Genesis 29

Jacob marries Rachael, eventually.

Jacob comes to a well after his long journey and with the help of God's guiding hand we comes to meet the servants of his mother's people. They are eager to see him and there are great tidings all around, especially after he meets Rachael. Did Jacob assume too much from the start? Considering that Leah, Rachael's sister would bare the for eldest sons of the Tribe of Israel, obviously the Lord had plans that he wasn't yet aware of. 

After Jacob meets Laban there is celebration and terms. Jacob says that he'll work seven years for the hand of Rachael. Laban agrees, but has other plans that he won't reveal to Jacob. Do I think God was in on this deceitful plan? God knows all things, but even through men's sins and mistakes, God can show his strength, which he does here. 

After seven years fly by because of Jacob's deep love for Rachael, the day of marriage comes and Laban slips in Leah instead of Rachael. Laban wants his eldest daughter married first and this was a custom that ran through different cultures all the way up past the middle ages. Jacob is upset, but agrees to work seven more years because he wants to marry Rachael. 

The Bible says that Leah was hated. This is an awful instance because Leah probably had no choice in the matter with her father Laban or Jacob. A lot like we treat so called unwanted pregnancies, we choose to hate one of God's creation through no fault of their own. Seeing this, God blessed Leah to have many male heirs while Rachael was barren. In our Christian lives, lets make sure we are holding to God's plans and not our own. 

Genesis 28

Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him away for a wife

Isaac gives Jacob a proper blessing before he dies. He tells Jacob that he does not want him to take a wife from the people nearby but to go and get a wife from the children of his uncle, Rebekah's brother. This is still part of the same people that were a part of Abraham's family. As we know from the book of Judges, mingling with those that have other God's has a heavy price to pay. 

Upon hearing the news that his brother Jacob has been sent away for a wife, Esau decides to make his lot with the descendants of Ishmael.He takes a wife from those people and seems to delight in the doing what is contrary to his parents will and sound advice. Sin will make people do seemingly senseless things. 

As Jacob heads off on his journey, let us not forget that he has to leave anyway because his brother Esau vows to kill him after their father's death.He knows he may never see his parents or brother again. He is lonely, but just as we are without hope, that is when God shows up. Jacob dreams of a ladder ascending up to Heaven and God reaffirms his covenant with him and his forefather Abraham. We have the same promise that if we serve God faithfully, he will never leave us nor forsake us and will give us eternal rest. 

After Jacob wakes up, we takes his stone pillow and makes an alter to God for his covenant. The place is name Bethel, meaning God is in this place, or house of God. From this we have the phrase that Jacob will use later in Genesis saying 'let us go back to Bethel'. We use it now to mean let us return to where we got our first blessing and promise of God. 

Spotlight of the Week

John Newton

John Newton is an interesting character that shows the powers up God's conversion of the soul. Born in 1725 in London the son of a shipmaster. John's mother died while he was young and while his father was sailing he lived with his fathers new wife. He sailed voyages with his father and his father intended him to work at a sugar plantation in Jamaica but he joined the service of a ship in the Mediterranean like his father instead . He was later captured and presses into service into the Royal Navy. As a midshipment he was discontented and tried to escape. For his trouble he was stripped and tied to the ship and whipped. He contemplated killing the captain and throwing himself overboard but finally thought better of it. 

John finally joined another ship and became involved in the slave trade with Africa. On board the Pegasus he became a constant problem so they left him in Africa with a slave owner, John himself now becoming a slave.   John was finally rescued by a captain sent by his father to find him. During a powerful storm on his way back to England John woke in the night with the boat filling with water. He cried out to God for deliverance and some of the cargo moved around in such a way as to fill the whole in the ship. After this, John started praying and reading a Bible. From that day on he gave up drinking, swearing, gambling and all other evils but did continue working in the slave trade. He became known for his gentle treatment of the slaves. 

John became an Anglican priest in 1757 after giving up the ship and slave trade. He was well known for his faith and people would come to him when they had questions about their faith, one of those being William Wilberforce. Finally in 1788 he spoke out against slavery and became an abolitionist, tied closely with Mr Wilberforce and living to see the passage of the Slave trade act of 1807 like Mr Wilberforce. 

