Old Testament Reading: Genesis 29:1-30:24

“Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. Jacob said to them, ‘My brothers, where do you come from?’ They said, ‘We are from Haran.’ He said to them, ‘Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?’ They said, ‘We know him.’ He said to them, ‘Is it well with him?’ They said, ‘It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!’ He said, ‘Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.’ But they said, ‘We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.’ While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, and Laban said to him, ‘Surely you are my bone and my flesh!’ And he stayed with him a month. Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?’ Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, ‘I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.’ Laban said, ‘It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.’ So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.’ So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ Laban said, ‘It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.’ Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. 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 name Judah. Then she ceased bearing. 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. 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 29:1–30:24, ESV)

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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings found within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without proofreading.] 

Introduction

It was a week or two ago that one of you approached me after the worship service and asked, “why is it that the Genesis narrative places such a heavy emphasis upon the sins of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?” At least that is my paraphrase of the question that was posed.

This is a very good question. That the Genesis narrative puts the sin of the fathers and the disfunction of their families on full display is undeniable. But the question is, why? Why would God move Moses to write as he did? What was the purpose of delivering this message to Israel, and to also to us?

I suppose that some might view the record of the sins of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as simple warnings to the people of God. The message would be, look at what mess your forefathers made of things when they acted contrary to the will of God! Emulate their faith, but avoid their failures!

Now, I do not deny that this is a valid application of the text. I myself have drawn applications like this from the narrative of Genesis. You have been warned, for example, against being driven by fear, as Abraham and Isaac were when they lied about their wives, saying that they were their sisters. You have been warned against acting according to human wisdom and cunning, instead of walking by faith. You have been encouraged to endure suffering with patience, trusting that the Lord will provide for you in his way and in his time. You have been encouraged to protect and invest into the marriage relationship. And you have been warned against showing favoritism to you children. All of these applications (and many others), are valid applications. It is right for us to look upon the lives of the patriarchs and to imitate that which was good, and avoid that which was sinful. 

Paul the Apostle approached the stories of the Old Testament in this way. He recognized that they served as examples for us so that we might do what is good and avoid what is evil. In 1 Corinthians 10 he draws attention to that episode where Israel grumbled and complained against God in the wilderness . And based upon that Exodus story he made this application for the church in Corinth, saying, “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:9–11, ESV).

So yes, it is right that we make application from the narrative of Genesis. It is right that we look upon the faith of our fathers as (Hebrew 11 does) and say, imitate that good thing! And is also right that we observe their sins and say, flee from this, “for these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction…” (1 Corinthians 10:9–11, ESV).

But I think we must recognize that there are deeper and more substantial purposes for the emphasis upon the sins of the patriarchs and the disfunction of their families in the Genesis narrative. Yes, it is right that we draw personal application from these stories, but there is a definite point that is being made — a point that has very much to do – not only with our lives individually — but with the overarching story of the Bible, which is the story of our redemption in Christ Jesus. 

And what is that point? Well, it is twofold: 

One, when the Genesis narrative emphasizes time and time again the sin of the patriarchs of Israel it is a demonstration of the fact that our election  — be it the election of Israel considered according to the flesh, or the election of the Israel of God according to the Spirit — is only by the free and unmerited grace of God. These narratives demonstrate clearly that Abraham,  Isaac and Jacob were set apart in there world, not on the basis of their good works, but by the grace of God alone! 

This is a very big and foundational theme that runs throughout the story of the Bible, which is the story of our redemption through the work of Jesus, who is the Christ.

One of my favorite Old Testament passages which draws attention the unmerited favor that was set upon Israel from the start is found in Ezekiel 16. Here the Lord rebukes Israel for, among other things, her pride. And to humble her he reminds her that whatever good she has is the result of his unmerited, undeserved grace. Ezekiel writes, “Again the word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. ‘And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’”, etc. (Ezekiel 16:1–6, ESV).

These stories about the sins of the patriarch are told to make it abundantly clear to Israel — Israel considered according to the flesh, and Israel considered according to the  Spirit — that they live and belong uniquely to God, not because of something in them, but by the grace of God alone. 

And of course the New Testament agrees with this when it says things like, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). This was not a new idea when Paul penned these words. Yes, we believe that Paul was inspired by the Lord to write what he wrote — but he also knew his Bible. He understood that this was precisely what the Old Testament scriptures taught. He knew well the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob  and could see plainly that they were set apart by the grace of God alone. It was not their own doing. It was the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one — not them, nor the Israel that descended from them — may boast. 

