God's Gift of Love

Daniel Norman

The Gospel Project • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Genesis 29

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God grants us the gift of love, but His love is greater still, including loving the unloved

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Introduction

This weather reminds me of a country love song by Alan Jackson: “Woops, slipped and fell in love”.

Where he compares falling in love to several things like

A bald tire running on an icy road A steep hill underneath a foot of snow A greased pig fallen off a pickup truck Whoops, I slipped and fell in love

I hope that you're feeling the way that I feel It's just like flying but you're standing still The birds and the bees are sure powerful stuff Whoops, I slipped and fell in love

Anyone here this morning who can think back to a time when you “fell in love” like this? maybe it was a little less “Country Swing” in your experience but have you ever “fallen in love” like this. It seemed like something that was as much out of your control as gravity itself. You just fell head over heals for someone and you were not even sure how it happened.

“Yee Haw”

I am pretty excited about the text that we are going to study this morning because it is something that I can quickly relate to. It is the story of a man who fell head over heals over a girl named “Rachel”. That is my story. I remember the moment when I was on the ground looking up as I had fallen, head over heals for this Wisconsin girl…it took Rachel a little longer to see it, but eventually she came around too.

So I love to tell you stories about my life and I thought I would share just a little of it with you, at least from my perspective. If you want the truth you can talk to Rachel…but I had come to the point in my life where I was done with women. I had more than my share of “falling” for the wrong girl and I was done. So I bought a 4 wheel drive Jeep and got a job working and living at a Boy’s Ranch in the deep woods of Wisconsin. I figured I was safe from even the possibilitiy or romantic entanglements and I could just work on my relationship with God and use my ministry skills in the lives of these young teenage boys.

... I had come to the point in my life where I was done with women. I had more than my share of “falling” for the wrong girl and I was done. So I bought a 4 wheel drive Jeep and got a job working and living at a Boy’s Ranch in the deep woods of Wisconsin. I figured I was safe from even the possibility or romantic entanglements and I could just work on my relationship with God and use my ministry skills in the lives of these young teenage boys.

... I had come to the point in my life where I was done with women. I had more than my share of “falling” for the wrong girl and I was done. So I bought a 4 wheel drive Jeep and got a job working and living at a Boy’s Ranch in the deep woods of Wisconsin. I figured I was safe from even the possibilitiy or romantic entanglements and I could just work on my relationship with God and use my ministry skills in the lives of these young teenage boys.

Well it appears that God had different plans.

For many months, I only two things about this girl named Rachel Wielgus

She was way out of my league, and as such she was already being pursued by some other guy and he appeared to be the “don juan” of the campus. So I wasn’t even hoping for anything there.

She lived off ranch. I had just moved up here to the woods and after a couple months I began to see my need to connect with people off the ranch… so I figured that she might be able to point me to a young adult Bible study or something.

Well Rachel was there to do an internship for her Social Work degree and that meant that she wasn’t there everyday so I asked the Social Worker in our house to get me her phone number so that I could see if she could hook me up with a small group or something. Remember she was, and still is way out of my league.

So the social worker in our house, his name is Rob, came up to me and gave me her number and told me that I had to call her right away. I was like, Why? Well he said I had to call her because when he asked for her number but didn’t think I wanted him to tell her why, so he didn’t tell her and it got really awkward, “I am married and have kids and I am asking this young college girl for her phone number so you can’t wait to call her - it has to be right now!

So there was no room for me to get cold feet or anything, but I really didn’t have any expectations. Then I called her up and got to know her a little, and I realized that we were really starting to hit it off. So I asked her if the next time that she came to the Ranch she might want to go on a hike with. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was the right question because anyone who knows Rachel knows that the woods is her happy place, so hiking is one of her favorite things to do.

So anyway, I called her up and got to know her a little, still thinking not in my league, and we really started hitting it off. So I asked her if she wanted to go on a hike in the woods, and that was the right question because anyone who knows Rachel knows that

So the day of the hike as “friends” came and she had this window between a couple of meetings that she was supposed to sit in on and we headed out into the woods together. We just kept walking and talking and I was really getting excited because this girl seemed awesome. We talked about everything, our families, our relationship with God, college life, our dreams for the future and then after a while I looked around and realized I had no idea where we were. We had hiked out on this trail and then for fun we went off trail some and I had no idea how to get back.

She was supposed to be back for a meeting in about 2 hours and I had family that was rolling into town for a visit. But we were lost. We wandered around the woods for a lot time until we found a railroad track and then a road and when we finally made it back it was a more than a 5 hours hike!

In my mind, I just knew that whatever thoughts I had about this ending with us being more than just “friends” were hopeless now. I figured I would be lucky if we would leave the woods that day even being “just friends”.

