A Thief in the Family

O.T.#65  "A Thief in the Family"        June 10, 2013
Genesis 31-Part 2
And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.  Genesis 31:22

LET IT GLOW

The Lord blessed Jacob's herds and flocks with stripes, spots, and speckles. Ordinarily, one would not want that on their animals, but Jacob made a deal with Laban that Laban took all the solid colored new borns and he took the others. The Lord continued to multiply Jacob's animals.
Then the Lord told Jacob to go back to Bethel. Apparently, Jacob didn't wait around for a sign or
a second dream. He told Rachel and Leah, his two wives, they packed, and they were on the road
back to Canaan. Laban was shearing his sheep when Jacob's family, servants, and animals left.
After 20 years, Jacob had had enough of Laban and his life there. Yeah, Jacob is finally going
back to where he left God's will.

Probably Laban would have been glad to be rid of the man who outsmarted him, had it not been
for one thing-his daughter Rachel stole Laban's idols. Jacob did not know this had happened.

The gods were given as part of an inheritance. The chief heir should receive the father's gods, idols. The sisters would not, since they were married to Jacob. Who was the thief?

Jacob's household was filled with idols and was not fully committed to God. How can a family worship God with the heavy chain of idolatry wrapped tightly around it?  Their idols were made
of wood and stone. What about ours? What consumes our time and money? Where does our
security come from? (Lucretia Mobbs, Missions Mosaic Magazine)

Stay tuned to find out how done it/did it.

So where's the blessing? Nothing can compare to the inheritance which belongs to a believer in
Jesus Christ-heaven with God.

LET IT GROW

Jacob and his entourage did not make a simple and fast exit. He had a lot of animals, kids, and stuff to move. It took 3 days before Laban realized they were gone and 7 days for Laban's band to
catch up with them. 
Can you see the dust flying on the dirt road? Maybe there wasn't a road or highway for them to
travel on. Maybe they were going through the green fields so the animals could eat. I don't know.

Moving can be fun with the idea of a new beginning, but traveling with 12 kids? And all those
noisy animals? How pleasant could that be?

Jesus walked on the dusty roads of the Promised Land. He didn't have an air conditioned van,
either.
Do I get grumpy when traveling or moving? Hmm...yes.

LET IT GO

Don't be guilty of holding onto idols in my life, drop them.

Follow Jesus.

If I have left my Bethel, left the Lord's will, go back.

*I am going to hold onto day, my 59th birthday. Don't need to count any more. Let them come,
 but it won't matter. :)
Actually, I am very grateful to my Creator that He has allowed me to live this long. Have a great, blessed day, ya'll. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
*Gaylene, I received your gift and will let you know how it was spent to minister in the D.R.

Time to Move

O.T.#64  "Time to Move"
June 7, 2013
Genesis 31-Part 1
Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.  Genesis 31:16b

LET IT GLOW

Years ago, my mother was having a hard time adjusting to my father's death, so we moved in with
her for the summer to help her. I knew it was getting close for the time to move, so I searched for
a teaching job in another region of the state that was closer to the seminary in order for my husband
to attend. Three schools called to set up interviews with me. Mom told them I wasn't interested, so
I had to call and correct that misinformation. Needless to say, she didn't want us to leave, but it was time for us to go. It was difficult, but God had other plans for us and we had to follow Him. Jacob was at that point in his life. Are you ready to read about it?

We left Jacob with his striped, spotted, and speckled herd and flock of animals. The man increased exceedingly (30:43) Don't you expect Laban and his sons to be jealous over Jacob's prosperity? It happened. Laban was his usual conniving self, looking out for his own welfare, always scheming.
So the Lord told Jacob to return to the land of Canaan and He would be with him. Jacob talked to Rachel and Leah about their father and about leaving. Laban had changed Jacob's wages 10 times (verse 7). The two wives gave good advice-whatever God said to you, do (verse 16).