Side note: Brothers and sisters, if you understand the severity of Adam’s sin, as it is described in Genesis 3, and the devastating consequences that it had on all of mankind, then you would not be surprised at all to learn that if we are alive in God and right before him, it is by his grace alone, on not our own doing. How could it be other wise given our spiritual death and depravity?!

The question was, what is the core and foundational truth being established in these narratives which highlight the sins of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? I have already said that the unmerited favor and grace of God is clearly displayed here. But I think another foundational truth is also established, and it is this: The accomplishment of God’s purposes will not be hindered by the sinfulness of his creatures.  

This is good news. This is important for us to know, and deeply encouraging. You have probably noticed that we live in a world that is very wicked. You also know that God’s word reveals that he has a plan. The question that arises is, how can God possibly accomplish his plan given the prevalence of evil in the world? 

Does God cause evil? The scriptures say “no”! Then how does God accomplish his purposes in a world that is plagued by it? Well, the scriptures do not tell us how he does it, but they do make it clear that he is able to do it. He is able to bring about his plans and purposes despite the sinful rebellion of his creatures.  

The theme of God accomplishing his purposes despite the sinfulness of his creatures runs throughout the pages of holy scripture. From the account of the temptation and fall of Adam into sin on to the end of the book of Revelation we see that God’s purposes are accomplished, and his promises fulfilled, and this despite the sinful actions of his creatures. Angels and men rebel against God and act deceptively, and yet God’s purposes are accomplished, for he is “God, and there is no other; [he is] God, and there is none like [him], declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose…’” (Isaiah 46:9–10, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, there are many points of application to draw from the Genesis narrative. But understand clearly that the main purpose of these stories which emphasize the sins of the patriarchs is to show that their election was by the grace of God alone, and that God is faithful to keep his promises — not even the sin and rebellion of God’s free creatures is able to thwart his sovereign will. 

Let us turn our attention now to Genesis 29:1 — 30:24 and to the story of Jacob, his interaction with Laban, and his marriages to Leah, Rachel, and their two servants. 

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Jacob Met His Match

The title that I have given to this sermon is, Jacob Meets His Match. My intention was that this phrase would have a double meaning. On the one hand this story is about Jacob meeting his “match”, that is to say, his wife, Rachael. But on the other hand this story is also about Jacob meeting his “match”, that is to say, Laban, who proved to be just as crafty and deceptive as he was. 

Clearly this story is about Jacob finding a wife. In fact, he ended up with four — two primary wives, along with two of their servants. We have established in previous sermons that polygamy is contrary to God’s original design for marriage. God’s design was for “man [to] leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, ESV). Nevertheless, this was what Jacob did. 

It is clear that the story we are considering today mirrors the story that was told in Genesis 24 of Abraham’s servant traveling to find a wife for Isaac. There are many parrales. Abraham sent his servant to Haran to find a wife for Isaac, and Isaac sent Jacob to the same place to find a wife for himself. Both of the wives were found when the men — Abraham’s servant and Jacob — entered the land and came to a well (perhaps it was the same well). Rebekah, who would become the wife of Isaac, watered the camels of Abraham’s servant, whereas Jacob watered the Rachael’s flock. In both instances it was clear to the men that “this was the one.” Laban, the brother of Rebekah, links the two narratives together, for he is present in both. Remember that he was there when Abraham’s servant rolled into town all those years ago. He took note of the wealth of Abraham’s servant. He noticed the rings and bracelet that were given to his sister, and he was found checking out the camels. When it came time for the servant to leave with Rebekah, he tried to delay, presumably so that he might extract more wealth from the servant. Here we meet Laban again, and we see that he hasn’t changed at all. He is still eager to take from others. This time he takes advantage, not of Abraham’s servant, but of Abraham’s grandson. And he attempts to profit, not from his sister’s beauty, but from the beauty of his own daughter.  

