Do you realize that you need correction? God needs to correct our actions and attitudes. God’s purpose for this discipline is “…for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). God did just that with Jacob. And because Jacob wanted to follow God, he responded positively to the discipline.
Jacob escapes the hardships at home with Esau and travels to his Uncle Laban’s house, hoping to find a wife among Laban’s family. Jacob meets Laban’s daughter Rachel at the same well where Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, met Abraham’s servant who was seeking a wife for Isaac. What a fantastic story Jacob had to share at family reunions!
Jacob quickly falls in love with Rachel. He asks Laban to marry her. Laban must have appreciated Jacob’s work ethic because Laban convinces Jacob to work seven years for Rachel’s hand in marriage. This was twice the amount of the usual dowry. Thus begins Laban’s many deceptions of Jacob.
Jacob faithfully works for Laban for seven years. But look at Genesis 29:20: “So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” How sweet!
After seven years, Laban deceives Jacob again and gives Leah to Jacob at the marriage ceremony. Leah was Rachel’s older, less beautiful sister. Jacob doesn’t notice this until the next morning. He must have realized that this was a consequence of his earlier deception of his father, Isaac.
When Jacob confronts Laban, he proposes a new deal: spend the wedding week with Leah, marry Rachel then work for seven more years. Jacob loves Rachel so much that he willingly goes along with this plot. Polygamy is a sin, but in His sovereignty God allowed all of this to happen. And He blesses Jacob with many, many children, beginning the tribes of Israel.
God has mercy on Leah, who was not favored by Jacob. God gives Leah the privilege of being the mother of Jacob’s first four sons. She also receives a place of honor in all of history because she is the mother of Judah and Levi. Messiah Jesus Christ came through the line of Judah, and the priests came through the line of Levi. We also see Leah’s spiritual growth in the names she gave to her first four sons. She goes from seeking Jacob’s love and affection to fully relying on God.
While Leah is jealous of Rachel’s love with Jacob, Rachel is jealous of Leah’s children. So Rachel seeks to have children through her servant. Sounds all too familiar, huh? Rachel’s servant gives birth to two sons. The baby wars continue when Leah gives her servant to Jacob. She gives birth to two sons. All this time, Jacob willingly plays this jealousy game with his two wives and their servants! Then Leah conspires and “buys” a night with Jacob and later gives birth to another son and finally a sixth. Rachel finally submits to God’s will, and He gives her Joseph. We will spend a lot of time studying Joseph and his amazing story in the coming weeks.
After this, Jacob wants to leave Laban and head back home to Canaan. So he asks Laban for permission to leave. Again, Laban convinces him to stay. Jacob agrees to take care of Laban’s flocks, with the spotted and striped ones becoming Jacob’s wages. But Laban steals the spotted and striped goats, trying to gain an advantage over Jacob.
God blesses Jacob by causing his herd to prosper. God blesses Jacob with a large family and much wealth. God used Laban to train Jacob. Jacob was forced to wait on God’s timing. But he is patient, he trusts God, he grows spiritually, he is blessed, he doesn’t complain and he gives God the glory.
Finally God tells Jacob to leave. And Jacob obeys. God warns Laban not to attack Jacob. Then Jacob and Laban make a covenant of peace between them.
But God isn’t done with Jacob yet. He still has more training and discipline to come. This shows us that God’s training is a lifelong process!
From this week’s lesson, we can see three steps to God’s discipline:
1. He reveals the sin and traits He wants to change in my life.
2. He refines me through the people and circumstances in my life.
3. He continues this process over and over throughout my earthly life.
How do I respond to discipline and correction? What sin is God revealing to me? Am I giving God the glory when He uses people and circumstances to smooth out my rough edges? Do I look for God’s blessings in the midst of my discipline?
And…here is Avery’s memory verse. She wasn’t into the video camera yesterday:
Genesis 28:15 NIV