MAKING A DEAL FOR
LOVE
Genesis 29:15-30
Jacob and His mother deceived his father, Isaac who was
blind and near death into
giving him the blessing that belong to his brother Esau.
Fearing that Esau would
kill him, Jacob fled to Haran , the place where his mother's brother lived.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
V:15-19. " Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my
brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to
be?
16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was
Leah, and the name of the
younger was
Rachel.
17. And Leah's eyes
were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form.
18. And Jacob was in
love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years
for Rachel,
your younger daughter.
19. And Laban said,
It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here
with me.
A. It is not unusual for a man to evaluate a woman based on
what he sees first.
1. According to the
text, Jacob fell in love with the face and
the body that he saw.
2. Beauty on the
outside does not reflect beauty on the inside.
B. A deal should be a deal.
1. Your word should be your bond.
2. We should be
able to trust the word of each other
3. Family is not
always the best people to trust.
LABOR FOR LOVE
V:20. And Jacob did
seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him
only a very little time.
A. When you are
enjoying yourself, time goes by fast.
1. During that time a diary was offered for a bride.
2. Jacob did
not have any money when he arrived at Haran .
3. Having no
sons, Jacob's labor was valuable to Laban.
B. The sins of Jacob
deceiving his father and stealing his brothers birthright
had been
forgiven God.
1. This is evident by the dream that Jacob
had on the way to Haran of a ladder
from
heaven with
angels descending and ascending into heaven.
a. This may
have been an indication the promised redeemer.
b. Jesus
descended from heaven and ascended back into heaven.
2. God confirmed
the promise he made to Abraham of the promise land and the
that his
seed would bless all the families of the earth (Prophecy of Jesus).
3. Regardless of
what lay ahead of Jacob, his future was secured by the Lord's
promise.
4. The future of
every believer is sure by the promises God recorded in His Word
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
V:21-25. "Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so
that I may have her, for the
days are ended.
22. And Laban got together all the men of the place and gave
a feast.
23. And in the
evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her.
24. And Laban gave
Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman.
25. And in the
morning Jacob saw that it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What have you done to
me? was I not working for you so that I might have Rachel? why have you been
false to me?
A. Jacob the deceiver
was deceived by his uncle.
1. Just because God forgives your sins does
not mean there want be a punishment
for your sins.
2. God's plan for
our lives is not changed by our sins.
3. God can and
does bless us in our sin.
4. Sometimes God
allows us to sin to position us for the blessing He has in store for us.
5. Jacob met his
wife because of his deception.
B. Jacob was deceived because the bride to be was completely
covered.
1. The ceremony
probably ended when it was dark
2. It is obvious
that Jacob didn't know Rachel by touch or smell.
a. In the
dark everything looks the same.
b. Leah
obedient to her father, probably kept silent until morning
V:26. And Laban said in our country we do not let the younger daughter be married
before the older.
A. When people are serving their own interest, they always
find an excuse to justify their
mistreatment of
others.
1. Laban knowing
that his time of free labor had come to an end, made a new rule to
to get seven
more years of labor by substituting Leah for Rachel in the marriage bed.
2. Before you
enter into an agreement with someone, check their reputation.
3. In this case
Laban had the advantage because he had what Jacob wanted.
B. Jacob was under the protection of the Holy Father who had
planned that He
would have twelve
sons by four women.
1. Sometimes God
uses unfair situations to carry out His plans for us.
2. We can learn
from every situation.
3. God's plan for
us includes the good and the bad.
THE SECOND DEAL FOR LOVE
V:27. Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and
then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for
another seven years.
A. Jacob may have been up set, but not to upset to except
Leah as His wife and Zilpah
as the maid.
1. The marriage
feast lasted seven days before the consummation.
2. Jacob got two
women for the price of one.
THE CHILDREN PLANNED BY GOD
V:28-30." And Jacob did so; and when the week was
ended, Laban gave him his daughter
Rachel for his
wife.
29. And Laban gave
Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman.
30. Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his
love for her was greater than his love
for Leah; and
he went on working for Laban for another seven years."
A. Jacob worked an additional seven year to take Rachel as
his wife.
1. When a man
loves a woman, he will go to great lengths to satisfy all the
requirements
for her.
B. God's planed for Jacob to have twelve sons.
1. The four women
in Jacobs life completed God's foundation for the
12 tribes of Israel .
2. Jacob had 12
sons by 4 women,
a. Jacob had
six sons by Leah.
b. Jacob had two sons by Bilhah, Rachel's
servant.
c. Jacob had two sons by Zilpah, Leah's
servant
d. Jacob had two sons by Rachel his first
love.
3. Jacob worked for
Laban twenty years before he was able to leave him and
return home.
4. Sometimes God
uses the work we do for Him as the foundation for
another person
to build on.
a. The descendants
of Jacob's twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel .
5. We should see our
service as a small part of God's redemption for all
mankind.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
C. Sometimes the sins
we commit have far reaching effects on our lives.
1. Jacob spent 20
years away from his mother and brother.
2. He was not
present when his father died and probably not present when
his mother
died.
3. He spent twenty
year believing his brother Esau wanted to kill him.
4. For twenty
years, Jacob couldn't enjoy the inheritance he stole from
his brother.
D. It is interesting to note that Rachel, the wife he wanted
the most only give
Jacob two of his
twelve sons. Rachel died giving birth to her second son.
1. God does not
always play fair when it comes to sin.
2. The Law had not
being given when Jacob married.
a. God's plan
for marriage had not been put in print.
b. With
relationships with two wives and two servants of his wives.
Jacobs
family life was not ideal.
c. Jacob's
relationship with his uncle was a major source of pain for him.
3. When we treat
others in an ungodly way, we set ourselves up for future trouble.
4. The Good News is
the blood Jesus shed on the cross covers
all our sins.
REMEMBER TO DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WANT OTHERS TO DO TO YOU
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Come join us for New Years Eve Service and Our Sunday
Service
Rev M Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
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