God reminded Jacob of his Bethel vow. The backslider now had to return and fulfill his promises to the Lord who had blessed him.
Three factors entered into Jacob's decision to leave:

1. the changed attitude of Laban
2. the need for establishing his own home
3. the direct leading of the Lord.   (Wiersbe)

When Jacob sought to leave at the end of his contract (30:25), it was not right in God's timing. Now
it was, so god directed Jacob's departure, and in confirmation, assured him of His presence. So after another six years, it was time to go (verses 38-41). In the privacy of an open field, Jacob's plans could be confidentially shared with his wives. Laban's wage changes were intended to cripple Jacob's
enterprise, but God had intervened by blocking the intended hurt (verse 7) and overriding the wage changes with great prosperity (verse 9).  (MacArthur)

If we are serving God, He will take care of us. Have you experienced this?

LET IT GROW

It seems like Jacob had had enough of Laban. Jacob got his marching orders and march was what
he was going to do-march right out of Laban's life, taking his two daughters and a passel of grandchildren with him. The gals agreed that God had intervened and refunded what their father had wrongfully withheld and spent. Their inheritance was in Canaan, not where their father and brother were.
The gals must have packed up quickly. The clan high tailed it out of Dodge, so to speak. They didn't say any good-byes or give any kisses. I doubt that any tears were shed at this move. It was time to
go and that was exactly what they did, without dear old dad knowing.

Sometimes hasty decisions are okay to carry out. When God moves, we are to move. Don't linger
in the valley of decision too long. The road of hesitation can be painful.  Anyone need to go back
to their spiritual Bethel, where you sold out to God? Are we doing God's will? Are we serving in
the place His has for us to serve?

LET IT GO

Leave the past in the past and follow Jesus today.

Get on my way with Jesus.

Be willing to move when He says go.

Striped, Spotted, Speckled

Sorry for the delay today. If I pause in the middle of writing and fix breakfast, the computer kicks me off the internet and doesn't save anything previously written. I didn't know that happened today, so I typed away for nothing.

O.T.#63  "Striped, Spotted, Speckled"
June 6, 2013
Genesis 30-Part 2
Name your wages and I will pay them. Genesis 30:28 NIV


LET IT GLOW

Here's a true story: We have one cow name Blacky, who is black all over except for her white head.
Black has been a good producer of calves for us throughout the years. However, that all changed the last two years.
Last year, my husband and I both went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Before the trip, I thought that Blacky's calf would be sold to pay for my expenses. I was walking by sight instead of by faith in God to provide. Well, something happened to last year's calf. We could find neither hide nor hair, not even bones of the baby. We though perhaps coyotes got it.
So this year, when it was time for Blacky to calf, I just knew it would be the money for us this time. No, it didn't happen. The was born dead. Okay, I admit that I can be slow at catching onto things, but this was very obvious to me. Lesson was learned-trust God for the needs of the mission trip. So far, He has provided what we needed for both trips, even with the increase in costs.
I think Jacob was a slow learner of life lessons, too. He lingered 6 more years with Laban. Are
you ready to go to his farm?

Jacob was ready to go back home after 14 years with Laban. He realized that it was time for him to strike out on his own and provide for his large family. Jacob had worked 14 years to get his 2 wives. God had blessed Laban because of Jacob, so Laban didn't want him to leave.

Laban covered the evil motive of his plan by using the Lord's name (verse 27) and by asking Jacob to choose the terms. (Wiersbe)

Laban offered Jacob anything, just name his terms, name his price.

Wiersbe's Expository outlines on the Old Testament explains this:

Laban asked, but Jacob refused a gift, for the last time he accepted Laban's "gift" he was deceived (29:19). Jacob offered to work as Laban's shepherd, if Laban wold give him the "rejects" of the flocks and herds. Oriental sheep are white and goats brown or black. by accepting the striped, spotted, and speckled animals, Jacob was apparently giving Laban the better deal.

Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life throught
Jesus Christ our Lord. 

If we don't accept God's free gift of salvation and repent of our sins, we can't have the free gift He has for us-eternal life in heaven with Him. Friend, have you done this?

LET IT GROW

Jacob the schemer devised his own plan. He tried superstitious methods of rods and sticks at the troughs to influence the outcome of the new babies' colors, but it was God who determined what color of baby sheep and goats would be. Jacob even tried "selective breeding" with thew cattle. Where was Jacob's faith? Had he been around that worldly Laban far too long? Did any of Jacob's scheming work? Stay tuned for the answers tomorrow. (I couldn't resist.)

