Until I have done what I have promised
you
Gen
28:10-29:11
Key
verse 28:15
Background:
Have
you seen a red phone? It is a phone not used in ordinary circumstances. Only
when there comes a crisis, you pick up that phone and ask for help. If we have such
phone, it will be great because whenever there is an emergency we can call for
help.
Jacob
eagerly wanted to have the birth right from Esau. So he forced Esau to sell his
birth right with a bowl of soup when he was very hungry. When his father Isaac
was about to bless Esau, Jacob took Esau’s blessing in deception of his father
and with assistance of his mother Rebekah. As the result, Esau was enraged and
threatened to kill Jacob. At the same time, Esau’s marriage with Canaanite
women caused a great distaste for Rebekah most likely their ungodly practice of
pagan religion. It became clear that
Jacob must get away from Esau and Jacob had to have a wife not from Canaanite
women. Rebekah, since her husband Isaac became blind, became the eyes of the
family to see and understand what had to be done. She devised a plan to send
Jacob to her brother Laban. Isaac came to realize his mistakes and told Jacob
to go to his uncle Laban’s house about several hundred miles away. It was not a
good thing that he had to run away from his brother Esau. It was not a good
thing to escape from the land of God’s blessing.
This raises two serious questions.
1.
Would God
really bless Jacob since in this process Jacob cheated his father and brother?
2.
What would happen to God’s promise of the land
if Jacob leaves the land of God’s promise?
He must come back by any means. Can this be possible?
With these questions leaving unanswered, Jacob set off to
his uncle Laban. Since the blessing of God was the utmost importance for his life, his mind was burdened with two
things that must happen on this journey; marrying a daughter of Laban and come
safely back to this land again.
A.
God makes a visit to Jacob [10-13a]
[10,11]For the first time in life, Jacob had to leave the
comfort of home and had to take a journey all by himself. He packed some
necessities and money. He knew where to go but he did not know what would be on
the way. Few hundred miles journey includes mountains, deserts and wooded
areas. He might meet wild animals or bandits or robbers, not to mention of the
problems of weather, cold at night and heat during the day time. Simply it was
a fearful and lonely journey. With such
fear and uncertainties of future, he set off this journey and made barely a day
journey before the sun set in the west. Soon darkness overwhelmed the sky and
stars began to appear. So he called for a sleep laying his head on a
stone.
We live with families and friends always. Also there is
always someone that we can talk to even when
we are far away in unknown country. But many will face such time as this
where life is fully exposed to all kinds of dangers of the wild and no one but
you yourself is the only one defense.
Have you had such a journey or an occasion in your life
where you alone left like an orphan in this vast world? There was no one to
talk to and so many unknown dangers are out there waiting for you. You feel
that your life on your hand. No one knows if you are there; no one notice even
if you might be caught a life threatening danger, such as wild animals or
bandits. You alone must bear the burdens of life. Life is vulnerable to all
kinds of unknown dangers. But your life is solely on your hand!
At this time, something happened to Jacob.
[12-13a] Jacob had a dream. It was so vividly clear. He saw
himself so small lying low on the vast earth and from where he was, a ladder
stretching upward to the depth of the sky.
In the depth of the sky it was so bright. Someone was there standing in
the brightness of the sun. This scene was so strange and unexpected and so
overwhelming in this mind. While he was in shock and amazement, the person in
the depth of the sky spoke these words.
A.
God made a promise to Jacob [13b-15]
[13b] He said that he was the God of his father Abraham and
the God of Isaac. People of the land believed many gods. But this God
identified himself as the God of his Abraham. The God of Abraham was unique and
very personal to his family because that God, on his own initiative, called his
grandfather Abraham and offered His blessing to Abraham. When Abraham obeyed
and came to this land, that God blessed him throughout his life. That God also
blessed his father Isaac as well. Seeing such abundance of God’s blessing, Jacob
was so obsessed to get that blessing. To get this blessing he cheated his
brother and even his father. But actually Jacob never saw him but Jacob only
knew him through his father and mother’s word.
