Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

TS: Jacob has fled to Haran on the pretense of finding a wife.

God met him along the way and promised to take care of him and confirmed the promise; Christ will eventually come through Jacob’s lineage.

But at this point in the story, these things might be hard to see.

Jacob is running for his life and he doesn’t yet have a wife or children.

But Jacob believes God, and says, “the LORD will be my God” ().

Our text displays God beginning to fulfill His promise:

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

2And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.

3And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.

They kept the well covered to prevent it from filling with sand or other debris.

Once everyone was gathered around they would open it long enough to drink and cover it again.

They kept the well covered to prevent it from filling with sand or other debris.

Once everyone was gathered around they opened it long enough to drink and covered it again.

Gen 29:4-

God’s Providence on Display:

His whole purpose in leaving is to find a wife from Laban, so it’s fortunate that he happens upon some men from Haran who know Laban and his daughter.

Note the differences in these verses from when Abraham’s servant got a wife for Isaac.

The servant went to a well and found the woman too, but he very clearly sought God’s direction.

Jacob may or may not have asked anything of God, but the situation shows God’s hand just as He had promised.

His whole purpose in leaving is to find a wife from Laban, so it’s fortunate that he happens upon some men from Haran who know Laban and his daughter.

Note the differences in these verses from when Abraham’s servant got a wife for Isaac.

The servant went to a well and found the woman too, but he very clearly sought God’s direction.

Jacob may or may not have asked anything of God, but the situation shows God’s hand just as He had promised.

His whole purpose in leaving is to find a wife from Laban, and by God’s grace he happens upon some men from Haran who know Laban and his daughter.

His whole purpose in leaving is to find a wife from Laban, so it’s fortunate that he happens upon some men from Haran who know Laban and his daughter.

Note the differences in these verses from when Abraham’s servant got a wife for Isaac.

The servant went to a well and found the woman too, but he very clearly sought God’s direction.

Jacob may or may not have asked anything of God, but the situation shows God’s hand just as He had promised.

Gen 29:

Gen 29:9

He may want them to hurry up and water so he can be alone with Rachel, but since she’s already in view this doesn’t seem right.

Or he may simply be giving advice about how to shepherd, but this also seems strange because he’s obviously more interested in her than in the shepherds.

I think perhaps he wants to make sure she’ll stop and water her flock so he tries to get the shepherds to open the well early.

They refuse, but God’s plan is already at work so Jacob doesn’t need them anyway.

Without trying Jacob found his “mother’s brother”!

9And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she kept them.

10And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

God was at work in the world again.

There’s a lot left out of this story which I suppose is unimportant.

Did Jacob break the rule of waiting for everyone?

Did a lot of time pass in “it came to pass”?

Was Rachel’s flock among the last to arrive and so it was time?

None of these are answered or stressed.

What is important is that without even trying Jacob found his “mother’s brother”!

He was making a nation and the children which would be born from the upcoming weddings will become the 12 tribes of Israel.

Gen 29:

Jacob is so overwhelmed that he can’t help but kiss her and weep and she’s so excited that she runs to tell her father

Jacob is so overwhelmed that he can’t help but kiss her and weep and she’s so excited that she runs to tell her father

How much did Jacob tell Laban?

At the very least he tells enough to convince Laban they are truly kin.

13And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house.

And he told Laban all these things.

14And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh.

Jacob had found his wife.

How much did Jacob tell Laban?

At the very least he tells enough to convince Laban they are truly kin.

God had guided another generation to meet.

Gen 29:14-

Jacob lives with Laban a month and helps with all the chores.

At the end of that time Laban wants to hire Jacob to stay on full time.

“What will you charge?”

There are two important facts here:

16And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

18And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

(1) Leah is the elder sister.

There are two important facts here: (1) Leah is the elder sister.

Jacob wants to skip over Leah and marry Rachel.

The original readers would have caught that immediately and known that this request goes against cultural norms.

But there’s an even more significant fact here: (2) Jacob loved Rachel and didn’t love Leah.

Leah has “weak eyes.”

Whatever it means it’s the opposite of beautiful and well favored.

The bottom line is that he has rejected her because of what he sees about her.

He doesn’t see her as God does and his choice is not made with guidance and apparently not by faith.

Jacob wants to skip over Leah and marry Rachel.

The original readers would have caught that immediately and known that this request goes against cultural norms.

But there’s an even more significant fact here:

(2) Jacob loved Rachel and didn’t love Leah.

Leah has “weak eyes.”

Whatever it means it’s the opposite of beautiful and well favored.

The bottom line is that he has rejected her because of what he sees about her.

He doesn’t see her as God does and his choice is not made with guidance and apparently not by faith.

He’s so in love that these seven years fly, but things don’t go as intended:

19And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

20And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

He’s so in love that these seven years fly, but things don’t go as intended:

I can picture him whistling while he works.

He’s so in love that these seven years fly, but things don’t go as intended:

Gen 29:21-

This is a pretty bold move on Laban’s part.

It’s dark and the bride wears a veil so Jacob never suspects a thing.

He goes to her and consummates the marriage and the two become one flesh.

24And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

Jacob is right to be angry, but there’s a little hypocrisy on his part.

T

This is important because Zilpah will bear Gad and Asher in the next chapter ().

25And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel?

wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

Think of the similarities between this experience and what he did to his own father: