple” and Arabs called it the ‘devil’s apples’. The word is duda’im in Heb. and means literally, love fruits. It sounds like the word for love, dodim. See Song of Solomon 7:13. While the plant is actually somewhat poisonous, it has a narcotic/hallucinogenic quality that the ancients used for a variety of purposes, including as an aphrodisiac and for infertility. There is some disagreement between scholars on whether the mandrake was actually able to grow in that part of the world as it is normally associated with being found around theMediterranean, not as far inland asHaran inMesopotamia.
      2. 2.        Is this a problem text? Is the Bible agreeing with a folk custom that uses a drug that is also used by pagans in their drug potions? This is a case of the Bible accurately reporting some folk practices that it does not teach or recommend. This may also be the case with the next section where Jacob relates his method of breeding the flocks and herds by placing striped sticks at the watering trough (30:37-39). The text may subtly expose the failure of the mandrakes as Leah is the one who gets pregnant, not Rachel.
      3. 3.        Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes, vs.14- Rachel is being very polite and diplomatic here.
      4. 4.        you have taken away my husband, vs.15- Leah, on the other hand, responds rudely and with bitterness. Notice how wrong her perspective is: Jacob had proposed to Rachel and dealt with Laban for Rachel, not Leah. Yet Leah, who likely freely participated in her father’s deception of Jacob on his wedding night, claims it is Rachel who stole her husband! A typical sinful defense mechanism is to blame others for that which we know we are guilty. While we have seen her character develop more towards faith than Rachel, she remains a sinner, and so do we.
      5. 5.        Would you take away my…mandrakes?, vs.15- Some commentators try to make a case for Leah responding with faith and Rachel relying on an aphrodisiac, but from all appearances Leah was planning on using the mandrakes as well.
      6. 6.        he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes- Apparently, Rachel, as the head wife, makes the decisions about who sleeps with whom in the household. This seems like a business agreement, a compromise; the competitive sisters are at least working together here. Wenham writes, p.247, “This scene portrays at least a degree of reconciliation between Leah and Jacob, even if it was initially secured by the unusual deal with her sister.”
      7. 7.        Leah went out to meet him, vs.16- Mathews writes, p.487, “The passage describes the aggressiveness of Leah (v.16). who like her father has made a deal for Jacob’s services. She did not wait for his arrival at the house but went out to meet him. Jacob is a pawn in the hands of these two scheming women. Progressively, the Laban-Jacob account demonstrates Jacob’s growing passiveness. Laban previously had abused his trust through deception, and now Jacob is put to use for Leah’s purposes. His quiescence recalls the vulnerability Esau experienced at the hands of a once-cocky Jacob.
      8. 8.        You must come in to me, for I have hired you- How romantic. The “you must’ is not an imperative, but it is followed by and infinitive absolute, “for I have really hired you” which expresses Leah’s intensity. “come in” is a euphemism for sexual relations.
      9. 9.        hired- this is a key word in the broader passage 29:15-31:41. Instead of being treated like family by Laban he becomes just a hired man working for wages. Now, his first wife, the unloved wife, has hired him for a night of sex from the main wife, the second wife, Rachel. Where’s the love? Wenham writes, p.247, “The word ‘hire’ is a key term in the Jacob story (29:15; 30:18, 28, 32, 33, 31:7, 8, 41). The whole of his relationship with Laban seems to be reduced to a commercial level; now even his relationship with his wives is up for rent!”
      10. 10.    Waltke writes, p.413, “This is actually the fourth ‘commercial’ exchange in the Jacob cycle (cf. exchange of birthright, exchange of blessing, exchange of wives, exchange of husband for sex-by-hire). In the first two Jacob is the victimizer; in the last two, the victim.”
      11. 11.    So he lay with her that night- it gives the appearance that Jacob has no say in the matter. “lay” is another euphemism for sex, but, according to Waltke (p.413), “is never used for loving marital intercourse in this book, only for illicit or forced sex: Lot’s daughters with Lot (19:32-35); the Philistines with Rebekah (26:10); Shechem with Dinah (34:2,7); Reuben with Bilha (35:22); Potiphar’s wife with Joseph (39:7,10,12,14).” In other words, by Moses’ choice of words, he is making a comment on what Leah has done.
      12. 12.    Apply- what we see here is both women resorting to ungodly methods to get what they want. Leah the unloved craves her husband’s true affection, but resorts to buying him like a prostitute. Rachel resorts to drugs that have no real value. Jacob allows his wives to carry on in this despicable manner and shows zero leadership. Remember how passive Isaac seemed at times? This passivity is passed down to Jacob and will show time and time again. When we have something that we really, really want, but God in hisProvidence withholds, do we submit to the Lord’s will or do we engage in ungodly means to get what we want?
      13. 13.    Apply- all this is not to say that Christian couples who are infertile should not seek medical means to remedy the situation. However, there are some medical means to solve this problem that may be unethical for the Christian. Would it be wise for a Christian to use a surrogate mother? Would it be wise to use a sperm donor? Is it wise for a single woman, or man, to deliberately get pregnant or adopt a child? There are legal and medical means today that are just as reprehensible as anything that Rachel and Leah did.
      14. 14.    What are some reproductive issues that are coming in our future or are already here but being contested? Should we sit by and allow homosexual couples to adopt children without contesting that in the political arena? While in-vitro fertilization may be OK for the Christian, what about science completely raising a baby outside the womb? While gene therapy for infants inside their mothers is a good thing to fight diseases and birth defects, what about gene therapy that will make a child blond, or smart, or tall?
   2. B.        Leah Has More Children, vss.17-21
      1. 1.        And God listened to Leah, v.17- After all that, and we find that Leah was still praying to God and He was listening, and blessed her with more children. This is a very surprising twist in the story, full of irony. It clearly shows that God is charge of bringing children into the world, not superstitions like mandrakes.
      2. 2.        God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband- she feels that God is rewarding her for the unselfish act of giving Zilpah to Jacob. Again, human efforts, based in a cultural practice, that are mistakenly thought to be the source of God’s blessings. How many times do we do that?
      3. 3.        Issachar- there is a wordplay between this fifth son’s name, which means “God has rewarded me”, and her hiring her husband with the mandrakes. Mathews believes that she thinks the mandrakes were effective (p.488). But notice that Moses provided the idea that “God listened to Leah” thus informing us that she had prayed for this son as well. Is it any surprise that a person would mix works with dependence upon God in prayer? And certainly we should act in accordance with our prayers…just not with mandrakes.
      4. 4.        a sixth son…Zebulun- God has endowed me with a good endowment-my husband will honor me for bearing 6 sons.
      5. 5.        Afterward she bore a daughter…Dinah- she is the only named daughter of Jacob and is the victim in the events of ch.34. 46:7 indicates Jacob had other daughters. No etymology of Dinah’s name is given.
      6. 6.        Notice that Leah, the unloved wife, has borne 6 sons and 1 daughter, giving her 7 children, representing a perfect number. She has more children than the other three wives of Jacob combined.