These stories about wives for Isaac and Jacob are critical  to the narrative of Genesis for they answer the question, how will Isaac and Jacob become the fathers of a great multitude as God has promised? If indeed  a great nation will come from them, and if their descendents will be as the dust of the earth, the stars in heaven and the sand on the sea shore, then these single men will need to  have wives. Genesis 24 describes to us how Isaac came to have Rebekah as wife, and Genesis 29 describes to us how Jacob came to have his wives, Leah, Rachael, Bilhah, Zilpah. It would be through these  women that the promises of God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would be fulfilled. From them many offspring would come. Through them a nation would be born. By them — through the process of childbearing — the Christ would come into the world, through whom all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. 

The facts of Jacob’s union to these women and the children that were born two him by them are crucial to the story of scriptures. God promised that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would have many offspring and this passage describes to us how that came to pass. 

But notice that this is much more than a factual account of the decedents of Jacob. It is certainly not a simple genealogy — a basic list of names. If the point of this passage were to state the facts of the history of Israel, a simple genealogy would do. But instead we find a story. And I think you would agree with me that the story is scandalous. It is the kind of story that if you have young children and you come to it in your family Bible reading, you think to yourself, perhaps we should summarize this one and skip ahead. This story is filled with scandalous behavior fueled by jealousy, bitterness and deceit. I would immagine that many who read this story think to themselves, is this really in the Bible? And more than that, was this really the behavior of the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel? It’s a shocking story. And it is especially shocking when you think that Moses is the one who wrote it down and delivered it to Israel after they were delivered from Egypt in order to say to them, here is your history.  

I have made this point earlier, and so I will not belabor it here. But I must again say that one of the main purposes of this story is to communicate to physical and spiritual Israel that her election and privileged position before God grounded in his free grace alone. You get the impression that Moses was determined to drive this point home as tells yet another story which draws attention to the scandalous sin of the patriarch and matriarch of Israel. He could have stated the facts in another way. But the Spirit moved him to tell this story so that we might know for certain that  “by grace [we] have been saved through faith. And this is not [our] own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV).

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, now that we are fallen into sin, the root of all true religion is grounded in the free grace of God alone.  If man is to have a right relationship with God, then God must initiate. God must act. He must graciously extend his hand to lift us up out of the miry clay. Any religion that presupposes that a right relationship with God begins with man’s initiative is a false religion. It is out of step with the basic and fundamental story of holy scripture. Here we see clearly that God  calls and saves , not those who are inherently righteous, but sinners. These he gracious calls to himself . Sadly, there are many who bear the name Christian, who have erred in this way. They have assumed that they are in Christ and right with God because of something that they have done apart from Divine grace. “They have stumbled over the stumbling stone”. “Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works” (Romans 9:32, ESV).]

Though it is true that this story tells us about Jacob meeting his match — that is to say, his marriage to  Leah, Rachael, Bilhah, Zilpah and the offspring that came from them, this story also highlights the depravity and unworthiness of Israel’s ancestors, and thus highlights God’s amazing grace. 

But I have said that there is another sense in which Jacob meet his match in this narrative  — Jacob met his match in Laban, who proved to be just as cunning and deceptive as he had been towards his brother and father. 

The story is really incredible. It was love at first sight for Jacob. He knew that Rachael was the one when he saw her at the well. So strong was his affection for Rachael that he agreed to work for Laban for 7 years inorder to have her hand in marriage, and “they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.” (Genesis 29:20, ESV). But when the night came for the marriage to be consummated, Laban gave his first born Leah instead of Rachel. If you are wondering how this could be, you should take into consideration the darkness of night, and perhaps even the custom of a bride wearing a head coverings. Jacob was surprised in the morning when he awoke and saw that ity was Leah (vs. 25)! When Jacob confronted Laban concerning this act of deception he said, “Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years” (Genesis 29:26–27, ESV). Jacob did not have to wait another seven years for Rachael. He waited only a weak. But he was bound to serve Laban for another seven years. 

Isn’t it ironic? Jacob got a taste of his own medicine, didn’t he? He had not long ago followed his mothers plan to deceived his father. He, the second born, pretended to be the first born, and took advantage of the darkness of his fathers aging eyes. But here Laban, who was the brother Jacob’s mother, used the darkness of night to swap out his second born daughter for the first. For 14 years Jacob the deceiver worked for Laban the deceiver. He met his match. 

Notice that after Jacob introduced himself to Laban and told him that he was his sisters son, “Laban said to him, ‘Surely you are my bone and my flesh!”(Genesis 29:14, ESV). I believe that this too has a double meaning. Naturally it means, you are my relative. But it also indicates that Jacob and Laban are cut from  the same cloth, if you will. They were kindred spirits.   

