Lesson 3

Jacob arrived at the house of his Uncle Laban. The Bible seems to indicate that for Jacob it was "love at first sight" of Rachel. It sort of causes us to raise our eyebrows when we discover that Jacob fell in love with his cousin. Is this incestuous? Under the law of Moses which was given several hundred years after the times of the patriarchs, incest was strictly forbidden (although cousins are not specifically mentioned). Leviticus 18:6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. However, for the entire human race to descend from a single couple (Adam and Eve) it was necessary for sons and daughters to intermarry. (Where did Cain get his wife? He married his sister, Genesis 5:3-4). As the race increased it remained no longer necessary for men to marry their own sisters. That practice, if continued, causes great danger of mental and physical deformities. Early in human history this was necessary and without the dangers of today. Abraham married his half sister (Genesis 20:12), Isaac and Rebekah were cousins (Genesis 24:15, 67) as was Jacob with Rachel and Leah (Genesis 29:23, 30). By the time of Moses, marriage to one's relatives was both unnecessary and unwise. Thus, by specific commandment, God forbade marriage to a close relative. It is a sin since the law but would not have been a sin in the early days of human history. We cannot reasonably carry back the conditions of today into the time of the dawn of humanity nor judge actions performed then by the conditions and laws existing today. (This explanation is included in case the question comes up in your class. Otherwise, it may not be necessary).

Jacob fell in love with Rachel. Once again, Jacob made a deal. He agreed with Laban to serve him seven years for Rachel, the younger of Laban's two daughters, Genesis 29:15-20. Jacob was so deeply in love with Rachel that those seven years passed by quickly, v. 20. A wedding feast was prepared and it wasn't until the morning after the wedding that Jacob discovered that "behold, it was Leah", the uglier, older sister (see 29:16-17 - "tender-eyed" means "weak -eyed") and not Rachel! What a surprise! He married the wrong sister! He had worked seven years for the wrong sister!

The deceiver has been deceived! According to 29:25, Jacob wasn't a bit happy about it! "What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Why then hast thou beguiled me?" Laban's explanation - "In our country it isn't permitted to give the younger in marriage before the firstborn." You should have told me that seven years ago! Laban was more than willing to give Rachel to Jacob for a second wife following seven more years of service, 29:27-30. (Although polygamy was commonly practiced in ancient days, it was never God's will. God created one man and one woman and decreed that "two shall become one flesh." Polygamy only creates more family problems. In Jacob's case, he hated Leah and loved Rachel, 29: 30-31. There was bound to be jealousy and competition which eventually led to surrogate parenting, 30:3-5; 9-10).

"What goes around comes around" and now Jacob is getting a dose of his own medicine. He is reaping what he has sown. He deceived his father and now he is deceived by his father-in-law. He disguised his true identity and pretended to be his brother and now a sister's true identity has been disguised to him. Later on, his sons would deceive him similarly, claiming that a wild beast had devoured Joseph when in truth they had sold him into slavery, Genesis 37:31-36.

He was named "Cheater". He was found "cheating." Now, he is being "cheated." What can we learn from this?

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).

One of the most basic laws of God, is the law of sowing and reaping. You reap what you sow. It is true in the natural world. If you sow green beans, you will reap green beans. Actually, that is a very good law. Wouldn't life be utter chaos if you planted seed without any way of predicting what it would produce? Otherwise you might need grass and end up with grapes to mow or need corn and end up will cucumbers!

This is also a spiritual law of God. We reap what we sow. If we plant good things in our life, we will reap good things. But if we plant evil things in our life we will one day be praying for crop failure. Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Hosea 10:12-13 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies. Rom 2:9-10 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil ... But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good. Jacob is an illustration of the law of God that we reap what we sow.

Galatians 6:8 goes to tell us that we reap where we sow. Verses 9-10 say that we reap later than we sow. The harvest doesn't arrive until due season. The Bible also teaches and nature illustrates that we reap more than we sow. Hosea 8:7 - They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.

God has a way of overruling the schemes and dreams of men. We often call this providence. What is providence? Not just a city in Rhode Island! The dictionary defines "providence" as "the manifestation of divine care, guardianship and direction of God over His creatures."

Jacob could certainly attest to the providence of God in his life. When Rebekah inquired of the Lord as to why there was such a struggle in her womb, God revealed to her that the elder would one day serve the younger, Genesis 25:23. Jacob's schemes to get the birthright of his brother and the blessing of his father did not change nor alter God's providential plan at all.

Nor was it a mistake that Jacob married Leah first. The Bible says that "the Lord ... open Leah's womb, but Rachel was barren" (Genesis 29:31; see also 30:2). Remember that it was through Leah that Levi, the future priests of the nation of Israel came. And it was through Leah that Judah was born, through whom would one day come the Jesus Christ.

When God is not permitted to rule, He overrules! We cannot deny the providence of God. Indeed, "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). There are no accidents nor mistakes with God.

· We reap what we sow.

· We reap where we sow.

· We reap more than we sow.

· We reap later than we slow

· God is in control.