1. IV.              Rachel Turns to Prayer and God Blesses, 30:22-24
   1. A.        God Remembers Rachel
      1. 1.        God remembered- this is the closing bookend to the section that matches “Rachel was barren” in 29:31. This phrase hearkens back to Noah and 8:1 “God remembered Noah”. Here we see God’s grace and mercy poured out on Rachel. None of the characters in this story are stellar in their behaviour or beliefs, not one deserves God’s grace. And neither do we. Grace by its definition is undeserved.
      2. 2.        God listened to her- indicating she has turned to God in prayer. Waltke writes, p.414, “God remembers Rachel’s prayer to remove her disgrace. The verb assumes that she is a daughter of the covenant. This is the climax of 29:31-30:24 and occurs after Rachel gives up her husband. Both the narrator and Rachel attribute the birth of Joseph to God, not the aphrodisiac.”
      3. 3.        God has taken away my reproach- the shame of being childless, even though she has two adopted sons through Bilhah.
      4. 4.        Joseph- the name means “may God add another son” and may be a play on words “taken” and “add” which would be prophetic because Joseph will be taken away from his father but later added back. It points forward to the birth of Benjamin as does her bitter, angry plea to Jacob in 30:1.

Conclusion: The point of tension, the obstacle in the entire story from11:27 til now, is the barrenness of the wives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This tension is finally resolved in this text. The main obstacle to the fulfillment of the covenant made with Abraham in 12:1-3 has been the lack of offspring. The promise of God included three main things: 1) offspring, 2) land, 3) blessings. The patriarchs have been living as nomads in a land not their own, not having many offspring. Abraham and Isaac have material prosperity and the respect or fear of the Canaanites around them, but Jacob fled home with apparently the clothes on his back- no wealth, no land, but now…he has the offspring.

We have seen that Lean and Rachel have some faith but are plagued with the same sin that Jacob and Esau had- strife, jealousy, competition in the home. Leah is the unloved, hated wife but God shows her mercy making her the mother of the priestly and royal tribes. Rachel is the beloved wife but her faith has more struggles.

God’s grace is demonstrated to these two women and the lesson for us is that God loves the unloved, the barren. We come to God from a variety of different situation but we share this: not one of us deserves the love, mercy and grace of God given to us in the life and death of Jesus Christ, God’s unique Son.

As Moses was trying to show his peopleIsraelwhere they came from, so too should we stop and ask about our origins as families, as a church, as a nation, but most of all, as Christians. We need to know the founder of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrake_(plant)

http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/mandrakes.html

http://www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Israelites-in-Egypt

http://bibleq.info/answer/2552/

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_years_were_the_hebrews_enslaved_to_the_egyptians

http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=796

Boice, James Montomery. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis 12:1-36:43. Zondervan:Grand Rapids, MI. 1985 (pp.306-311).

Calvin, John. Genesis, in the Geneva Series of Commentaries, translated and edited by John King, two volumes in one. Banner of Truth Trust:Carlisle,PA 1847 (originally published in Latin 1554). Vol.2, pages 134-149.

