Studies

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Studies in Genesis
Presentation 44
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The School of Discipline Gen 29v1-30
Presentation 44
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Introduction
After his encounter with God at Bethel, Jacob
continued on his 500 mile journey to his Uncle
Laban's. He proceeds with a spring in his step
that is the force of the Hebrew. For the living
God had revealed himself and made him promises of
blessing. His new relationship with God shortened
his journey and made it much more bearable. As we
read the record of succeeding events, we are hard
pressed to see a life that is blessed. Instead
Jacob's life is buffeted to an extraordinary
degree. He is confronted with one reverse after
another. There is a simple explanation. Jacob
has now enrolled in God's school and the
curriculum includes hard knocks. It would take
Jacob 20 years to graduate!
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The Severe Classroom
Jacobs classroom would be the home of his
treacherous Uncle Laban. Jacob is overwhelmed
with emotion, when he learns in v11 that he had
arrived safely at his destination. This emotion
which has inspired a number of well known hymns.
'O God of Bethel by whose hand thy people still
are led'. God had kept his promise to keep Jacob
safe! But something else churned his emotions.
His cover story for his journey had been to find
a wife! When he saw his cousin Rachel he was
completely bowled over. It is clear from v7 that
he could hardly wait to be alone with this
attractive young girl. For Jacob it seems to
have been love at first sight.
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The Severe Classroom
Jacob is not slow to express his interest in this
stunning Middle Eastern beauty. His immediate
response in v11 is to roll away the stone placed
over the well in order that Rachel could water
her flock of sheep and then together they could
then return to her fathers home. Young men are
eager to demonstrate their love, and win the
favour of those they have set their heart upon.
You say you need to visit your gran in
hospital, let me drive you! But its an 100
mile round trip! Oh that doesn't matter it
will do the car engine good!.
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The Severe Classroom
Jacob's love was patient as all truly great loves
are. When Laban asked v15 what his wages should
be if he stayed and worked for him, Jacob said he
would work 7 years in return for Rachel's hand in
marriage. Seven years! In an age of instant
gratification that seems like eternity! But cf
v20 'Jacob served 7 years to get Rachel but they
seemed only a few days because of his love for
her'. Do you see the patience of his love?
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The Severe Classroom
One writer comments Here is the difference
between love that has been to Bethel and love
that has not been anywhere. Jacob looked upon
Rachel and he never had eyes for anyone else. She
was probably very young and the 7 years allowed
for her growth to maturity. But Jacob was willing
to wait because his heart was set upon her.
Marriage in the Lord is one of the most wonderful
things upon earth and Jacobs marriage had been
planned by God. True marriages are made in heaven
and the reason the world says that so many of
them are waylaid before reaching earth is that
to few people are willing to wait seven years
and know those years to be but a few days
because of the depth and power of true love, in
our hearts.
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The Severe Classroom
All of this suggests such a promising beginning
but then the true nature of the classroom is
revealed. God knows the classroom we need. In
Jacobs case, he was deceived and taken advantage
of. In years to come, Israel's classroom would
be the wilderness, where her rebellious heart was
subdued. David's classroom was the hillside and
the outlaw cave, where he learned the courage,
faith and leadership skills that he would need
as a king. Jonah's classroom was the stomach of
a great fish, where he learned the folly of
running away from the will of God. God knows
the lessons we need to learn and where best to
teach them.
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The Severe Classroom
Why does God choose such unpleasant means?
Interestingly, in both the Hebrew and Greek
languages the same word is used to translate both
'chastening' and 'teaching'. The instruction
which we require is often only learned through
chastening. George Whitfield the famous C18th
evangelist used to tell his hearers that God, in
his goodness, 'puts thorns in your beds'. It
often takes chastening to awaken us to the
spiritual reality of our situation and to reveal
the imperfections in our hearts.
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The Unusual Instructor
God not only placed Jacob in a strange classroom,
he provided him with an unusual instructor-
Laban. After a month's gracious hospitality Laban
offers to employ Jacob instead of merely offering
him hospitality cf v15. But in actual fact he is
giving him notice that he will not entertain him
indefinitely and that Jacob is going to have to
work for his keep. From this point on Laban will
regard Jacob chiefly as a servant. He is to work
for Laban and will in return receive wages.
Jacob had never worked for anyone in his life.
At home he had been surrounded by servants, who
did all the menial jobs. He knew that the oracle
associated with his birth had declared the
older would serve the younger. Had no one told
Laban he was to be served not to serve!
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The Unusual Instructor
Now that the yoke of servant-hood was placed on
his shoulders it would get heavier and heavier
until it became an unbearable burden. Laban's
approach seemed friendly but it was cold and
calculating. He was determined to take advantage
of Jacob. Laban was a man of many masks. Here, he
is presenting the kindly relative mask. He also
had a caring father mask, the ruthless business
mask, the pious religious mask and so on. You
might ask, 'How could God use such a man to
benefit Jacob? Exposure to someone like Laban
would help Jacob discover that he too was a
masked man. An educational jingle says, I hear
I forget, I see I remember, I experience I
understand'. When Jacob was on the receiving end
of deceit he would see the twisted sinfulness of
his own heart.