One can only immagine the impact this had upon Jacob. I would immagine that it was a frustrating, humbling, and sanctifying experience. For 14 years Jacob had to work for his uncle, who was just like him. Laban was greedy for gain. He was willing to deceive. He took advantage of the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of others. 

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, have you noticed that God sometimes sanctifies us by bringing us into contact with difficult people? You have heard it said, that “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17, ESV). When I hear that proverb I typically think of friends sharpening one another in the context of  their friendship. Friends in Christ should encourager one another and challenge one another to pursue Christ, and to honor him in thought, word and deed. But sometimes the Lord will sharpen (sanctify) his people, not through happy and pleasant relationships, but difficult ones. 

May I suggest to you that some of the greatest opportunities for being sharpened in Christ will come through those who rub you the wrong way.  Think of how a knife is sharpened, friends. A knife is sharpened when it comes into contact with something that is abrasive. A sword is formed by the bladsmith when it subjected to fire and bludgeoned with another piece of iron. No, this does not give the difficult and abrasive person the right to be difficult and abrasive, reasoning that the Lord is using them to sanctify others! But it should help us to think differently about the difficult relationships in our life.

I’m sure that the Lord used lying Laban to sanctify Jacob the deceiver. And I would suggest to you that the difficult people in your life are there for a reason. Perhaps the Lord is teaching you patience. Maybe he is teaching you how to love those who aren’t always lovely. It may be that you need to learn how to confront wrongdoing, but with winsomeness and grace. Perhaps the Lord is humbling you by confronting you with your sin through someone else’s similar behavior? Sometimes the Lord gets our attention concerning the severity of our sin by allowing us to have a taste of our own medicine. 

Friends, we should not run from those who are difficult. Yes, sometimes boundaries are needed! But we should also learn to give thanks to God for those who might rub us the wrong way and ask the Lord to use them to sanctify us further.]

In Genesis 29 we see that Jacob met his matched. He found a wife. In fact, he took four to himself, which, as we have established in previous sermons, was contrary to God’s design for marriage in the beginning. And Jacob also met his match in Laban. He had to work for a man who was just like him for 14 years. 

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Israel Was Born 

The second thing that we must consider in this story is that it was from this mess of a situation that the nation of Israel was born. We will not spend much time on this point, but it is important to notice that here in Genesis 29:31 and following the coutures of the nation of Israel are seen for the first time. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were promised that a great multidude and nation would come from them. Here, for the very first time, we are introduced to the heads of the tribes of Israel.

Most of these names should sound familier to you. 

To Leah was born six sons, Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and one daughter named Dinah (diynāh).

To Rachael was born two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. 

To Bilhah was born two sons, Dan and Naphtali.  

And to Zilpah was born two sons, Gad and Asher. 

From these sons the twelve tribes of Israel would emerge. 

Two are of supreme significance: Judah and Jospeh. 

Through Joseph, the youngest ofJacob’s sons, physical salvation would come to Israel through Egypt. But it would be through Judah that the Savior would be born. Indeed, Jesus the Christ, who is rightly called the lion of the  tribe of Judah, is also the lamb who was slain who, by his death, takes away the sins of the world.  

[APPLICATION: Here is yet another demonstration that our God is able to cause all things to work together for good. He is able to bring light from darkness, order from chaos, life from death, and good from evil. Not even the sinfulness of his free creatures is able to frustrate his plans, derail his purposes, or hinder the fulfillment of his promises.] 

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Conclusion

Brothers and  sisters, these truths that have been set before you today should impact our lives. 

May the knowledge that our election in Christ is unconditional produce humility along with confidence. Humility from  that fact that we have been chosen and called by Christ by his grace alone, and not on the basis of something deserving within us, so that no one may boast. And confidence knowing that if our right standing before God had God’s unmerited favor as it’s origin, then it also by his grace that his work will be finished within us, and not our own good works. 

And may the knowledge that God is able to accomplish his purposes  despite the sinful rebellion of his creatures encourage and comfort are souls as we sojourn in this sin sick world. Sometimes the evil around us seems to be so strong. Sometimes it seems as if the darkness will prevail. But God will win the day. His purposes will stand, his promises will be fulfilled, for he is God most high. He is all powerful, all knowing, and he faithful. His counsel shall stand, and he will accomplish all his purpose. 