Duguid, Iain M. Living In The Grip Of Relentless Grace: The Gospel In The Lives Of Isaac & Jacob. P&R Publishing:Phillipsburg, NJ 2002 (pp.77-91).

Hamilton, Victor P. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company:Grand Rapids,MI 1995 (pp.269-278).

Luther, Martin. Lectures on Genesis, Chapters 26-30,Luther’s Works, Volume 5, translated by George V. Schick and Paul D. Pahl, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan and Walter A. Hansen. Concordia Publishing House:St. Louis,MO 1968 (pp.313-363). These lectures were given by Luther in 1541-1542.

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers:Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.472-490).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, MI 1998 (pp.505-516.)

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan:Grand Rapids,MI 2001 (pp.407-416.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher:Dallas,TX 1994 (pp.238-250.)

 Read Gen. 29:31-30:24         30:1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.” So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

            When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Then Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, “Good fortune has come!” so she called his name Gad. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.

(Genesis 30:1-13 ESV) http://about.esvbible.org/

Pray:

Introduction: Last week we began this central portion of Moses’ book that is so essential for the task of forming the nation ofIsrael in the wilderness. They had been enslaved in Egypt for four generations (Gen.15:16), and although they certainly had an excellent oral record (and perhaps even some written records) of their patriarchal history, they needed to know who they were, where they had come from, and what God had done for them in the past in order to become the kind of people God was calling them to be around Mt. Sinai. The passage we are studying in Genesis gives the account of the births of Jacob’s children, who would be the founders of the tribes ofIsrael. This section of scripture then, is all about God keeping his covenant which he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob. This story of the births of Jacob’s children proclaims the sovereignty, grace, and faithfulness of God.

We cannot, however, simply look at this story from the eye of a theologian. We must realize that the people in this story were real; they had real dreams and desires and very real hurts. So, as we study, we seek to understand what was happening in their lives, what it meant for Moses andIsraellater, and what it means for the Church today. We find in this story what operating according to the flesh can do to damage family relations, and yet how a sovereign God can use our sinfulness to accomplish his will and bring about blessings anyway. We should gain from this study the insight about trusting in God and not our own flesh and our faith should grow as we learn how God acts for his own glory and our good in everything.

Last week we did not quite finish with the first point of our outline so we will begin where w left off with 29:34 and the birth of Levi.

1. I.                   Leah’s Faith, 29:31-35
   1. A.        Leah Was Hated, Yet Loved, 29:31
   2. B.        And Leah Conceived, 29:32-35

