WAITING ON THE LORDS - Scripture: Genesis 29:1-35
O - Observations:
Most times I like to read a passage and come to some conclusions of my own, but today while trying to search out and study about the 3 flocks and the well and the stone I came across this sermon transcript and enjoyed it and found it applicable to my life own today and so here are my observations written and preached by a Pastor who I am not familiar with, but I found the following to insightful and in line with what I believe in regards to this passage.
Excerpted from a sermon by John Shearhart from FBC Clarendon in Arkansas from SermonCentral.com [emphasis added is my own]:
"If you’ve ever heard anyone preach on this passage before, you no doubt have heard about how Jacob was trying to impress Rachel with his strength when he moved the stone from the mouth of the well. I have no doubt that he was ... If Jacob could move the stone by himself, surely these other men together could have. But they seem to be waiting for the right people with the right authority to come at the right time ... but Jacob doesn’t seem to care, and he takes matters into his own hands.What’s most interesting is that this is right after his encounter with God in the desert.
This brings up some application: Lustful Passion Competes with Godliness.
It’s like, “If God will be with me, then the LORD will be my…hellooo.” We have to be careful not only to put our eyes on the prize but to keep them there. He goes from accepting God’s promise of provision to taking matters into his own hands because of what his eyes see. But there’s something else that’s worth pointing out here: notice Jacob’s method of finding a wife and compare it to Abraham’s servant’s method. Isaac’s wife was picked by Abraham’s servant based on prayer and God’s leading; Jacob’s choice for a wife is picked by what his eyes tell him.
Hang with me for a second: this is important. Do you realize that Christ was born from the lineage of Leah and not Rachel (Gen. 29:35)? Even the priestly Levites came from Leah (Gen. 29:34)! It might be argued that Jacob made the wrong choice. What I mean is that Jacob rejected the one God chose. Isaac’s relationship started off spiritually with guidance from God; Jacob’s started off physically with Jacob’s own eyes.
Application: What Looks Good May Not Be Good.
Do you remember the story of Eve? Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate…”Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”We’ve got to learn that our eyes are selfish and short-sighted. We don’t know what God knows. Even the things we can see we have difficulty discerning. This is why we walk by faith and not by sight.This is why we pick a spouse or a job or whatever based on God’s leading and not what seems best. But Jacob hasn’t learned this lesson yet, and I can almost hear him singing…“I Would Do Anything for Love”.
... For all his planning and scheming, right now he has nothing to show for it. I wonder how much differently things might have turned out had he accepted the birthright and blessing with integrity; odds are he wouldn’t have been coming in as a hired man.
Application: Sin Takes You Places You Didn’t Want to Go.
Don’t miss another important fact: most scholars agree that “weak eyes” probably means “delicate” or the opposite of fiery. The term probably doesn’t mean that she was ugly or unattractive. It’s just that apparently Jacob loved the fiery eyes of Rachel but not the softer eyes of Leah. Whatever the case, here we see again, Jacob’s making decisions based on what he can see. It won’t be long now until he pays the price for it.
Can you believe it? It’s almost too far fetched to be true. But something occurred to me as I studied this week—this story is almost as incredulous as what Jacob did to Isaac. In fact, notice several similarities:(1) Neither Jacob nor Isaac could see the one tricking him. Isaac made the wrong choice in his blindness, and Jacob was blinded by his wrong choice. (2) Both men were driven by lust. Jacob wanted to sleep with Rachel and Isaac wanted to fill his belly with his favorite food ... Isaac wanted to hurry up and get it over with, and Jacob wanted to hurry up and get started. (3) Neither man sought God’s will in the matter. Apparently they both thought they knew what is best, and both of them ended up with something they didn’t want. (4) Both men made a bad choice. Isaac in his blindness tried to cheat God out of His sovereignty and Jacob out of the blessing. Jacob in his blindness tried to cheat Leah out of the rights of the firstborn.
Application: God’s Will Is Best Found God’s Way.
It would have been easier on everyone had Isaac and Jacob figured this out earlier. There would have been no trickery or false-dealings at all if everyone had put God’s will above their own. But that’s what happens when we step out of bounds—we have to double step to keep up to make our plans work. But if we will just trust in God and do things His way, He’ll get His way without having to put us through some of these painful and embarrassing situations.
Application: What Goes Around Often Comes Around.
God doesn’t always treat us as our sins deserve, but sometimes we sleep in the bed we make. Sometimes we eat the sour fruits of our selfish labor."
A - Application for me today:
Wait for God's timing in all things. Ask God before I act and make decisions, especially big ones. God is sovereign and will have His way especially where the big picture is concerned. It was important that Jacob marry Leah as that is where Christ's lineage came through and despite all the planning God's hand, even through the deceptive hand of Laban, made it come to pass. It was planned before the foundation of the world.
P - Prayer in response:
May I not be blinded by what I can see. Give me your eyes to see things your way. Let me trust you in all things, even when what I can see looks to be the right path let me not trust my human efforts, but You alone. Let me not make decisions based on lust and what appeals to the eyes for sometimes the things that are most important to you are things that do not look as good to us. You are always in control and the things that come to pass will be according to what You have spoken.
In Jesus' Mighty Name
B'shem Yeshua HaMashiach
Amen & Amen.
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