Now that God personally appeared to Jacob as he did to his
grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
·
He particularly identified as the God of his father Abraham—what relationship
Abraham had with this God was important.
·
This is the God of blessing that his father Isaac gave Jacob.
This God had personal
interest in Jacob and appeared to him in his own initiative. This God was
only in his ideas and in his brain. But now This God made a face to face
encounter with Jacob.
When the first red line was set up between US and Soviet
Union, it was a teletype. This was changed to radio through satellite and then
to a direct telephone[facsimile] and then e-mail.
In this way the God
of history presented himself to be Jacob’s personal God. As he appeared personally to Jacob, God has a
clear purpose. God will do three things to Jacob.
[13c] First God said that He will give the land he was laying
on to him and to his descendants. This has a great implication;
·
It was uncertain if God’s blessing would be with
him since he in deception took the blessings of his father. But his appearance
and his promise of this land confirms that God’s
blessing is with him without any doubt.
·
He was leaving the land of God’s promise to a
different country. He worried if this might have any impact on the blessing.
But God himself promised to give this
land to Jacob. We can also infer that
God would surely bring him back to this land to take the possession of this
land.
[14a] Second, God will bless him to have many children like
the dust of the earth. God is clearly indicating that eventually God will make him a nation of God’s blessing. Why does God do this? What is his ultimate
goal?
[14b] God wanted to
pour out his bless to Jacob and will make out of him a nation of blessing. The
ultimate purpose is to bless all peoples on the earth.
At this time of his
life, Jacob’s immediate concern was his safety on this journey. But God was
teaching him to lift up his eyes to see the distant future—his children and the
blessing for the world through his children. In this perspective, God wanted Jacob to see his relationship with Him.
God said this to Abraham his grandfather and Isaac his father. God’s will or
God’s will to bless Abraham and Isaac was from this purpose. This will of God
was with his grandfather and then his father and now is with Jacob. So far
Jacob was the third generation since. God is looking at hundreds of generations
after Jacob. This vision of God is still continues and will continue even long
after Jacob’s life. Simply God wanted Jacob to see God as the source of his
life and to see his life in this entire history that God will span out in long
years to come.
But how did Jacob see
his life? What was Jacob’s primary concern or immediate need? Did he have
any room to take this vision of God in his mind?
God knew that right now Jacob cannot think about anything
else but his journey and his safety on this journey. As long as this fear
weighs down his heart, he could not do anything. So God addresses particularly
on this issue, the issue of his fear and anxiety on this journey.
[15a] God is with him
and God will be with him wherever he goes. God will be with him as he go
through mountains and rivers and forests and wilderness. He will be with Jacob
even he was surrounded by strangers. God will be with him in Harran and on his
way back to the land of God’s promise. God said, God will be with him wherever he goes! His blessing is his
commitment to the person Jacob wherever he goes.
[15b]He will bring him back to this land. This assuring
promise is a comfort and peace in his mind as he set off to a land where he
would stay for a while and had no idea how long it would take for him to come
back. This means that getting a wife in Harran is in God’s plan and coming back
to this land is also important to God.
Marriage is important
because it concerns the next generation; God concerns not just Jacob’s
wellbeing but also he has keen eyes on his descendants as well. So whom he
would marry was very important to him as well. Since God was going to give him
and his descendants, where he lives; i.e coming
back to this land is also important for God.
His abiding presence
is tightly tied to fulfilling God’s promise. That include whom he marry and
where his life will be. He will make all-out effort to fulfill his purpose in
Jacob’s life. The vital part of this is marriage and coming back to this land.
Third he will surely accomplish what he has promised. All things will be done by his power and
authority. It does not depend much on what Jacob can or cannot do but it is
by God’s grace and power.