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 31:24, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 28

“Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, ‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!’ Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, ‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,’ and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth. Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.’” (Genesis 28, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 1:43-51

“The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’” (John 1:43–51, ESV)

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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings found within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without proofreading.] 

Introduction

I think it is safe to say that most Christ-followers have, at some point in their Christian pilgrimage, felt a degree of uncertainty concerning the their relationship with God. Perhaps the uncertainty was the result of falling into some sin which wounded their conscience and grieved the Holy Spirit — living in sin will certainly have a negative impact upon one’s confidence in Christ! Or perhaps it was an attack of the evil one that caused the despair. It is even possible that there was no obvious explanation for the lack of assurance — sometimes these seasons of spiritual darkness are inexplicable. 

Now, it may be that you have experienced a season of uncertainty like this. It is even possible that you are experiencing one now! And if you have not in the past, and are not in the present, it is possible that you, at some time in the future, will feel as if God is distant. Brothers and sisters, please know that there is encouragement to be found in this little story about Jacob for the one who feels unsure. There is light for the sojourner who feels as if darkness has overtaken them, and as if God is distant.  

Let’s step into Jacob’s sandels for a moment. These must have been dark days for Jacob. He must have felt very unsure as he journeyed away from home in the promised land toward Haran, a land that was foreign to him. 

Remember that Haran was the place where Abram had settled for a time with his father Terah as they journeyed from Ur and towards the land of promise at first. Genesis 11:29 says, “Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there” (Genesis 11:31, ESV). The city of Haran was located to the north of Canaan, on the other side of the Euphrates River. Terah, for whatever reason, did not complete the journey. He stopped short of entering into the land of promise with his family. Abraham would complete that journey after his father’s death. 

The thing to notice about this story is that Jacob’s life seems to be going in the wrong direction. His desire was to have the birthright and the blessing. His desire was to inherit the promises made to his grandfather, Abraham, and his father, Isaac. These promises, remember, had very much  to do with the land of Canaan. The LORD spoke to Abraham repeatedly, saying, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7, ESV). He said the same thing to Isaac — “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father” (Genesis 26:3, ESV). Jacob was one of those offspring. In fact, he was the chosen offspring. And yet now he is leaving the land that was promised to him for Haran, that place where his great grandfather, Terah, had stalled out many years before. Jacob must have felt confused, unsure and afraid. 

It is impossible to know what exactly was going on inside of Jacob, but his soul must have been in turmoil. Think of what he had just done. He took part in a wicked scheme to deceive his own father. He took advantage of his frailty. He tricked him in his old age. The law of God says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12, ESV). This law was written by the finger of God and delivered by Moses to Israel many years after Jacob lived. But this law was not invented in the days of Moses. Indeed, it is a part of that moral law that was written upon Adam’s heart in the beginning (see Romans 2:14ff.). This means that even Jacob was bound to keep it. He was to honor his father and mother. And this principle would have also applied to him: “that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” Jacob violated this law, and now he is experiencing a kind of exile from the land, having been sent away to Haran. As I said, these were dark days forJacob. He dishonored his father, he participated in his mother’s sin, he swindled his brother yet again, and the result was separation from his family and from the land that he loved.  

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, sin has this effect. When we violate God’s law it brings division. It disrupts and disturbs the peace. It leads to dark places. And though it be true that your sins are washed away through faith in Jesus the Christ, we must remember that sin still has consequences — earthly and natural consequences.]

Here in this little episode we learn that Jacob reaped what he sowed. He sowed dishonor and deceit, and he reaped division. He was divided from his family and from his land. But in the same episode we also see that God was gracious to Jacob. The favor of the LORD that was set upon him even before he was born remained upon him, despite his sin. Clearly this favor was unmerited — Jacob was obviously undeserving. But God had set his love upon him, and nothing could change that. God spoke to his mother, Rebekah, while he and his older twin brother were still in the womb, saying, “the older shall serve the younger”. And elsewhere the scriptures say that God loved Jacob, but Esau he hated (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13).

That Jacob was chosen of the Lord, and Esau not, is apparent in this story. Let us briefly compare and contrast Jacob and Esau before getting to the heart of this text. 

Notice that after the family was divided by the deception of Isaac, Esau pursued an earthly and fleshly solution to his problem. He knew that his mother and father were displeased with his Canaanite wives. He heard that his mother had said,“I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46, ESV), so “Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had… (Genesis 28:9, ESV). He decided to marry in the clan, thinking that this would please his parents. But notice that he married into the the non-elect family of Ishmael. It was a big swing and a miss for Esau as he pursued an earthly and fleshly solution to his problem.

Esau pursued favor with his parents according to human wisdom, and to no avail. But note that in this story God pursued Jacob and set his favor upon him. God pursued Jacob to reassure him, to comfort him, and to call him to a constant and faithful walk with him. This is the thing that must be noted in —  God pursued Jacob and would not let him go, despite his flaws.

[APPLICATION:  Brothers and sisters, this is how God deals with his covenant children. If God has determined to set his love upon them then he is also faithful to pursue them, to win them, and to never let them go. And here is the foundation of our confidence in Christ Jesus. We are to know for certain that our right standing before God depends, ultimately, not  upon our work, but upon Christ’s. If our right standing before God depended upon our faithfulness, then never could we be sure. But because it depends upon God, and the work that Christ has accomplished on our behalf, we can have confidence in him even in times of darkness and difficulty, for God is faithful to keep his promises.]

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Remember The Promises That The LORD Has Made

Brothers and sisters, in times of darkness we must look to God and remember the promises that he has made. When life grows difficult and we begin to feel uncertain, we must look to God and to his word — it is there that we will find an immovable foundation on which to stand, for God is faithful, and his word is sure. This principle is clearly present in this narrative. 

Did you notice that twice in this story the LORD was gracious to remind Jacob of his promises concerning him? The first reminder came by way of the blessing that his father, Isaac, pronounced upon him. And the second reminder came by way of a dream. 

It is in verses 3 and 4 that we find Isaac pronouncing a blessing upon Jacob before he leaves for the region of Paddan-aram (and more specifically, the city of Haran). There Isaac speaks to Jacob, saying, “God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” (Genesis 28:3–4, ESV)

This was a very significant moment. It was significant, not only for Jacob, but also for Isaac. For here we see that Isaac was no longer determined to give the blessing to Esau, but had resigned himself to the fact that Jacob, the younger of the two, was indeed the son of promise, according to the revealed will of God. Isaac finally got it, in other words.  

And this moment was obviously significant forJacob, for in this moment he heard his father knowingly and willingly speak to him and pronounce upon him the blessings and promises that were given first to Abraham. Jacob had been blessed before, remember. But that first blessing was given to him, not willingly and knowingly, but by deception. It is not as if that first blessing didn’t count. Isaac clearly though that it counted. But Jacob must have wondered if he was really blessed of the Lord, given the way that he got the blessing. Here blessed by his father knowingly and willingly.  

Jacob was reminded of three promises as Isaac pronounced this blessing upon him. One, God had promised to make him into a great multitude — he would have many descendents. Two, these offspring of his would be blessed, and they would be a blessing to the nations. And three, these descendents would possess the land of promise — the land in which Abraham, Isaac, and now he, sojourned. These promises were not new promises. They were given first to Abraham, and then to Isaac. And in this moment Jacob watched his father — the father that he had not long ago deceived — knowingly and willing give these promises to him.

In verses 10 through 15 Jacob is again reminded of the promises of the LORD, but this time the reminder came in the form of a dream.  

In verse 10 we learn that “Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set [I think we are to feel the loneliness and uncertainty of Jacob as he finds himself without a place to stay as darkness overtakes him]. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep [this was common for shepherds to do as they slept in the open field]” (Genesis 28:10–11, ESV).

In verse 12 we read, “And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it…” What an awesome sight this must have been! The heavens were opened before Jacob. He saw a vision of the Lord. And traveling up and down on this ladder were angels. 

Now, what did this vision mean? Well, the words that God spoke to Jacob help to clarify the meaning of the vision.  Verse 13: “And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’” (Genesis 28:13–15, ESV)

Notice five things about this vision and the word of the LORD spoken to Jacob:

One, Jacob saw the LORD, who reveled himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac. Friends, nothing in our lives will be right until we know the LORD. We were created to know him, to live in obedience to him, and for his glory, for he is our Maker. Take special note of this: The LORD revealed himself to Jacob. And this is the way that it always goes. Now that we are fallen into sin, we do not search for the LORD, but instead the LORD graciously reveals himself to us, if we are one of his elect. Jacob was elect of the LORD — this we know.  He was not pursuing the Lord, but the LORD pursued him and revealed himself to him. 