When I finally realized how late we were going to be and that there was no way she would make her appointment for her internship, I apoligized profusely. And that is when she said “That’s ok, I guess this is just what God had for me today!” And that is when I knew, I am all in with this girl.

So when I finally realized how late we were going to be and that there was no way she would make her appointment for her internship, she said, “That’s ok, I guess this is just what God had for me today!” And that is when I knew, I am all in with this girl. I was on the ground looking up as I had fallen for her...It took Rachel a little longer to see it, but eventually she came around too.

I was on the ground looking up as I had fallen, head over heals for this Wisconsin girl…it took Rachel a little longer to see it, but eventually she came around too.

Tension

If took Rachel a little longer to see it, but eventually she came around too.

As I look back at that initial experience and the “falling in love” months that followed I am blessed by the gift that it was. The many swirling feelings and emotions were so fun and exciting and sometimes even painful. Do you remember the butterflies in your stomach that hurt whenever you aren’t with them.

Experiences like these are gifts from God. In fact, the entire book of Song of Solomon is dedicated to this. It is poem after poem of a man and woman expressing how they have extravagantly fallen head over heals in love. God created these emotions. He designed this whole plan of romantic engagement and He is pleased when we enjoy them…in their proper season and with the right person.

A quick disclaimer here, especially for the parents among us who are giving me death stares right now because of the conversation that they are having at home with their teenage son or daughter...

As much as Song of Solomon declares the glories of falling in love, the book of Proverbs cautions us to use this gift wisely. Many times in the book of Proverbs we are cautioned to “not awaken love too quickly”. It has got to be at the right time. If you start entangling the emotional effect of “falling in love” way to early and with the wrong person it doesn’t end beautifully, only painfully. I remember a lot of pain over falling for the wrong person at the wrong time.

As I look back at that experience I am blessed by the gift that it was. The many swirling feelings and emotions were so fun and exciting. It was and is a gift from God. The entire book of Song of Solomon is dedicated to this. It is poem after poem of a man and woman expressing how they have fallen head over heals in love. God has designed this. He has given it to us as a gift. I have no doubt that Adam and Eve experienced this very thing, and I beleive that God wants us all to experience some level of it.

That is why the same parents who like to tell the story of how they fell in love, also caution their teenagers to not be in a hurry toward it. It is right, fitting and Biblical counsel to be patient with the entanglements of falling in love. So parents, continue to lead your kids well in this…understanding that someday, in the right time and with the right person, this falling in love thing will be a beautiful story for them to tell their children.

The thing about “falling in love” is that it always involves two people. Unless it’s a different country song and it might be about a 4 wheel drive truck, but typically it is two people. And so when this flurry or emotions happens we have to remember that it is not just our “feelings” that we bring into this new form of a relationship but everything else we have as well.

And of course any parent of a teenager is looking at me with dagger eyes right now

Parents of teens - don’t awaken love too quickly - but that doesn’t mean it is a bad thing.

The emotions and feelings behind “falling in love” will change. That is the essence of every emotion or feeling. They change, and that doesn’t make them bad it just disqualifies them as something to build your life around. The ‘lasting love” that is worthy to build your life around is grounded in more than just temporary feelings. No matter how deep, or exciting, or ‘head over heals’ we might be for someone.

And this is true in other non-romantic love relationships as well. I think of parents and their new born baby. Or new friendships where you just seem to hit it off right away. Or even when you start to attend a new Church and everyone seems so friendly and loving - those are all great experiences, but in an of themselves they are not strong enough to base a lasting loving relationship.

Everyone of us at some point, comes to the place when we don’t feel like acting in love toward someone that we know that we do love, and that is the moment where we learn if we have the ability to love with God’s everlasting love, or with only human.

The thing about falling in love with someone, is that we bring ourselves into that equation. It is not just the right timing or the right person that we have to be aware of, but also who we are or who we have become. The emotions and feelings behind “falling in love” will change. That is the essence of every emotion or feeling. They change. So

If you haven’t already, let me invite you to open up your Bibles to (p23) and we will walk through the most powerful story of puppy love in the Bible and see how God proves his love to be much more than just a temporary feeling.

We mess it up though with the many hurts, habits and hangups that we bring into it - our sin...

when we start to see if our love is something that God has given us, or something that is As time goes on, we will probably have moments when we don’t “feel” like loving that person, and it is how we chose love in those moments that show if we have a love from Gong people the way that God does, then that won’t change anything

Using this verse in our marriage ceremony

Tension

Jacob got to experience love, but it was not everything that it could have been because of his sin

tainted by the same sins that Jacob perpetrated on his family.