1. II.                Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Their Handmaidens, 30:1-13
   1. A.        Rachel’s Envy vs.1
      1. 1.        The tendency for us is to read this story like it all happened sequentially which would not make sense of the timeline that Moses gives us of 13 yrs. of married life prior to his leaving Laban and returning home. Rachel’s barrenness and envy of her sister is occurring while the events of 29:31-35 are happening.
      2. 2.        When Rachel saw- this could be the key word of Moses’ outline for this text occurring in 29:31”When the LORD saw…”; here; 30:9 “When Leah saw…”; and 30:22 “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened…”
      3. 3.        she bore Jacob no children- this is a personal tragedy to almost any woman, but in that day and time, it would be a source of shame, embarrassment, and would attack Rachel’s self-worth. Knowing the cruelty of young women at times, she would be the object of cruel jokes and rumors. There is an obvious competition between the two sisters which may stretch back to before they were married. This is the common obstacle in the matriarchs of the covenant. You have the promise of God to the men, but infertile women.
      4. 4.        Apply- Our church seems to be filled with couples who believe in having large families, which is definitely counter to our culture. We always have our expectant mothers on our prayer lists and we have baby showers for the moms as their due date approaches. When the baby arrives the care groups try to minister by bringing meals to the family. And once a year at least, we have a baby dedication event as part of our worship. One of our Elders, Dale, is on the Board of Directors for a pregnancy help center and others in our church have participated in the cultural fight for the pro-life position, some even adopting babies or providing foster care. We are about as pro-life of a church as can be. But what about our young ladies, our couples, who cannot have children? We have a few. Are we careful to encourage them? Are we open to listening to them and comforting them? We have numerous young single ladies in our church who have not been given a husband. Their grief could be double! Do we minister effectively to the single ladies who long for both a husband and children but for whom God has withheld those blessings for now?
      5. 5.        she envied her sister- Rachel’s response to the LORD’s “seeing” Leah and opening her womb was envy. Envy, Heb. qana- Strong’s 7065- used in Gen.26:14 of the Philistines and 37:11 of Joseph’s brothers in regards to Joseph- means zealous in a bad way, jealous or envious. In this usage it would be zeal for another’s blessing, envy. Notice that she is envious of that which the LORD was doing in her sister’s life- blessing the unloved wife with children. Instead of rejoicing with her sister and praising the Giver of life, she was angry, resentful, and envious. This is a self-centered reaction that is clearly not rooted in faith; it is sin.
      6. 6.        Calvin, p.141, vol.2, “Now Moses, by exhibiting this evil in Rachel, would teach us that it is inherent in all; in order that each of us, tearing it up by the roots, may vigilantly purify himself from it. That we may be cured of envy, it behooves us to put away pride and self-love; as Paul prescribes this single remedy against contentions, ‘Let nothing be done through vain-glory’ (Phil. ii.3).”
      7. 7.        Apply- do we rejoice when we see the Lord blessing others with that which we desire but do not have? Or do we allow envy to implant a seed of bitterness and resentment in our hearts whereby we act with anger or allow our envy to boil within while we struggle to appear godly on the outside?
      8. 8.        Apply- have we ever intentionally flaunted the blessings we enjoy before someone with the intent of making them envious?
      9. 9.        She said to Jacob, ‘Give me children or I die’- just having her husband’s love is not enough. Leah, on the other hand, has the children but not her husband’s love. They each want what the other has. The deeper irony is that we know that the woman who said, “Give me children or I die” will actually die in childbirth in 35:19. Keep in mind that it was Rachel who also stole the household gods of Laban in 31:19. Rachel, the beautiful wife, the loved wife, struggled with God.
      10. 10.    Wenham writes, p.244, “Sarah’s and Rebekah’s reactions in similar situations are mild by comparison (cf. 16:2; 25:21).”
      11. 11.    Compare with the story of Hannah and Peninnah in 1Sam.1.
      12. 12.    Waltke writes, p.411, “Reduced to a stud in the rivalry between Rachel and Leah, Jacob suffers the consequences of the favoritism Laban has imposed on him….”
   2. B.        Jacob’s Prayerlessness, vs.2
      1. 1.        When compared with Abraham in 20:17 and with Isaac’s in 25:21 Jacob’s response to his beautiful and beloved wife is angry, and though theologically correct, not prayerful and compassionate. Perhaps, some of Rachel’s hurt comes from knowing that her husband is not praying for her.
      2. 2.        Apply- men, are we quick to be angry with our wives but slow to pray for them?
      3. 3.        Calvin, vol.2, p.140,- “Here Moses begins to relate that Jacob was distracted with domestic strifes. But although the Lord was punishing him, because he had been guilty of no light sin in marrying two wives, and especially sisters…also it happened, that Jacob did not immediately repent, but added new offences to the former.”
      4. 4.        “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”- This question assumes a negative answer. Waltke writes, p.411, “This is a theological certitude but also an abdication of his role as godly leader….”
      5. 5.        Mathews writes, p.482, “Jacob’s response is indignation at her demand….Jacob’s rhetorical question expresses his frustration with Rachel, and it assumes that children come from the Lord alone.”
      6. 6.        Read Calvin, p.141.
      7. 7.        fruit of the womb- see Deut.7:13; 28:11; Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
   3. C.        The Sarah Option, vss.3-4
      1. 1.        Here is my servant Bilha; go in to her- Rachel acts without faith and takes things into her own hands using a cultural practice that is ungodly and unwise. This is what Sarai did in ch.16, which led to many problems. Mathews writes, p.482, “Her plan recalls Sarah-Hagar in 16:2, using the same, sometimes exact, verbiage.”
      2. 2.        The character of Bilha is not developed but she is involved in an affair with Reuben in 35:22 which was most likely rape and carries on the struggle between Leah and Rachel, passed down to the children, even after Rachel’s death. The name Bilha is unclear but may mean “carefree”.
      3. 3.        God still uses and blesses this sinful effort by Rachel in that the two sons borne by Bilha will be the fathers of two tribes ofIsrael. This should not be misinterpreted by us to continue in sin, trusting that God will still bless us.
      4. 4.        Jacob went in to her- like his grandfather, he does not hesitate to go in to his wife’s handmaid. Moses does not use condemnatory language of Jacob like he did in 16:2.
      5. 5.        as a wife- Bilha moves up from a slave to a wife, but she is still underneath the authority of Rachel. Concubine and wife are almost interchangeable. Waltke, however, on p.411, “After the patriarchal period, the term wife is never used as a synonym for concubine.”
   4. D.        The Sons of Rachel Through Bilha, vss. 5-8
      1. 1.        And Bilha conceived…she (Rachel) called his name Dan.- the name Dan means God has vindicated me. Rachel has the privilege of naming the son as Dan is hers through adoption. Bilha is a surrogate mother.
      2. 2.        Apply- can you imagine Bilha’s two sons being raised by her yet also considering Rachel to be their mother?
      3. 3.        God has judged me, and has also heard my voice- this seems to indicate a prayer by Rachel, and a slight turning of her heart towards God. Dan is an answered prayer…but see what Calvin says:
      4. 4.        Calvin, p.142-3 “It is wonderful that God should have deigned to honour an adulterous connexion with offspring: but he does sometimes thus strive to overcome by kindness the wickedness of men, and pursues the unworthy with his favour. …it was his will that they who were born from this faulty connexion, should yet be reckoned among the legitimate children; just as Moses shortly before called Bilha a wife, who yet might more properly have been called a harlot….At length Rachel begins to ascribe to God what is his own; but this confession is so mixed up with ambition, that it breathes nothing of sincerity or rectitude. She pompously announces that her cause has been undertaken by the Lord. As if truly, she had been so injured by her sister, that she deserved to be raised by the favour of God; and as if she had not attempted to deprive herself of his help.”
      5. 5.        Apply-How often do we praise God for our own works of the flesh, assuming that God is rewarding us? But then again, in this story, God is blessing Jacob with children and fulfilling the covenant promise even though he is using unworthy means. The danger for us is to assume that God’s blessings are tied to our works when our works may be sinful through and through. It is good and proper to give praise God for his many blessings but with a heavy dose of humility, recognizing that sin touches everything we do, and that God gives blessings, not based upon our merit, but upon his desire to glorify himself and sanctify us.
      6. 6.        While Sarai was upset after the birth of Ishmael, and rejected him, Rachel is rejoicing with the birth of Dan.
      7. 7.        Bilha conceived again….Naphtali- the name means “struggle” and goes with Rachel’s explanation “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister…”
      8. 8.        This wrestling may parallel her husband’s wrestling the Lord in ch.32:22ff. Waltke, p.412, “The Hebrew literally reads ‘struggles with God’ and is better translated, ‘in struggling with God [I have struggled with my sister]’.
   5. E.         The Sons of Leah Through Zilpah, vss.9-13
      1. 1.        When Leah saw- this may be one of Moses’ outline points in his story (see II.A.2. above).
      2. 2.        she had ceased bearing children- she had borne 4 children in rapid succession, she perhaps was not sleeping with Jacob now that he had Bilha or perhaps her body just needed a break.
      3. 3.        she took Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife- again, the competitive nature of these two sisters leads them to follow the culture instead of the Lord, and Jacob willingly allows this. But also notice the lack of disapproval by God or Moses here, it is very subtle with the ongoing controversy, the eventual discord between the children, and the passivity of Jacob.
      4. 4.        We discussed the problem of polygamy in this class last year. The Old Testament definitely allows for it but Paul speaks against it in regards to elders in 1Tim.3:2. In my discussions with homosexuals about same sex marriage rights in our day I have found that many seek to prove it is ok with scripture, but my response is that there is WAY MORE scriptural support for polygamy, having up to 4 wives, than there is for same sex marriage. Every single reference to homosexuality in the Bible is negative, but polygamy gets a pass. Muslims and Christians fromAfrica still practice polygamy and they have brought it here to theUS. They are not being prosecuted for it, however, and that is a political decision that is weak. We Christians should take note of this and urge our politicians to enforce the law of the land. But sharia law is gaining ground rapidly. The mormons and muslims will be fighting for the rights to polygamy, based upon the tactics and techniques used by the homosexual community. Yet when I argue with the homosexuals that this is where their plea for rights will lead, they disagree vigorously in a decidedly illogical manner. Once you remove the biblical definition of marriage being one man and one woman, for life, anything goes.
      5. 5.        Zilpah bore Jacob a son…Gad- Heb. bagad-good fortune- is Leah’s faith faltering here, ascribing this new son to luck/fortune instead of to God? Don’t we use the term luck a lot as well? Or chance? Waltke writes, p.412, “She is not represented  as in prayer or praise, unlike the case of her own children…”
      6. 6.        Zilpah bore Jacob a second son…Asher- the name comes from “women will call me happy”. This is close to saying women will envy me, which seems to rub Rachel’s nose in it. But Wenham notes (p.246) that the name could be from the Canaanite pantheon where Asherah is the consort of El, head of the gods.
      7. 7.        The births to Zilpah is Leah’s answer to Rachel’s success through Bilha in kind of a tit-for-tat, in your face way.