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The Unusual Instructor
Jacobs success in tricking both his brother and
his father was built on his knowledge of their
vulnerability. They were both slaves to their
stomachs! Significantly, Laban is able to exploit
Jacob because he has identified his nephews
Achilles heel, his point of vulnerability. And
the thing Jacob longed for more than anything
else was love. Back home his father had little
love to give him and his mother's love was by
all accounts a possessive, manipulative,
suffocating thing. Jacob longed to sustain a
meaningful loving relationship with at least one
other human being. Rachel was that woman and
Laban knew that! There are many Jacob's in our
world, who desperately need to be loved and
cared for.
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The Unusual Instructor
This hunger for love can produce desperate
behaviour. This desperation is reflected in the
novel 'Jayne Eyre' - the heroine says, 'I would
let my arm be broken if it would make anyone love
me'. This search for love causes many people to
be exploited? They are drawn into disastrous
relationships and marriages or they are
encouraged to retreat into the fantasy world of
drugs, alcohol and permissive sex. Jacob had
found the right person and it is this appetite
for a meaningful loving relationship, which Laban
exploits. And so Rachels hand in marriage is
offered in exchange for 7 years work. Laban
then stretches that into 14 years and he is
still exploiting the relationship after 20
years!
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The Unusual Instructor
The schoolmaster was teaching Jacob, what it was
like to be on the receiving end of deceit. We all
have a tremendous capacity for deceiving
ourselves into thinking we are not as bad as we
really are. Years ago the 'Times' newspaper
invited readers letters on the theme, 'What is
wrong with the world'. A variety of
correspondents wrote at great length pointing
out a great many sociological, political and
economic causes. But the shortest letter to be
printed under the theme, was submitted by the
famous author G. K. Chesterton. It simply read,
'Dear Sir, I am. '
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The Unusual Instructor
God used Laban to bring Jacob to a place, where
he was confronted with an honest awareness of his
own heart and to the place, where he could see
himself as others saw him. His uncles treatment
of him would leave a lasting impression! Does
God have to introduce teachers like Laban into
the classroom of our hearts that we too might
learn from the sins of others. The very things
that disturb us most in others are often the
very sins that we cherish most in our own
hearts. God wants us to bring us to the place
where, having looked in our heart, we write,
'Dear Sir, I am.'
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The Sore Lessons
Jacob was having to learn humble submission. His
scheme to steal his brothers blessing sprang
from a refusal to submit to God's rule.
Ironically, he now submits to a human rule that
would afflict him for 20 years! Hudson Taylor
missionary to China wrote If our hearts were
entirely submissive to his will.. how much fewer
and lighter would our afflictions be. I have had
much sorrow of late, but the principle cause I
find to be a want of submission to the will of
God. How do we learn submission and begin to
deal with our innate self-centredness? In
Jacobs case it was his love of Rachel that
caused him to submit to Laban. Only a genuine
love for God can cause us to sing, 'Take my life
and let it be consecrated Lord to thee.
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The Sore Lessons
Secondly, Jacob needed to learn to respect the
rights of others. And so first, his own rights
were infringed. He made a contract with Laban for
Rachel but after his wedding night he discovered
he was married to her sister Leah instead. Had
Leah come in wearing Rachel's wedding outfit with
the veil down and smelling of Rachels perfume?
Remember that Jacob had previously disguised
himself as Esau! Jacob was furious because his
legitimate claim on Rachel had been denied v25.
Did he remember he had tricked his brother out
of his Claim on his birthright! Laban excused
his deception saying, Leah is my firstborn and
as such she has the right to be married first.
Jacob had infringed his brothers rights! We
are seldom sensitive to other people's rights
until our own have been infringed.
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The Sore Lessons
Thirdly, Jacob was to learn patience in order to
gain, what he wanted. Previously, he couldn't
wait to get his hands on the birthright and
blessing. He had run ahead of God with his
planning and scheming. Patience is a quality
that is all important in the work of God. After
hearing a gripping sermon from an aged minister,
a divinity student asked, 'How long did it take
you to prepare that sermon?' The minister
replied, 'All my life, for that is how long it
has taken God to prepare me.' Do we share
Jacob's impatience and want Gods best blessing
now! Jacob was in this classroom for 20 years as
God shaped his life and made him useful. Are we
in danger of trying to rush God? God's timing in
our life is never late.
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The Sore Lessons
We read in Gal. 6.7 'Do not be deceived God is
not mocked. A man reaps what he sows'. Jacob
reaped what he sowed and was paid back in his own
coin. But had God not forgiven him at Bethel and
entered into a wonderful new relationship with
him? Yes, indeed he had! But forgiveness does
not cancel consequence. And as Jacob reaps, he
begins to understand that God is interested in
doing much more than forgive sin. God wants to
root sin out of our lives and that is a painful
process. Before it can happen, we need to be
persuaded of just how abhorrent sin is. What
will convince us of that? Often we only see the
seriousness of sin as we begin to reap what we
sow.
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Conclusion
God can enrol us in some strange classes and
provide us with some perverse instructors. We
need to be convinced that God can use even wicked
men to shape our lives and make us fruitful.
Jacob began to learn and grow through his
experience. He had fallen victim to the worldly
philosophy that teaches, 'the end justifies the
means'. And he clearly did not enjoy being on the
receiving end. He was learning that God is so
determined that our lives should bear fruit that
he will go to the most incredible lengths to
see his purpose achieved.