Truth

So last week we left Jacob on the road to his mothers extended family because he had deceived his brother one too many times and he knew that all his brother was waiting for was for their father to die and then the great hunter Esau was going to hunt down his bother Jacob. So Jacob is on the run, and his mother concocks a cover story for her favorite son Jacob. She tells her husband to send Jacob back to her extended family in Haran to get a wife. She didn’t want him “falling” for the wrong pagan girl there in Beer - sheeba.

Map

Galatians 6:7–9 ESV

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

So as he is journeying north, God reveals himself to Jacob in a dream and he extends the promise that he made to Abraham to Jacob, promising to give him the land all around this very spot. And we identified this place as what will become the land of Israel. So Jacob names the place “Beth-el” or house of God because he met the LORD YHWY there and he continues on toward the north.

Gal 6:

This is where we are beginning this morning, as begins by saying

Genesis 29:1 ESV

1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

The literal translation of the phrase “went on his journey” is “he lifted his feet” and it has the connotation of him being light on his feet. Remember the quest for a wife was just his cover story, he is really on the run from this brother who wants to kill him. God reveals himself to Jacob and promises that he will protect him. The name Jacob means deciever, but it also means that God will protect. Jacob got this promise from God and now he continues on his journey in faith that God will protect him. So the only thing that he is now after is a bride. God promised him offspring as numerous as the “dust on the earth” so he is heading out, light on his feet, looking now for the family of his mother so that he can find a wife, but not only did he find a wife, our first theme for the week is that:

Jacob finally cared about somone other than himself, found himself at that end of the deception.

God had to work against the one thing that Jacob did right - marriage of love with Rachel - to teach him what was so wrong.

God gave Jacob a gift of love ()

Genesis 29:1–6 ESV

Genesis 29:1–12 ESV

1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.” 9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

This is the first time the Jacob has seen or even heard of Rachel. He didn’t know if his mothers family was doing well and had any young girls. How could he. So he sees this young and beautiful shepherdess and just like any other young man who is paying attention, the first thing he tries is to get rid of the competition so that he can have a conversation with this gal.

Genesis 29:7–8 ESV

Genesis 29:7-

Genesis 29:

Genesis 29:1-

He is like common, get on with it. Lets move it along here fella’s no need to stand around - I am trying to get a conversation going with this girl and you all are in the way.

Genesis 29:9–10 ESV

Genesis 29:9-

Genesis 29:7–12 ESV

7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.” 9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

What a man will do for love. You think it takes a few guys to roll away this huge stone - I got this - Rolled up his sleeves and tries to impress Rachel with his strength and service. When you are in the “Fallen in Love” stage of a relationship then you are jumping to help that person any chance you get…but after a while…somehow we loose track of that helpful attitude.

“They are your sheep, you water them”

but not Jacob, at least not know. He is head over heals and ready to serve...

Genesis 29:11-

Genesis 29:11–12 ESV

11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

Genesis 29:9–12 ESV

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

Genesis 29:11–13 ESV

11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. 13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things,

Remember Laban has probably not had any word about Rebecca for almost 100 years. This was huge news and so Laban wanted to hear all about what his sister who left so quickly long ago was up to.

Genesis 29:14 ESV

14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

: 14-

While this statement was probably offered in a completely innocent way, when looking at the rest of this story you cannot help but notice the foreshadowing this present here. Jacob “the deciever” and Laban do in fact turn out to be cut from the same cloth, and that is important to keep in mind when trying to understand the next verses. After just one month, Jacob has reached the end of Laban’s hospitality so he tries to underhandedly inquire as to how long Jacob intends on staying.

Genesis 29:15 ESV

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”

Genesis 29:15

This is not a statement of generosity. Laban has just referred to his nephew as a hired hand. Jacob is the son of the Patriarch Isaac. He has always hired out other workers, but he was never a hired hand. Laban is basically saying, if you are not here to offer me something better, I am just going to start treating you like a hired hand. But Jacob, crafty Jacob, comes up with a surprising reply.

has been there for a month, which to Laban means that he has reached the end of his hospitality More on that later…but for now a month has gone by and apparently Jacob is not very quick in letting Laban know why he has come. Laban begins to think that Jacob has stayed longer than Laban hospitality reaches so he comes to Jacob with a proposal.

Genesis 29:15–19 ESV

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.”

this visit has longer than his hospitality can

Genesis 29:13–20 ESV

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Genesis 29:16–19 ESV

16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.”

Not exactly the best response from your future Father-In-Law but Jacob took it. He loved Rachel and he was willing to do whatever it took to have her for his wife. So then we have the most romantic statement in the entire Bible. I even used this verse in my wedding vows to my Rachel.