Two, notice that the LORD promised to always be with Jacob. “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go”, he said. The LORD was seen in heaven, but the ladder signified the LORD’s presence and activity upon the earth. We must remember that though we cannot see the LORD, he is ever present with his people. This is a great source of encouragement to the people of God in every generation. God is with his people. He dwells in the midst of them. He will never leave them nor forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). And if this true (which it certainly is) then we can go anywhere and endure anything, for God is  with us. 

When the church in Rome was experiencing hardship Paul the Apostle encouraged them with these words: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35–39, ESV). The greatest source of encouragement for the Roman church was to know that God  was with them, and that nothing could separated them from his love in Christ Jesus. And this is what Jacob needed to hear in order to have courage for his journey — he needed to be assured that the LORD would go with him.

Three, the LORD reassured Jacob of his special plan for the land of Canaan, which he was about to leave. “The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring”, he said. And he promised, saying, I “will bring you back to this land”. The ladder had it’s top in heaven, but it’s base was set down in Canaan, indicating that that place was a special place. God’s would do a special work there in the years to come. The LORD would bring Jacob back to the land. 

Four, the LORD reassured Jacob of his special plan for his offspring. “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south.” The rest of the Pentateuch will show the initial fulfillment of this promise through the birth of the nation of Israel, who would come from Jacob’s loins. 

And five, the LORD reassured Jacob that  it would be through his offspring that all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. Of course, we know that this promise finds it’s ultimate fulfillment in the Christ, who would come into the world through the nation of Israel, and would die as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There is no greater blessing than to have your sins for given and to be reconciled to God. Christ came to give that blessing,  not only to the Israelite, but to all the nations of the earth.   

Understand this clearly, therefore. God plan for Israel, who would descend from Jacob, was, from the beginning, that they would serve as a kind of mediator between God and mankind. The God of heaven determined to make a way for the peoples of the earth to be reconciled to him, and this he would do in the land of Israel and through the people of Israel, who would descend from Jacob. Indeed, the ladder that bridged the gap between heaven and earth signified this very thing. 

At the beginning of this sermon I read from John 1:43-51. And I did so because there we find Christ’s interpretation of the vision that was shown to Jacob of the ladder to heaven and the angels ascending an descending upon it. We have asked the question, what  did this vision mean? And we would be wise pay carful attention to Jesus’ explanation. In John 1:43ff. we learn that a man named Nathaniel was amazed because Jesus knew that he was sitting under a fig tree when Philip had approached him. Nathaniel responded to Jesus, saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Listen again to Jesus’ response to him. “Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these. Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man’” (John 1:50–51, ESV).

Clearly, Jesus was referring to the Genesis  28 passage that we are considering today. Notice that Jesus spoke of heaven being opened and of angels ascending and descending. But strangely there is no mention of the ladder. And why is that? Notice, it is because Jesus claimed to be the ladder! To  Nathaniel he said, “you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on [me] the Son of Man”!

What did the ladder signify? The ladder shown to Jacob in the dream signified Christ. It revealed to Jacob that God would provide a way for man to be reconciled to him. God would provide a mediator — a Savior who would bridge the chasm of sin that had opened up between God and man. Jesus Christ is the door; he is the way; he is the narrow gate. Indeed, he is the ladder which connects heaven and earth, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6, ESV)

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, these promises made to Jacob and the vision shown to him apply to you and to me, but not in the exact same way that they applied to him. These promises were made to Jacob. God would be with him as he journeyed away from the promised land, and he would be faithful to bring him back. God would give him many descendents, and to them he would give the land of Canaan. These promises would be fulfilled in the formation of the nation of Israel and in their conquest of Canaan. Through Jacob’s offspring the nations of the earth would be blessed. Considered in this way, these promises belonged uniquely to Jacob, and not to us. But considered from the vantage point of their fulfillment in Christ Jesus, these promises are also ours. In Christ, God has reconciled us to himself. We belong to him through faith in Christ, and we are to rest assured that he will never leave us nor forsake us. He will bring us safely home into the new heavens and earth. Indeed, nothing can separated us from his love. 

