The Deceiver Is Deceived Series

The Deceiver is Deceived

Genesis 29-31

Isaac and Rebekah are one of the great love stories of the Bible. They waited 20 years to conceive and then they were expecting twins. These twins jostled in Rebekah’s womb. She wondered what was happening in her womb. The Lord spoke to her:

22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. (Genesis 25:22-25)

Jacob came out of the womb grasping to the heal of his older twin brother Esau. His name meant grasping. Figuratively his name meant deceiver. Jacob deceived his father Isaac into thinking he was Esau so he would receive the blessing intended for Esau.

Jacob did not receive the blessing because of the deceit. He received the blessing despite the deceit. What follows is that Jacob will reap what he sows. He sowed deceit with his brothers blessing. He receives deceit from his uncle Laban.

Stealing Esau’s blessing was the cause for Jacob to flee his homeland like a fugitive. The journey would serve a dual purpose to find a wife. Jacob was the selfish secular man without God. He was willing to destroy others to get ahead, but ultimately his deceit was destroying him.

Now Jacob is down and out. He is penniless and on the run. It was in that condition with nothing but a stone pillow that Jacob had his encounter with God we know as Jacob’s ladder. This ladder was a bridge between Holy God and sinful man.

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (Genesis 28:12)

Jesus refers to himself as that bridge. He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (John 1:51)

When Jacob had this experience with the Lord, he was a changed man. After this experience that is his spiritual transformation, he vows to serve God.

Jacob vows to serve God and he vows to tithe.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD[f] will be my God 22 and[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” (Genesis 28:20-22)

Jacob sets up the stone that was his stone pillow and he makes an altar there and calls the place Bethel, the house of God. Jacob is a changed man. His name is still Jacob and will not be changed to Israel until another experience with God. He is now a changed man with a changed heart. He is not a grabber, but now he is a giver.

Jacob sets out from Bethel a changed man who will serve God with a giving heart. He still goes on to Haran, but now with a sense of purpose. He goes to Haran with a conviction that God is with him.

Jacob Meets Rachael. (Genesis 29) Haran is the place that Jacob’s grandfather Abraham sent his servant to find Jacob’s father’s wife Rebekah. It is Jacob’s mother Rebekah who insisted he go back to her hometown to find his wife. Abraham’s servant brought gold rings and bracelets and gave the expensive gifts to Rebekah’s family.

One of the most important ones in approving the marriage of Rebekah was her brother Laban. Laban profited financially from the dowry paid for Rebekah to marry Isaac. Laban is Jacob’s uncle that he will be meeting in person for the first time when he reaches Haran.

Now Isaac arrives in Haran, not with gold and costly gifts, but penniless. Now crafty Laban plans to capitalize on the situation and deceive the deceiver. Jacob is in love with Laban’s daughter Rachael. Jacob agreed to work for Laban seven years in exchange for marrying his daughter Rachael.

Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” (Genesis 29:17-18)