Okay, the agreement was that none of the solid colored animals would belong to Jacob. If any were born in his flock, Laban could take them. And so the saga continues...

LET IT GO

Thank God for His grace.

Trust Him for everything.

The Family

O.T. #62  "The Family"  June 5, 2013
Genesis 29-Part 3to 30:24
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach. Genesis 30:23

LET IT GLOW

A good Christian family with 19 children live in our area. The children are well mannered, well
taken care of, taught Christian values  and the Word. Yet people still think it is terrible that they would have so many kids. Why? Maybe it makes them convicted that they aren't family oriented,
but are materialistic, career oriented, or don't want to spend their time training children. Whatever the
reason, why not just keep the negative comments to themselves? Back in my grandparents' day, it wasn't unusual for families to have at least 7 children. My grandparents had 6 and 7. How about yours?
I said all of that to say Jacob had 12 sons and 1 daughter. Shall we look at his family?

We have already discussed how Jacob worked 7 years for his beloved Rachel, but was given her sister Leah by Laban instead. He then married Rachel a week later, and worked 7 more years. The deceiver Jacob had met his match-Laban deceived Jacob.

The MacArthur Bible Commentary has this to say about the situation:

Such consanguinity (relationship by blood) was not God's will, and the Mosaic code later forbade it (Lev. 18:18). Polygamy always brought grief, as in the life of Jacob.

Whenever a marriage begins with sin, there is usually division and unhappiness in the home. At
first, neither of the two wives bore children, but it was obvious that Jacob loved Rachel more and that he "slighted" (verse 31) Leah.  (Wiersbe)

Here's the family portrait. These 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel, to which was Jacob's name changed later. Jacob was 84 at the time, mind you.
So God honored Leah by giving her 6 sons and one daughter by Jacob:

• Reuben means See, a son!, indicating Leah's pledge from God indicating His favor;
• Simeon means hearing, which reveals that God had heard how much Leah was hated;
• Levi means attachment, expressing Leah's desire that Jacob would ultimately become attached to her;
• Judah means praise, conveying the thought of not merely the praised one, but the one for whom Jehovah is praised;
• Later, Leah had Issachar, which means reward;
• Zebulun means dwelling.
• A daughter was added to the family, Dinah (She is mentioned because of the tragedy in  chapter 34, though she wasn't the only daughter born to Jacob.

Like her husband's predecessors, Sarah, Rachel was jealous of the other woman, and gave her husband her maid servant, Bilhah, to produce her children, since Rachel had none at that time.

Bilhah, maid servant of Rachel, had 2 sons of Jacob:

• Dan means justice, indicating that God had vindicated or intervened for Rachel;
• Naphtali means wrestling, depicting Rachel's struggles.

Rachel finally had 2 sons:

• Joseph meaning to take away or to add, so God either removed the reproach of her childlessness or would give her another son;
• God gave her Benjamin much later (35:18); Benjamin means son of my right hand.

Leah thought she was done bearing children (4 had been born), took up the rivalry, and gave her
maid servant, Zilpah, to Jacob to bear more:

• Gad means troops;
• Asher means happy, stating her inner happiness at having another son.

[Reference: Liberty Bible Commentary, Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament, the    
                   MacArthur Bible Commentary]

There we have it, one big happy family-NOT! It must have been crazy living with four women, jealous of each other's time with Jacob and their child bearing.
This account covers 14 years in Jacob's life-years of toil, trial, and testing. God used Laban and the difficult circumstances of life to discipline Jacob and prepare him for the tasks that lay ahead. (Wiersbe)

LET IT GROW

Here's a humerous little story inserted in the Bible.
Reuben was about 5 years old, playing the a field during wheat harvest time. He found small, yellowish orange colored fruit, called a mandrake, and brought them to his mother Leah. In the ancient world, these were viewed superstitiously as "love apples," an aphrodisiac or fertility-inducing narcotic.
Rachel bargained with Leah, Jacob could come to her that night, in exchange for the mandrake. This happened before Rachel had Joseph. The funny thing is, Leah was the one who got pregnant, not Rachel.
Leah tells Jacob, in verse 16, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with
my son's mandrakes. Leah paid for her time with Jacob. Is that funny or what? What a mess!
This reminds me of another woman who ate of the forbidden fruit-Eve.