1. III.             Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Mandrakes, 30:14-21

1. IV.              Rachel Turns to Prayer and God Blesses, 30:22-24

Bibliography:

http://www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Israelites-in-Egypt

http://bibleq.info/answer/2552/

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_years_were_the_hebrews_enslaved_to_the_egyptians

http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=796

Boice, James Montomery. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis 12:1-36:43. Zondervan:Grand Rapids, MI. 1985 (pp.306-311).

Calvin, John. Genesis, in the Geneva Series of Commentaries, translated and edited by John King, two volumes in one. Banner of Truth Trust:Carlisle,PA 1847 (originally published in Latin 1554). Vol.2, pages 134-137.

Hamilton, Victor P. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company:Grand Rapids,MI 1995 (pp.269-273).

Luther, Martin. Lectures on Genesis, Chapters 26-30,Luther’s Works, Volume 5, translated by George V. Schick and Paul D. Pahl, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan and Walter A. Hansen. Concordia Publishing House:St. Louis,MO 1968. (These lectures were given by Luther in 1541-1542.)

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers:Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.472-481).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic:Grand Rapids,MI 1998 (pp.505-511.)

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan:Grand Rapids,MI 2001 (pp.407-416.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher:Dallas,TX 1994 (pp.238-246.)

 Read Genesis 29:31-30-34

            When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his nameJudah. Then she ceased bearing.