Genesis 29:20 ESV

20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Aghh, isn’t that sweet. Things must have worked different back then, because there was only 7 months between when Rachel said “I will” and we said “I do” and it seemed like for-ev -er. I couldn’t wait so I don’t know how his 7 years felt like only a day, but somehow that is what happened.

I remember back in college I had a professor who once said that “No couple ever married for love in the Bible” and got to thinking about Jacob and Rachel. The next day I went up to him, brilliant BIble scholar and I said, “What about Jacob and Rachel” and I read this verse. He said, “Oh yeah, I guess your right”. That is all I got.

Jacob finally cared about somone other than himself, found himself at that end of the deception.

But anyway, it is clear here to see our first theme here:

God had to work against the one thing that Jacob did right - marriage of love with Rachel - to teach him what was so wrong.

God gave Jacob a gift of love

God’s love is persistent through trials ()

And did the trials come. Remember how Laban and Jacob were “cut from the same clothe” well Laban does some pretty fine deceiving, and what is fascinating is how closely his deceptions resemble the deceptions of Jacob.

Genesis 29:21–26 ESV

Genesis 29:21–27 ESV

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.”

Genesis 29:21-26

Just as Jacob once went into his fathers tent to deceive him into thinking that the younger was the older, here Laban send Lean into Jacob’s tent to deceive him into thinking that the older was the younger.

If you are like me you stop to wonder how did this happen. The text doesn’t exactly tell us, but if we look at some of the customs of the day we can make some educated guesses.

There was often a lot of celebrating at Weddings, and often people drank more than they should - that could have played a part.

The wedding dress of the day did require the bride to wear a veil over her face so maybe that kept Leah identity hidden.

It is also possible that the deception of Laban and Leah was very similar to the one that Jacob and Rebekah pulled off. Maybe they did up Leah’s hair like Rachel’s and had her wear some of Rachel’s clothes.

Could be a combination of all of these things, but at the end of the day what we see is that Jacob really got a taste of his own medicine didn’t he. He got to experience the very thing that he put Isaac and Esau through. The anger and frustration of being decieved by family and especially now that there was no way to reverse what has been done. But Laban did have a suggestion. He knew that Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel and would do anything to marry her - so he took advantage of that wreckless love and offered a deal that he knew that Jacob could not refuse.

(vs 26 again)

Genesis 29:26–30 ESV

26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

Genesis 29:26-

Genesis 29:21–30 ESV

God gave Jacob a gift of Love

God’s love is persistent through trials

God shows love to the unloved ()

There are three themes that keep coming up in the story of the family line of Abraham. Probably the most prominent is the theme of deceitfulness. Twice Abraham lies about Sarah being only his sister. Then Isaac does the same thing. Then we thought we met the king of deceitfulness in Jacob, only to find Laban to be just as bad if not worse than Jacob.

Another theme that we keep hitting on is the theme of favoritism. Abraham is was back and forth between Sarah over Hagar, the promised Isaac over the present Ishmael. Isaac and Rebekah each have their favorite son and now Jacob has his favorite wife.

The third theme that keeps coming back is that of barrenness. Being able to have children was seen as a blessing from God, so not being able to have them was thought to be a curse. Most women in the ancient world saw their primary responsibility was to provide children to their husbands. Specifically boys who would carry on the family name, the family business and the family legacy. Every generation of Abraham’s family seems to struggle with this.

Here at the end of chapter 29 we see these three themes colide again. Because of the deceitfulness of Laban, Jacob finds himself with two wives, one that he loves more than other. But God see’s the horrible hurt that this brings Leah and he has compassion on her. Leah’s husband is not showing her the love that she craves, and after each son is born she hopes that this time it will cause her husband to love her. Listen to the names she gives her sons and see if you don’t hear a transition in attitude as she continues in marriage to a man who loves another.

With Abraham it was back and forth between Sarah over Hagar, the promised Isaac over the present Ishmael.

I would encourage you to listen carefully to the neaWith each generation of Abraham’s family, the ability to have children was a issue of contention.

At the end

Barrenness

God’s faithfulness to show love

Genesis 29:31–35 ESV

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 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.” 33 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. 34 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. 35 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.

Could you feel the heart breaking story of this woman as she continued to try and win the approval of her husband through the birth of sons.

True, we don’t know how complicit she was in deceiving her husband. Was she a full partner in the scam or was she just being obedient to her father’s wishes. We don’t really know, but what we do know is that Jacob agreed to follow through in the marriage and every woman longs to be loved and appreciated by her husband. They need it like we all need air, and this woman thought with the birth of each new son that she would finally have the love that she craved from her husband. But he never seemed to be able or willing to give it to her. Finally after the birth of the fourth son, she seems to have given up on the hope of winning her husband’s love and simply rests in the love that God was certainly showing her.