God gives children (verses 6, 17, 20, 22). Finally, in 30:22-24, God opened Rachel's womb and she conceived Joseph.

Do we turn to God in our time of distress or to our own resources? Do we try to manipulate circumstances?

LET IT GO

Patiently wait upon God to solve our problems, work out circumstances, and intervene in situations.

Keep following Jesus.

 

The Deceiver is Deceived

O.T.#61  "The Deceiver is Deceived"
June 4, 2013
Genesis 29-Part 2
When morning came, there was Leah!  Genesis 29:25a

LET IT GLOW

The scheming and deceiving Jacob has met his match-Laban. We find that they are two peas in a
pod, just alike, if I may say so. You know the kind-take advantage of people so they have the advantage. Users who don't want to be used.

Jacob spent twenty years with Laban. During that time he reaped the sad consequences of his own sins, yet at the same time, God was disciplining him and preparing him for future service.
The first installment of Jacob's discipline-he became a servant. The second installment of Jacob's discipline-the deceiver himself is deceived. Shall we look a little closer at the situation?

First, Jacob became a servant. After being at Laban's house for a month, they discussed wages for Jacob's work. Apparently, Jacob had been helping out around the house or in the fields or with the sheep.
 Laban said, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing?
Tell me what your wages should be."
Now Jacob was in love with Rachel. His bargain was to work 7 years for Laban in exchange for Rachel to be his wife. (Scheming again)

The NIV says verse 20 this way: So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed
like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

Aaah! Isn't that sweet? Isn't that romantic? Here Jacob found the woman of his dreams and he was willing to wait and work 7 years before marrying her? What's up with that plan? Seven years are a long time to me.
Am I willing to wait for God's promises to be fulfilled in my life? If so, how long? Am I serving
the Lord while I wait for His timing? Time marches on, to the beat of the drum, and the beat seems to speed up when you get older.

Jesus loved us so much that He willingly came to earth and lived 33 years among evil mankind. He even know the outcome-killed on a cross. But then, He arose from the dead to provide us with
eternal life. Do you believe this?

LET IT GROW

All right, discipline installment number two-the deceiver himself is deceived.
Laban was not about to forfeit his elder daughter's chances for marriage, so he forced Jacob to
marry her. Jacob lied about the firstborn (27:19); now he is lied to about the firstborn (29:26). (Wiersbe)

What must have happened, Laban took Leah, his oldest daughter, in stead of Rachel, the one Jacob loved and worked 7 years for, to the marriage tent that dark night in question. In the morning, the truth was made known-he slept with Leah. Jacob confronted Laban, agreed to stay with Leah, then took Rachel to be his wife, after agreeing to work 7 more years for her. He gets himself into more messes.

Jacob reaped what he had sown. Pay backs are tough. We don't think about "down the road" do we.
Living in a little town, I have seen some messes people have gotten themselves into.
What can we learn from this? Sin will find you out.

LET IT GO

Confess, seek forgiveness, change, turn around.

Look before I jump.

Seek the Lord's will first, then obey Him.

Don't be a deceiver; God sees all.

Providence

O.T. "Providence" June 3, 2012
Genesis 29-Part 1
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
Genesis 29:1

LET IT GLOW

Providence-there is a city in Rhode Island by that name. Roger Williams, a religious leader in American Colonies, founded the settlement in 1636. He named it Providence because he believed God had guided him there. (The World Book Encyclopedia)
Do you believe in the Providence of God?

We left Jacob on a spiritual mountain in Bethel. He met Jesus in a dream, which involved Jacob's ladder, on which angels went back and forth from heaven to earth. Jesus gave Jacob some promises, which He had given to his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. Jacob descended into everyday
life at Haran where Jacob gets acquainted with scheming Laban, his mother's brother. Jacob ends up staying around for 20 years under God's disciplining hand. A lot happens to him during that time.

In chapter 29, we see the setting of what becomes Jacob's well. It was God's Divine Providence
that brought Jacob to the very field where his uncle's flocks were to be watered and he met his
future wife Rachel. This was the same well where Abraham's servant Eliezer met Jacob's mother Rebeka. (She watered his camels, also.)