(Genesis 29:31-35 ESV) http://about.esvbible.org/

Pray

Introduction:

Today we are beginning this central point in the Jacob section of Genesis, which in some ways is the central point of the book. Today we shall look at the literary structure of the entire passage but then only go in to depth on the first part of the text, 29:31-34, the story of the births of Leah’s first four sons.  The main ideas we will be looking for are that God hears the prayers of those who are lonely and hurting, the cries of the unloved, and that he sovereignly uses people for his glory. Here we see the beginning of the fulfillment of his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, despite a woeful lack of faith on the part of Jacob.

But first, we have just a little bit of left over business from last week.

EXCURSUS: The Problem of the Age of Jacob

Last week in class there was a question asked about the age of Jacob at the time of his marriages to Leah and Rachel. Here is one way to answer that question.

According to Gen. 25:20 Isaac was 40 yrs old when he married Rebekah, and in 27:3 Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah bore Esau and Jacob. Jacob died when he was 147 yrs old and had lived in Egyptfor 17 years (Gen. 47:28) thus moving to Egyptat 130 yrs. in the famine’s 2^nd year, (Gen. 47:8-9) preceded by the 7 good years. Joseph was 30 years old at the beginning of the 7 good years (Gen.41:46) and Jacob would have been 121, so Joseph was born when Jacob was about 91. Reuben was about 7 years older than Joseph so it looks like Jacob was about 83 when he married. Besides the natural difficulty with thinking that Jacob was 83 when he married his cousins who appear to be young maidens, there is the problem with the stated age of Esau at his marriage in 26:34, forty years old- the same age as his father at his marriage. It appears from 27:46 that this was part of Rebekah’s reason for sending Jacob toHaran- to find a wife that would be pleasing. Esau and Jacob were twins so the story looks like it takes place when Jacob was 40 when he left home and met Rachel. This makes more sense.

Is this then, a contradiction? I do not think this qualifies, technically, as a contradiction because the Bible does not state his age at his marriage as being two different ages in two different places. This does illustrate that there are some problems in our ability to understand the ancient text in regards to how numbers and ages are presented. Numbers and ages can be representative in some ways and for us to seek to impose a 21^st century standard of accuracy on numbers and ages is perhaps not the best way to evaluate or understand what the text is saying. Nonetheless, I do not want to sugarcoat this: it is one of the problem areas for Christian apologetics. In this particular text I would say that we have insufficient material to discern exactly Jacob’s age at his weddings and I would add that, while problematic, it does not affect the major teaching of the text nor any doctrine. If this is the best that the skeptics can throw at our doctrine of the divine inspiration, infallibility and inerrancy of the text then that is a pretty lame attack.

In my limited study time I have not found a sufficient answer for this question, so I will have to admit, “I don’t know”, and study further.

Literary Analysis of 29:31-30:24

Structure- There is no geographical shift in this passage; Jacob remains inHaran, the ancestral homeland. The time frame is probably longer than the 7 years of his obligation to Laban because during this time Leah had 7 children (32:38 says that Jacob had served Laban for 20 yrs.). This passage can be broken down into 5 sections if you go by each woman’s pregnancies: Leah (29:31-35), Bilha (30:1-8), Zilpah (30:9-13), Leah again (30:10-21), and finally, Rachel (30:22-24). But perhaps a better way to divide the text, according to Waltke (p.408), is topically: (1) The Lord enables Leah alone (29:31-35); (2) Rachel and Leah struggle for children via Bilha and Zilpah (30:1-13); and, (3) Leah and Rachel struggle via mandrakes and prayer (30:14-24). Mathews, pp.477-78, sees a chiasmus structure and outlines it this way: A-29:32, The Lord Saw; B- 30:1, Rachel Saw; B’ 30:9 Leah Saw; A’ 30:22 God Remembered.

 My Outline: (1) Leah’s Faith, 29:31-35; (2) Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Their Handmaidens, 30:1-13; (3) Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Mandrakes, 30:14-21; (4) Rachel’s Faith, 30:22-24.

Key Words- The bookends that Moses uses to mark the borders of this story are the opening of Leah’s womb in 29:31 and the opening of Rachel’s womb in 30:22-24; the key words of the bookends are “opened her womb.” Mathews, p.477, on the other hand sees Rachel’s being barren in vs. 31 as the first of the bookends. Other key words are “conceived and bore”, “barren” though only used once continues the theme introduced in11:30. “My husband” is used 5X. “Called his name” (or a variant) occurs 12 times.

Characters- Jacob is seen as being weak, almost out of the picture as his wives fight. Again he is prayerless and seems to just follow his wives suggestions much as his grandfather did with Sarai in ch.16 with Hagar. Waltke points out (pp.408-9) “He [Jacob] is addressed once by Rachel, ‘Give me children,’ and once by Leah, ‘I have hired you.’ Both statements reveal a dysfunctional home without a spiritual leader. In addition, Jacob speaks only once in response to Rachel: ‘Am I in the place of God who has kept you from having children?’” Compare this response to Abraham and Isaac, both of whom prayed to the LORD for their wives in20:17 and 25:21. Jacob is really not coming across as much of a good guy.

