Bibledoorajar Looks at Self Preservation

                                   "Be not dismayed, whate' er betide,
                                    God will take care of you.
                                    Beneath His wings of love abide
                                    God will take care of you.

                                    God will take care of you,
                                    Through every day o'er all the way;
                                     He will take care of you,
                                     God will take care of you.

                                                   Words by Civilla D. Martin
                                                   Music by W. Stillman Martin

Jacob had come to his uncle's house and community and had enjoyed a month of hospitality. Now we see that Uncle Laban is evaluating his own struggle for his sustenance and prosperity. Why not put Jacob to work in the daily struggle for bread? He asked Jacob specifically what his wages would be under that circumstance. Jacob felt a fair wage would be seven years to work for bread but also for Rachel, the woman of his dreams. Here we see a community living out "by the sweat of your brow shall you get bread".  But Jacob's plan was to get much more; he intended to earn the girl that he loved. Clearly he expected no crookedness from Laban. Because of his great love for Rachel, the seven years would not be so hard that he could not imagine Rachel being his at the end.

Finally, the seven years passed and Jacob claimed his bride. Laban planned the celebration and that night Jacob went in to his new wife. Apparently there was no problem until Jacob saw his bride in the daylight.  Shocked, he was not looking at his beloved, but rather her sister whom he did not love. Leah was not as attractive as Rachel and her eye trouble was noticeable. The story speaks of her tender eyes and this is felt best interpreted as weak by most scholars. Some say she may have been cross-eyed. Whatever the exact trouble, Leah seems to not have seen the mismatch as a problem even though she had to have known that Jacob was in love with her sister. It seems that Leah, too, would express a little craftiness in gaining sustenance for her future. Or, maybe like some of her future progeny, she just didn't get it! Jacob was dismayed and complained to Laban about what he had done to him. It was a wakeup call that Jacob was going to have to expend great efforts to get what he wanted as a part of Laban's community. He had a wife and Laban wasn't budging! But, God was watching all of this and as Jacob sweated, Laban connived, and Leah and Rachel kept quiet, God was planning great blessings for Jacob. Be not dismayed our timing is not God's timing; our ways are not God's ways. His power to bless inept human efforts in order to carry out His will for them and others is always present and always active. Let's not get in His way!
 

Bibledoorajar Tracks Jacob's Education in Service

     Jacob had come to his uncle's house and community. His mother and father were both sure that a wife from there would make a more prosperous and godly future for their sons. Esau had rejected this wisdom and had sorely disappointed his folks. How many Christians   have been disappointed when their children did not follow this godly counsel. But Jacob was there and he had met a girl from the right community and he had fallen head over heels for her. He was so much in love with her that he agreed to work seven years for her father to receive her hand in marriage. For seven years Jacob would labor in an environment that would be greatly influenced by his uncle. As a matter of fact his influence would be paramount. Whatever Jacob did, Laban would always be there sealing him in service. But Jacob was at peace with this plan because He had been given a promise while asleep and while he was deeply moved by his sin. His heavenly father had been discovered to be in the desert with him. He was not just in his father's tent, but he was real in Jacob's life. His promises included a ladder to heaven given in a dream.

                             Dreams grow holy put in action,
                             Work grows fair through starry dreaming;
                              But where each flows on unmingling,
                              Both are fruitless and in vain.

                                                      A.A. Proctor

This dream with all its' promise was a "born again" experience for Jacob. It was an opportunity that was divine. Surely as Jacob looked at Rachel, he felt a divine peace in his inner man. We will see this inner peace guide a man through all the forces that come against him. It will start first with a trick from Laban. But lest we forget, there is an Omnipotent One that will ensure Jacob success in his necessary endeavors. What great encouragement we can take from this story: chosen to carry on the work of God with perfect confidence within our inner selves. Does that describe you today?

Bibledoorajar Looks at Serenity

Rachel ran to her father and told him of the relative's arrival. The Bible does not tell us exactly what Jacob told Laban, just that he told his "all of these things". But at the end of Jacob's comments, Laban declares that he is "bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh". Have you ever received anyone warmly and listened to their story and then later found out there was much more to the story? Often, things can go really well for a while between people, and sometimes we forget that Jacob's God runs a kingdom made of morals. Well, for a whole month the watchword was serenity and peace. But in the end Jacob's transgressions interrupted his peace.  God is is never deceived by our evil ways. is he?
Many think they have slipped past God because He is slow to anger and His retributions often do not occur immediately. But now as Jacob's story progresses we see him on the threshold of reaping what he had sown.

Laban observes that Jacob should not continue receiving his hospitality for nothing and he asked Jacob what he thought his wages should be. So the one that wanted to secure the blessing of the firstborn from his father and all the dignity that went with the position, is now being asked to give service for wages. The schemer appears to have met another schemer!

Galatians 6 tells us about a principle of God's sovereign government: "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap." We will see Jacob doing just this as our story progresses and as he continues to learn a life of service rather than always being first. Things will
get a bit harder for Jacob, but God will be with him teaching him all the way.

Bibledoorajar Sees Mama's Plan At Work

Mama's plan for Jacob seems to be mostly working out. He sees Rachel coming with her Dad's sheep. He tries to get the other shepherds to leave the area by telling them there is still daylight left for their sheep to graze. But alas, Rachel arrives and their first meeting is with an audience. But still, she captures a familiar feeling in Jacob:

           "When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban his MOTHER'S brother, and the sheep of Laban, his MOTHER'S brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone away from the opening of the well and watered and watered the flock of Laban his MOTHER'S brother." Gen. 29:10ff.

Mama's plan seems to be working. Jacob, liking what he sees,  is overcome with emotion, and gives Rachel a warm familial kiss explaining that he is her relative. There among the sheep and the shepherds he sees his beautiful "ewe" for that is the meaning of the name Rachel, female sheep. So overcome, he weeps. When he tells her he is her father's relative, son of Rebecca, Rachel runs to inform her father. Mama's plan--so far, so good. Here's another plan that is altogether good. The Father has sent us His special Lamb for us to love. He brings us tears of joy. We give him songs of praise.

 "I love your Name, And I love your touch.
   I love your voice, how it heals my heart,
   Oh, Lord, Oh Lord, I'm so in love with you."

               Lovesong to the Lamb  by Fred Hammond