In an age before clearly marked roads and signs, Jacob did not know where he was until he asked some of the locals, and he discovered he was at his destination. (Guzik)

The shepherds at the well watered three flocks by rolling away the stone over the well. They
replaced the stone and left.

The stone on the well's mouth was either to secure their property in it, for water was scarce, to save the well from receiving damage from the heat of the sun, or to prevent the lambs of the flock from being drowned in it. (Westley's Explanatory Notes)

Rachel came with her father's sheep to be watered. So Jacob rolled the stone away so she could.
On an ordinary day, Rachel (means ewe) is homely dressed as a shepherdess, hot and sweaty, hair
a mess. She meets the love of her life and future husband, although she doesn't know it. Jacob addresses himself to her with tears of joy and kisses of love (verse 11). Jacob told her who he was and she ran to tell her father.

Things don't just happen by chance. Look for God, who is always working around us, in our lives, and through our circumstances.

Did you notice that Jacob did not pray about this situation? Eliezer prayed for God's direction
before he met Rebekah. Do we pray when we meet people? Before making decisions?

LET IT GROW

Rachel left Jacob at the well and her sheep, too. She brings back her father Laban, Jacob's uncle.
Laban brought Jacob to his house. Then Jacob told Laban what was going on. Jacob stayed there
for a month before anything else happened.
Let me interject here: Laban's household had idols for their gods, which will be discussed later (31:34). Should Jacob have stayed so long? God used scheming Laban to discipline Jacob for His service. We will continue this saga this week. It is rather interesting how Jacob reaps what he
sowed back home.

Who do we associate? Are they believers in Jesus? Are our family and friends that we daily talk
with Christians?

LET IT GO

Recognize the Providential hand of God working in our lives.

Submit to Him; acknowledge Him; love Him.

Be aware of who our friends, relatives, and coworkers serve and love-God or the flesh (self).

Go Back to Bethel

O.T. "Go Back to Bethel"
May 31, 2012
Genesis 28-Part 3
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shall give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.  Genesis 28:22

LET IT GLOW

In our home church, my husband and I surrendered to the ministry, missions was our calling, we felt. We went off to college and served the Lord in various capacities. He attended seminary, as well as pastored churches. It was 17 years later that God returned us to that home church, not in a serving capacity, but my husband preached in view of a call for another church. We went back to our Bethel. God brought us full circle. We still serve in that same church, only 10 miles from the place where we surrendered to the Lord's will.

What was the Father telling Jacob that He was willing to do for Jacob as a part of the Abrahamic covenant?

• First, God identified Himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac when He spoke to Jacob. 
• God would give Jacob and his descendants the land on which he was lying, spreading out in all directions.
• Jacob's descendants would be as many as the dust of the earth.
• All peoples on earth will be blessed through Jacob and his offspring.
• God will be with Jacob wherever he goes and will watch over him.
• God will bring Jacob back to this land.
• God will not leave Jacob until He has done what He promised.

the Holy Land belonged to the Jews, even though they didn't possess all of it at that time. The last three promises were unique to Jacob. He was assured that God would gave him a wife. (age 77) Jacob would be wondering around, but God promised to be with him. God had a plan for Jacob's life, and He would see to it that His plan was fulfilled.

Are you trusting in God with your offspring? Do you believe that He will be with us wherever we go?

LET IT GROW

Jacob arose early that morning, used the stone he had place under his head, and Set it up as a pillar, poured oil on top, then called the place Bethel, which means house of bread.
This is the first recorded vow in the Bible, made by Jacob.

Jacob realized that his dedication to God meant nothing unless his material goods were under His control as well. Before the Law was given, Abraham practiced tithing (14:20) Wiersbe

Do we have a Bethel in our life, a place where we met God in a serious way and made some commitments to Him? If we have gotten away from the Lord, we can always go back to Bethel and renew our dedication. It was not until 20 years later that the Lord summoned Jacob and led him back to Bethel. (chapter 15)

Our Bethel may not be a physical place, but a spiritual place that we need to return to God. Go back to the last thing you were told to do.

LET IT GO

God always keeps His promises; have I kept mine?

Return back to my Bethel, if need be.

Be faithful in tithing.