Leah and Rachel seem to have as much of a problem as Jacob and Esau had. While it is certainly possible that Leah had nothing to do with her father’s plan to wed her to Jacob first, is it probable? Boice (p.307) writes, “Leah had been guilty of conspiring with her father to deceive Jacob on the night of the marriage. She had been substituted for Rachel, whom Jacob was expecting, and there is n way that could have been done without her willing participation. She probably loved Jacob. She wanted to be married to him.” Given the competitive nature of these two it really looks like she might have played her part willingly. In 30:8 Rachel clearly states that she has wrestled her sister and prevailed (pointing to 32:24-25 where similar words are used of Jacob and the man). Leah earnestly wants what Rachel has, the love of their husband, and Rachel covets what Leah has, children. Boice (p.307) writes, “A blessing as great and as highly anticipated as this should be ushered in with trumpets. But it actually came with whining and bitterness.”

The main idea- Moses is here showing his people,Israel, their origins. In some ways this is the central point of the book. But what humble, disgusting origins! The very subtle point is that God’s people are sinful and apart from God’s grace, just like the rest of the world, lost and headed to hell. But look at what God does with these poor sinful people! Ross writes, p.506, “The unit reports the births of the ancestors of the Hebrew tribes as part of the fulfillment of the promises. God’s blessing on Jacob is thus the predominant theme. This unit along with the next forms the central focus of the Jacob stories; here the tribes ofIsrael took shape, and in the next unit they flourished. The emphasis in this text is on God’s sovereign provision of the seed…”

1. I.                   Leah’s Faith, 29:31-35
   1. A.        Leah Was Hated, Yet Loved, 29:31
      1. 1.        When the LORD saw- the LORD sees all, and knows all, and he is genuinely, deeply moved by human suffering. He does not remain distant from us in our distress, though we often feel that way. The omnipotent, Sovereign and Holy God of the universe, sees the hurt of the one lowly, lonely, distressed, unloved wife of Jacob. This reminds me of the Angel of the Lord finding Hagar in the dessert, twice. The Lord sees and hears your deepest sorrows and heartaches. Those things that you do not share in Care Group, do not share with your spouse, but which you may post on Facebook, the Lord knows and cares about.
      2. 2.        Jesus said in Matt.10:28-33, and Paul writes in Rom.8:28-39; and see Psalm 139:1-16.
      3. 3.        Leah was hated- (NIV- Leah was not loved) this is a strong word that does NOT mean that Jacob simply loved her a little bit less than he loved Rachel. This is in direct contrast with verse 30, “and he loved Rachel…” Apparently Jacob had some real bitterness towards her for that dirty trick she and Laban pulled.
      4. 4.        But Calvin, p.135 “When Moses asserts that Leah was hated, his meaning is, that she was not loved so much as she ought to have been. For she was not intolerable to Jacob, neither did he pursue her with hatred; but Moses, by the use of this word, amplifies his fault, in not having discharged the duty of a husband, and in not having treated her who was his first wife with adequate kindness and honour. It is of importance carefully to notice this, because many think they fulfil their duty if they do not break out into mortal hatred. But we see that the Holy Spirit pronounces those as hated wh are not sufficiently loved; and we know, that men were created for this end, that they should love one another. Therefore, none will be counted guiltless of the crime of hatred before God, but he who embraces his neighbors with love. For not only will a secret displeasure be accounted as hatred, but even that neglect of brethren, and that cold charity which ever reigns in the world.”
      5. 5.        he opened her womb- the Lord shows compassion on Leah the unloved by opening her womb. Jacob hates her, but sleeps with her, and the Lord blesses her with fruitfulness. She is hated by her husband yet loved by her God.
      6. 6.        But Rachel was barren- here is the old obstacle to the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Isaac. Each generation faced barrenness and fruitlessness in the face of God’s promises of a multitude of offspring. Sarah, Rebekah and now Rachel faced the shame of barren wombs; yet each was loved by their husbands. The barrenness of the wives of the patriarchs is to teachIsrael and us that the covenant is based upon God’s mighty works, not our own, God’s grace, not our efforts.
   2. B.        And Leah Conceived, 29:32-35
      1. 1.        Reuben- Heb. see, a son!  The LORD saw her situation and now, See, a Son! (a wordplay in the Heb. but also reflects her understanding of the work of God in her body.) The unloved wife bears the first born son. Reuben would carry on the feud between his mother and father in his actions later in 35:22 Reuben lays with Bilha, the deceased (by that time) Rachel’s handmaiden, Jacob’s concubine. But in 37:21ff it is Reuben who prevents the murder of Joseph by his brothers.
      2. 2.        Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction- like the angel said to Hagar in chapter 16:11.
      3. 3.        for now my husband will love me- you can hear her broken heart in this forlorn hope.
      4. 4.        Simeon- Heb. heard or hear based on the wordplay between “the Lord has heard that I am hated”. Again, she sees the Lord at work in her life through giving her another son, but…she remains the unloved wife. Simeon will team up with his younger brother, Levi, in 34:25, to attack Shechem for the rape of their sister, Dinah.
      5. 5.        Waltke writes, p.410- “Leah names three of her first four children with reference to ‘the Lord’ (29:32-33, 35). By giving these names, she confesses her faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not the gods of Laban, and validates the faith and reasoning of Rebekah and Isaac for sending Jacob into exile.”
      6. 6.        Boice writes, (p.308)- “The passage indicates that Leah was (or became) the more spiritual of the two wives. She did not have the advantage of having been taught about the true God by her parents, but she seems to have learned from Jacob and therefore saw her plight in relationship to Jehovah…it is not the mere word ‘God’ (Elohim) that Leah used. Leah used the covenant name of Jehovah (LORD) in connection with the births of her first four sons, though later she did resort to the lesser name (30:18,20). Apparently, she was being drawn to God in her misery…And she was praying. This comes out in the birth of her second son,  Simeon. His name means ‘hearing’…”
      7. 7.        Levi- Heb. to join-comes from ‘my husband will be attached to me’. This will be the Priestly tribe, the tribe of Moses and Aaron. The hated wife produces the first born son and the tribe of priests.
      8. 8.        Judah- Heb. I will praise the LORD- despite bearing 4 sons now, she remains unloved and her only hope is in the Lord. Because of the sins of the first three sons, at Jacob’s death, as he is giving out the blessings in 49 he tells Judah, vv8-12, “Judah, your brothers shall praise you…your father’s sons shall bow down before you…The scepter shall not depart from Judah”. It is from the tribe of Judah that the line of David comes as the kingly line. Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, the messianic tribe. Jesus is known as the Lion of Judah Rev. 5:5. Wenham, p.244, writes, “here, as in the psalms, lament turns to praise.”
      9. 9.        This time I will praise the Lord- Leah is making progress in her sanctification and seems to be seeking the Lord as her comfort now because she does not mention seeking the love and respect of her husband.
      10. 10.    Then she ceased bearing.- Waltke writes, p.410, “The narrator blanks the reason. Probably Jacob has stopped his conjugal duty (see. 30:15; Ex. 21:10). If so, was it out of his love for Rachel? His absence, however, is brief, for Leah bears six children in seven years (see 30:20).”  This break in the timeline of the births of Leah’s children may indicate that this list of births took longer than the 7 years. If the timeline is precise and correct, Leah bore Jacob 7 children in 7 years. One would hope for a break. It may be that some of the children were born in the next 6 years of Jacob’s service (see 31:38) and that in 30:25 (when Jacob was first thinking about leaving, after his 14 yr obligation was up) that he did not yet have all 11 boys and Dinah. The story has a break in the timing, perhaps.
      11. 11.    Application- here we see the beginning of the keeping of the promise made to Abraham about his descendants being as numerous as the stars or the sand on the seashore. It took 3 generations, but it is now starting. We Americans like things to happen quickly, instant this and instant that. We are not good at looking at the long term. Faith, however, requires of Believers to look at the long haul, the Big Picture, without neglecting the here and now. This world, in the here and now, is not our home, not our reward, not our destiny, but it is important. It is real and it matters, but what is most real and matters most is Eternity.
      12. 12.    Luther, p.314-316.
      13. 13.    Application- time and again we have seen that God chooses people who are nobodies and makes them somebodies, by his grace. Leah’s struggle is about someone who was unloved, hated even, but who turned to the Lord in faith and became the ancestor of our Lord. In God’s eyes, she was loved, she was important to his plans, and he poured out his grace upon her. There are no “little people” in God’s eyes. Here is the hope of the gospel for you: in those dark, lonely, bitter moments, when you look at your life and tell yourself, “Nobody loves me, nobody understands me, I might as well just crawl into a dark hole and pull the blackness in over my head…” Jesus loves you the same way that he loved Leah of the weak eyes. Did Leah know that her son Judah would produce kings? The Saviour of the world? I doubt she understood it in those terms. But she came to a place of accepting God’s plan for her life and she gave praise to the LORD. That is the least we too, can do.
2. II.                Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Their Handmaidens, 30:1-13
3. III.             Leah and Rachel Struggle Using Mandrakes, 30:14-21
4. IV.              Rachel Turns to Prayer and God Blesses, 30:22-24

Bibliography:

Boice, James Montomery. Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis 12:1-36:43. Zondervan:Grand Rapids, MI. 1985 (pp.306-311).

Calvin, John. Genesis, in the Geneva Series of Commentaries, translated and edited by John King, two volumes in one. Banner of Truth Trust:Carlisle,PA 1847 (originally published in Latin 1554). Vol.2, pages 134-137.

Luther, Martin. Lectures on Genesis, Chapters 26-30,Luther’s Works, Volume 5, translated by George V. Schick and Paul D. Pahl, edited by Jaroslav Pelikan and Walter A. Hansen. Concordia Publishing House:St. Louis,MO 1968. (These lectures were given by Luther in 1541-1542.)

Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26. Broadman & Holman Publishers:Nashville, TN. 2005. (pp.472-481).

Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Baker Academic:Grand Rapids,MI 1998 (pp.505-511.)

Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan:Grand Rapids,MI 2001 (pp.407-416.)

Wenham, Gordon J. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 2, Genesis 16-50. Word Books, Publisher: Dallas, TX 1994 (pp.238-244.)