After all, what do all these words of God mean to Jacob? ;
Let’s look at the
vision again. God was high above at the other end of the ladder. There was
a long stretch of a ladder that connects from the earth to the heaven. There
were angels going up and down. All these speaks one thing ; in between God and
Jacob, despite of seeming so much distance, there is on- going connection
;whatever happens in Jacob’s life will
be known to God and cannot be hidden
from God’s eyes and whatever he asks God, it will be communicated to God
without delay. The vision itself is a picture of God’s abiding presence in
Jacob’s life.
What does it mean to him? This journey is in God’s plan. So God will take care of him
throughout this journey through his abiding presence. The vision that he saw
says all that God spoke.
I am with you. I will
be with you. This is what God showed and this is what God said in words of
promise.
So when he accepts
this, know by heart, and then all uncertainty will be changed into
certainty. Fear and anxiety will turned into faith and peace in confidence.
By reiteration of his protection
and provision for this journey, what God wants is for him to see God’s plan for
his life. Instead of worrying about now, his attention is to be God and his
purpose to be the source of blessing:
God’s ultimate goal -All peoples
on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
What about you? In such time of loneliness, have you met God
or sought God?
So it is clear that even the immediate problems must also be seen and
understood in this long term perspective.
What did God do in your life? Our mind and hearts are bogged down by
immediate problems and concerns. We are absorbed into the immediate problem
because we feel that the problem that we face now is so life threatening or
damaging, or so vital for the future. Actually it is very hard for anyone to be
aloft of the current problems of life. But as God eagerly wanted Jacob to see
his life in God’s perspective, so is God’s prayer and hope for each of us.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who
called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
B.
Jacob makes a vow [16-22]
[16-17] In his mind went through two things: Surely the Lord
is in this place. No doubt God is living and is in this place. He felt the overwhelming presence of God.
In this way he faced God person to person. He was filled with awe and fear.
Once you face God in such a way, you cannot escape from him or ignore him. That
place was so important because God is in that place and through this place
he could have an access to heaven. This makes a very important implication.
Undoubtedly God was indicating that this is the place that God would bless and
give to him and his descendant. In this way, this place will be the permanent reminder
of this event or the witness to him of God’s amazing promise.
So he did not want to forget
this place.
[18-19] He set up the stone as pillar and anointed it with
oil. It is a kind of worship, showing honor and respect to God. In this way he showed his dedication to the
God who appeared to him in this place. Respect, honor and dedication are from
the depth of one’s heart. It invariably involves a visible action. He set up
the stone as a pillar and he poured out oil on the pillar. At the same time he
changed the name of this place—Bethel. It means the house of God. This is his
personal perspective on this place. In his mind, if he wanted to seek God or to
meet him, he can find him in this place. In this way Jacob gave God the full
honor. Such full honor to God does not end in just making a reminder of the
place. It involves one’s commitment in his will. It is a vow.
[20-21] By making a vow Jacob responded to God positively. Jacob is
accepting and agreeing with what God did to him. His vow is not unconditional.
It is conditional. That condition is in v 20.
If God protect him from all harms and provide him all that he would
need, then, he would do two things to God.
1.
If we look at God’s promise, it is clear that
his promises [13-14] was good enough to guarantee his safety and blessing. But
God added v15 in order for him to be assured of God’s protection and certainty
of God’s will to accomplish this.
Despite of this double emphasis on God’s protection and provision, Jacob
was still unsure of this promise and made this as the condition of his
commitment to God. Through this we can discern two things; His faith was weak
and he was unable to entrust fully his life on God’s hand. So his fear and
anxiety were still there and were not relieved despite of God’s promise.
2.
He began to show his keen interest in what God
would do in coming days and years of his life. He was going to see to it that
God would do what he had said. This means that in his mind God’s promises is
high priority.
3.
Despite of his weakness in faith, he began a
life tightly engaged with God and his promises.
What will he do if God does what he promised?
[21b-22]
He would do three things; God will be my God. This place will be the
house of God. He would give God tithe, one tenth of all that he earned.
1.