After hearing the life struggles of this man you can now see a little clearer as to how this man could write the words so well in his famous hymn, Amazing Grace. God's grace was truly powerful and life changing in John's life. 

Genesis 27

Isaac blesses Jacob

God said that the elder would serve the younger. He told that to Isaac and Rebekah when the children were born. Even so, when God may enlighten us as to his will, it is God who is to carry it out and we are not to do God's part for him. Isaac asks his son to fix him a last meal so to speak. He favored Esau and he loved fresh venison. So off Esau goes to do the will of his father and Rebekah plots with Jacob behind Isaac's back. If we let God work in our lives, he will work things out, we don't have nor can we do God's will for him. 

Rebekah tells the plan to Jacob and even Jacob thinks it is too risky. Many times in our life our first thought about a situation is probably the wisest. Rebekah convinces her son that it will work and goes about to go to great lengths to deceive her husband. So they  dress up Jacob to look like Esau. We know the Esau's marriages troubled his parents and that he was on the wrong path. Imagine Christians dressing up like a sinner to receive a blessing from God! We probably see this more often than we think if we will look past the surface.

Isaac, even though he is mostly blind questions and knows that something is up. Unfortunately his eyes and senses fail him in the deception. The only real way we can see the sins and trials that might stumble us in life is to cling close to God or we can be tricked by the deceptions of the Devil. Isaac after some crying gives Esau what blessing he can and now Esau hates Jacob for it. Beware not to make enemies ever, we are commanded to love everyone, but especially not to make enemies out of our own capable brother and sisters. Esau rightly had hard feelings for Jacob and it would take God to later cool his rage. The chapter closes with Rebekah giving Jacob good advise. We would do well to make it right with God and always speak sound advise even after we sin. 

Spotlight of the Week John Wesley

John Wesley

John Wesley was a young Anglican minister that was classically trained and excelled in his studies. He went to Oxford and was a member of a religious society that vowed to pray, study and follow God. He took a ministry position in the new world for colonist in Savannah Georgia. On his way to the new world during a terrible storm he noticed that a group of Moravians going to bring the Gospel to Indians were not afraid. In fact, the Moravians were singing calmly in the storm. When John, who was the chaplain of the voyage as well,  inquired with them to there calmly manner they asked if he John had faith in Christ. He responded yes, but said later is was an empty answer. 

After failing miserably in Georgia he went back to England. On a certain night John records in his journal the following, "In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

The rest as they say is history. John Wesley went on to enjoy ministry overflowing with spiritual power and souls saved in England and ordained many ministers for God leaving a testimony that his faith was real.You can read more about him here.

Genesis 26

God reaffirms his covenant with Issac and blesses him

A new famine comes to the land of Canaan just as it did in Abraham's day. Unlike Abraham's day, God asks Isaac to stay and not go to Egypt and God will care for him. He also tells Isaac that if he follows God like his father, he will bless him like his father, and not just because he is Abraham's son. 

Just like his father, Isaac tells those around that Rebekah is his sister and not his wife. After Abimelech spies that Isaac and Rebekah are friendlier than brother and sister should be, he accuses Isaac of trying to bring mischief to the Philistine people. Abimelech, who may be the son of the Abimelech of Abraham's day, commands all his people not to harm or touch Rebekah. 

God not only blesses Isaac in a time of famine, but allows him to receive a hundred fold from his crops and flocks. Nothing is impossible for God if we will put our faith and trust in him. All these blessings though cause jealousy with the Philistines. After fighting over wells and flocks, Abimelech approaches Isaac and asks him to leave and go further away so that there are no wars or fighting between them. This is good for us to do as Christians that we would be peaceable with all people and rather go somewhere else than let the name of God suffer. 

Notice that Isaac digs up the wells that his father dug up. It is well to follow after the example of our forefather if there example is just and holy. If our parents or mentors were Godly, it is always good to follow after their example so that we might have the same relationship and success with God. After God reaffirms the covenant with Isaac, he again does what his father would do and builds and altar and sacrifices to God. 

When God blesses your life and the things that you do for his name, people will take notice. Even though Isaac was further away from Abimelech, they still heard and saw what God was doing for them. It worried them so much that if God was going to bless Isaac to become a mighty ruler, they wanted a peace treaty between them so that they would have peace and not have to fight against God. Oh that the world would have the same respect and fear for God's church because they see how he blesses it.