God shows love to the Un-loved

God shows love to the unloved.

Gospel Application

Like many of our stories, the story of Jacob reads like a roller coaster of ups and downs. We started out this morning on the high point of Jacob getting to experience and extravagant “head over heals” kind of falling in love. As far as we know the first 7 years of labor for Rachel were truly a labor of love and didn’t include any other points of major contention. Then the day came for Jacob to receive the object of his great affection and instead of the blessing that he was hoping for he recieved a deception by his own family member. The scenario was very familiar, only Jacob was on the other side this time.

Galatians 6:7 ESV

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Jacob’s day of rejoicing over his “head over heals” love left him reaping feeling of betrayal that he sowed in his family dealings back home.

Did you notice that we don’t read anything here about a second wedding feast for Jacob and Rachel. Can you imaging the disappointment of that? For seven years you are waiting for you wedding day to your betrothed. Then the whole community comes out to celebrate and your sister is given to him instead of you and then your father throws you in as some sort of bonus deal at the end. The love of his life becomes his wife with little fanfare, and then he has to work 7 more years in the twisted deal. I bet those years felt like longer than a day. I can’t imaging things could get much lower for Jacob.

And when the story moves from the “In -love” couple to the wife who was un-loved, we find that because of the brokenness in this world, the very love that we celebrate in Jacob and Rachel has caused Leat much pain and heartache. What of her expectations for a loving husband and beautiful family? For the rest of her life she will be the wife that her husband never really wanted. Even after she gave Jacob sons and Rachel remained barren, she could find the love she craved.

that she had to be married to a man who cared for her - there will now forever be tension in the house of Jacob.

I was talking with my Rachel this week about this story and she said that so many of these stories in Genesis seem like some sort of twisted day time drama or soap opera. The kind of story that draws you in like a horrible car wreck that you just can’t look away from. If all we had to go on was the story as it unfolded here on earth, that would be a fitting description.

it reminds her of something so twisted that it was worse that a day time drama or soap opera. That is probably a good description, if all we had to go on was what was happening down here on earth.

Thankfully, the main character in the story of the Bible is not Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. The main character of the Bible is Jesus. As we continue in Genesis we will see how these four sons of Leah become 4 of 12 sons of Jacob. And when God changes Jacob’s name to Israel, they become the 12 tribes of Israel. And from one of these tribes will come the Messiah that will bring the blessing to the entire world that YHWY promised Abraham.

Do you know which one? The last one that we read about. The son named Judah.

When Leah finally gave up trying to use her sons to win the attention of her husband, she turned to the one who had always loved her. “This time”, she said, “I will praise YHWY.

This same thing is true for you and me today. There are a lot things in this life that we might try and turn to in order to fill the void that we feel in our heart. Even if Leah did get the attention of Jacob for a while, it would not have lasted. Human love never lasts like that. God is the only one who loves us like that, and the way that he proved this is in his sending of Jesus. Jesus came for people who did not deserve it.

from one of these tribes, the tribe of Judah, it is prophesied that ...

John 15:13 ESV

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:6–9 ESV

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

Do we really understand what this means? This is the kind of love that God loves with. It is not a love dependant on changing feelings or emotions it is dependant purely on his nature to love us. So he sends his son to rescue us from ourselves - even why were were rejecting him worse than anything that Laban did to Jacob or Jacob did to Leah. God still loves us.

What does that mean to you? Have you trusted in God’s ultimate act of love. This good news that we don’t have to earn God’s love - we never could - so he gives it to us in Jesus. Have you received that gift? If you haven’t then today would be a great day. How awesome would it be to expeirience the coming season of advent with a heart that has been renewed and regenerated by the Gospel.

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 1:12 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

For those of us who have been born “of God” as the verse says then we have a very special reason to celebrate. We celebrate the arrival of Jesus, but that is just the beginning of his mission. What we really celebrate is not just that he began his mission of love - but that he finished it. The good news that Jesus not only came, but he died and then rose again to defeat death, sin and satan so that we can be with God again for all time. That is why we come together each week and that is why we share in the Lord’s supper each month.

Let’s pray and then we will celebrate in communion together.

Landing

Some of us have been blessed with the opportunity to have that “falling in love” experience. I always enjoy hearing peoples stories on this. How they met and when did they know. But that is not what a lasting love is built on. A lasting love is built on loving people like God Spend some time remembering your ‘falling in love season”

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