You and I need to be reminded of these promises continually, don’t we? Just as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were frequently reminded of God’s promises to them, so too we must be reminded of God’s promises to us. Stated differently,  we must be reminded of the gospel. We must be reminded of that good news, that through faith in Jesus the Christ we find the forgiveness of our sins. We must be reminded of that good news, that though we were once children of wrath, now we are children of God. We must be reminded that the God has promised to never leave nor to forsake us. He will finish the work that he started in us. He will bring us safely home, for we are Christ’s beloved bride, if indeed we have been united to him by faith and cleansed by his blood. 

Friends, the gospel is not only something that we need to hear at the beginning of the Christian life, but always and until the LORD calls us home. The gospel  —  and no, I am not referring to that ultra simple, watered down version of the gospel that is often preached in our day, but the full, robust, Christ centered gospel that was preached from all the scriptures by the first disciples of Christ — that gospel is always something that we need to be reminded of. For that gospel is the very basis of our assurance before God.

In times of difficulty and darkness, this is what need more than anything — we must look to God and remember his promises and that he will be faithful to keep them.]

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Respond In Faithful Worship 

Having been reminded of the promises of God that are ours in Christ Jesus, it is only right that we then respond in faithful worship. Notice that this is what Jacob did. After being reminded of God’s promises to him he arose in faith and he worshipped. This, brothers and sisters, is medicine for a troubled soul. Instead of withdrawing from God, we ought to draw near to him in times of trouble, for he is what we most need. 

Verse 16: “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven’” (Genesis 28:16–17, ESV). 

Clearly, Jacob felt alone and distant from God as he sojourned. But in this dream it was reveled that God was with him and always before him. Jacob didn’t realize it at first, but now he knows. 

The scriptures say that Jacob was afraid. This is always the response of men when then behold the glory of the LORD. They often tremble with fear and fall down before the LORD as if dead. 

[APPLICATION: You and I would be wise to live life mindful of the fact that the God of glory is, in fact, ever before us. The radiance of his glory is typically hidden from our sight, but this does not change the fact that he is always before us. We live our lives before his face. He sees all. He knows all. He is everywhere present. And he is awesome. The fear of the LORD, brothers and sisters, is the beginning of wisdom.] 

Consider now the response of Jacob. Verse 18: “So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.’” (Genesis 28:18–22, ESV)

This stone that Jacob used for a pillow at night was turned into a memorial. Jacob turned it on  it’s side so that it  would stand out as unnatural and manmade. It pointed to heaven, perhaps as a reminded that the God of heaven had revealed himself to him. 

When Jacob poured out the oil upon the rock it was an act of worship.  He “sacrificed” some of the precious oil in  faith and out of gratitude to the God of heaven.

Jacob named the place “Bethel” which means “house of God”. This was an acknowledgement of the truth that had been revealed to him — that God would be present in this land in a special way. He would dwell with his people there. And through this land all the peoples of the earth would be blessed. 

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.’”

This vow was obviously a personal profession of faith uttered by Jacob. He vowed to have the LORD as his God. He would enjoy communion with the LORD in his house. He would worship the LORD by giving him a tenth of all. But this vow also anticipated the formation of the nation of Israel. Jacob would do all of these things, on a much larger scale, through Israel who would descend from him. The LORD would be Israel’s God. They would enjoy communion with the LORD in his house. And they would worship him by giving a tenth of all by bringing their tithes and offerings up to the tabernacle, and later temple.

[APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, having been reminded of the promises of God that are ours in Christ Jesus I ask you, will you respond in worship? Will you rise up, even in times of darkness and dispare, to give God glory? Will you honor him as your covenant Lord and God. This you decided to do at the start of  the Christian life, but may I suggest to you this is something you must decide to do continually, day by day, an especially Lord’s Day, by Lord’s Day. Will you  come into his house to enjoy communion with  him? Will you give of your offerings, willingly, thankfully and cheerfully?]

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, in times of difficulty and darkness, this is where we need to be. Many have a propensity to run and hide when the going gets  tough. Instead, we ought to draw near.  We ought to draw near to the Lord. We ought to come into his house to hear his word proclaimed and to be reminded of his promises. We ought to come and worship, for the LORD  is faithful and worthy of our praise. 

Psalm 100: “A PSALM FOR GIVING THANKS. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100, ESV).