God will be my God. Jacob will give an undivided
loyalty to God of his father Abraham. There are many gods. But he will not give
any attention to all other gods, except the God that appeared to him, God of
his father Abraham. Jacob believing that God is worthy of his whole commitment.
He is willing to take God’s will and promise for his life. The next two are his
way of taking God as his God.
2.
This place will be the house of God; He will worship
God here. He will express utmost honor and respect to him in this place.
3.
He will give God one tenth of all that he earns.
a.
It is God who gave him all the provisions for
his life; it is God’s blessing that he survived.
b.
He is willing to entrust his life on God and his
provisions. God is worthy of his life commitment. All the promises that God
gave him will be genuinely his as well.
In this way, despite of his doubt, Jacob made a baby step toward God.
·
This is an honest expression of his need and
this is where God can demonstrate his power and authority in Jacob’s life. This
is how we can begin our relationship with God.
·
He did not mention any long term purpose of God.
It was the least of his concern now.
·
Even if it is conditional, he showed an explicit
commitment to God.
What do we learn from this? We are not much different from Jacob. Our immediate
concern is our safety and wellbeing now—job we want to have, how we can secure
our living as we feel comfortable, not to mention health. This is where we
begin our meeting with God and taste his power and protection. Also this was
true to Jacob. This is true to us as well.
As God appeared to Jacob with clear view of his abiding presence in his
life, God demonstrated this to us through Jesus. You can make a similar commitment to God in
prayer. In this way we can test God in his words and taste God’s power and
promise in our lives. Then our relationships with him will firmly be
solidified.
John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask
and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
Let’s go back to Jacob How much did he take God’s word?
C.
God kept his promise [Jacob meets Rachel 29:1-14]
He went on his journey. But at this time his mind was light
and filled with joy and peace even though nothing has changed as far as what he
had to go through, long and arduous journey.
[2] He came to a well near Harran and there he found three
groups of herds and three shepherds.
They were not doing anything but were waiting for other
sheep to come.
[3]The reason, the stone was very heavy and all shepherds
get together to water their sheep. If one or two shepherd watered their sheep
and goes away, it is very hard for a shepherd alone to move the stone and water
her sheep. All the mores so they had to
wait because a female shepherd cannot move a stone all by herself and she was
coming! What does it mean? They were all waiting for Rachel. To eye s of Jacob
they were lazy and idling for nothing. So it was their way of showing their
care for other shepherdesses. All these things happen because Rachel was part
of this group! So it was good that these
three shepherds were waiting for Rachel because Jacob could meet them. Was it
God’s provision? Most likely this is what
the Bible is trying to say.
[4] while three shepherds were waiting to Rachel, Jacob had
a perfect chance to ask them all the
questions: So he asked where they were from and if they knew Laban,
Nahor’s grandson. They knew him and
actually his daughter Rachel is coming soon to water her sheep, they said.
For Jacob it was an exciting moment. While they were talking, Rachel arrived with
her sheep. As soon as he saw Rachel what
did he do?
[10] It was an impressive moment for Jacob. He moved the
stone all by himself for Rachel and he watered her sheep first. Having done so,
what went on his mind?
[11-12] He kissed Rachel and at the moment his emotion broke
out and wept loudly. Why? It was a long and hard journey for a month. He went
through many difficulties and hardships. His mind was filled with anxieties and
fears. He could not unload all these. Though God said ‘ [15] 15 I am with you
and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this
land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. He could
not get over with his fear and anxiety as he took on the treacherous journey.
But as soon as he saw Rachel, all these melted out and he was filled with joy.
Also the word of God rang true—God protected him and God led him all the way
safely. God’s grace and mercy and release of all fear and anxiety came upon him
all together!
How did Rachel’s family accept Jacob?
[13-14] Laban and his whole family welcomed him like as one
of his family member-you are my own flesh and blood. Finally Jacob found the
place of rest and peace. God was with him surely. In this first step of his
long journey of life, God proved himself to be true in his promise [v15].
V15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,
and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done
what I have promised you.
Matthew 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age."
No comments:
Post a Comment